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Drive
USA
by Andrew Vincent
Andrew
Vincent may have set out to write the definitive
guide for international travelers intending to
take a road trip across the United States, but
his easy-to-read prose succeeds in delivering
tips and practical suggestions that even the most
experienced American road tripper will find useful.
Mr. Vincent likens taking an American road trip
to great adventures on a par with a trek to the
North Pole, climbing Mount Everest, or crossing
the Sahara Desert without the expense and logistical
challenges of mounting a full-blown expedition.
Some of Vincent's explanations of the cultural
traditions that have arisen in the evolution of
the American road trip may be humorous to US readers.
Early in the book, Vincent provides a primer on
the challenges of driving a left-hand drive vehicle.
He also makes the case that the location of the
driver on the left side of a car arose because
of the proximity of the brake levers on horse-drawn
wagons.
One
of the best features of this book is the fairly
complete listing of Web resources that can be
found at the end of each chapter. Evidence of
the author's sense of humor can be found throughout
the book, and he ends nearly every chapter with
an example of a route statistic chosen for its
comical qualities. For example: "Grand Detour,
Illinois to Road's End, California - 1,849 miles."
Vincent also profiles nine cross-country road
tours and offers his favorite sections under the
headings "Highway to Heaven." Going-to-the-Sun
road in Montana and the Old National Trail Highway
in Southern California are two such examples.
There
are plenty of guidebooks that can provide ample
suggestions of places to go and explore. Vincent's
book provides the nitty-gritty about how to insure
a vehicle, how to make sense of a car rental agreement,
the do's and don'ts of drive-away companies, tips
for negotiating a sales contract with a used car
salesperson, ways of manipulating auto garage
mechanics, and practical tips for driving the
American road system. Since most of Vincent's
intended readership have never seen the range
of symbols and highway signs that they will face
on American roadways, he provides ample instruction
about their meaning and history. There is also
a rather interesting glossary that provides the
contrasting English and American meanings behind
such words as "pavement" and "ramp."
(One error that should be corrected: Vincent maintains
that a sign indicating "No Parking"
in England means the same as "No Standing"
in the USA. "No Standing" really means
no stopping or pausing, even when the driver remains
behind the wheel.)
Vincent
also provides some in-depth information about
drinking and driving laws in the States and how
to deal with road rage. The book also provides
detailed information about what to carry in the
car, how to prepare for a journey, how to drive
long distances, and explicit warnings regarding
bears, tornadoes, hurricanes, proper driving etiquette
and "fake rangers" who offer to install
snow chains in winter storms near national parks.
Vincent's
keen observations about the culture of road trippers
was shaped during his own American adventures
on the road, and this is a book that should be
in the road kit of every road tripper in America,
whether one's native country is Britain or not.
Mark
8/02
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Access
Travel Guides
As
a result of his move to Los Angeles in 1978, and
a lack of familiarity with the geographic layout
of the region, Richard Saul Wurman began work
on a guidebook that made sense to him. Access
Los Angeles led to the creation of some
25 guidebooks over the next 20 years with diverse
subjects ranging from baseball and medical services
to attending the Olympic Games. The most popular
of the "Access Travel Series" guidebooks
are now updated periodically by HarperCollins.
Of
particular interest to north American road trippers
are the updated editions of the following travel
guides released in the last two years: Access
Boston, Access
California Wine Country, Access
Chicago, Access
Las Vegas, Access
Los Angeles, Access
New Orleans, Access
New York City, Access
San Francisco, and Access
Washington, DC. It's important to note
that the format of each Access guide presupposes
that the visitor is on a walking (or perhaps bicycling)
tour of the area. The guides are organized by
neighborhoods and broken into five color-coded
subject headings, (Red = Restaurants, Black =
Culture/Sights, etc.). Each neighborhood is further
organized as if one were strolling the streets.
In some of the books, there are descriptions of
places that could only be found by walking down
the avenues and lanes identified in the guides.
One
of my personal favorites is the wine glossary
and wine label deciphering chart in Access
California Wine Country. All the guides
have a good "how to get to…" section
detailing travel possibilities from local airports,
bus and train stations. Many of the guides include
sections catering to gay and lesbian visitors.
One of the most complete is in Access
New Orleans. There is an excellent introduction
to the experience of eating Dim Sum in Access
San Francisco, or if you have a hankering
for a kangaroo filet, check out the Saddle Peak
Lodge in the Santa Monica mountains mentioned
in Access
Los Angeles. Each guide features maps
and layouts of local theatres and other noteworthy
properties like the Museum of Fine Arts featured
in Access
Boston. And in case you're interested
or in need, according to Access
Chicago, the best ladies' room can be
found in Chicago at the Drake Hotel--it's extra
posh, private and relaxing.
The
updates have been written for the most part by
local travel writers, giving much of the information
a "locals" feel. This bias has the side
effect that some of the well-known restaurants
catering to tourists found in other guidebooks
do not appear in these guides. Common to all guidebooks
is the problem of businesses that have closed
or relocated since the publication date. For that
reason, anyone purchasing a guidebook of any type
should always verify that the venue is still there
prior to driving there the first time. These books
can enrich your visit to any of the cities found
along the path of your next road trip. There are
details about little known and fun things to do
and see on nearly every page of these books.
Mark
8/02
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