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The New York Times 36 Hours
The New York Times 36 Hours: 150 Weekends in the USA & Canada
To travel in North America is to face a delicious quandary: over these vast spaces, with so many riches from glittering cities to eccentric small towns and beautiful mountains and plains, how to experience as much as possible in limited time? This book covers 150 North American cities from the "New York Times'" popular travel column - "36 Hours".
748 pages, Flexibound
First published November 27, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 20, 2012
Full disclosure - this collection of 150 "36 Hours" travel stories published in the New York Times (several originally seen in the late lamented Escapes section) includes two that I wrote (one about Oak Park, Illinois; another about Iowa's "Mississippi Coast.")
That said, it's a really handy book to have around - not only to leaf through during a long evening in, say, snow-bound Des Moines when you're longing to, yes, ESCAPE but also to use in planning a trip. In this age of limited vacation-time and tight budgets, I also like the concept behind the pieces - which tell you how to make the most of a weekend jaunt.
The book is too thick and clunky to drag with you on a trip - but I recently jotted down some items from the 36 Hours Honolulu for a trip there earlier this month and all were keepers.
It's also a pretty book, with colorful retro-style graphics and other fun design elements like a thumb index (akin to those round cut-outs in the pages of dictionaries and other reference books that quickly get you to a specific section) making it suitable for display on a coffee table (where mine resides) although a tad small.
That said, it's a really handy book to have around - not only to leaf through during a long evening in, say, snow-bound Des Moines when you're longing to, yes, ESCAPE but also to use in planning a trip. In this age of limited vacation-time and tight budgets, I also like the concept behind the pieces - which tell you how to make the most of a weekend jaunt.
The book is too thick and clunky to drag with you on a trip - but I recently jotted down some items from the 36 Hours Honolulu for a trip there earlier this month and all were keepers.
It's also a pretty book, with colorful retro-style graphics and other fun design elements like a thumb index (akin to those round cut-outs in the pages of dictionaries and other reference books that quickly get you to a specific section) making it suitable for display on a coffee table (where mine resides) although a tad small.
April 27, 2012
The writers need to do a much better job of getting important pieces of key details correct and making sure they do not omit obvious places to visit while in these cities. Two prime examples: 1) you can't write about Williamsburg, VA and not even mention the College of William and Mary. How could leave out the second oldest college in the US?!? 2) you cannot write about SEC football and the Arkansas Razorbacks and then put Fayetteville, Arkansas in the "mid-west" section of the book. Arkansas is a Southern state and the SEC stands for the South East Conference!!!
June 22, 2013
I have been thinking about taking short, long weekend, trips and this book is quite helpful in planning for such trips. Given how large USA and Canada are, not all major destinations are covered. Nevertheless, there are a ton of choices--150 in all--throughout the US and Canada (some destinations like New York City have several trips i.e. 36 hours in Manhattan, 36 hours in Brooklyn, etc). Several pages are dedicated to each destination, which contains an itinerary that starts Friday afternoon and ends on Sunday. The book is heavy so one downside is that it isn't convenient to take on flights.
One interesting aspect, which won't be liked by some, is that each trip doesn't necessarily attempt to hit all the major tourist attractions. Instead, many of the trips attempt to give you a flavour of the destination or involves visiting some new or unique thing (that isn't necessarily touristy and famous). There aren't too many books like this so anyone interested in weekend trips will find this book quite useful.
One interesting aspect, which won't be liked by some, is that each trip doesn't necessarily attempt to hit all the major tourist attractions. Instead, many of the trips attempt to give you a flavour of the destination or involves visiting some new or unique thing (that isn't necessarily touristy and famous). There aren't too many books like this so anyone interested in weekend trips will find this book quite useful.
August 13, 2013
The book is fun and different then the normal travel guides. It suggests different things todo that are still neat but not the typical places. I like the set up but especially the map showing where everything is at the end of each place. It's a nice supplement for my DK book.
July 29, 2014
Oooo that's pretty wanna go there....*turns page* ooo and there, that looks nice
unfinished
December 13, 2020Very good series of mini-guides to regions / cities in U.S. / Canada; wide range of places to see.
April 7, 2025
I borrowed the 2011 version from the library and while it was dated, it still provided a great starting point to dream about weekend getaways. Liked it so much that I bought my own copy.
October 8, 2012
A great comprehensive reference book to a number of cities and towns in USA and Canada (well Canada, not so much, just about 5 places). Each city has a great breakdown of places to check out along with costs, hotels, etc. I love that the lising of activities has a timeline so you really can stick to the 36 hours concept (e.g. 8:00 am - breakfast at xxx, 10:30 am - visit the xxx gallery, etc). This book has me craving visiting every single city on the East Coast!
If you are looking at the New York or Toronto sections though, I was a bit disappointed by those (except for the trapeze lessons suggestion!) but I chalk it up to the fact that there's so much to do and obviously different things appeal to different people. My favourite part as I said was East Coast, and while the West Coast activities overlapped quite a bit, it was a pretty good section. I was pleasantly surprised by the Midwest and might give it a second look.
Overall I sort of like the look of the book, the pictures and book itself have a very 70s feel to it. I cant say thatI'll love it in 5 years because I might feel that its more outdated than it actually is. But I do like it now.
One thing I dislike (but obviously cant be helped) is that if you are planning a trip according to this book, the book itself if very heavy and very thick and will be difficult to travel with (if you are flying). For a road trip, I dont see much of an issue apart from the fact that the cover is a lovely cloth-like material and may not be very durable.
Overall, I do like the book though, and every time I travel to a city in the US, I find myself taking a look through the book to pick out the activities that appeal to me. I saw that a "36 hours: Europe" is going to be released in November, and I'm pretty certain that I will buy this book (or get someone to buy it for me) as well!
If you are looking at the New York or Toronto sections though, I was a bit disappointed by those (except for the trapeze lessons suggestion!) but I chalk it up to the fact that there's so much to do and obviously different things appeal to different people. My favourite part as I said was East Coast, and while the West Coast activities overlapped quite a bit, it was a pretty good section. I was pleasantly surprised by the Midwest and might give it a second look.
Overall I sort of like the look of the book, the pictures and book itself have a very 70s feel to it. I cant say thatI'll love it in 5 years because I might feel that its more outdated than it actually is. But I do like it now.
One thing I dislike (but obviously cant be helped) is that if you are planning a trip according to this book, the book itself if very heavy and very thick and will be difficult to travel with (if you are flying). For a road trip, I dont see much of an issue apart from the fact that the cover is a lovely cloth-like material and may not be very durable.
Overall, I do like the book though, and every time I travel to a city in the US, I find myself taking a look through the book to pick out the activities that appeal to me. I saw that a "36 hours: Europe" is going to be released in November, and I'm pretty certain that I will buy this book (or get someone to buy it for me) as well!
January 20, 2018
My mother, sister and I all have a strong case of the travel bug and are constantly looking for the next adventure. Having said that, we haven't really explored much of the US and Canada. We received this book as a gift, and I have to say it is perfect for us! We always talk about taking advantage of long weekends to visit a new city or state and this book provides us the information we need to make those trips. From hotels to restaurants and fun activities, this books has everything you need to take advantage of a short trip!
I would definitely recommend this book, and the others in the series of 36 Hours travel books, for anyone who simply loves to pack up and go!
I would definitely recommend this book, and the others in the series of 36 Hours travel books, for anyone who simply loves to pack up and go!
September 18, 2012
This is an excellent travel book for those short weekend trips. The guide highlights "must see" areas in each city and is divided into sections of the USA and Canada. Suggestions for restaurants, shopping and hotels are included. I think it covers about 150 weekends. My husband and I frequently take mini vacations and this is a great planning assistant!
June 9, 2014
I received this book as a gift and think it's awesome, especially for those who love to travel, on a budget, and also have limited vacation time. It gives you a sample 36 hour itinerary for 150 places in the USA and Canada. I love some of the ideas and it has already given me tons of ideas for road-trips. And some of the places I saw and read about in this book I never even thought to visit.
May 14, 2015
I didn't "read" this book cover to cover but after spending some time flipping through it I can say it's definitely a keeper. Aside from all of the useful information packed inside, it's aesthetically such a pleasing book to look at, especially compared to most other travel books (which usually look like they've been designed by a teenager for a school project).
July 13, 2017
Obviously not the kind of book you read cover to cover, but this is by far my favorite travel guide yet. Covers possibilities for 150 weekend trips to major cities in the US and Canada, with an hour-by-hour itinerary. I wouldn't attempt to follow it exactly, but on recent trips to San Diego and Las Vegas it provided great ideas for our short visits.
January 5, 2015
These can all be read online of course at the New York Times, but it's nice to have all of the US and Canada in one volume nicely organized. I would definitely use these guides when going to some of the places listed!
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May 4, 2013Didn't help make decisions about travel plans. Strange organization--are we supposed to read it through? Not able to use as a guide/inspiration without knowing which city I'd want to visit.
May 2, 2019
Well-written, with great travel ideas. Useful for quick trip prep.
January 27, 2014
I loved the premise but ending up falling short; I think it was too ambitious
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews