ACCESS Gay USA (2nd Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Author of the gay travel almanac Rainbow Handbook Hawai`i
Review: I am proud to have contributed the Hawaii overview chapter to this book - I think Access did a fine job of covering gay information for the US in a in-the-know kind of way.

Rating:
Summary: Needs better editing....
Review: I got this book eagerly anticipating it to be updated from 1998. Unfortunately, it was not - several notable omissions (e.g., The Sports Connection in LA), several outdated entries (e.g., The Firehouse in LA), and ther choice of spots to pick and those to omit (such as Minneapolis) make this ediiton little different than the last.

That being said, this is the best overall gay travel guide around. It keeps in line with Access Press excellent manner of organization, with good maps and reviews. I just wish the contributors and/or editors would have put more time into reviewing the choices and making sure they were current.

Rating:
Summary: Very comprehensive and easy to follow
Review: I picked up ACCESS Gay USA before my trip to New Orleans and was delightfully surprised at its thoroughness! The maps are fantastic because they are broken up by neighborhood and there are color-coded entries of bars/clubs, restaurants, hotels and sights that are written by people who live in the area. Plus there are little "fun-facts" sprinkled throughout giving some history on areas like the French Quarter. I had a wonderful time on my trip!!