Drive I-95, Exit by Exit Info, Maps, History and Trivia, by Stan Posner and Sandra Phillips-Posner. 3rd edition (2005) ISBN 1-894979-99-0.

Imagine a guidebook with all the useful things you want to know when driving. There is very little missing from Drive I-95, so if that's your route, you're in luck.

Drive I-95 is a coil-bound book, with maps and text inside a durable cover. The physical design of the book is practical - it lies flat and the coils are wrapped inside the cover; they won't get caught on anything.

The book provides detailed maps following I-95 all the way from Massachusetts to the Georgia-Florida state line, and then back again from south to north. Each map covers either 15 or 30 miles of the highway, and shows a simple line for I-95, with lots of room for information on the right and left hand side of that line.

The I-95 exits are clearly marked, and beside each there is an information box full of useful details about the services (gas, food, lodging) to be found there. Other interesting and useful things seen from the highway are noted on the map.

Map and guidebook authors everywhere should take a lesson and provide a guide like "Radio Stations to Listen to as you Drive I-95", found inside the front cover flap.

Between the two map sections (southbound and northbound) there are exit-by-exit descriptions of the attractions along the way. If the passenger wants to learn more about the trip, this is easy and entertaining reading. Not only will you find out about the abundant charms of the big and little places just off the highway, there is trivia and entertaining photos.

The back section of the book has some very useful lists, in table form, for Campgrounds Near I-95 Exits (58 of them), 41 Golf Courses Near I-95 Exits, a lengthy list of Auto Mechanics and of Independent Motels and Bed and Breakfasts Along I-95 Exits. The back cover, inside, has a list of 800 phone numbers for the major motel chains.

The authors offer an e-mail newsletter and a website with Special Reports - updates and extra information to supplement the book. They invite readers to suggest features for the next edition. In the third edition (2005) they added information about pet-friendly accommodations.

The 4th edition of Drive I-95 is coming out about November 1, 2007. It will extend the route covered further south into Florida as far as Miami, whereas the current 3rd edition stops at the Georgia border.

Using Drive I-95, the traveller can plan ahead to visit attractions, book a place to stay, find a meal, and know what's coming up, without wasting time and energy. The maps are simple and clean, and the text is entertaining. The book is available from bookstores or from the website, or by mail from the publishers, Travelsmart, P.O. Box 3, Roxboro, Quebec, Canada H8Y 3E8. The cover price is $22.95 US and $29.95 Canadian, but take a look at the website for better offers.