Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Moon Handbooks are arguably the best travel guides to California. They are comprehensive, oriented towards travelers on a budget, and have a strong emphasis on outdoor recreation. I pre-ordered this book covering the California Coast expecting more of the same, but after reading Liz Hamilton Scott's version of California's coast, I am moderately disappointed. The book does have redeeming features, but it seems more appropriate for those with a grander budget than I have.
One of the problems with the book is the disproportionate amount of space devoted to the Bay Area. Certainly San Francisco is a top urban vacation destination, but to devote 150 pages of a 500 page book to "The City" insures that much of the wilder portions of the Golden State Coast are slighted. Not surprisingly, when you include the chapters on LA and San Diego, over half the book is devoted to urban exploration. A further extensive chapter on wineries in Napa Valley (the chapter barely touches upon the coast proper) means that almost 2/3 of the book does not deal with all the recreational opportunities available on the coast or immediately inland. The remaining chapters on the northern and central coast are adequate, if brief, but there is no chapter on the southern coast which means that such attractions as Crystal Cove State Park and the Laguna Hills Park are simply overlooked. There are sections of "hiking" and "biking" in each chapter but these are more cursory than other Moon authors I have read.
Within these chapters, the trend is definitely towards the upscale traveler. When listing accommodations in San Francisco, for example, Hamilton's price scale starts at "under $150." Neglected are the many nice hostels in town where one can get a bed for $25 or less and a room for $50-$75. The hostel on the grounds of Old Fort Mason where one can step right out onto National Park grounds and hike all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge without crossing a street is a real gem that somehow got overlooked in this book. On the other hand, a full page was devoted to how to make reservations at French Laundry (best strategy, get your concierge to do it) where for a mere $500 (wine included) you too can eat a meal for about 2-4 hours. Note, that $500 is per person, and you must reserve a minimum of two or 4 seats. It is well worth the price Ms. Scott assures us.
And so it goes throughout the book. We find an extended discussion of Catalina where you can spend a small fortune and no mention of Channel Islands National Park! How a book devoted to Costal California could neglect the Channel Islands is beyond me, but then there are no nice wineries or Victorian hotels on these islands. Indeed, my first reaction was to give this book only 2 stars, but then it occurred to me, even the wealthy need travel guides and this book is clearly written for them. Perhaps their concierge can even read it for them. The rest of us can find a few nice gems hidden within the pages as well. But lots of wonderful areas are outright neglected, while many others are slighted. This book serves its audience well, but it does not meet the standards set by other Moon guidebooks.
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Travel writer and native Californian Liz Hamill Scott covers the best of Coastal California, from hiking through redwoods in Big Sur to lounging on the famous beaches of Malibu. Scott is the perfect tour guide, offering unique trip ideas for a wide variety of travelers including Pacific Coast Highway Road Trip and a complete tour of California's best beaches. Including expert advice on Touring the Hearst Castle, visiting the Channel Islands, and enjoying the nightlife of LA and San Francisco, Moon Coastal California gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.
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