Customer Reviews

Maine: An Explorer's Guide, Thirteenth Edition (Explorer's Guide Maine)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I travel a lot -- both nationally and internationally and I use travel books often. I took my first trip to Maine this summer and was excited to see that a book so highly rated was coming out with a new edition shortly before my trip. Unfortunately I found this book disappointing time and time again. If you like the way that Lonely Planet presents information (town maps, opinionated recommendations, and historical information) then stay away from this guide book. It offers very few of any of those things. It is more of a guide to available restaurants and lodgings with little or no real concrete information or opinions about those places.

For example, we traveled to Campobello and needed to stop for dinner. One of the restaurants they listed was "known for its fish and chips". Such a description doesn't reveal whether their fish and chips are actually worth the stop. We did stop and found the fish and chips to be VERY average and the microwaved fish chowder to be very bland. A B&B we stayed at was described as having "furnishings reminiscent of a simpler time". What does that mean? We found out but that description told us very little. The vague descriptions were frustrating when we were calling from one area of Maine to make reservations in another. We weren't sure what we were going to find. One more example: We were in Acadia driving the park loop and I reached for the book in hopes that it would give a brief description of the different sites on the tour. There was a sign for Bubble Rock and I wanted to know what that was in reference to. The book was of no help.

The book is also awkward to use. The key to their symbols are buried in the book. Their reference section is also awkward and lacks a "when to go" section among other useful information. Considering the fact that much of Maine consists of small towns whose streets are too small to show up on maps of Maine, it would have been such a help to have had small town maps in the book. I think there were a couple but nothing near what there should have been. This may be the best that is out there but if that is the case, then there is room for some one else to write a much more comprehensive and useful guide to Maine.

When we travel, we usually get several guide books for the area we are going to, and then hit the road. We used this book more than any other and found that we consistently agreed with the authors reviews . We had a terrific time exploring the area and became very confident that what we read in this book would actually be the way it was described.

The book offers a fairly comprehensive collection of lodging, activities and places to eat in Maine. The prices quoted are in the ball park but I found them to be somewhat low. The weakness of the book is that it lacks strong and clear opinions about what place is worth visiting and what places I should avoid. There is little in the book that is critical. As a result, it reads too much like an official brochure from Maine's tourist office. This is fine and helpful. But for the price, I was hoping for a few more useful and honest opinions from writers who are supposedly experts on the area.

"Maine: An Explorer's Guide" was my first purchase in the series. Since then, I have used "Vermont..." and "Maryland...". While perhaps not ideal for novices in a region, they are excellent for one who has some familiarity with the state one is visiting. The descriptions of history, geography, cultural and recreational offerings; and the listings of inviting, independent restaurants, shops and accommodations have always been accurate, informative and insightful. If you are likely to visit more than once, or stay longer than a few days, this is the book for you. As a piece of advice, buy a good map to go with it.

This is a terrific guide book. It's personal but thorough, and - like Maine - it has character and characters. It's written with an eye out for the personal experience and the hidden treasure. Maine is a beautiful place with a quirky side. Thanks to the Explorer's Guide for helping me get to know it.

This is a terrific guide, detailed accurate,judgemental when called for, funny and user friendly. The author clearly spends a lot of time traveling around Maine keeping in touch with changes and updating information. A new addition is virtually another, better book. So,I'm surprised that Amazon.Com listed the new 10th edition as No.3, behind two earlier editions.The two older editions certainly contain useful information and are more deeply discounted.However, when you're spending a lot of money on a trip or vacation it makes sense to have an up-to-date guidebook.

This book is the best Ive seen. It reviews Inns, b&b's, campgrounds, places to stay with kids, or without. We vacation in Maine every year and use this book as our guide. It has never let us down.We try new places in Maine every year.

Roundy and Tree's Explorer's Guide (Maine) is absolutely must reading for travelers to the State of Maine; research is fresh every two years; book is highly respected by travelers and in-state operators of tourism establishments, just a great guide to a great state. Required reading for all who want to enjoy all Maine has to offer. Focuses especially on dining and lodging establishments, but also strong on outdoor attractions, historic places, and significant events. You cannot enjoy all that Maine has to offer without having a copy of this book at the ready. If you do not get this book, no point in coming to Maine. Buy it and use it.

I discovered this book in 1992 (earlier edition) and used it as the basis of planning a 5-day leap-frogging from Portland to Schoodic Peninsula and back. I like to fully research our trips beforehand, and this book gave me everything I needed, from 2 women who know the area well. I recommend it to anyone I hear is heading that way.

the best resource for traveling in the state of Maine - it includes everything that a traveler needs to know for a successful trip.