1 comments about Moon Metro Montreal: Unfold the City (Moon Metro).

1. This is a great book for people of all ages. It details the main attractions with great maps on how to get there. The subway map in the back helped out so much, and I didn't look all touristy with it. Its very descrite and light. I highly reccomend this book for first time visitors. Im not very good with directions, but if you have someone else drive while you figure out where you are on the map, its pretty simple. Plus it has a little section of French words to help you get around the city! The only problem we came upon was figuring how long it would take to get to the sites, just make sure you have plenty of time.

1 comments about Down North to the Sea: 2,000 Miles by Canoe to the Arctic Ocean.

1. This book was written by my grandfather. He was a special man. This book accounts an actual trip he made in his early twenties in Yukon Territory. Beautifully captured images of the landscape and area are told in the way only my Poppa could. With biting wit and silver tongued sarcasm. Read this and be inspired to cast fear aside and do something, anything, great.

5 comments about National Geographic Guide to Family Adventure Vacations: Wildlife Encounters, Cultural Explorations, and Learning Escapes in the U.S. and Canada.

1. This guide was a wonderful breath of fresh air. As parents of a 14 yr old we were really tired of the same old vacations and really had no idea that exploring North America could be so interesting. Our family used this book as a guide on a recent trip to Montana and South Dakota. It was a terific trip--from the Blackfeet tours to Little Big Horn to Lakota Pony Rides, we truly had a unique experience. Ms. Stapen's guide helped us navigate and explore the most interesting sites these states had to offer. The guide was very informative, especially pointing out those places that are "kid friendly". The book was even helpful in pointing out certain tours not especially suited for kids.---ie. the tour at Little Bighorn. While this did not stop us from going on tour, it did prepare us for the " are we finished yet" complaints of our 14 yr. old. I highly recommend this guide for anyone considering vacationing anywhere in the U.S. From the Pacific Northwest to the East Coast and throughout Canada, this book will help you if you are truly looking for a different type of vacation. I urge anyone to consult this guide---- it will open up a whole new world!



2. This book is a real dissapointment. There is no 'adventure' here. It's just a list of museums from around the country. Now these are nice museums, but perusing the AAA Tourbooks will give you the same information for free. This books is a waste of money.



3. Stapen's book on family adventure travel is one of the best of its kind. Our family was looking for new types of vacations (other than the usual places like DisneyWorld, the beach, etc) that would cater to children of different ages. We are looking forward to trying out several of the recommendations, such as a night at the zoo, space camp, dogsledding, llama trekking and exploring native american culture. The writeups are well done and the book is very enjoyable. A must for families. I am over 50 but could not put that in Box 5 for some reason .



4. As the mother of two active and intellectually curious boys, I was so disappointed with this National Geographic book that I am sorely tempted to return it to the publisher. My aim: to find some suggestions for hikes in the White Mountains and family resorts in New Hampshire for this summer and an exciting, wilderness approach to seeing the West for next summer. The cover: a healthy, athletic father and son, in a kayak on a pristine lake. The subtitle: wildlife encounters, cultural explorations and learning escapes in the US and Canada. The inside: Connecticut's only entry is an Indian museum at the Mohegan Sun gambling casino; four of Massachusett's five entries are museums in downtown Boston and the fifth a small recreation of the Plymouth Colony; New York's six entries include three museums in New York City, two adult continuing education programs in upstate NY and a weekend workshop on Indian culture in the Catskills. I could go on ,but it would only bore you. In short, every entry I read (and I quote only those states I am familiar with) could have been found in literally any run- of -the- mill (free) guidebook found in any hotel loby, restaurant or Chamber of Commerce office. (SeaWorld and Busch Gardens in Florida?? Give me a break!). I implore you to save your money and pass on this book!



5. This book gives you just enough information to help you to plan a great family vacation. They give you places and numbers to call to get more information on some great trips accross the country. For a busy parent who wnats to get more bang out of their short vaction this is a must have. We love the book.

5 comments about Rand McNally 2008 United States, Canada, Mexico Road Atlas: Vinyl Covered (Rand Mcnally Road Atlas: United States/Canada/Mexico (Vinyl Covered Edition)).

1. Good atlas, no frills, concise and useful. It was flimsier than expected; within a week, one of the first pages already acquired a tear in it near the binding after only minimal use due to the thin paper and awkward staple. However, it was worth the price.



2. The content of the product is of course very good but the extra weight of the plastic cover on the Atlas immediately pulls the inside cover away from the staples they have used to bind this Atlas. You will lose the cover very quickly unless you rebind it.



3. After viewing a colleagues copy of this road atlas, it made sense to acquire one of my own seeing we were holidaying in the States and in particular the West Coast- California and Arizona. We found the map and information of significant help in planning our route and would definitely recommend this to anyone who is thinking of travelling to the States. You will not be disappointed.



4. I was loaned a previous copy of this atlas by my travel agent to help plan my upcoming US trip. Found it so easy to use that I decided to purchase my own. Would recommend to any visitor coming to the US.



5. This is a very nice and useful road atlas. The plastic cover is nice to have since the atlas gets a lot of wear both in the car and in the house. The reason I did not rate it higher is that the staples used to hold the pages are beginning to tear and will soon need some reinforcement. Rand McNally should consider improving this aspect of the atlas.

No comments about One Hundred Mile Summers: Hiking the Pacific Coest Trail from Mexico to Canada.

5 comments about Visions of the Wild: A Voyage by Kayak Around Vancouver Island.

1. My first thought after finishing this book was that I'd like to read it again....immediately! I found myself caught up in the magic and excitement of Dag and Maria's adventure, entertained by their humor and awed by their endurance.
   Dag's pictures are a real treat. Beyond supporting the story, they are works of art on their own. Not only is this a teriffic adventure tale, it is a great picture book.
   For those who like to venture into the wild, or read about those who do, this book will satisfy. If you can't be out there doing it, a book like this is the next best thing.



2. "Visions of the wild" is a book that you will want to read again. Dag's outstanding photography makes it a good coffee table book to enjoy the pictures time and time again. Maria's simplistic writing style captures your attention, entertains and holds you throughout. It makes readers feel like they are on the journey with Maria & Dag exploring the waters around Vancouver Island. Reading this book, makes me feel like I am revisiting those places in the Pacific Northwest that I have previously travelled (by car and kayak). A great book!



3. I bought this book because I have just bought my first kayak and I can't wait for the days in the far future when I can go on such wonderful adventures as what these two, obviously wonderful people, have done. I have a love of British Columbia, and especially Vancouver Island, which their book reinforces with their descriptions of the scenery and the people of the Island, who I have found to be some of the friendliest folks in the world. A great read.



4. Great photos, and an entertaining narrative of their voyage.

   But:

   They had several close call/misadventures that all apparently resulted from Dag's decisions to paddle into known poor conditions, and good luck that allowed them to survive the predicaments they got into. Kayaking is great fun, but paddling a little boat in big water means you have to be willing to adapt your plans to stay safe. Maria seems to be the sensible one - she should be the skipper!

   Boy-o-boy are they ever hyper-greenies. You know - harvesting trees is not mortal sin. Some people make their living in the timber industry in order for other people to have wood for houses, furniture - even kayaks. The book would be much better without the preaching.

   Even with these caveats - it's a fun read and I recommend it.




5. This is a beautifully written book about the authors circumnavigation of the biggest Island off America's Westcoast. Having paddled a lot of the circumnavigation in parts gives them a huge advantage over non-locals since they know a lot of the good landing spots as well as the crux points and have friends along the path. This reflects in the book, where the reader gets the impression that these are two competent kayakers applying their skills to reach their goal. The pictures are stunning and very high quality. This book was the perfect primer for a paddling trip on Johnston Strait and the Broughton Archipelago for me - I could not put it down...

No comments about Ulysses Travel Guide Ontario (Ulysses Travel Guides).

4 comments about MONTREAL AND QUEBEC CITY COLOURGUIDE: Third Edition (Colourguide Travel Series).

1. This travel guide is organized as follows:
   1/ The first few pages are simple maps but they won't be of much help if you actually try to use them to navigate Montreal/Quebec.
   2/ 100+ pages of text with full-color pictures detailing what to see or do in Montreal/Quebec, a section is dedicated to each city and sub-sections for areas of interest in each city, like the old port area in Montreal.
   3/ the book calls it the "Listings" section, it has travel tips, lists of hotels, restaurants, places to shop, etc. (b&w, no pictures, each page divided into 2 columns, looks kind of like phone book listings)
   
   This tour guide does an excellent job of including almost every spot that a tourist might be interested in, accompanied by colorful photos, the problem is a reader often have to scan through whole paragraphs of text to find specific information he/she is looking for. For example, when scanning through the guide a photo of a restaurant caught my eye and I would like to find information about that restaurant, often I would have to scan through the whole paragraph to find the line describing the restaurant, and when I need the address/contact information I'll have to flip to the listing section. Another problem is without a map a street address is not very useful.
   
   If you allow yourself plenty of time to prepare for the trip you might as well get this book, read through it to determine what places you want to visit/restaurants you want to dine in; and then do the preparation work to find out the opening hours/contact information/address etc. But if you just want to hop on to a plane to Montreal/Quebec and roam around, this tour guide is not for you.



2. This book is colorful which is good. However, I am surprised by the fact that it doesn't provide good maps. It has brief regional maps and some area maps. However, I couldn't find most routes and attractions in the maps. Those routes are mentioned in its introduction of area attractions. The other surprising fact is that it doesn't have a subway map.



3. I thought this book was quite appropriate for my travel to Montreal and Quebec City. It describes in sections of what to see and do at Montreal and Quebec City. It also gives the reader information on some of the excursions one can undertake while in these areas. However, this book is best used in conjunction with a detailed map as it doesn't not tell the read how to get to the places it describes (e.x. while Montmorency and Orleans are indeed 5 minutes East of Quebec City, it doesn't tell you how to get there). Overall, if you are only staying in each city for 1-2 days though, this is a great book.



4. Very informative, I am from this area and loved the book.

No comments about Looking for the Wild.

2 comments about Blisters and Bliss: A Trekker's Guide to the West Coast Trail.

1. Excellent book. Loads of valuable info and packed with humor.
   Definitely earns two thumbs up!!!



2. This short guidebook to the West Coast Trial was a great asset to read before and during the hike. It takes you through all the stages of this 75Km hike, complete with suggestions of route choice, campsites, gear advice, and good general information for tackling this technically challenging hike. In addition, the authors have several humorous illustrations that will make you laugh (or cry) about the stages after you have completed them. I would strongly recommend giving this a look over before starting the WCT, and keep it along with your map during the hike.