5 comments about Seasons of Real Florida (Florida History and Culture).

1. The book's editors (Mormino & Arsenault) invite us to sit down with Florida delectables, like orange juice, to read this book. My plan was to snag some recipes from Randy Wayne White's "The Fishing Guide's Guide to Tropical Cooking." Alas, Klinkenberg's book was in my custody for only a day when relatives spotted it on my table top and hauled it away for their reading pleasure. My half-a-book review: gimme my book back, I love this author!
   "Seasons" real value is in the future when we read its stories of people and places and look back wistfully at Florida as it was. And it reminds me that Florida today is still full of charm. And charming writers like Jeff Klinkenberg.



2. If you want to know what real Florida is like, what it looks like, feels like, smells like and even tastes like -- fall through summer -- this is the book for you. Klinkenberg is a true original, a natural resource as valuable as the panther, manatee and black bear.



3. Jeff Klinkenberg has been out in his car on the back roads and he's found the reason everyone moved to Florida in the first place. When my great aunt moved to North Miami in 1927 her house was on stilts (floods and alligators); now it is surrounded by 6 foot chainlink fence topped with barbed wire (urban animals!). Jeff talks to people who tell him the stories in between those extremes. Excellent read for anyone who wonders what was there besides the weather.



4. I spent Winter '08 visiting my dad in urban Tampa, and looking for Old Florida, decidedly hard to find. Jeff's terrific narratives about so many interesting people and places augmented and often replaced my futile search.
   I'm a hard-to-please reader, and this one completely satisfied.



5. The interesting Florida history written about in Peter Matthiessen's book, "Killing Mr. Watson" prompted further reading on the subject. Jeff Klinkenberg's stories capture that wonderful Florida background. Each chapter describes a different and quite unique Floridian person, place or thing, all spun into delightful true tales. Mr. Klinkenberg aptly chooses Florida history that displays "sense of place" so well. Like another reviewer, I'm a hard to please reader too. I couldn't put this book down, and I've never been to Florida. The cover photograph, "Loxahatchee River #30" by Clyde Butcher is so haunting, lovely and appropriate for this book. Fortunately Mr. Klinkenberg devotes an entire chapter describing the one-of-a-kind Clyde Butcher. This book is funny, very interesting and highly educational.

1 comments about Michelin Florida Regional Road Atlas.

1. Please do not waste your time or money on this useless little pamphlet. Amazon says it has 72 pages. This tricked me into thinking it was a real set of maps. IT HAS 32 PAGES. It does not open up nicely. I cannot imagine ANYONE wanting it. Shame on Michelin, one of the most famous names in travel. It is nicely printed. I assume Amazon simply blundered with the page count. It is going back.

3 comments about The Windward Road: Adventures of a Naturalist on Remote Caribbean Shores.

1. Archie Carr was the Godfather of modern sea-turtle biology and an outspoken advocate of turtle conservation who did more than anyone else to bring our attention to these creatures. The Windward Road is a masterpiece of Natural History writing, capturing a magical moment in time as Carr delves into the secret lives of the great green turtles and takes us with him on journeys to Caribbean islands as yet largely unspoiled by the wave of development that was to come. Anyone interested in conservation biology or with a love of a good yarn should get hold of this book, sink back and hear the trade winds blow -and then get out of your chair & do something to carry on the struggle that Carr waged for so long to preserve turtles and their habitats. This is a book that you will come back to repeatedly & pass on to friends and students with enthusiasm.



2. I found the Windward Road a rather dull account of the author's search for the green turtle. While I appreciated his folksy humor and wry observations, the book failed to be an absorbing adventure. The turtle he is after doesn't turn up until the last two chapters of the book. In fact, the last two chapters were the most interesting for me. I did enjoy Mr. Carr's interactions with the local natives in his wanderings. They carried the knowledge of where to find turtles in their community. Overall I tired of reading about Carr watching native people dig up turtle eggs from their clutch, Carr witnessing the bludgeoning of captured turtles, going on hunts to harpoon turtles and Carr being served up various turtle delicacies. I realize the book was written 50 years ago and sentiments about animals were very different. To that point, it is probably important to read something like this to understand some early turtle nesting areas and how the turtle sustained a native people.



3. This was probably the first piece of scientific "field-study" literature I've ever read, and i would consider it a must-read for anyone in the biological or environmental fields. Carr does an excellent job of portraying a contrast in cultures and simultaneously gives the reader an incredible understanding of the natural climate of the regions he visits as well. His writing style and content both keep the reader engaged, and years after my first read of it, I find myself coming back to the work to read through various sections from time to time. As a young conservation ecologist, this, along with Aldo Leopold's Sand County Almanac, constitutes my professional bible.

No comments about Coral Gables: Miami Riviera : An Architectural Guide.

2 comments about Adventure Guide Florida Keys & Everglades National Park (Adventure Guide to the Florida Keys & Everglades National Park) (Adventure Guide to the Florida Keys & Everglades National Park).

1. The newly updated 4th edition of Bruce Morris' Adventure Guide Florida Keys & Everglades National Park is out, and any destination-bound Everglades traveler would do well to obtain a copy. From places to stay and snorkeling experiences to eco tours and cultural adventures, the latest updated information is imparted in a spirited set of outdoor adventure tips. A 'must' for any serious about Florida.



2. Florida Keys & Everglades National Park Adventure Guide contains seven chapters: Introduction; Travel Information; Upper Keys; Marathon & the Middle Keys; Lower Keys; Key West; and the Everglades National Park. The introduction chapter contains an overview of the guide as well as general information about the history, land, climate, flora, and fauna. This introductory chapter also includes an outline of the range of activities available in the Florida Keys and the Everglades National Park. The next chapter, Travel Information takes a deeper look at the ins and outs of traveling to this area. This section not only includes important information about costs, transportation, and getting to Florida but also includes helpful tips about the best time of the year to visit the area and what to wear and do on and off-season.
   
   The rest of the chapters in Florida Keys & Everglades National Park Adventure Guide focus on the four main areas of the Keys (Upper Keys; Marathon and the Middle Keys; Lower Keys; and Key West) and the national park. Each of these chapters includes the sections At a Glance; Getting Here & Getting Around; Area History & Highlights; Sightseeing; Adventures; Where to Stay; Where to Eat; and Nightlife. These sections cover all of the basic what to do and how to do it information in these various regions. Likewise, several black and white maps accompany each section, clearly marked with the various facilities described in that particular section.
   
   However, there are also a few unique aspects within these sections and within this book in general. For instance, all the information contained in these sections is based upon the authors' real life experiences, no internet or third hand research is included. This allows the author to explain the various topics in a much smoother, conversational style given the reader a feeling of insider knowledge. This aspect also allow the author to rate lodgings (naming some as author's picks), give guidelines on the costs of meals (using a dollar sign rating system), and make recommendations on what areas to visit and activities to do depending upon your vacation time.
   
   Another unique aspect to this guide is that it focuses on active things to do. This book does describe sightseeing potentials but also looks at fishing, diving, and snorkeling opportunities; formal and informal nature and eco-tours; and describes variety of cultural events and other activities. Many of these activities are low cost or no cost anytime opportunities that can be enjoyed by walking. These unique aspects make the information in this book more accessible to those who like being active when they travel and those who would rather go fishing or birding than shopping or visiting the local museums.

1 comments about 50 Hikes in South Florida: Walks, Hikes, and Backpacking Trips in the Southern Florida Peninsula, First Edition.

1. This whole series is a great intro into hiking the "real" Florida I own all 3, South, North and Central -- is Panhandle coming soon?

   Sandra is a real hiker with a great eye for detail. She also works with the Florida Trail Association and highlights several FT trails in each of her FL hiking books. She seems to have hiked every trail in Florida. This book contains a good sample of all types of hikes / backpacking trails from short nature trails to the 30+ miles in Myakka River State Park. I use these books as a good way to find new trails.

4 comments about Exploring Wild South Florida: A Guide to Finding the Natural Areas and Wildlife of the Southern Peninsulaand the Florida Keys (Exploring Wild Florida Series).

1. We used this excellent book before and during our birdwatching trip to South Florida this spring. It was a useful complement to Bill Prantys 'A Birder's Guide to Florida'. In comparison to the latter book, you get more general information about the wildlife at different locationts and especially about facilities (e.g. bathrooms, food) at different wildlife refuges and parts of the Everglades National Park. In addition, there is a good introduction about different biotopes and 'special' animals and a stirring depiction of the passage of hurricane 'Andrew' over South Florida.



2. Overall this book is quite good, I think it is geared more toward people living in Florida than people like me who are planning a trip. I wish it had more travel info and maps. I also wish it had more pictures than it does, so you could see the places it talks about which would help out a lot.



3. My title sums the book up rather well. If you are going to South Florida with viewing nature and wildlife as one of your goals, you'll find the book extremely useful. If seeing the show at the Alligator Farm and the Seaquarium fills your need for nature, you probably won't need the book. Assuming you do use the book, you will appreciate the amount of detail it includes, though you'll probably wish for better maps and more illustrations! Despite this, highly recommended if you really want a book of this type.



4. As a person who has spent a good deal of time in many of the places listed in "Exploring Wild South Florida: A Guide to Finding the Natural Areas and Wildlife of the Southern Peninsula and the Florida Keys" I can say that it is a thorough, accurate, and informative guide to the South Florida area. This book is specifically made for the person who likes to explore areas that are still predominantly in their natural condition. If you are looking for a landscaped park to hike through then you will be disappointed. If you are looking for places where you are likely to see endangered species, the only air conditioning may be a breeze, and you may see very few people (if anyone) during your hike then this is the book you are looking for.

   Some places are truly remote and you may be on your own finding your way around (like the Florida Everglades) and some are less remote and may even have boardwalks through the forest to make your trip easier. The book starts with an extensive overview of everything you need to know about southern Florida - weather, what to wear, animals and plants to be cautious of, information on the various park systems, and anything else that you might have a question about when planning a trip.

   One of the nicer features of the book is a section on the various habitats that you are likely to encounter in south Florida. The author does an excellent job of explaining estuaries, coral reefs, cypress stands, mangroves, marshes, hammocks and other habitats. She covers what qualifies them as a specific habitat, what you should look for and expect in each of them and general educational information on each of them.

   She then covers special wildlife and unwanted pests before moving into the Federal Lands part of the book that actually starts the information on each site. When she gets to the specific sites she provides all the information that you will need to plan a trip there. She covers the local habitats you might find, wildlife, facilities, and complete contact information (worth the price of the book by itself).

   A highly recommended read for those who think camping equipment should not involve the word Winnebego.

No comments about Historic Photos of Fort Lauderdale.

No comments about Bed, Breakfast and Bike Florida (Cycling Guidebook Series).

1 comments about Everything Family Guide to the Disneyland Resort, California Adventure, Universal Studios, and the Anaheim AreA: A complete guide to the best hotels,l ... attractions (Everything: Travel and History).

1. This is a great resource for planning your trip to Disneyland.
   
   Very informative read for the rides, attractions, places to stay. The worksheets are very helpful as well, to keep the information in one place. I also suggest Birnbaums Guide to accompany this and you have a full and well-rounded set of guides to plan your trip and day-to-day activities.
   
   I also suggest joining some message boards to assist you in your planning. Simply Google or do an internet search of "Disney trip planning message board" and you will have quite a few to choose from. Have fun at the Happiest Place on Earth!