Frommer's American Southwest

My family is going on our first ever tour of several national parks soon and this book is terrific. It is informative, well-laid out, and full of helpful information. It is great to have background on each park, trustworthy lodging recommendations and suggestions for interesting side-trips. There are many, easy-to-read maps for each chapter. I appreciate the suggested itineraries for half-day, one day, and two day stays in each area. A great resource!

I wish I had more time to read this book before going on my vacation this year, but we did pull out some helpful hints from the book. It provided some good feedback on local restaurants, as well as some kooky out of the way attractions we really enjoyed. I would definitely recommend it for your southwestern getaway.

Although this guide covers a large geographical area, it manages to pack a huge amount of information between its covers. Two examples based on my own knowledge illustrate this. The 50 pages on Santa Fe, a favorite place of mine and many others, cover the basic sights, restaurants, and accommodations in accurate detail. (Like any guidebook, its information is only as current as the copyright date, however.) As the author of a book for children (I See Santa Fe! A Children's Guide and Coloring Book), I was pleased to see a whole page devoted to children's activities identifying unusual sites (the Wheelwright Museum, planetarium, skateboard park, and Community Sports Complex) as well as the standards (Children's Museum, Rancho de las Golindrinos, and Folk Art Museum). The three page coverage of a much less visited location, Roswell, also provides good basic information presented in a respectful way (not always the case in guidebooks, both because of Roswell's small town nature and its primary tourist attraction). While a few specialized guides presenting in-depth coverage of specific destinations and topics such as hiking, geology, culture, or history would add interest to a trip, this guide is a good basic resource for any family touring the Southwest. -Lynn Michelsohn, author of Roswell, Your Travel Guide to the UFO Capital of the World!