(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best western us general travel guides

So so so so many recommendations, OP included a great list too. Definitely follow rules and laws for flying your drone. Its VERY tempting to want to fly it everything cause its so MOTHER EFFING beautiful, but stay out of the state and national parks with it.

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I will also suggest, no..HIGHLY RECOMMEND this book https://www.amazon.com/Hawaii-Big-Island-Revealed-Guidebook/dp/0996131825/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=ST3GCAV0BCCZMNGAK34N

I normally go anywhere and think I'll just find everything I need online or on my phone, and while you can, this book is CRAZY helpful. Plus its great reading on the plane and will get you more excited. Really helpful tips, hidden gems, etc in this book...cant recommend it enough. And its well written, not boring at all to read.

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When in Kona, check out

• Ali'i Gardens Market Place. Great prices on shirts, gifts, etc - and some good food - including shave ice
  
• Any farmers market will do too, several along Ali'i drive in Kona
  
• Da Poke Shack - best poke bowls on the island. (they also see it at costco and its pretty good there. If you have costco card, definitely go there for shopping and essentials for the week, including gas.
  
• Go to the little surf shop by Da Poke Shack, you can rent snorkle/mask for like $25 for the week. Great snorkling around Captain Cook, and Bay of Refuge - a must do
  
• Eat Breakfast at 808 Grindz - macdamia waffles and pancakes - you can thank me later
  
• If you want to do a Luau, Island Breeze is the best one on the island. We did this in lieu of a wedding reception, it was an absolutely amazing time, great food, and call you can drink mai tais!
  
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  Hilo
  
  
• Check out the zoo, pretty cool little zoo and cheap
  
• Hawaii Botanical gardens - not like any other BG you have ever seen...its truly a treasure to see, plants and it backs up to the ocean at the end....stunning is putting it mildly.
  
  Other Stuff
  
  
• Drive to top of mauna kea - make sure you have 4wd - we rented a 4 door jeep. You have to stop at the visitors center to get acclimated with the altitude. This is no joke, spend the 30 mins there, if not longer. Getting out of your car at the top of the volcano is beautiful, but if you're not ready you WILL get sick. Headache, light headed, vomit, or all 3.
  
• Waipio valley...yes yes, all day yes. You can drive down to the black sand beach there too, just be careful...its not an easy drive down or up

Pretty much any national forest in CA allows dispersed camping. Inyo NF would be my choice, though there's definitely still snow there if you're planning on doing a lot of hiking into the mountains. Nothing crazy, but I would bring microspikes - dogs would be fine.

I would check out this post:

http://www.totalescape.com/outside/backroads/camping-inyo/

Otherwise, this book is pretty great if you plan on frequenting the area:

https://www.amazon.com/Eastern-Sierra-Valley-Camping-Privacy/dp/1515196208/ref=sr_1_1

(only covers established campgrounds)

There is the official BaD Tour from the ABQ Trolly Co. that is pretty good. Informative guides with anecdotes and fun facts from personal experience on and around set. They have trivia contests with goofy little BrBa or ABQ themed prizes. They also show some clips from the show that pertain to the set you are at.

There is also the Breaking Bad Experience tour that is run by The Candy Lady, the independent candy shop that made the original rock candy used for the meth in the show. They go to the same locations, however the major differences is that that tour is done in an RV that looks nearly identical to the one on the show. Weather you take that tour or not, be sure to stop by the shop to buy your meth as well as to look at the selection of unique shirts and BrBa merchandise only available there.

If you're not looking for an official tour and just want to do your own, Marc Valdez maintained a high detailed blog that maps out every location from small time placement shots to big event scenes. If you are feeling generous, or want a physical guide that doesn't require the internet, he also published a book of the locations.

Personally, if you are a extremely devoted fan, the self-tour is the best option. The official tours are fun, but they can get expensive for big groups and only take you to the convenient main stops. You also spend almost all of the time driving by in the trolly and not stopping. So if you want nice pictures that dont have blurry backgrounds and heads in the way, you'll have to stop yourself.

An older article, but still good: http://www.archdaily.com/137692/architecture-city-guide-san-diego

Another good article, but leans more to the modern: http://www.ranker.com/list/san-diego-buildings-and-structures/reference

A few more: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g60750-Activities-c47-t3-San_Diego_California.html

You might also enjoy reading one (or both) of these books:

https://www.amazon.com/San-Diego-Architecture-Mission-Modern/dp/0972602003

https://www.amazon.com/San-Diego-Architecture-Downtown-Highlights/dp/0972602011

I really liked this book for my trip. It cuts the park up into segments along the grand loop and made it VERY easy to plan exactly what we saw and did each day.

http://www.amazon.com/Yellowstone-Expedition-Guide-Modern-National/dp/1933763000/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452694990&sr=8-1&keywords=travel+brains+yellowstone

It's got an audio guide that's nice too.

Plan on LOTS of driving within the park. We did 187 miles in one day (@ 45mph) and only left the park by a few feet when we went up to Gardner MT for lunch. Make your most important things you want to see the FIRST visit of the day. Get there before the tour buses show up and unload.

Make sure you check http://geysertimes.org/ to see when predictable geysers are in their windows to go off. And then find the Geyser Gazers and hang out with them. You'll learn TONS about the park from those veterans.

I'd plan on spending the last bits of daylight in the Hayden or Lamar valleys. Those are just such magical places.

Take your bear spray. Take your bear spray. Take your bear spray.

My Oahu (Hawaii) travel guide is available for free download through 12/14/15. This has a new cover and could certainly use some reviews!

The blurb: What would a woman who grew up in Hawaii show her mainland-born husband and son when they visited Oahu? A former Honolulu resident profiles various beaches, tourist sights, and different types of “local” food in an amazon ebook.

A Hawaiian Family Vacation: Oahu is a virtual scrapbook, with photos and commentary of various Oahu destinations. Barbara Lougheed was born and raised in Honolulu, graduated from the University of Hawaii, moved to the mainland, and married a mainlander. After her son was born and was old enough to travel, she had to plan her first visit back home and decide what to show her mainland born husband and son. She came back to visit every few years, and her new ebook is a summary of the places they visited and the foods they ate. Readers benefit from a different point of view than other travel guidebooks.
http://www.amazon.com/A-Hawaiian-Family-Vacation-Oahu-ebook/dp/B00KKY138Y/

Richard Menzies did a great job in his book and PBS special, Passing Through. I highly recommend both.

I’d feel pretty winded trying to list everything but just make sure, while you’re here, to venture past Waikiki. I like this series of books, although the Oahu one is the only one I haven’t read.

Oahu Revealed

This is pretty awesome: https://www.amazon.com/San-Gabriels-Mountain-Country-Soledad/dp/0961542152

1. Not true, just not what you want them to be. Skill jobs are hard to find, but unemployment is lower than most states, and very stable.
   
   
2. Being born-and-raised in Hawaii, I can vouch for slowly developing relationships among non-kama'aina. That's because, too often, non-locals will leave, making such relationships fruitless. There is also a significant culture gap between locals and visitors. However, "everyone is unfriendly" is quite a blanket statement.
   
   
3. This can be true, much more so than coke or heroin, and largely due to imported meth from the Philippines. But despite this, having lived there, I can speak for the far greater proportion of the population that does NOT have meth problems, and the crime rate in the Islands is among the lowest in the US.
   
   
4. More like "bipolar" education. Public education is hampered by extremely successful private education, most notably exemplified by President Obama's education at Punahou. One cannot rule out the beneficial effect of private schools in Hawaii even if you have to pay to play. Also, somehow I wound up with an entirely public education in Hawaii but found my way through two college degrees with very high marks.
   
   
5. Cannot argue with this. :) One excellent written example is (appropriately enough) titled The Price of Paradise (warning: Amazon link, for those who do not want it "remembered" by your personal login).

Check out "Out From Las Vegas" (http://www.amazon.com/Out-Las-Vegas-Adventures-Away/dp/1893343073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1371946366&sr=8-1&keywords=out+from+las+vegas) My wife and I have done a few of these and they are generally very good.

(I am not affiliated with the author or the publisher, just a satisfied buyer of it)

Off the Beaten Path Northern California is fairly useful. It gives details on museums, hikes, points of interest etc and lists potentially helpful websites/resources at the end of each section.

Closer to home there is Golden Gate Trailblazer which lists hiking, biking, jogging and kayaking outings in San Francisco and Marin County.

The Cascades will be your best playground. Get this book and you'll be set. The whole series on Oregon is actually indispensable.

there's a book that is outdated, but still generally a good way to plan a neighborhood visit - Seattle City Walks

I recommend these:

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-Colorado-Backroads-4-Wheel-Drive-Trails/dp/1934838047/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1527274746&sr=8-1&keywords=colorado+off+road+trail+books

https://www.amazon.com/Northern-Colorado-Backroads-4-Wheel-Drive-Guidebooks/dp/1934838055/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1527274746&sr=8-2&keywords=colorado+off+road+trail+books

Kids' Travel Guide - Los Angeles: The fun way to discover Los Angeles-especially for kids (Kids' Travel Guide sereis) (Volume 12) https://www.amazon.com/dp/1910994332/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yhYfzbXP30EZV

Alakai swamp trail.

Lots of people do the helicopter tour. Personally, if I wanted to see Kauai from far away I could just watch a documentary on my TV. It'd be less noisy and have less vibration. Now if what you want to do is go on a helicopter ride, then, ok. If what you want to do is look off a mountain top while fog rolls down the hills onto a tropical beach, then go walk Alakai. Then again, I've never been on the heli tour, so my opinion is uninformed.

Get a copy of http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Kauai-Guidebook-Revealed/dp/0981461085/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1343074695&sr=8-2&keywords=kauai+blue+book

I recommend checking out this book.

Armen and Lori's Kauai Guide is a good companion to Kauai revealed. It is available in paperback but it's small enough to keep on Kindle or similar phone app and quickly reference.

Hidden L.A., 1998

Hidden Los Angeles, 2004

Go to any local bookstore and buy this: http://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Hikes-Central-Oregon-Cascades/dp/0967783062/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1374541516&sr=8-2&keywords=william+sullivan+central+oregon

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1934838047?pc_redir=1412277252&robot_redir=1

And

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1934838055/ref=pd_aw_sims_1?pi=SY115&simLd=1