Best General North Carolina Travel Guides
Exquisitely illustrated with over 100 original pen & ink illustrations by the artist author, the Ultimate Guide is the only book available that presents all of the 250 attractions in the mountains, from tiny historical museums and craft galleries to blockbuster attractions, including Biltmore Estate, the Cherokee Indian Reservation, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway. A highly recommended book for anyone planning a trip to Western North Carolina the The Ultimate Guide by Lee Pantas surpasses in scope all other area guides. The Ultimate Guide has proven over the years to be a valuable resource not only for the many tourists and visitors who flock to our mountains, but also for those folks who are considering Western North Carolina as a place where they might like to live.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We've referred back to this book many times in the short time we owned it."
"Informative, well-written, and up to date."
"All the info I hoped for and much more!"
"Good resource for getting to know Asheville and surrounding towns."
"Had a great vacation."
"I know that the availability of tourism websites has likely cut into the guidebook market, but personally, I appreciate having everything in one place (and a warning: the Western North Carolina mountains will likely make your cell service unreliable - so don't count on having the internet everywhere you travel!)."
"The big attractions such as Biltmore, the Grove Park Inn, Carl Sandburg Home and the Thomas Wolfe House are all here, but it's the off-the-beaten path things only a local could tell you that make this volume worth buying."
"This is wonderful guide book written by Lee James Pantas, local artist who has lived in Fairview NC, right outside Asheville. Having lived in the area for many years, the guidebook is written from a local point of view."
The Outer Banks of North Carolina have had a lively and sometimes lurid history going back four centuries. A handsome book.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Very entertaining stories of the history of places and the people on the Outer Banks throuought time."
"Book nicely covers historical aspect and changing economic forces."
"This was a birthday gift for my brother-in-law and he loves it!"
"One finishes the book with a new viewpoint on those who make their life and living in and near the sea and a new appreciation for the hardships, dedication and passion that these men, women and children demonstrate."
"They had a special kind of endurance and obvious love of their wonderful environment, which is apparently inherent in the current residents of the area."
"Great Book - Enjoyed reading it - Thank You!"
In this engaging memoir, Bland Simpson, who grew up near the swamp in North Carolina, blends personal experience, travel narrative, oral history, and natural history to create an intriguing portrait of the Great Dismal Swamp and its people. It has a colorful history: George Washington invested in a rice farm there; it was a refuge for runaway slaves, home to moonshiners and lumbermen and a rewarding spot for hunters and trappers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The history is well told as are the personal stories of the people of the Dismal Swamp who have been there for hundreds of years."
"This book was purchased for my wife, she has enjoyed it greatly, coming from an area of North Carolina where the Great Dismal Swamp is located she enjoyed reading about it."
"Arrived quickly, as described."
"Haven't read book yet!"
"So much of my family tree seems to begin in America around this Great Dismal Swamp (Pasquotank, Camden, Aydlett, Blackwater, Norfolk) Areas that I thought it might be a good read."
"To those who love American History will love the realistic and descriptive view of the Dismal Swamp."
"Very interesting book."
Best General South Carolina Travel Guides
The plantations and historic homes of South Carolina, one of the richest states for plantations, draw millions of visitors each year. Paul Franklin is travel photographer and writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book includes well-written profiles and beautiful photography for 34 landmark sites from Charleston to the Upcountry. Being essentially a coffee table book of well-known sites, with little professional appeal, anything more than about $40 for a new hardback would be too much."
"This book is very well written with great photos of a very beautiful state."
"These Mansions rival Newport RI, but are located in some of the most obscure areas."
"I like this book because it combines color photos with a good general history of the homes, and the residents of those homes."
Best North Carolina Travel Guides
Exquisitely illustrated with over 100 original pen & ink illustrations by the artist author, the Ultimate Guide is the only book available that presents all of the 250 attractions in the mountains, from tiny historical museums and craft galleries to blockbuster attractions, including Biltmore Estate, the Cherokee Indian Reservation, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway. A highly recommended book for anyone planning a trip to Western North Carolina the The Ultimate Guide by Lee Pantas surpasses in scope all other area guides. The Ultimate Guide has proven over the years to be a valuable resource not only for the many tourists and visitors who flock to our mountains, but also for those folks who are considering Western North Carolina as a place where they might like to live.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Good resource for getting to know Asheville and surrounding towns."
"We've referred back to this book many times in the short time we owned it."
"Informative, well-written, and up to date."
"All the info I hoped for and much more!"
"Had a great vacation."
"I know that the availability of tourism websites has likely cut into the guidebook market, but personally, I appreciate having everything in one place (and a warning: the Western North Carolina mountains will likely make your cell service unreliable - so don't count on having the internet everywhere you travel!)."
"The big attractions such as Biltmore, the Grove Park Inn, Carl Sandburg Home and the Thomas Wolfe House are all here, but it's the off-the-beaten path things only a local could tell you that make this volume worth buying."
"This is wonderful guide book written by Lee James Pantas, local artist who has lived in Fairview NC, right outside Asheville. Having lived in the area for many years, the guidebook is written from a local point of view."
Best West Virginia Travel Guides
From Shenandoah National Park to New River Gorge National River, from the Monongahela National Forest to the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, this book has a waterfall to fit any readers mood or sense of adventure. Directions on photography, including how to set up the best shot - from time of day to angle and direction - makes this book indispensable to professional and amateur photographers.From Shenandoah National Park to New River Gorge National River, from the Monongahela National Forest to the George Washington and Jefferson National Forest, this book has a waterfall to fit any readers mood or sense of adventure.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Excellent book by Kevin Adams describing the waterfalls of Virginia and West Virginia."
"He should have an image at least to those falls that he gives photo ratings, but many falls described in the book has no image."
"Get out there & USE this book (& his other book "North Carolina Waterfalls A Hiking & Photography Guide") to go & explore some of the most beautiful places around."
"I use with book in conjunction with the SNP maps of hiking trails and waterfalls, and do use the Gazetteer that is referenced."
"We have Kevin Adams' Waterfall guide to North Carolina and decided to pick up this one since we planned to travel through West Virginia and Virginia."
"good book on waterfalls but not as good as the North Carolina one."
"My boyfriend is a "waterfall" buff and has been to every fall in NC..I gave him this book for Xmas and he loved it..It gave info on all the waterfalls in our area and the info on how to get to them..This was a great gift for him..I'd recommend this to anyone who loves the outdoors and loves to hike..Now we can explore the Virginia area this summer..He loved the book and I always go to Amazon for all my books anymore...They are great!"
"This book has taken us to some pretty remarkable places."
Best Raleigh North Carolina Travel Books
A first edition, Insiders' Guide to Raleigh, Durham & Chapel Hill is the essential source for in-depth travel and relocation information to what is one of the fastest growing regions in the United States. • A personal, practical perspective for travelers and residents alike. • Comprehensive listings of attractions, restaurants, and accommodations. • How to live & thrive in the area—from recreation to relocation. • Countless details on shopping, arts & entertainment, and children’s activities.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As a family considering retiring in the Research Triangle area, this was one way we could take a look at the area until we're physically able to spend some time there."
"I came to visit a friend who is new to the area and we relied on this book the whole time I was there."
"Fine shape, good delivery, excellent service."
"I bought this book for my son and daughter-in-law who recently moved to the Triangle area."
"Purchased this book for our daughter and son-in-law who are moving to the Research Triangle Park area."
"Great for a newcomer to the Raleigh area."
"I had an old version of this book that was 3 times the size and contained much more info about the various areas of these towns near where I live."
Best Wilmington North Carolina Travel Books
A tool you'll turn to before, during, and after your trip, these guides include chapters on lodging, dining, transportation, history, shopping, recreation, and more; a section packed with practical information, such as lists of banks, hospitals, post offices, laundromats, numbers for police, fire, and rescue, and other relevant information; maps of regions and locales, and more. A native with deep roots in Virginia soil, Renee Wright knows the region as few others do.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"We had a couple of other guide books for the area, but this one was the best and the only one we really used."
"I've been to Myrtle Beach several times but this book showed me that I'm missing a lot!"
"Maps and desriptions of the neighborhoods were helpful."
"We are new to the area and really appreciated having this book."
"Found some interesting places to visit."
"hard to find books just on primarily on Myrtle Beach, excellent condition, lots of info on things to do there and in the area."
"Loved this book."
"This is a traditional travel guide, which we used during our recent visit to Myrtle Beach."