Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I'm a native Californian, and have lived in the state for, er, several decades. I was hoping this book would offer people wanting to visit California some ideas for good itineraries, even if they would need a more detailed guidebook on the area chosen to plan a trip.
Unfortunately, no. Perhaps the first clue should have been on the cover, where it says "68 themed itineraries". Too many of the trips are thematic rather than realistic trips. The worst are in the first section, called "Iconic Trips". Here there are such absurdities as "trips" that list beaches or surf spots along long stretches of the coast. A literary trip has four locations in the LA area, a long drive up the coast, then eleven more around the bay area. A culinary tour has two stops in the LA area, a long drive through the central valley, then ten stops in the bay area. Perhaps the worst is "A Burrito Odyssey", which hits five burrito joints in San Francisco, five in Los Angeles, and three in San Diego, with many hours on the I5 in between. Surely no one would ever make such a trip?
Where time is the theme, there are "48 hours" trips for San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. As I know the latter two much better, I'll assess those trips as pinball passes through the cities, hitting some obvious tourist spots, and a lot of places that leave me thinking "huh?".
Some themes are cutesy, such as "Yosemite Aquatic". It's aquatic because some of the features are waterfalls and lakes, you see. (If you are planning a trip to Yosemite--and if you've never been there, you should be--buy a real guide to the area. It's one of the most spectacular on earth, and the trip deserves some good planning.) Their trip to Santa Barbara wine country references the movie "Sideways" of course. I visit the area often, and would offer very different recommendations than this guidebook.
Each "trip" description averages five pages or so, including a one or two page summary of things to do, places to eat, and places to stay. The information is minimal, and not what you would expect from a good guidebook. Because I didn't find information that was just wrong I'll give this book two stars rather than one, but it may be the least useful guidebook to California I've seen.
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68 of the Region's Best Trips!Whether you're a local looking for a long weekend escape, a visitor looking to explore or you simply need some ideas when family and friends come to visit, Lonely Planet's Trips series offers the best itineraries - and makes it easy to plan the perfect trip time and again.Theme icons make finding the perfect trip simple - no matter what your interestEasy-to-use maps for every trip, plus driving times and directionsExplore the region with trips ranging from two to seven days, and day trips from San Francisco, Los Angeles and San DiegoLocal experts and celebrities share their favorite trip ideas, including a winemaker's wine tour, a Surfer magazine editor's surf tour and a food-lovers' tour from Alice WatersIconic Trips chapter covers must-do trips across the region, from Up the Pacific Coast Highway to a A Burrito OdysseyTune In on the road with our regional music playlistsFamily-friendly and pet-friendly listings throughoutGreen Index lists the region's most environmentally friendly optionsTravel America with Lonely PlanetSince 1984 Lonely Planet USA has published over 100 guides to America, working with over 200 American travel writers. For this Trips series our authors drove more than 100,000 miles, visited 230 diners, stopped at 810 roadside attractions and rediscovered the country they love. Visit Lonely Planet online at www.lonelyplanet.com
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