1,000 Places to See in the United States and Canada Before You Die

by Patricia Schultz

Covering the U.S.A. and Canada like never before, and for the first time with full-color photographs, here are 1,000 compelling, essential, offbeat, utterly unforgettable places. Pristine beaches and national parks, world-class museums and the Just for Laughs festival, mountain resorts, salmon-rich rivers, scenic byways, the Oyster Bar and the country’s best taco, lush gardens and coastal treks at Point Reyes, rafting the Upper Gauley (if you dare). Plus resorts, vineyards, hot springs, classic ballparks, the Talladega Speedway, and more. Includes new attractions, like Miami’s Pérez Art Museum and Manhattan’s High Line, plus more than 150 places of special interest to families. And, for every entry, what you need to know about how and when to visit.

“Patricia Schultz unearths the hidden gems in our North American backyard. Don’t even think about packing your bag and sightseeing without it.” —New York Daily News

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Reference, Canada, History, Guidebook, Americana

1201 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 14, 2007

About the author

Patricia Schultz is an American travel writer and author. Her books include the bestseller 1,000 Places to See Before You Die, which had over three million copies in print as of 2019.

Reviews

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is perfect for those who love driving, planning their drive and not missing the most important sights. If you are based in the USA or Canada this is a 5* book, if you are based in the UK, like me, then you are going to have to visit North America many times to get full value. So far, I've managed to see 45 of the main attractions listed and have yet to be disappointed. If you find that you enjoy touring in North America, I would also recommend "Road Trip USA" by Jamie Jensen and "The Most Scenic Drives in America" a Reader's Digest publication which both give good ideas for routes and one or two different ideas. Give yourself lots of time for your tours because distances between attractions can be enormous.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never leave for a vacation without this book!! I love to travel and often wonder if I am truly hitting the most important landmarks when touring cities and towns. This book gives me a guideline to follow so that I know I am hitting some of the most important places. I love that the book gives suggested restaurants and places to stay as well as important festivals and historical sites. I also love that there is background information for each location as well as historical information and addresses.

Although site seeing and historical must-sees are very subjective thoughts that importance varies from person to person, but this book gives me some direction and a starting point when planning my next vacation as well as what we will do, see and eat while we are there!

[Ettore Pasquini · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like the style and attitude of the author, that of a curious explorer, open to be surprised and not in a rush.

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 star
I'm not sure there is anything in this book that you can't find with a good search online. Yes, it may help you find a couple of extra places - I don't know. The layout is poor and descriptions are underwhelming. The book does not fit the title. I don't need to know about three hotels in an area to see before I die, unless they are the most amazing structural marvels to mankind. Bleh. 2-stars because there is probably some valuable stuff in here.

[Adrian Sanabria · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed. I was hoping for a book with some deep, personal insight into some of these places. Inside tips on where to go, what to do. Instead, this reads like a typical tourist guide. I checked out some of the places I've been on the list, and if you follow this guide, you're going to miss the best parts.

[Leslie Hickman · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's okay I guess. I still feel as if some places were divided multiple times just so they could reach 1000 places without doing all that much traveling.

[Michelle · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't like that there are just towns that need to be seen. I was looking for fun places when going on a road trip and just tells me to go to a specific town and basically figure it out myself. Not at all what I wanted.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I wanted more details in the places that I should see to see if I would actually want to go and see them. Perhaps some more pictures as well.

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing guide for everywhere you might want to go! It was super cool reading about places I've been and writing down places I want to go in the future!

[Diane B]

Well, any place in the USA will need to wait at least a few years before we visit. And as this being a US publication, it overlooks a lot of fantastic Canadian destinations.

That said, I've added a few to my already-long Canada trip list

Chester, Nova Scotia, 50 miles west of Halifax
Icefields Parkway (drive between Banff and Jasper National Parks)
Yoho National Park (BC)
Gulf Islands & Salt Spring Island, Hastings House Country Hotel
Haida Gwai
Okanagan Valley

[Traci · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is long. Too long to be very good.
It ultimately is not 1000 places you need to see it more like 1000 things to know about places that you may visit one day.
A solid 1/5 to 1/3 of the book is hotel reviews. Many of them 300+ per night ( 2001 dollars). Another 1/5 to 1/3 is restaurant reviews. So, basically over 1/2 of the book are hotel and restaurant reviews from 2001.


I travel a lot, most of the stuff I would consider seeing is not in the book. Many of the things in the book I’ve seen and didn’t find it to be spectacular. Of course that’s my opinion.

Some of this stuff may not exist any more. Which by definition means it wasn’t worth it to begin with.

I appreciate the effort and research the author put into this book. Just the mere writing alone is substantial. I just think the title is misleading. These are not 1000 great places to see.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone who loves to travel this is a must have. The descriptions of each place were well done and wide ranging. The only criticism I have is that the author often designates things such as "historic hotels" or "restaurants" for a certain city. I would rather landmarks be pointed out and hotels and restaurants (unless they are themselves a landmark like the Oyster House in Boston) for other guides like Frommer's or Lonely Planets. Maybe that way Ms. Shultz would have had room for a landmark in South Carolina outside the lowcountry. :)

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love these books because it inspires we to travel to all these different locations with my tiny family. If you are planning a family vacation you should read this book.

[Todd Stockslager · Rating 2 out of 5]

Review title: Not necessarily

Here's the problem with books like this:

1. Most of these things are not places I want to see. Patricia Schultz leans too much on high-end dining and accommodations. Those are nice, if you have the money, but not the reason most people travel.

2. They go out of date too fast. Places to stay and especially places to eat change hands, names, websites, owners, or go out of business. So once the book is published the contact information starts to age.

3. The scope is too broad. Even with a number like 1,000, when spread over 50 states in the US and the whole breadth of Canada (which gets just 10 percent of the pages of the US) it misses too many places that people really would love to see. Any local or someone with a little regionalized knowledge will be able to recommend more and better places.

To be fair to Schultz, I'm reviewing a book that is 15 years old, and the 1,000-things concept can introduce readers to new places far from home that they didn't know about. I just think at this stage in the internet travel era your favorite search engine is a better source for travel suggestions.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I am trapped by COVID I have been indulging in travel porn and building my list of places to go once I'm free. This book is pretty good for that as road trips are probably going to be the most accessible travel adventures for a while.

I would be interested to see what didn't make the cut. I'd say that 7-800 of the 1,000 are places I might like to go or have already seen. The ones I'm not interested in are mostly golf courses and resorts. I like resorts, but the ones this book recommends are more expensive and less fun than I'd like.

There are lots of places that I had not heard of, which is the best reason to read this book. North America is full of things to do and I think this gave me at least 100 places to go that I wasn't aware of before reading.

[Anna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. I’m shocked by how Euro & American-centric this book is. Here’s the breakdown in case you’re interested:

38% Europe
24% US & Canada
11% Asia
8% Latin America
6% Africa
5% Australia, New Zealand & Pacific Islands
5% Caribbean, Bahamas & Bermuda
2% Middle East

I... honestly don’t know what to think. Obviously you can get most of this information from the internet, but I thought it would be fun to plan my “Around the World” trip with this list as the starting point. So disappointed in this book.

If you’re traveling in Europe and really like castles, this is the book for you. If you want to go anywhere outside of the US or Europe... don’t even bother picking it up.

[Jacqui H. Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! My husband and I love to road-trip and have taken many road adventures over the years. (The adventure is, not in the destination, but in the journey.) This is one of my favorite go-to travel guides to reference before, during, and after each trip. A fun reference book to reminisce about past trips, and to help plan future ones. My copy is dog-eared with many sticky tabs throughout...
The 'Places To See' are organized by state, with brief descriptions of each place and locations on maps.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book - and while I think I have been to a lot of places, this book points out so many things I haven't seen and now want to put on my own personal "bucket list." I could honestly envision myself packing up, hitting the road, and just going from place to place with this book as a guide. Too bad I don't have the resources to go do it full time!

If you're looking for a vacation idea for a long or short getaway or even a longer trip, start here

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just don't get why these books are so popular. Both the ones I've read so far have been a disappointment. With a name like "1000 Places to See Before You Die" I expect some great locations, specific adventures and great things not to be missed.

Instead, what I got was vague towns, rather than explicit locations, not a lot of places that, as a traveler, I think really SHOULD be seen, and not a lot of effort to really inform people of what this country has to offer.

[Mohamad Reza Aryaie]

This boon is an adventurous read, but having already visited many of the places featured, it can sometimes seem more of an advertisement for failing tourist traps than true gems that must be on every single person's bucket list. Nevertheless, this is a great book to have when you travel, just to see something that is not so often seen. And for those who do not travel, you can clearly imagine what each place is truly like by the colorful descriptions written on each and every place.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good reference if you are moving or looking to explore a new area.

Some areas are so highly covered that I have to wonder what are the stretch locations and what are the real favorites? There are a lot of golf and spa type locations in the book that I would not have chosen but overall I agree with the list.

[LynnG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not enough maps and poorly organized.... Alphabetical, not locational, so I have to take these ideas and go to the internet to find out if they are near where I'm going. The special indexes are useful... I can easily look up all the surfing places, etc, but that doesn't make up for the fact that this requires a lot of additional time to lookup where everything is.

[Robin Ferguson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fished dog earring all the places I need to see! Will always be on my bookshelf ready for our next adventure!

[Kenneth Lund · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite reference book of all time. And yes, I have read it cover to cover.

[Vanessa Petsuch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of great places to add to the Bucket List!!

[Lauren Farr · Rating 3 out of 5]

1,000 is a bit of a stretch.

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

No one will ever agree with All the choices, but the list is 80 for 20. I did skip the states I've never visited.

[Alex Telander · Rating 4 out of 5]

1000 PLACES TO SEE IN THE USA AND CANADA BEFORE YOU DIE BY PATRICIA SCHULTZ: When travel writer Patricia Schultz published 1000 Places to See Before You Die on May 22nd, 2003, she expected the book to do relatively well like her other travel writings. She has written for Frommer’s, Berlitz, and Access travel guides, and has published articles in Condé Nast Traveler, Islands, and Harper’s Bazaar: a fairly accomplished travel writer in her field. This was the general idea for bookstores also: 1000 Places would do relatively well being a travel book and an original idea. No one predicted an amazing, bestselling success; one of the top gifts for Christmas of that year; and an unstoppable expansion into new uncharted territories: a calendar, a TV show, a registered trademark, a soon-to-be information-filled website (www.1000beforeyourdie.com), and an idea that will spawn countless sequels, such as Shultz’s latest release 1000 Places to See in the USA and Canada Before You Die, released almost exactly four years later.

What makes this new book unique for Americans and Canadians is that there is at least one chapter (if not more) in this book that each person will know very well, for it is about where they live. They likely will know the big tourist spots, the areas one must visit, and the locations that are known worldwide; these are all included in 1000 Places to See in USA and Canada Before You Die. However, Schultz takes you further with short detailed articles on areas you may never have heard of, even if you live in that particular area. I live in California and have for some time. I’ve seen a lot of the popular locations Schultz mentions: Alcatraz Island, Catalina Island, Yosemite, and the Mission Santa Barbara; but on reading this chapter I was thrilled to discover new locations I’d never heard of within California, such as Ojai, a delightful town located north of Los Angeles, as well as the annual Festival of the Arts, held in Laguna Beach each summer. Included in this chapter on California are also articles on popular restaurants for both Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Schultz takes you on a journey through every state of the United States, and every province in Canada, providing the reader with valuable information that doesn’t take up that much room. Each article is a couple pages long and ideal for reading in a brief space of time, say, waiting for a train or plane, or taking a cab ride across a city you’ve never been to before. One of the keys to this book and Schultz’s last, is the economical way they have been published in paperback form (however, 1000 Places to See in USA and Canada Before You Die is also available in hardcover), and while they may not fit in your pocket, they easily slip into a backpack or purse, weigh little, and are very easy to navigate with a table of contents and extensive index. Schultz goes one step further with her latest book in providing the reader with “special indexes” in addition to the regular one, which includes: first-rate hotels, resorts, and spas; lists of unique restaurants and places to eat; scenic drives; getaway islands; and where to take the kids, to name a few.

The saying is: “So many places, so little time.” But thanks to Patricia Schultz, travelers now have two invaluable resources that while not making it possible to see every important place in the world in one lifetime, nevertheless quantify and qualify what there is so see and why you should see it; whether you’re sitting on a couch in your home deciding where to travel to; or 35,000 feet up on your way to a new and never before seen country; or traveling along a rarely and hidden location you’ve never heard. Over a hundred years ago, every traveler was required to have their Baedeker on them at all times; in the twenty-first century, it is now 1000 Places to See . . .

For more book reviews, and author interviews, go to BookBanter.

[Lacy Cox]

Lacy Cox
APA Citation: Schultz, P. (2011). 1,000 Places to See in the United States and Canada before you die (Updated ed.). New York, NY: Workman Publishing Company, Inc.
Call Number: Ref 402.03 Sch
Reference: Encyclopedia
Relevance & Relationship: This is one of the only travel books available in the reference collection. This book could be used in geography classes, marketing classes, and advertising classes. This is most relevant travel wise to students because most will not be able to explore the world, but might be able to explore the United States.
Purpose: The purpose of this book is to identify interesting and famous places within the U.S. and Canada to visit.
Validity: Publisher's Weekly provides a positive review and states that the scope is very in-depth.
Format: Found in print form in the reference room. The book has two columns to describe destinations with numerous pictures (almost one per page). There is not a bulleted list but many key facts are found in bold letters such as best time to visit, prices, etc.
Arrangement & Presentation: An introduction to the reader is provided with a table of contents that divides the states by regions and provides page numbers. There is also a section for U.S. destinations and Canadian destinations. A special index is also included that includes golf courses, nature information, and places for sports fans. There are several different indexes besides the special index listed. There is also an activity index, culinary experiences index, and alphabetical index of places. The multiple indexes make at least 10 different ways to access a destination.
Diversity: There are several travel books but this is the only one specific to the top 1,000 places to visit in the United States. This is also the easiest to follow and find a destination. This should be applicable to most students who would more likely be able to travel the United States and Canada compare to world wide travel.
Citation Review: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1000-...