Customer Reviews

Moon Handbooks Alaska

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

 

 

We suddenly decided to go to Alaska in 2 weeks and we needed a good travel guide so we could do a lot of last minute planning quickly. This is it! I was able to make all our arrangements using it (along with the Internet). You can find the information you want easily in this book. I've been to Alaska before and was pleased to find that this is accurate too. I've used a lot of travel books for various trips to other places and frequently end up frustrated with them, but this book has been a total delight. I highly recommend it.

I am planning a road trip from Texas to Alaska. As this would likely be a "once in a lifetime experience" and as we were committed to spending approximately one month in Alaska, I wanted to make sure we would have no regrets once we completed the "in Alaska" portion of our itinerary. I found Don Pitcher's Moon Alaska travel guide very, very helpful and informative.

Pitcher's wit, knowledge and indeed even love for the state of Alaska shine through in the guide time and time again. He doesn't just include facts, but also includes helpful descriptions and opinions that help each reader tailor their visit to Alaska to events and places that would be most enjoyable to them. In particular, his description of the Copper River Highway outside of Cordova convinced me to include Cordova on our itinerary.

The book is extremely thorough. I would guess that there is not a place that one can get to with a private car that is not described in this book, and there are certainly a number of places described beyond the reach of a car. The descriptions of how to get to towns, and how to get around are helpful both for the cruise / packaged tour visitor as well as someone driving on their own.

The thoroughness extends to places and events to see in each location. Additionally, Pitcher does an excellent job of providing lodging recommendations across a variety of price ranges, as well as a number of dining recommendations (any book that includes both Simon and Seaforts and Moose's Tooth Pub and Pizzeria in Anchorage covers the dining scene quite well).

Not all readers will share Pitcher's political and religious views, and I include myself in the group that does not share those views. Nonetheless, the guide is so thorough and helpful in planning a visit to Alaska, that I would recommend the book without reservations to anyone planning to visit Alaska.

PLANNING A TRIP TO ALASKA IS AN OVERWHELMING TASK AS THE DISTANCES BETWEEN FEATURES ARE SO VAST. MOON BOOKS, GENERALLY, PROVIDE A FORMAT THAT WORKS WELL FOR THE TYPE OF VACATION THAT WE PLAN. AND AS A MOON USER FOR OVER TWENTY YEARS, I CAN SAY THAT MOON ALASKA IS WELL EXECUTED, AND PROVIDES A GOOD RESOURCE TO EXPLORE THE REGION. MY ONLY CRITICISM HAS TO DO WITH INSUFFICIENT MAPPING TO SUPPORT TEXT DESCRIPTION OF FEATURES. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FEATURES CAN BE LOCATED EASILY, BUT SOME OF SECONDARY FEATURES ARE DIFFICULT TO LOCATE WITH THE MAPS PROVIDED.

My 2007 copy is thorough in content and somewhat useful but BEWARE...the author is obviously a left wing liberal and appears bias towards those who hold conservative views. For example, he will explain in detail where you can find a "gay bar" and of course where you can buy alcohol, but try to find in his book where you might attend church if you are so inclined to do so on your visit to Alaska. For example in my copy he writes condescending and sarcastic remarks about the "right-wing Christian Alaska." Liberals are always preaching about diversity but seem to always show their own hypocritical bias..... Some balance in the handbook would have been nice.

This is an adequate guidebook - nothing much different from the Lonely Planet guide. I tend to buy Moon Handbooks because of their historical perspective. Their Hawaii books are excellent.

On page 527 under the heading "Going Rogue," Mr. Pitcher makes the following comment about Sarah Palin. "As an Alaskan, all I can say is: God help us all if she ever gets elected to any position of real power. It's difficult to imagine anyone less qualified for public office." This comment has nothing to do with visiting Alaska. Whether you support Ms. Palin or not, she was elected governor, and she is a national figure. This was a pointless and juvenile comment. I encourage others to skip this book and purchase any of the other similar guidebooks about Alaska. Good job, Mr. Pitcher.

Also, Mr. Pitcher is not an "Alaskan" - he was born in Atlanta.