Moon New England (Moon Handbooks) [Paperback]

Michael Blanding (Author), Alexandra Hall (Author)

Book Description

Series: Moon Handbooks | Publication Date: May 1, 2007

Residents of Boston Michael Blanding and Alexandra Hall know the best way to experience New England, from fishing in Gloucester to visiting the shores of Acadia National Park. The authors include unique trip ideas like "The History and Literature Tour," "Experiencing Small Town New England," and "The South Coast Diversion." Packed with information on dining, transportation, and accommodations, Moon New England has lots of options for a range of travel budgets. Every Moon guidebook includes recommendations for must-see sights and many regional, area, and city-centered maps. Offering endless options for travelers from strolling along the streets of New Bedford to taking in a performance of the Boston Ballet, Moon New England gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience. With expert writers, first-rate strategic advice, and an essential dose of humor, Moon guidebooks are the cure for the common trip.

Product Details

• Paperback: 575 pages
• Publisher: Avalon Travel Publishing (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156691955X
• ISBN-13: 978-1566919555
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,562,416 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Michael Blanding is an award-winning magazine writer who covers politics, social issues, and travel. He has written for publications including The Nation, The New Republic, AlterNet, The Boston Globe, Condé Nast Traveler, and Boston Magazine, where he is a contributing editor. He has also several travel guides to New England destinations for Moon Handbooks and taught journalism at Tufts University and Emerson College. His first book of investigative non-fiction, The Coke Machine: The Dirty Truth Behind the World's Favorite Soft Drink, was published by Avery/Penguin in September 2010.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best New England Guide I found, August 24, 2007

By 

AIM - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moon New England (Moon Handbooks) (Paperback)

I found this guide the clearest and most usable guide for a short trip to New England. It was also the most help for a few days in Boston. I tore the Boston section out of the book and used it for the few days we were able to go into the city. The guide I bought on Boston was not as clear and proved largely useless for the short time we were in the city. I looked at the Frommer & Lonely Plant guides and found this one much clearer. The regions covered in the book have a page of highlights with a brief description and a map of the area with the suggested sites to visit on the map. A more detailed description follows in the next section. I used the websites mentioned to print out directions to the sites and the phone numbers to call ahead to confirm details. I prefer Rick Steves Guides for Europe. This is the best I have found so far in a United States guide.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's great if you love museums, but ..., January 17, 2009

By 

Gregory Fung (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Moon New England (Moon Handbooks) (Paperback)

This guide is a bit hit or miss. If you happened to have the exact taste as the authors, then I suppose this would be a good choice. But otherwise, this guide seems to like certain off-beat things a lot, while ignoring some major attractions. For example, on the top 7 things to see in Boston, the Mapparium (funky stained-glass globe exhibit from the 30s) and the Harvard Museum of Natural History (small and dusty museum) make the list while major things like Newbury Street, the Boston Public Gardens and Faneuil Hall don't. Go figure. These guys must really like museums! Also, the food selections are more about the ambiance and food. If you're a foodie, look somewhere else.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good all around guide, June 7, 2008

By 

Genie (St. Petersburg, FL USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Moon New England (Moon Handbooks) (Paperback)

This is a good guidebook. The opening information for each area was well-written. It lists things to do and see in a general vicinity with dates, times, and costs for each. The index is superior to other guides we have used. Most of the restaurant recommendations were great with one notable exception in Sandwich, MA and that place was just weird. The binding allowed an entire section to be carefully removed to carry around in pocket or purse without lugging the whole book. We will look at Moon Handbooks for all of our future travels.