{"id":69379,"date":"2020-07-28T18:19:36","date_gmt":"2020-07-28T22:19:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/?p=69379"},"modified":"2022-08-19T12:10:52","modified_gmt":"2022-08-19T16:10:52","slug":"5-best-travel-guide-books-for-north-america","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/69379\/5-best-travel-guide-books-for-north-america\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Best Travel Guide Books  For North America"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote class=\"td_pull_quote td_pull_center\">\n<h5><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTRAVELING \u2013 IT LEAVES YOU SPEECHLESS, THEN TURNS YOU INTO A STORYTELLER.\u201d <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2013 IBN BATTUTA<\/span><\/h5>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We do our utmost on offMetro to tell great travel stories, but the real pros and icons in doing so are the authors and publications behind the best travel guide books on the planet. We\u2019re talking about the guides that make you jump out of your sofa, pack a small bag and head out the door.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Being the travel addicts that we are, we never stop reading and exploring new (and old) resources. In this post, we\u2019ll delve into our favorite practical travel guide books.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It wasn\u2019t an easy task to make a shortlist of only five. There are so many good travel guide books out there. However, we set our criteria, did our research, and narrowed it down from over twenty to this golden list of five.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Looking to visit neighboring Canada for a couple days? Make sure to have your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.natvisa.com\/blog\/passport-book-vs-card\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">passport or passport card handy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><b>Here\u2019s our Shortlist of Best Travel Guide Books for North America:<\/b><\/h2>\n<h3><strong>1. Wildsam Field Guides: New England<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-69386 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Wildsams-travel-guide-book-350x230.jpg\" alt=\"Wildsams travel guide book\" width=\"350\" height=\"230\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-69386 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Wildsams-travel-guide-book-350x230.jpg\" alt=\"Wildsams travel guide book\" width=\"350\" height=\"230\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Wildsams-travel-guide-book-350x230.jpg 350w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Wildsams-travel-guide-book-696x456.jpg 696w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Wildsams-travel-guide-book-640x420.jpg 640w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Wildsams-travel-guide-book.jpg 741w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><\/noscript>Wildsam Field Guides are at the top of our best travel guide books list &#8211; for several reasons. First, we love their sleek design, their unique insider tone, and vivid, literary style. Widsam\u2019s guides manage to get and expose the true feeling of every destination. They show you how to really understand a place and enjoy traveling through it. And that is exactly what millennials are searching for these days. Authentic experiences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For this post, we reviewed Widlsam\u2019s \u2018New England\u201d travel guide book. This guide will take you, among others, to where Thoreau and Emerson found peace at Walden Pond, where Emily Dickinson secreted away her poems in Amherst, where Melville chased the white whale, where P.T. Barnum proclaimed the view from Mount Washington \u201cthe second greatest show on Earth.\u201d, and many more.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_69387\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-69387\" style=\"width: 741px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69387 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Wildsam-Travel-Guide-Book.jpg\" alt=\"Wildsam Travel Guide Book\" width=\"741\" height=\"606\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-69387\" class=\"wp-caption-text\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-69387 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Wildsam-Travel-Guide-Book.jpg\" alt=\"Wildsam Travel Guide Book\" width=\"741\" height=\"606\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Wildsam-Travel-Guide-Book.jpg 741w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Wildsam-Travel-Guide-Book-350x286.jpg 350w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Wildsam-Travel-Guide-Book-696x569.jpg 696w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Wildsam-Travel-Guide-Book-514x420.jpg 514w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><\/noscript> From Wildsam&#8217;s New England Travel Guide Book.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s definitely one of the most inventive and unique, yet still practical and informative travel guides that we\u2019ve read about New England. It<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> consists of local stories, travel intel and modern lore, including:&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Twenty-four hours to see iconic Boston<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The five best lobster shacks in Maine<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How to catch the first sunrise in America<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An interview with a L.L. Bean bootmaker<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our favorite country inn for winter escape<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alpine huts in the White Mountains of New Hampshire<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Trout fishing secrets from an Orvis guide<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An illustrated map to summer on Cape Cod<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Three days seeing fall color in Vermont\u2019s North Country<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Words from Louisa May Alcott and Henry David Thoreau<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>You can get Wildsam\u2019s New England Field Guide by<\/b><b> clicking here<\/b><b>. <\/b><\/p>\n<h3><b>2. Rough Guides to the USA<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re not familiar with Rough Guides, these guys are perfect for taking a step off the beaten track. Their style is a bit similar to LP (Lonely Planet), leaning towards the adventurous side of travel.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-69382 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Rough-Guide-travel-book-guide.jpg\" alt=\"Rough Guide travel book guide\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-69382 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Rough-Guide-travel-book-guide.jpg\" alt=\"Rough Guide travel book guide\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Rough-Guide-travel-book-guide.jpg 741w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Rough-Guide-travel-book-guide-350x230.jpg 350w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Rough-Guide-travel-book-guide-696x456.jpg 696w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Rough-Guide-travel-book-guide-640x420.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We added Rough Guide to our list of best travel guide books for North America because they have a wonderful understanding of responsible travel. They showcase the small hidden towns between big cities, which we love to explore on our road trips.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Rough Guide to the USA covers much more than North America, but we still think it\u2019s a great tool to have on any journey to the north. It is a practical and powerful guide to have on the road. It\u2019ll do the job whether you\u2019re planning a 6-month coast-to-coast road-trip, a short adventurous tour in New England, or a history tour of NYC.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This travel guide book is packed with expert reviews of top destinations, hotels, restaurants, not to mention the colour maps, itineraries and great route suggestions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can get the Rough Guide to the USA <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1409338932\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=cad1208-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1409338932&amp;linkId=d89e4a4ba67f22035f2e79f00283798e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here on Amazon<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><b>3. Moon Maine<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Author <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hachettebookgroup.com\/contributor\/hilary-nangle\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hilary Nangle<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> started writing Moon Maine after getting tired of her parents nagging her to get a real job. Instead, she explored the spruce-studded mountains, the classic shoreline villages, and the rugged character of Maine. And then she wrote this travel guide book.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-69380 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Moon-maine-travel-guide-books.jpg\" alt=\"Moon maine travel guide books\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-69380 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Moon-maine-travel-guide-books.jpg\" alt=\"Moon maine travel guide books\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Moon-maine-travel-guide-books.jpg 741w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Moon-maine-travel-guide-books-350x230.jpg 350w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Moon-maine-travel-guide-books-696x456.jpg 696w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Moon-maine-travel-guide-books-640x420.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><\/noscript>Why do we like this travel guide book? Because it provides practical tips and authentic local insight, as well as useful itineraries ranging from a week-long exploration of the coast, up to an 11-day road trip covering the whole state.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We naturally love the outdoor adventure tips this travel guide book provides. These include hiking up the majestic timberland forests, reaching the final stretch of the Appalachian Trail, whitewater rafting, canoeing down the Allagash, kayaking along the serpentine coastline, and much more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moon Maine provides honest tips and advice from born-and-raised Maine local, Hilary Nangle, alongside with full-color photos and detailed maps.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can get Moon Maine <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1631215086\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=cad1208-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1631215086&amp;linkId=c33b05ae1223ac483ce40e58d098bf63\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">here on Amazon<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h3><b>4. Frommer\u2019s Maine Coast<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For those of you who don\u2019t know Arthur Frommer, he began publishing travel guide books for American GIs who returned to Europe after WWII, back in the \u201950s. Frommer became the leading travel guide book writer for that generation and for the ones who came afterward in the \u201960s and \u201970s.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-69381 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Frommers-best-travel-guide-books.jpg\" alt=\"Frommers best travel guide books\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-69381 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Frommers-best-travel-guide-books.jpg\" alt=\"Frommers best travel guide books\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Frommers-best-travel-guide-books.jpg 741w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Frommers-best-travel-guide-books-350x230.jpg 350w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Frommers-best-travel-guide-books-696x456.jpg 696w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Frommers-best-travel-guide-books-640x420.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><\/noscript>What was so unique about Frommer\u2019s guide books that made them such a success? Well, he ranked the sights he covered in order of importance to the traveler. This might seem trivial today, but back then it was a big innovation. He also included budget travel tips, as well as the reader\u2019s recommendations for cheap places to sleep and eat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Frommer\u2019s Maine Coast, written by Brian Kevin, travels you through all of the region\u2019s spotlights, from the beautiful beaches, hiking up the scenic mountains, and down to the best kayaking and sailing places.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This Frommer\u2019s travel guide book includes very detailed pricing for every venue and activity, a pullout map, as well as reviews of hotels, attractions, restaurants and more.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can get Frommer\u2019s Maine Coast <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/1628873264\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=cad1208-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=1628873264&amp;linkId=df482e592eedcb543fe8868ef3459d8f\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>here on Amazon<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>5. 1,000 Places to See in the United States and Canada Before You Die<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We weren\u2019t sure at first if to add Patricia Schultz\u2019s book on our Best Travel Guide Books list. However, after a short vote among our editorial team, this masterpiece easily made it to our shortlist.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-69384 lazyload\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/best-travel-guide-books.jpg\" alt=\"best travel guide books\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\"><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-69384 lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/best-travel-guide-books.jpg\" alt=\"best travel guide books\" width=\"741\" height=\"486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/best-travel-guide-books.jpg 741w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/best-travel-guide-books-350x230.jpg 350w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/best-travel-guide-books-696x456.jpg 696w, https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/best-travel-guide-books-640x420.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 741px) 100vw, 741px\" \/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why? Well, here\u2019s what the New York Daily News wrote &#8211; \u201cDon\u2019t even think about packing your bag and sightseeing without it\u201d. It\u2019s a great overall resource for discovering new destinations to explore, some for short weekend getaways, while others for longer road trips.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201c1,000 Places to See in the United States and Canada Before You Die\u201d covers these two countries like never before. It does it all with stunning full-color images. Patricia Schultz takes you in her book to offbeat, unforgettable destinations, be it salmon-rich rivers, pristine beaches, lush gardens, vineyards, scenic mountains, and so much more. 1,000 is a big number, and so is this travel guide book.&nbsp;<\/span>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can get this travel guide <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/0761189432\/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=cad1208-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=0761189432&amp;linkId=5259115839bcb7c2050c73346bfe688a\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>here on Amazon<\/strong><\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We love travel guide books. We breathe their words and tips every single day of our blogging career. In our view, a great journey starts with the rush of euphoria when choosing a magical destination leaping off the pages of a really good travel guide book.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cTRAVELING \u2013 IT LEAVES YOU SPEECHLESS, THEN TURNS YOU INTO A STORYTELLER.\u201d \u2013 IBN BATTUTA We do our utmost on offMetro to tell great travel stories, but the real pros and icons in doing so are the authors and publications behind the best travel guide books on the planet. We\u2019re talking about the guides that [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":54,"featured_media":69385,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12679,725,12864],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-69379","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-travel-gear","8":"category-best-of","9":"category-travel-gifts"},"acf":[],"mv":{"thumbnail_id":69385,"thumbnail_uri":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/best-travel-guide-book-350x230.jpg"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69379","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/54"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69379"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69379\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/69385"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69379"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69379"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/offmetro.com\/ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69379"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}