Reviews (2)

Still your best bet for a DC travel guide
I rated the 2004 edition of this book at 5 stars, but this edition has slipped just a bit for containing outdated information and omissions of a few other things, so I would say it deserves a 4-and-a-half star rating.
Frommer's Washington DC 2006 guide has it all!
Frommer's continues its tradition of excellence with the 2006 guide to D.C.Most helpful to us were the "Getting to Know Washington D.C" chapter, and the chapter on "Suggested Itineraries".The pullout map is invaluable.If you've never been to D.C., or have not toured the city, this book is a fabulous reference. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Travel    2. Travel - United States    3. Travel Guides - U.S.    4. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    5. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    6. Southeastern & South Atlantic states    7. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    8. Travel / United States / South / South Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)    9. USA   

Reviews (19)

Ehh, I took it, I used it, I found the errors
The errors in this guidebook, let me count them.
Necessary to have before going to DC
I looked at a number of books dedicated to providing advice for travel to Washington DC. I purchased this one after reading the reviews and reading the sample pages. And I was not disappointed. I found the information here to be very accurate and readable. It provided the basicfacts needed to plan a good trip. We spent a total of 5 days in DC, and though I've been there twice before, I relied on the advice from these authors. Never once was I disappointed. If I ever spend as much time in another city that the authors have researched, I will not hesitate to purchase that book as well. Too many first-time tourists whom we met during our time in DC did not have a good idea of what they were doing, and I believe they probably ended up wasting a lot of valuable time in a city that is chock-full of things to do. Several times I was able to make a quick decision in just a couple of minutes by looking the information up by using the handy index.
Guaranteed to improve your visit to D.C.
Like the other Unofficial Guides we've used, this book paid for itself with the first piece of advice we looked up!After that, I scanned cover-to-cover, and by the end of the book we had a great sense of which attractions we wanted to visit and how to go about arranging our days.A gold-mine of tips for touring the places that are hard to get into in the post-9/11 era.It's also packed with information on neat things to see and do off the beaten path.You can't go wrong with this one! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Reference - Guides (General)    2. Travel    3. Travel - United States    4. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    5. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    6. District of Columbia (Washington, DC)    7. Travel & holiday guides    8. Travel / United States / South / South Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)   

Reviews (4)

President's Park
The White House is just an amazing facility, it's a museum, the President's Residence, and the embodiment of the Executive Branch.This book is exhaustively researched, and the photographs are well done.Though it is really not a history of the first families, the book really consentrates on furnishings, and the changes made to the structure over the centuries.The White House serves so many duties and thanks to Jackie O, the historic furnishing have returned and subsequent first ladies and curators have continued her pursuit of historic period furnishings.This book does a wonderful job of highlighting the best of the White House Collection.If you like books of this sort then you will enjoy this book dedicated to one of the iconic symbols of democracy.

A misleading title
This is a beautiful book with exquisite layout and photographs. However, the title gives the impression that we will find information on the First Families, which certainly is not so. It is a very good coffee table book on interior design, design, furnishings, architecture, etc. but since I expected photos and information on people,I was somewhat dissappointed with its contents. But it is a work of art.

An Excellent Resource for Any Library
Betty Monkman, the White House Curator and photographer Bruce White (from the Metropolitan Museum of Art) have collaborated to create an invaluable text on the history of the furnishings of The White House.Wonderful stories lie within...most famously, the story behind the Resolute Desk, the desk used by Presidents Kennedy, Carter, George H. Bush, Bill Clinton, and now President George W. Bush in their respective Oval Offices.Read more

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. American furniture    3. Art    4. Decoration & Ornament    5. Design - Decorative    6. Furniture    7. History    8. History - U.S.    9. Political History    10. Residential Interior Design    11. United States - General    12. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    13. Washington, D.C    14. Washington, D.C.    15. White House (Washington, D.C.)    16. Decorative arts & crafts    17. District of Columbia (Washington, DC)    18. Exhibition catalogues and specific collections    19. Interior design    20. Political leaders & leadership    21. USA   

Reviews (2)

I love this book!!!
We try to visit DC every couple of years, and next time we were thinking of paying for one of those guided city tours.We don't need the sites pointed out to us, but those tour guides always seem to have good information and anecdotes about the sites that you don't hear anywhere else. I thought that maybe we could save a couple hundred dollars if we could find a book that has that type of information.I bought the Unofficial Guide to Washington, D.C., and I also checked out the Frommer's Guide.They were very informative, but they didn't get me excited about any of the sites.They were pretty much just reference books (with very limited photos).However, when I opened up the Eyewitness Travel book, I was blown away.The color photos and color floor plans/cutaways of the buildings are outstanding.It really got me interested in places that I wouldn't have thought twice about if I had read just a text description.
Informative, but very PC
I am planning a trip to Washington, DC, in September 2006.In order to prepare for my trip and gain insight on the many attractions in the nation's capital, I purchased the "Eyewitness Travel: Washington, DC" guide from Amazon.com in the month prior to my trip.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Children's Baby - General History    2. Guidebooks    3. History - United States/Symbols, Monuments, Etc.    4. Travel    5. Travel - United States    6. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    7. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    8. Washington (D.C.)    9. Travel / United States / South / South Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)   

Subjects:  1. Consumer Guides    2. Food Industry Services    3. Restaurants    4. Travel    5. Travel - United States    6. Travel Guides - U.S.    7. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    8. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    9. United States - South Atlantic - Maryland   

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. Description and travel    3. District Of Columbia - Local History    4. History    5. History: American    6. Pictorial works    7. Prints, American    8. Travel - United States    9. United States - General    10. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    11. Washington (D.C.)    12. Local history    13. USA   

Reviews (1)

Lonely Planet DC, CITY GUIDE
Just so no one else gets confused...this is a city guide of Washington DC, not a 'traditonal' Lonely Planet guide book. That having been said, I do love the small size of the book makes it a lot more handy to carry around. The content however is a little more heavy on the history of the town and little usless tidbits then on the what to do & where to go. Single paragraph discriptions of the various museums & attractions are good for an on the fly type book, but not so much for doing resarch on planning a trip. Read more

Subjects:  1. Travel    2. Travel - United States    3. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    4. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    5. District of Columbia (Washington, DC)    6. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (5)

Not great
I bought this based on the great reviews, so perhaps it was a let-down because I had high expectations.This is a guide book with a slight dog orientation, but honeselty, I didn't feel like this really gave me much valuable information about living and traveling in the DC area with a dog- other than telling me where parks are (info available on many web sites).The actual dog-friendliness of the parks, and rating system seemed totally off with how I would have rated parks.Seems like they are rated more for person-appeal than dog-appeal.
Can I Kiss the Authors?
This is one of my favorite books ever.Really.I moved to the D.C. area with my lab three years ago, and while we were used to having dozens of places to go for various reasons or times, I didn't know where to begin to find good places to take her around our new home.This book was a godsend for finding fun places to go, especially because I found the reviews to give a me a very accurate idea of what sort of place we were going, including what sort of "feel" it might have for dog-friendliness.Some of the features of the book I have found extremely helpful are: Wonderfully practical guide for dog owners
I bought this book when it first came out for a friend of mine who was moving to Baltimore with her dog. Two years later, I borrowed it from her when I discovered I was moving to D.C. I found it enormously usefull for choosing a dog-friendly neighborhood with good access to parks. The authors understand the basic qualities of a good dog park: safety, space, a group of 'regular' neighborhood go-ers, and access to a good espresso bar for weekend dog walking. Overall, the writers do an excelent job.Read more

Subjects:  1. Dogs - General    2. Travel    3. Travel - United States    4. United States - Northeast - New England (General)    5. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.   

Reviews (3)

Very comprehensive guide with pretty detailed information
I disagree with one of the previous reviewer's comments. As the title suggests, this is a book with information about hikes within 60 miles from Washington D.C. This book perfectly fits this billing. It is very comprehensive -- from D.C.'s National Mall to Rock Creek Park, from Maryland's Catoctin Mountain to Virginia's Massanutten Mountian. Yes, maybe the author stretched a little beyond "60 miles", but I think that is a good thing, as it expands the selections. I have other hikings guides that cover one national park or one area only, but this guide offers a diverse selections of hikes, which sets it apart from the others.
Washington DC area-type hikes
The title of this book makes one think it includes some nice moderate hikes in the DC area. Unfortunately, the hikes to choose from are on urban trails, highly used trails or extremely long trails. Although, I appreciate the selection of different hikes to choose from, none of them fit my personal taste for hiking. If the hikes are not long, they are in very noisy, unrelaxing areas of the DC area. I have been hiking in this area for quite a while and could come up with my own hikes that were more clearly explained and more peaceful than the spots mentioned in this book. I would not recommend this book to anyone who is new to the area or just beginning to hike.

Excellent hiking resource for all levels
This book is amazing! With such a great amount of detail, it is obvious that the writer knows these trails well! It is a must read for all outdoor lovers including casual walkers! You'll see beautiful parts of the Washington DC area you never knew existed! What more could you ask of a hiking book? It's the best I've read! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Washington Region    2. Travel - United States    3. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    4. Sports & Recreation / Hiking    5. Travel    6. Guidebooks    7. Hiking   

Subjects:  1. Quantity Food Production And Service    2. Restaurants    3. Travel    4. Travel - United States    5. Travel Guides - U.S.    6. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    7. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    8. United States - South Atlantic - Maryland   

Reviews (6)

Very useful & user friendly!
My sister found this book years ago when she was looking for sites for her wedding. I used it to help find a location for my companies 25th anniversary party.I had to buy a newer version when I was scouting locations for my own wedding!If found wonderful places I never heard of before.It saved me a lot of time and energy by eliminating contacting places that would not have been a good fit.

Every bride needs this book!!
My husband and I are not from the DC area, but have settled here.We knew we wanted a DC area wedding, knew we wanted it outdoor, but didn't know where to go from there.This book breaks down sites by how many guests it can accomodate, and lets you know prices, rules, etc.This saved me hours of phone calls and pointless drives to sites that wouldn't have been right for us.If you know the DC area, this might not be the right book for you, but for us carpetbaggers, it was a lifesaver!

Perfect for planning a wedding and other events!
I used an earlier edition, but I would assume they won't differ too much.This was an invaluable resource for our initial wedding planning.We were able to find out ahead of time and w/o phone calls that some sites we were interested in were too small to accomodate our guests.And, then we used it to investigate locations we had never thought of, or knew existed.Read more

Subjects:  1. Convention facilities    2. Guidebooks    3. Museums, Tours, Points of Interest    4. Restaurants    5. Travel    6. Travel - United States    7. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    8. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    9. Washington Metropolitan Area   

Reviews (10)

Short...but compelling (Review refers to CD)
"Washington Schlepped Here" is a better then average spoken tour of our nation's capital.Drawing on his experience as a former Washingtonian, Reagan administration bureaucrat and novelist, Buckley gives the listener a quirky tour of many of the special places in D.C.The author's emphasis on the Lincoln assassination sites alone makes this CD a great addition to anyones collection.I expected this book to be cynical and demeaning to various figures from Washington's past.However, Mr. Buckley delivers a city filled with honor, courage and sacrifice.The spoken CD therefore balances idealism with a healthy dose of skepticism.Although it is supposed to be used in conjunction with a tour of Washington, it can be listened to without traveling through D.C.Overall, a compelling, albeit short, tour of many interesting places in and around our capital.

Lots of fun, and some great info too.
I have not read anything by Christopher Buckley before, but I am, as of this book, a fan.Buckley offers a light-hearted romp through Washington, D.C.He's quite witty and a great writer.I also think he does a fine job of passing on some interesting tid-bits of information.It's kind of like a right-wing version of Vowell's "Assasination Vacation."She has more information, but Buckley is funnier.

Buckley being Buckley...always a good thing
I am neither ardent Republican nor Democrat.But, I am an ardent Christopher Buckley fan.I've read most of his books and find him to be unfailingly witty and insightful.And, if you've ever seen him doing his schtick in person, you'd realize that he doesn't take himself that seriously.Read more

Subjects:  1. Essays & Travelogues    2. Guidebooks    3. Tours    4. Travel    5. Travel - United States    6. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    7. Walking    8. Washington (D.C.)    9. Washington Region    10. Travel / Essays & Travelogues   

Reviews (2)

Too hard to read
This is my second water-resistant Lonely Planet map, and I'm very disappointed with it.The color contrast is too pale, and the printing is too small.I won't use it for my trip, opting instead for a free map from AAA which is very good.Don't waste your money on this one.

This was the only map I needed
This was the only map I took on my last trip to Washington, and it was all I needed. It was most helpful simply because it showed where all of the major sites are, and it had a separate map which focused on and around theMall. Unlike most maps this one is durable and waterproof (luckily becauseit happened to rain one of the days I was there). This map was extremelyhelpful in every way. All I can possibly tell any prospective buyers is BUYIT! (And it's so inexpensive, too!) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Maps & Road Atlases    2. Travel    3. Travel - United States    4. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    5. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    6. District of Columbia (Washington, DC)    7. Travel / road maps & atlases   

Reviews (2)

Great for Washington resident
This is the best guide for things to keep you busy if you're in Washington!

Great
The right mix of interesting information, maps, history and tips.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Maryland    3. Travel    4. Travel - United States    5. United States - Northeast - Middle Atlantic (General)    6. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    7. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    8. United States - South Atlantic - Virginia    9. Virginia    10. Washington Region    11. North America    12. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (2)

Let's Go is the best!
I really enjoy the Let's Go series, and have used them as a college student traveling overseas, through graduation and during my work experience in eastern Europe.
Better than other Let's Go guides!
I've always been a faithful Lonely Planet user, but my old standard didn't stack up to this Let's Go.Since it is the 2004 edition, it has much more updated info than LP, and I've only found one mistake so far (that being that a camping store supposedly located downtown is not there because it looks like they're turning that block into a parking garage).It's only other downfall that I've noticed is that it's a little heavy on the nightlife side, and I'd like to see more of the suggested walking tours that they have in the front of the book.Otherwise, it has my reccommendation! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Travel    3. Travel - United States    4. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    5. United States - West - Pacific (General)    6. Washington (D.C.)   

Reviews (1)

A Must Have for Mountianbikers in the Metropolitain Area!
This Book has developed with each Edition,and it very well has met its Peak!.It isMust Have for anyone interested in staying sane in this Urban Jungle!I ride fairly regularly and I have not been able to ride afraction of the trails in this book! Get this Book! And Get out and Ride! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. All terrain cycling    2. Baltimore Metropolitan Area    3. Bicycle trails    4. Cycling - General    5. Guidebooks    6. Maryland    7. Sports    8. Sports & Recreation    9. Travel - United States    10. United States - Northeast - Middle Atlantic (General)    11. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    12. United States - South Atlantic - Maryland    13. Washington Metropolitan Area   

Reviews (9)

beautiful graphics, but not very informative
My ultimate opinion on how to rate a guide book is the frequency with which I use it while traveling.I spent 6 days in DC, bought this book on my first day there, tried to use it that day and the next, and finally just gave up.While the graphics are very attractive and while the guide LOOKS very helpful, the appearance proves to be mostly superficial.It seemed like, whenever I'd consult the book with a question about a particular site, it lacked the information I needed.I found myself using it mainly for the phone numbers, which I think I easily could have obtained without paying for a whole book.
Excellent book for kids trip to DC...
My son chose this book for researching our trip to DC.So far it is the usual great quality of information from DK Publishing.So many small maps, pictures with facts and great reading information.These are great for kids and adults. Thanks DK Publishing! ...We did take the trip to DC and found that this book was easy to carry with us and had ton of very valuable information.This was that best book for Washington DC.We got it for our son but we ended up using it alot!!!

Full Color Photos Put You Right There!
I'm a big fan of Eyewitness Guides. Not a lot of fluff, just short and to the point reviews with great photography. I particularly like the buidling cut aways allowing you to see inside, as well as the "Star Sights" pinpointing the must-see spots in a particular building--great if you need to get in and out in a short time. Metro and city maps are also quite good. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Travel    3. Travel - United States    4. Travel Guides - U.S.    5. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    6. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    7. Washington (D.C.)    8. Travel / United States / South / South Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)   

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Shopping    3. Special Interest - General    4. Travel    5. Travel - United States    6. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    7. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    8. Washington Region    9. Travel / Reference   

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Monuments    3. Outdoor sculpture    4. Travel - United States    5. United States - General    6. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    7. Washington (D.C.)   

Reviews (5)

Read everything below!
The reviews below are right. This is not a useful book.

Read everything below!
The reviews below are right. This is not a useful book.

Too General
Although this guide may help the first time mover, it is too overly general to be of any specific help to someone wanting to know about relocating in particular to the Washington D.C. area, such as utilities, taxes, car registration.Its index is insufficient to help pinpoint any necessary item of information.The neighborhood descriptions are brief at best. There are much better guides for your money. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Handbooks, manuals, etc    3. Moving, Household    4. Travel    5. Travel - United States    6. United States - General    7. United States - South Atlantic - D.C.    8. Washington Region    9. Travel / United States / General