No comments about Providence Ri (Greater) Street Map.

5 comments about Curious New England: The Unconventional Traveler's Guide to Eccentric Destinations.

1. I liked this book because I'm always bored and searching for something different to do. If your into New England culture like I am then you'll appreciate us eccentric Yankees! Some of this stuff I wouldn't drive out of my way for but it's enjoyable to read about it. Having grown up in the Boston area I already knew about most of these places(and lots that didn't make the book!)but if your planning to be in the area it's well worth your while to check out this book.



2. My wife and I structured our honeymoon this month around this book, and we had a grand time touring its recommended destinations in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, and New Hampshire. As we both work in horror publishing, we particularly enjoyed places like America's Stonehenge and H.P. Lovecraft's grave.

   Buyers of this book should be forewarned to call ahead to every place they plan on visiting. We discovered that although this book was published this year, some of its information is already out-of-date. For instance, the aliens apparently beamed-up the UFO Museum two years ago. In some cases, the information was incomplete (e.g., the Occult Museum is only open to tour groups of 10 or more), or vague (e.g., road directions to the Bow Wow Villa (now no longer called that, by the way) and the Museum of Bad Art).

   Overall, though, the book has lots of interesting information, and our vacation wouldn't have been quite as nice if we hadn't read it.




3. If you like the path less traveled, then this book is for you. If disneyland, and the flashy theme parks are the forefront of the American psyche, then this is the back roads. To my mind infinitely more interesting, I only wish he could chronicle the whole of the US, not just New england.Not to be missed!



4. This is a terrific resource for those who will be travelling in New England and who are interested in seeing the more unusual sights the region has to offer. The book is divided into six chapters, each devoted to a state: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, and a map at the start of each chapter locates the cities covered. Each chapter contains entries listed alphabetically by city, and each entry contains a description, address, phone number, location, hours and sometimes a b&w picture. Entres include cemeteries, haunted houses, odd museums, unusual homes, monuments, etc. This book is lots of fun, contains great information and is well-written.
   
   Terrific resource.



5. Never did I know that there where so many odd places to visit in New England. This book goes state by state and lists places to visit that are famous and infamous. Man now I wish I had a GPS to find them! Get this book!!

1 comments about A Guide to the Cotswolds.

1. Found this book very informative, with lots of useful facts. Easy to use, easy to understand. Used it in the car to get from place to place. Worth buying.

No comments about An Outdoor Family Guide to Acadia National Park (Outdoor Family Guides).

2 comments about Hiking Vermont, 2nd: 60 of Vermont's Greatest Hiking Adventures (State Hiking Series).

1. This is an excellent addition to the Falcon Guide hiking series, and the author adds a touch of humor and class to each route description. The driving directions to each trailhead are detailed and accurate. the route descriptions are similarly packed with information that any hiker can use. If there was a chance of seeing wildlife, Pletcher duly notes it and informs you when the best times are for seeing bears or moose. If you're backpacking, he tells you where to find water and where reliable springs are located.

   I was a little disappointed that he didn't concentrate more on the 260 mile Long Trail which traverses the length of Vermont. I was looking for information of their shelters and side routes into towns along the way. But for day hikers, this is a good, reliable and handy guide. Recommended.




2. In a rural state such as Vermont, although plenty of opportunities for hiking exist, finding them can be difficult since they are off the beaten path. This guide will help you find those hidden (and some not-so-hidden) hiking gems that are scattered throughout the Green Mountain state.
   
   This guide describes 61 hikes scattered fairly evenly across Vermont. Hikes range in length from 0.5 miles to 15 miles with the average at around 4-6 miles. Each hike comes with some basic facts about the trail, a rather detailed set of directions to the trailhead, a map, a detailed trail description, and usually a photo. The maps are typical Falcon maps: they show the trail, a couple of main features, and not much else. I have to say I don't understand why Falcon doesn't upgrade their maps to the USGS topo variety that are found in the 50-hikes series and most other top hiking guides these days. Still, I have lots of Falcon hiking guides on my shelf, so I guess my wallet speaks louder than this review.
   
   Perhaps the most outstanding quality of this guide is the author's wide and varied vocabulary. In fact, this guide has a literary quality not found in most hiking guides. Occassionally this gets in the way of clarity. For example, the author describes the trail to Camel's Hump as a "bony" trail. Does he mean rocky? narrow? These cases are the exception, and usually the author's vocabulary simply makes the reading experience more enjoyable.
   
   I have heard some other people complain about the lack of Long Trail information in this book. On this point I must respectfully disagree. True, if you are looking to hike the Long Trail from start to finish, you will need better information than what is provided here. Still, 16 of the hikes in this book describe dayhikes along the Long Trail, and this is a book on hiking, not backpacking. Most dayhikers will find plenty on the Long Trail here to keep them busy for a long time.
   
   In summary, this may not be the best guide to Vermont hiking on the market, but this book merits serious consideration. I withheld one star, mainly for the maps and slightly for the potentially vague descriptions. As I said though, this book has a literary quality not found in most hiking guides. So if you enjoy reading hiking guides or you are interested in Vermont hiking, this book should find its way onto your shelf.

1 comments about Short Bike Rides in Rhode Island, 6th (Short Bike Rides Series).

1. I've had the pleasure of knowing Howard Stone since I was a kid and there is no one more devoted to Bike Riding in Rhode Island. If you are a Rhode Islander and are taking up Biking or are a Biker moving to our area, this one is really worth picking up.

   Scott P. Morin, WebMaster, [e-mail]

5 comments about Maine: The Home Place.

1. This is a magnificent, beautiful book. We left it open on the kitchen table, and everyone who passed by turned to a new, exquisite image. I've now snatched it back to my office and expect to browse repeatedly when I have a chance for a cup of coffee and a brief get-away moment. It is truly a gift.



2. Murad Sayen shows us in his amazing pictoral that Maine is more than a magnificent coastline dotted with harbors and lighthouses. His photographs and essays capture the essence and beauty of Maine that those of us who are fortunate to live here can now share with the rest of the world.

   He is masterful in his use of lighting. The effect is mystical and invokes a strong emotional response to his work. For all those who want an unlimited opportunity to escape to Maine, whenever the spirit moves you, I highly recommend Maine: The Home Place.....the way life is!




3. Maine The Home Place by Murad Sayen is an especially appealing photography book. Not only is this book visually pleasing as you view beautiful scenes in Maine, but it also is very emotive as you also "feel" Maine. The quality of the photos is superior and most of them look as much like paintings as photos. If you are ever fortunate enough to look through this book, go directly to page 28 ( one of my favorites)and enjoy the compostion of hands. There have been numerous artists who have highlighted hands in their composition but never with the unique approach that this one does. I have only had this book on my coffee table for one month, and have already "sold" 5 copies. People's responses were so positive that 5 lucky people will be getting this book for Christmas. Maybe you could be lucky also. If Maine was ever your home, I think you will enjoy having this book around as much as I have, and Maine was never my home.



4. The thing that strikes you as you turn the lush pages--the land and seascapes, the faces--is the surface sense of calm. And yet, below those surfaces there is always a suggestion of great energy, of processes being carried out. In the cover photo, for instance: a country church, maple trees in their October regalia, a cemetery, the cornstubble foreground--lies the hint that things are in motion, even there below the ground. The world is moving toward a new incarnation.

   This dualism--or energy and calm--kept me turning pages, forward and back, over a period of many days, looking closely at colors, faces, cloud formations, ice crystals on a pond, dawn sunlight on a lighthouse.

   At first I quibbled that Sayen has confined his camera to so few regions of the state; and yet, in truth, this only reminds us that art, in order to be universal, must be local. To develop the kind of intimacy that Sayen (a confessed "outsider") obviously has with his subject, it is necessary to keep it focused.

   With "Maine: The Home Place", Murad Sayen has created a masterful book, far more than another of the garishly colored "coffee table" books that publishers seem to crank out each year. This is a book that bears repeated readings, and which, for me, continues to offer fresh discoveries. In addition to the photographs, there is a series of elegantly written essays and photographer's notes. For anyone looking to be delighted and deeply moved by the complexity within simplicity, "Maine: The Home Place" is a volume that will do that.




5. When I opened Maine: The Home Place, I didn't know how much I was opening up. I looked through it, then I realized I needed to look into it: I did so at two pages a day until I went through the book. I especially love two of the pictures (although each page and picture looked more like a composition in a painting than a camera capturing a scene): The Androscoggin at Bethel, November and North Pond, Greenwood, October. There is a disarming directness in the simple presentation that drew me into the pictures, and into myself. The captions reminded me these places are here, in this world. What I found myself doing since I opened Maine: The Home Place is seeing myself and the world around me differently. Cezanne says that "Art is a harmony parallel to nature." I am wonderfully confused by Murad's presentation of nature and art that has gotten into my heart through my eyes. What more can you ask from a book than to make the world and yourself more alive? Maine: The Home Place is a book that will do that year after year, picture after picture. Great job, Murad Sayen.

2 comments about Atlantic Cruising Club's Guide to New England Marinas (Book & CD-ROM).

1. This Atlantic Cruising Club Guide to New England Marinas is well organized, laid out and easy to navigate. The book and CD are complimentary to each other - plus allows the skipper to use one medium while the first-mate uses the other! ;-)



2. Very good. Lots of info CD erxcellent as a reference

No comments about American Map Metro Boston Eastern Massachusetts: Street Atlas (American Map).

2 comments about Rand McNally Dist-O-Map: Travel Distance Finder.

1. This thing is a wonderful idea. But reading the discription and seeing the item are two different things. First, although it computes the distance between "11,000" locations, it does it with many maps, broken down by region on many different pages. also, its incredibly fimsly, and for the price, feels like it will fall apart on the first road trip.



2. We had a distance finder for years and misplaced it the new one is just as nice as the old great product.