Herb Lester, I think I love you. At least, I am head over heels for your fabulous maps and guides. While not strictly for parents or children, these charming little guides highlight particular shades of each city that can work for all ages - for example, the Los Angeles guide is titled "
How to Find Old LA"and directs you to "glittering 1920s movie palaces, down-and-dirty bars, ballrooms, diners and pizza joints." Now, you really should avoid taking your child to a "down-and-dirty bar" - but a 1920s movie palace and old-school diner might be just the ticket.
Another guide - "
It's Nice to Be Alone in Paris" - is certainly directed at the solo traveler rather than the traveller with offspring in tow. But don't despair - there is also "
Paris for Pleasure Seekers" - this one sounds rather adult but includes spots like "belle epoque restaurants, opulent cinemas, and beatnik bookshops", as well as where to find macaroons. All useful information for the imaginative parent.
With the
Madrid map as our guide, "from the relative safety of cable car we gaze down at the vast expanse of the Casa de Campo, explore shops selling gloves, campling gear, old postcards and espadrilles, visit an abandoned station and one with its own forest." I'm not sure whether it's a station or a shop with it's own forest; either one sounds intriguing.
There is an emphasis on London and New York City maps, but there are maps for Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Austin. You can even subscribe to the series - Herb Lester will mail you each new map as it is published. I can't think of a more perfect gift for the sophisticated traveller in your life (perhaps this person is you!).
