Rating: 
Summary: what a helpful book
Review: a college friend invited me to spend a few weeks with her in annapolis, but, when she got a job she couldn't refuse just before i arrived, i had to fend for myself entertainment-wise. thank heavens i wandered into a local bookstore and picked up this book. i didn't know a thing about the area. nor did my friend really. (i'm from texas, and she just moved there from connecticut.) but, with the help of this guidebook and a rental car, i wandered happily throughout the back roads of the chesapeake region. i found great little towns to stop in with its help, deliciously fattening restaurants to eat in and cool things to see. if you're a newbie there, i highly recommend that you pick it up!
Rating:
Summary: Tremendously Useful, Easy to Follow
Review: Allison Blake's easy-to-follow guide to the Chesapeake Bay has been a godsend to me, twice. I used an earlier edition to plan my wedding (from out of town) five years ago and the most recent edition to plan a family reunion in Annapolis. Ms. Blake's precise descriptions for lodging, dining and entertainment were true time-savers for me and my guests in both cases. I cannot imagine the hours it would have taken me to do this research on my own. From such basic information as which B&Bs require bath-sharing to where to find the best crabs, this is far and away the best guidebook for the region I have seen. I would recommend it to anyone -- whether they had ever been to the region or not. I found it simple to use, concise but descriptive, and full of useful information.
Rating: 
Summary: Lots of info but not well organized.
Review: Almost all travel guidebooks I've seen are organized by location; but the writers, editors, of this book decided on lumping everything by subject instead. And that, I agree with the reviewer above, was a big mistake. It can be very time-consuming and irritating to use this book. Say you are going to Cambridge on the Eastern shore: you will have to search for info about architecture, accomodations, restaurants, shops, nearby wildlife refuges, boat tours, golf, etc. etc. all over the book. Unfortunately, there are not many books on the Chesapeake Bay region to choose from. If you do get this book you may also want to get a stack of Post-it Notes to attach to pages and label these about what is to be found there. You may then find yourself with maybe a dozen pages labled "Cambridge" and so on ...
Rating:
Summary: Walnuts in the tuna, too much cornstach in the crab soup
Review: I am new to the Chesapeake Bay Area and have purchased a variety of guide books. This one is the worst of the lot. If you are trying to plan even a simple weekend getaway, this book falls way short. The book makes an attempt to divide the CBA into five regions, which is fine except for the fact that the actual chapters of the book are written according to activity. So, if you decide you want to go to the Upper Eastern Shore, you have to look through every chapter of the book to determine the basics. Of course, there is no way you could determine that you wanted to go to the Upper Eastern Shore because it does not have its own descriptive section. The reader is forced to piece together a description of each region by picking out transportation, dining, recreation, etc. reviews out of the chapters. It is incredibly frustrating. If I could, I would demand a refund.
Rating: 
Summary: Get a Clue
Review: I am new to the Chesapeake Bay Area and have purchased a variety of guide books. This one is the worst of the lot. If you are trying to plan even a simple weekend getaway, this book falls way short. The book makes an attempt to divide the CBA into five regions, which is fine except for the fact that the actual chapters of the book are written according to activity. So, if you decide you want to go to the Upper Eastern Shore, you have to look through every chapter of the book to determine the basics. Of course, there is no way you could determine that you wanted to go to the Upper Eastern Shore because it does not have its own descriptive section. The reader is forced to piece together a description of each region by picking out transportation, dining, recreation, etc. reviews out of the chapters. It is incredibly frustrating. If I could, I would demand a refund.
Rating:
Summary: Ideal for anyone planning a local day trip
Review: Now in a fully updated fifth edition, Allison Blake's The Chesapeake Bay Book is a comprehensive and thoroughly "user friendly: guide to all the great getaway adventures to be found in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland. Maps, indexes to the best places for lodging and dining, recreation opportunities by locale, and much more, enhance this superbly presented travel guide which is ideal for anyone planning a local day trip or an extended vacation in the Chesapeake Bay environs.
Rating:
Summary: Ideal for anyone planning a local day trip
Review: Now in a fully updated fifth edition, Allison Blake's The Chesapeake Bay Book is a comprehensive and thoroughly "user friendly: guide to all the great getaway adventures to be found in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland. Maps, indexes to the best places for lodging and dining, recreation opportunities by locale, and much more, enhance this superbly presented travel guide which is ideal for anyone planning a local day trip or an extended vacation in the Chesapeake Bay environs.
Rating:
Summary: For anyone planning a local day trip or an extended vacation
Review: Now in a fully updated fifth edition, Allison Blake's The Chesapeake Bay Book is a comprehensive and thoroughly user friendly: guide to all the great getaway adventures to be found in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland. Maps, indexes to the best places for lodging and dining, recreation opportunities by locale, and much more, enhance this superbly presented travel guide which is ideal for anyone planning a local day trip or an extended vacation in the Chesapeake Bay environs.
Rating:
Summary: Hidden Treasures of the Bay
Review: This book, now very-dog-eared, is indespenible for our weekend and holiday sojourns to the Bay area. It is well thought out and organized in a manner that allows us to plan our getaway, and all the details - from finding the best crabcakes and quaint inns to the selection of our tranpsort of choice - the sailboat charter or kayak - with a minimum of fuss. The author is thorough in researching the details and finding the Bay's may hidden treasures, so all that we have to do is enjoy this gem!
Rating: 
Summary: The best book on the area!
Review: Travel & Leisure magazine calls The Chesapeake Bay Book the best book on the area! Longtime newspaper reporter Allison Blake skillfully navigates historic Chesapeake Bay to reveal many points of interest along the 6,000 miles of Eastern AND Western shoreline -- the only book to do so. Many places will not be found in other guidebooks! Blake's suggestions reflect the authentic character of the area as well as current trends. From dockside crab to fine dining, readers of The Chesapeake Bay Book will find their culinary tastes addressed. Outdoor enthusiasts will be thrilled with the variety of activities, and will be apprised of the latest "Save the Bay" conservation efforts. The famous Chincoteague ponies, jazz clubs, chamber concerts, fishing excursions, the Naval Academy, historic Williamsburg, chic Annapolis, and more, are all here in this helpful, informative guide -- surely to be well-worn by any reader, whether a visitor or resident.Neither the publisher, the authors, the reviewers, nor other contributors, accept complimentary lodgings, meals, or any other consideration (such as advertising) while gathering information for this or any other book in the Great Destinations(tm) guidebook series.
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