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Rating: 
Summary: really awesome guide book!
Review: cool, fun, very useful and user-friendly. thanks for being a great guide!!
Rating: 
Summary: Good start, but not comprehensive
Review: I bought this book because it seemed to be geared towards exactly the kind of vacation I like to take, and I was planning to go somewhere in New England. The book got me started - based on the information provided I chose the White Mountains as my destination. A basic introduction is given for each region, and a general map. The descriptions of the "active" options for each area are very thorough, and much better than any other guide I have used. It includes information for just about every outdoor activity - hiking, climbing, mountain biking, road biking, kayaking, winter sports, and more. I found it to be a good, basic introduction to the area I was visiting, but not detailed enough for the hiking I had planned. I have been to Mt. Desert Island several times, and I can say the same for that area. A few hikes are listed, but some of my favorites are not mentioned at all. It's best to get a guidebook more specific to whatever region you will be visiting, rather than relying soley on this book. The area I found to be most lacking is the "rest easy" part. Only a few lodgings and restaurants are included for each area. I did some on-line research prior to booking, and several of the recommended places got very poor reviews from other sources. I'm glad I didn't rely entirely on this book when choosing where to stay. Same with the recommended restaurants. My favorite restaurants in both areas (White Mountains and Mt. Desert Island) aren't mentioned at all (save for one). If I had stuck to this guide, I would have missed out on some wonderful meals. I found the book to be a great beginning, but it was not comprehensive enough for me. I recommend it to any active traveler, but be sure to do other research as well.
Rating:
Summary: Good start, but not comprehensive
Review: I bought this book because it seemed to be geared towards exactly the kind of vacation I like to take, and I was planning to go somewhere in New England. The book got me started - based on the information provided I chose the White Mountains as my destination. A basic introduction is given for each region, and a general map. The descriptions of the "active" options for each area are very thorough, and much better than any other guide I have used. It includes information for just about every outdoor activity - hiking, climbing, mountain biking, road biking, kayaking, winter sports, and more. I found it to be a good, basic introduction to the area I was visiting, but not detailed enough for the hiking I had planned. I have been to Mt. Desert Island several times, and I can say the same for that area. A few hikes are listed, but some of my favorites are not mentioned at all. It's best to get a guidebook more specific to whatever region you will be visiting, rather than relying soley on this book. The area I found to be most lacking is the "rest easy" part. Only a few lodgings and restaurants are included for each area. I did some on-line research prior to booking, and several of the recommended places got very poor reviews from other sources. I'm glad I didn't rely entirely on this book when choosing where to stay. Same with the recommended restaurants. My favorite restaurants in both areas (White Mountains and Mt. Desert Island) aren't mentioned at all (save for one). If I had stuck to this guide, I would have missed out on some wonderful meals. I found the book to be a great beginning, but it was not comprehensive enough for me. I recommend it to any active traveler, but be sure to do other research as well.
Rating:
Summary: Play Hard, Rest Easy : New England is a TREASURE TROVE(!!!!)
Review: If only all travel guidebooks were this COOL!!! This book blows the lid off other travel guidebooks!!! Most importantly, it is intelligently written!! Malcolm W. Campbell is obviously a travel aficionado, however, he is also a REMARKABLE WRITER with an OUTSTANDING SENSE OF HUMOR!!! This book is for travel aficionados who enjoy taking "ACTIVE VACATIONS" (such as hikes that deliver you to breathtaking, awe-inspiring, "TOUCHED-BY-THE-INFINITE-UNIVERSE"-feeling-type views; to mountain biking through former "carriage paths" from turn-of-the-century Golden Age vacation playgrounds which happen to be in fabulous, Spruce, Christmas-tree-scented forests of Acadia National Forest near Bar Harbor, Maine; to river kayaking in the White Mountains--just to name a scant few mentioned) but it's also for travel lovers who enjoy the pleasures of sleeping cozily in down-comforted and pillowed beds in nostaligic, cedar shingle inns (with the windows open at dawn) AND who take pleasure in the celebration of true Epicurean delights of fine food and drink on one's odyssey. There's also a cool "Kick Back" section in every chapter that offers more "chillin'" ways to experience the day. I particulary enjoyed the "Historic Wanderings" sections as well as every "Cool Movie Houses" section. (Did you know there's a 10,500 year-old Native American village in Connecticut?) Along with the author's strikingly unique and funny wit, this book also packs much SOUL...I guess the two are related. You could read this book as a novel even if you never intend to travel, though with such descriptive prose and keen observation of the Living World, I bet it would move even the deepest stick-in-the-mud personality. I look forward to future writings -- TRAVE GUIDES **OR** OTHERWISE -- by Malcolm W. Campbell and his unique voice. DON'T MISS THIS BOAT!!!
Rating:
Summary: Play Hard, Rest Easy : New England is a TREASURE TROVE(!!!!)
Review: It's no wonder the subtitle on this book is "The Ultimate Active Getaway Guide" -- it's got all the information you could possibly want! Finally, someone has written a book that not only suggests where to hike, bike, etc. but also gives wonderful information about inns and other enjoyable activities for your leisure time. The suggested itineraries are a big help and the layout is extremely user friendly. Kudos to Malcolm Campbell for bringing us the Ultimate guide!
Rating:
Summary: This has it all!
Review: It's no wonder the subtitle on this book is "The Ultimate Active Getaway Guide" -- it's got all the information you could possibly want! Finally, someone has written a book that not only suggests where to hike, bike, etc. but also gives wonderful information about inns and other enjoyable activities for your leisure time. The suggested itineraries are a big help and the layout is extremely user friendly. Kudos to Malcolm Campbell for bringing us the Ultimate guide!
Rating:
Summary: Great writing, great detail
Review: Malcolm Campbell's book is a must for anyone who lives in, or visits, New England and loves to hike, explore, and just basically get away from it all. The research is amazingly detailed yet the book is brimming with character and wit, unlike many of the mass-produced guides that are on the market today: freed from the constraints of a "template," Malcolm has written a guidebook that's very much "Malcolm" while remaining extremely useful. Play Hard, Rest Easy is sort of like combining a really detailed guide with Bill Bryson's wit and panache.
Rating:
Summary: A superb guide for planning one's New England vacation
Review: Play Hard Rest Easy - New England: The Ultimate Active Getaway Guide is an informed and informative travel planning resource emphasizing outdoors adventures opportunities in the New England region that doesn't necessarily require outdoors accommodations. More than 150 hikes, assorted mountain bike trails, water adventures, skiing, rock climbing, horseback riding, snowshoeing, gourmet dining, upscale lodging, museums, art galleries, antique shops, and more are all deftly covered in this handy and highly portably resource which is packed from cover-to-cover with ideas and contact information. A superb guide for planning one's New England vacation time to take into account one's favorite passions, Play Hard Rest Easy - New England is recommended for tourists, business travelers, and New England natives looking for day trip, weekend, and vacationing ideas.
Rating:
Summary: All You Need To Know About New England Outdoor Fun
Review: This is a remarkable Guide Book. It tells you every thing one needs to know about a fun trip to New England. Where to hike, where to bike, what to see, where to eat, and where to sleep. Several years ago I visited Camden, Maine for several days. I was pleased to learn from this book that I stayed in the right place, ate at a couple of the right places, and had one of the best hikes. To accomplish what I did took telephone calls, making many inquires in the local shops and restaurants, and in a couple of cases, made decisions that were off target. If I had only had this book, my trip would have been more fun without having to do the local research on my own. I cannot wait for future editions on other sections of the country.
Rating:
Summary: Play Hard Rest Easy by Malcolm Campbell
Review: This reference work has a description of many New England
touring sites. For instance, famous antique shops and galleries
are listed . These include the Glebe House Museum, The American
Clock and Watch Museum and the Mayflower Inn. The Elysian Fields
Day Spa is a popular resting stop as is The Healing Place.
The Norman Rockwell Museum has famous renditions of the
author's work. There are over 100 hiking trails and facilities
for mountain biking, rock climbing and rainy day workouts.
This guide is perfect for local vacationing or short weekend
getaways.The author provides specific travel information
which will help in locating the vacation spots.
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