Lonely Planet California & Nevada

Just used this book for a two-week road trip through California. I also had a few other Cal guidebooks with me and this one was the best. It was well organized, in depth and consistently gave good recommendations.

This is a fantastic book. I read it from cover to cover, even though I didn't go to every place in California. The information was relevant, and it was handy to have the book with me as I travelled about. Having an idea of food places in a country you are not familiar with is great. Lots of advice was useful, and I know that if I return to Califorinia, I can use this book again.

I rated this book with 5 stars because it has the best value compared to the others. With a price tag below [price], great maps and to the point writings of all the places you need to see in California and Nevada. Who can beat that? PS for Dim Sum lovers: Go to the cheap dim sum restaurant in SF mentioned in this book. It's worth every single penny.

First, addressing the remarks made by the person with the review titled "For the lonely and the broke," this guide is NOT supposed to be for rich yuppies staying in fancy hotels and going from one tourist destination to another, which is EXACTLY what makes these guides so unique. For those who love to travel and truly experience the place they are visiting (as opposed to just the tourist crap) without blowing thousands of dollars on hotels and fancy restuarants, Lonely Planet is the best. They are designed for people who like to stay in relatively inexpensive hotels and cool hostels (and thus who would prefer to use their money for more useful things than valets, room service, etc.), who often like to experience the outdoors from more than a car window on an interstate, and who seek to truly experience the culture of the place they are visiting while meeting new people. I live in California, and always use my Lonely Planet guide when traveling around my home state, whether for finding places to hike and camp in the Sierra or Coast Range, learning about the geography and history of some old town, hanging out in San Francisco, or just finding cool hostels and nice restaurants (that aren't fancy and expensive and are unique, not some chain restaurant) in some town I've never been to. For those who love to travel with nothing but a pack on their back, you just can't beat Lonely Planet. If you want to drive your SUV from tourist destination to tourist destination, mindlessly snapping pictures of everything you see and staying in fancy hotels, then definitely buy something else.

I had used Lonely Planet's Travel Servival guide for India in 1996 and since then I am a fan of this publication. This was my first visit to the West Coast in ten years I have been in US and with the help of this book I could organize my trip much better then I expected(in fact I knew more about the place or a city then few of my friends who have been there for more then 10 years) Maps are small but great. If you are going to Las Vegas I would also recommend Lonely planet's book Las Vegas which is also excellent.