Bahamas Bound

Luckily there's a one-stop guide, the 2011 Bahamas & Caribbean Pilot's Guide, to getting the skinny on where to go and how to get there. This 400-page spiral bound treasure trove of information and photography features airport and immigration and customs data, as well as an excellent overview of all the things you need to do to be ready to make that hop.

The guide is available from Sporty's Pilot Shop (sportys.com), among other outlets, for $56.95, a price that will seem small indeed once you find yourself on the sandy beach with a cool drink beneath a shady palm tree.