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Rating: 
Summary: Has Good and Bad Points
Review: Good Points: Give good descriptions of attractions, including an estimate of how long you'll want to spend, and practical issues like availablity of food/strollers/etc.
Good descriptions of natural sights (beaches, parks) as well as man-made attractions.Bad Points: Seems to take a very narrow view of what kids are going to enjoy. Why assume that no child is capable of enjoying an art museum? Or, as the authors states flatly, that kids hate scenery, and that your teen would much rather stay home with his friends than actually travel with his family? (Author suggests spending time at the local malls if you are travelling with teens!) Or that kids won't eat anything but hamburger-based kid's menus?
Given that the book is covering a large geographic area, and given the author's abovementioned narrow view of 'kid-friendliness', many important attractions aren't mentioned at all.
Only a few accomodations recommendations are given, and most are very expensive. (This review, incidently, applies to all the books in this series; California, Florida, and Washington DC).
Rating: 
Summary: Very Helpful book
Review: I am just planning a trip and this has been very easy reading to get the planning started.
Rating:
Summary: Very Helpful
Review: I found the Unofficial Guide to California with Kids to be very helpful in planning our family vacation. It gave detailed information about everything from beaches to theme parks as well as suggestions on where to bike, camp, hike, snorkle, and whale watch. It has information on family friendly restaurants and lodging, including prices, maps, meals served, types of payments accepted, children's menu availability, as well as which restaurants accept reservations. The Unofficial Guide helped us to pick and choose which attractions to visit by giving a specific rating for each age group, as well as admission prices, average touring time, and what services and facilities are available. All in all the Unofficial Guide to California with Kids helped us to have a GREAT family vacation!
Rating: 
Summary: Could Be Better. Disappointing!
Review: I have the first edition of this book, and when I first moved to the LA area, it was great to have...but, I find it lacking a lot now that I know more about the area. It doesn't mention the Huntington Gardens, or the Rose Bowl, or Descanso Gardens (cool tiny train that runs on weekends)or other kid friendly venues. I found the restaurant listings useless...rest's are everywhere, and I tend not to make one a special destination when I'm on a daytrip! I recommend getting an up-to-date California guidebook (Lonely Planet or some such) and decide where to go based on your child's and your inclinations, and ignore the ubiquitous malls that you can find anywhere in country.
Rating:
Summary: Could Be Better. Disappointing!
Review: I live in southern California, and this book has inspired countless Saturday family outings. I had no idea what was in my own backyard! It is fabulous to have someone's advice on what is worth spending the time, with kids, in traffic for. We have loved this book-and hope to find a similar one when we move to Philadelphia!
Rating:
Summary: Be a tourist in your own backyard
Review: I live in southern California, and this book has inspired countless Saturday family outings. I had no idea what was in my own backyard! It is fabulous to have someone's advice on what is worth spending the time, with kids, in traffic for. We have loved this book-and hope to find a similar one when we move to Philadelphia!
Rating: 
Summary: An honest, personal, hands-on family guide to California
Review: Susan LaTempa and I have been traveling California since our own childhoods, and we've spent the last 16 years seeing the state through our children's eyes. We worked hard to make this guidebook honest, personal, and practical. We steer clear of the chains and tourist traps, and steer readers to the places that really have local color and kid appeal. We're especially proud of the extensive outdoor recommendations, for all the cool things to do, from kayaking to camping to cycling along the beach. You'll find our favorite campsites, the best luxury resorts, restaurants that make parents and kids happy, loads of outdoor family adventures, and every sort of amusement, from Disneyland to real ghost towns.
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