FODOR’S
GREAT AMERICAN VACATIONS

.......Fodor’s is one of the oldest U.S. guidebook publishers, and offers an extensive selection of destination guides. Some are traditional guidebooks to states or cities, and several are like Great American Vacations, covering a range of diverse places.

.......We like Great American Vacations, which lists “25 Affordable Family Trips to the USA’s Best-Loved Destinations.” Many of the places covered are familiar – the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Washington D.C. Other places may be less known, especially to international visitors – Badlands National Park, Hot Springs and the Ozarks, or the Lincoln Trail. But the book contains a good mix of city and rural, wilderness and civilized, including 10 cities and seven national parks.

.......The few maps are marginal at best, there are no photos, and there is no color. Each of the 25 destination chapters contains information on “exploring, dining, lodging, camping, shopping, essential information” and other topics.

.......Evaluating the chapter on Yosemite National Park, a place that we are quite familiar with, we had only a few quibbles – mostly in the organization (we’d like to see the “essential information” start the chapters) and a few details – but nothing which would steer a reader wrong. The chapter has a good balance of outdoor activities for the adventurous, and scenic options for the less so. It also references the general accommodation options well, from the Yosemite Lodge to car camping in Yosemite Valley.

.......Which, of course, leads to our constant complaint with destination guides – their inclusion of a limited, often out-dated, and questionable selection of lodging and dining options. Fodor’s lists several logical choices in Yosemite Valley (but not the world-famous grand Ahwahnee Hotel, which is listed as a “sight to see” but not as lodging), but then lists only four motels in the several gateway towns that are from one to three hours away, when there are hundreds of lodging options within that radius. Likewise with dining – there are three (of the admittedly few) dining options listed in the valley, and then just five other options in towns miles away. It’s hard for someone who doesn’t know the area to understand that those five options aren’t someplace they can just pop into for a bite after touring the valley.

.......All that said, we do like Great American Vacations, and if you’re planning on visiting several of the destinations covered, this would be a good planning and travel guide. Just look elsewhere for lodging and dining ideas.

.......We’d say that Fodor’s is geared to the “middle American” traveler – somewhere between the high-end Michelin guide traveler and the Lonely Planet budget traveler. The book can’t compete with the color photos and maps available in the books from Eyewitness, but seems targeted toward the same general demographic.

.......Finally, while Great American Vacations covers some exceptional places, many are already known worldwide and can be overcrowded (especially in summer) due to their popularity.

.......Fodor’s publishes hundreds of guidebooks, micro guides, language phrase books, and other travel products to U.S. and world destinations. The last time we counted, there were 64 different products covering North America.