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Rating: 
Summary: Worth it
Review: Although I didn't like most of the stories in this anthology, there were a few that I really, really, really loved. And they made it worth the price of the book, over and over.
The introduction by Frances Mayes is a gem and really sets the tone. Especially if you were wondering why a report on 9-11 would qualify for "travel writing". (After you read that introduction, you'll -unbelievably - have to agree that it does).The story "40 years in Acapulco" is worth the price of the book by itself. I came away feeling almost guilty like a voyeur, as if I had just gotten a sneak peek into somebody elses life. I was literally transported. The 2000 version is much more upbeat than this one. But then, I suppose we were living in a much more upbeat "travel" world then.
Rating:
Summary: Worth it
Review: Although I didn't like most of the stories in this anthology, there were a few that I really, really, really loved. And they made it worth the price of the book, over and over.
The introduction by Frances Mayes is a gem and really sets the tone. Especially if you were wondering why a report on 9-11 would qualify for "travel writing". (After you read that introduction, you'll -unbelievably - have to agree that it does). The story "40 years in Acapulco" is worth the price of the book by itself. I came away feeling almost guilty like a voyeur, as if I had just gotten a sneak peek into somebody elses life. I was literally transported. The 2000 version is much more upbeat than this one. But then, I suppose we were living in a much more upbeat "travel" world then.
Rating: 
Summary: Wide ranging voices
Review: Author of "Under the Tuscan Sun," and "Bella Tuscany," Frances Mayes has whittled to 26 a wide-ranging selection of pieces from Jason Wilson's choice of the best 100 of 2001. Reflecting the state of our present world, Scott Anderson's "Below Canal Street" and Adam Gopnik's "The City and the Pillars" ponder New York on and after September 11, P.J. O'Rourke does a savagely poignant portrait of Israel, and Rod Davis' exploration of the Rio Grande border is replete with sadness, ugliness and heart. There are far-flung adventures too - falconry in Central Asia (Stephen Bodio), Lawrence Millman's thoughtful, whimsical search for his "fantasy jungle" in the Malaysian Islands, Kate Hennessy's highly personal trip across the Sahara, Michael Finkel's encounters with people who make their living crossing the Sahara's lifeless "void," Kate Wheeler's "worlds of marvel" in, of all places, Bolivia. More traditional European forays include Andre Aciman's evocative "Roman Hours," Tony Perrottet's "Spain in a Minor Key," Isabella Tree's "Spetses, Greece." Closer to home there's Elizabeth Nickson's incisive and amusing portrayal of the conflict between newcomers who want to preserve their San Juan Island's "rural character", "while the other half are the rural character and would like, therefore, to cash in on it," and Kevin Canty's first trip to the Neshoba County (Mississippi) Fair, "the world's oldest and largest campground fair." Humorous personal essays with a twist of enlightenment include William Booth's account of annual travels with his mother, "Throw Junior From the Car," Devin Friedman's first trip to Acapulco with his grandfather who'd been vacationing there every winter for 40 years, and David Sedaris' account of an involuntary Logan Airport layover. Molly O'Neill portrays a chef trying to go home to Cambodia, Jim Harrison muses masterfully on food and book tours, and Edward Hoagland writes a sensitive, exploratory account of traveling to Uganda to meet the family he has been sending money to. The sheer variety of voices, places and themes makes this a must for travel-book fans and the quality of the writing, while also varied, is generally high and, here and there, exceptional.
Rating: 
Summary: Francis Mayes' style is evident
Review: I have been a big fan of this series and really enjoyed last year's compilation edited by Theroux. I also must admit that I really enjoy Theroux's travel writing as well. This year's edition, edited by Mayes, has the same faults that her books do, namely, they are long on description and short on plot. I have not gotten all of the way through The Best American Travel Writing of 2002 yet but what I have read is very similar to Mayes' "Under the Tuscan Sun". If you really like tales of flowery, descriptive (and dull) walks though Italian streets, etc. you will probably enjoy this book but if you are looking for more "great adventures" travel stories, try the 2001 edition instead.
Rating:
Summary: Travel the world without leaving your living room
Review: If you like short stories and travelogues you'll love this book. These are the best of the best. And like some reviewers have already mentioned, there are a wide variety of experiences and information in this collection of essays. I found myself laughing in Devin Friedman's "Forty Years in Acapulco" and Lawwrence Millman's "In the Land of the White Rajahs" and learning new information from Molly O'Neill's "Home For Dinner." I admit, however, that I did enjoy soem of the essays much better than others, but they are all very well-written and image provoking. It's as if I traveled the world without leaving my room.
Rating:
Summary: Every Year It Gets Better
Review: Scott Anderson's "Below Canal Street"is worth the entire price of the book: a vivid description of the city on September 11th. The aim of the essay is not to upset or exploit, its goal it to take you there and make you see the whole through each tiny detail. You walk with Scott through the day, seeing as he did. A beautiful piece. The rest of the essays are all well written, with this year's selection more varied and relaxed than last year's (The Best American Travel Writing 2001). Frances Mayes was an inspired choice for editor and you can sense her professionalism (she is an English professor) throughout. I look forward to the 2003 edition!
Rating:
Summary: Every Year It Gets Better
Review: Scott Anderson's "Below Canal Street"is worth the entire price of the book: a vivid description of the city on September 11th. The aim of the essay is not to upset or exploit, its goal it to take you there and make you see the whole through each tiny detail. You walk with Scott through the day, seeing as he did. A beautiful piece. The rest of the essays are all well written, with this year's selection more varied and relaxed than last year's (The Best American Travel Writing 2001). Frances Mayes was an inspired choice for editor and you can sense her professionalism (she is an English professor) throughout. I look forward to the 2003 edition!
Rating: 
Summary: Uneven collection...
Review: This was a frustratingly uneven collection - when I pick up a book like this I expect consistent quality because the editors have done the work for me. But like another reviewer, perhaps I should have considered the fact that Frances Mayes edited this collection, and I'm not a fan of her work.
That said, a number of these pieces are worth seeking out. The best include Michael Finkel's "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Void," which will take you into the heart of the Sahara. Devin Friedman's "Forty Years in Acapulco," William Booth's "Throw Junior from the Car," and Lawrence Millman's "In the Land of the White Rajahs" are all very funny takes on the people and places that move us to travel. Kate Wheeler's "The Fist of God" is a stunning piece on the shocking fight festivals still held in some corners of Bolivia. Isabelle Tree's "Spetses, Greece" is a charming glipse of a corner of the world she has made into a home. And Tom Mueller's "Ancient Roads, Walled Cities" is a moving meditation on Roman roads and the power of stone to hold memory. David Sedaris' "The Man Upstairs" is funny but quite short.
On the downside, three pieces on 9/11 challenged my definition of travel writing. Only Scott Anderson's "Below Canal Street" had anything new to say on the topic, although to be fair all were writen much closer to that tragic day. Steven Bodio's "Sovereigns of the Sky" was much less about a place than a sport, and an archaic one that I didn't want to see up this close - hunting with birds. Rod Davis' "A Rio Runs Through It" told us a lot about the state and culture of life along the Rio Grande, but it is overlong and gets redundant. And I found Elizabeth Nickerson's "Where the Bee Sucks" to be a self-indulgent mess.
When this collection is good it's very good, but when it's bad it's awful.
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