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.

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.

No comments about Ulendo: Travels of a Naturalist In and Out of Africa.

5 comments about Foghorn Outdoors Florida Camping: The Complete Guide to More Than 900 Tent and RV Campgrounds.

1. Please be sure to look and ask for the fourth edition of the book, released in fall 2007. The book has been completely updated and revised. Look for the blue cover and the Moon imprint!
   
   All best,
   Marilyn A. Moore
   author
   Florida Camping



2. I was pleased to find this book which gives quite a bit more detail than the huge regional campground books (Woodall's, etc.). Looking up some campgrounds that we'd already tried (Lazy Days and St. Augustine), I could see it captures the character of the place and lets you know what to expect.
   This will be invaluable for us as we explore Florida with our motorhome.



3. As indicated by other reviewers, the Foghorn series of campground guides is not without flaws. Even so, we know of no directories which do a better job of addressing campground aesthetics than these wonderful guides. In our experience, the look and feel of a campground is often the single greatest factor influencing the quality of a camping experience . . . and the factor totally ignored by nearly all other campground guides.
   
   There are a number of directories which rate facilities, provide directions, tell you how to make reservations and give you an idea of the cost for a night's stay in a specific campground. This series gives similar basic information and then goes beyond that. The Foghorn guides actually give you a feel of what it is like to stay in a specific campground - a bit of a narrative description and a "scenic beauty rating" for each campground plus information about nearby recreation opportunities. We like that a lot.
   
   Have we found instances where we liked a campground more or less than the book's author? Of course. Tastes differ and things change over time. Even so, we would rather have an admittedly subjective rating of a campground's intangibles than to have nothing to go on but a recitation of facts and figures.
   
   Are the Foghorn Outdoors guides the only ones we use? No. But they are ALWAYS the first place we turn when selecting a destination campground.



4. I sell rv's and give this book as a gift. I hear how great it is all of the time. I have used books like this for years, they are very accurate.



5. Have browsed a number of books that say they cover this information, but none do it as well as this one. Everything you need is there. A wonderful resourse for anyone camping/RVing in Florida.
   Scotty

1 comments about Insight Guide Florida (Insight Guides Florida).

1. There are a vast number of guide- books devoted to Florida. Some are very helpful others you might as well save your money, as the information contained is nothing more than what you would usually receive from the travel department for the State of Florida.

   However, it is not very often when you come across a travel guide- book that recognizes that it is not only sufficient to list and describe lodging, dining, attractions etc, you have to provide the reader with a sense of place and history.
   Once you are armed with this background material, the traveler is better prepared to appreciate the moment of the place and the local inhabitants encountered.
   It is the presentation of these elements that the visual guide- book Insight Guides Florida excels.

   Teaming up with the expertise of the well-known Discovery Channel, the guide devotes considerable space to the history, people, places, and culture of the Sunshine state.
   The introductory chapter lists the decisive dates of Florida followed by an overview of its history from the time of its earliest inhabitants about ten thousand years ago to present day sun worshippers.

   A section devoted to its people provides the reader with an understanding of the mosaic that is Florida. We are given very useful insights into the African Americans, Cubans, Yankees, Crackers i.e. someone with strong roots in the South hailing from the extreme southeastern part of the state, who have contributed to the development of the state.
   

   Feature sections indicated by yellow bars at the top of each page inform the reader about festivals, food, sports, sunken ships, space at the Cape, and theme parks. There is even a humorous short essay written by Florida-based Pulitzer Prize winning author, Dave Barry, on how to survive a Florida vacation.

   Insight sections key the reader in on Florida's amazing weather, unbeatable beaches, Miami's art deco and South Beach, ecology of the Everglades, the living Coral Reef and exploring Kennedy Space Center.

   The places section divide the State into five geographical areas, Southern Florida, the East Coast, Central Florida, the West Coast and Northern Florida. Essential facts and must see attractions are highlighted with a general sprinkling of side- bars. The latter providing interesting tidbits of information and tips. An example, "W.D. Chipley, the man who brought trains to Pensacola, dubbed the city `the Naples of Florida.' He told northerners that in `winter and summer,' its healthfulness is marvelous, except during epidemics."
   
   Insight Guides Florida is a beautifully rendered book with its design, sturdy paper, and its extensive use of rich photographs that effectively brings life to the people and places it describes. In addition, the various contributors' evaluative comments make the book a very useful resource before and after a visit to Florida.

   Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures.com

No comments about Rand Mcnally PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA (Rand McNally Streets Of...).

No comments about Florida Magnificent Wilderness: State Lands, Parks, And Natural Areas.

2 comments about The Young Naturalist's Guide to Florida.

1. My family really enjoyed this book because we learned more about what we see every day here in Florida. Since I am not a Florida native, I often had a hard time helping my young naturalists identify the plants and "creatures" they saw on our outings. This book has really helped! It covers a wide spectrum of topics: from weather patterns to Florida habitats to Florida endangered species. It also covered each (Florida) geographic region separately, and provided some interesting history too. I highly recommend this book!



2. This is a very helpful and well written guide to introducing Florida nature to young children.
   
   General Topics include:
   -Florida's symbols
   -Keeping a nature journal
   -Florida's special places (everglades, salt marshes etc.)
   -Flora and Fauna (plants, birds, insects, reptiles, exotics etc.)
   -Florida's skies
   -your part in Florida's future (careers, spaceship earth crew etc.)
   
   Within each section you will find interesting facts and useful information (complete with clear illustrations), websites you can visit for more info, projects to do with children pertaining to that subject/section, and review of vocabulary words from that section.
   
   Floridians will appreciate the opportunity to learn more about the nature around us that we often overlook, while Florida homeschoolers will be excited to have an extensive field trip lesson plan right at their fingertips!
   
   This book is a find! I highly recommend it.

2 comments about Day Trips from Orlando, 2nd (Day Trips Series).

1. If you don't fall in love with the cute and charming little girl in the photo on the cover you will enjoy what's inside, a guide to great places to visit and fun things to do that are beyond the expected theme park experience in Orlando.
   
   Taking the points of the compass this book offers ten day trips that will take you as far as St. Augustine to see what else the center of Florida has to offer the visitor or resident with an itch to wander. Janet and Gordon Groene have traveled these roads before you and will take you there with just enough commentary to make the journey interesting. There is a good introductory chapter on travel tips--things that you should have thought about but haven't but no matter the authors have done that for you. From there, the day trips await. And truly there is more than one day's worth of things to do in each of them, so you can pick and choose based on what sounds appealing to you and your fellow travelers.
   
   Each trip also gives some hints about where to stay and where to eat along the way.
   
   Some people are under the impression that there is not much "there there" beyond the theme parks. But the reality of Central Florida is there is way more to do than time to do it in. You could spend an entire year in the Orlando area eating in a different restaurant each night and you would have only begun to scratch the surface. And some of those "hidden" eateries are included in this guidebook. The maps are clear and easy to read as is the typeface.
   
   Happy wandering!



2. I purchased the book as a gift to my boys' grandparents who moved to Florida last year. They have had a grand time investigating some of the day trips.

4 comments about 50 Great Walks in Florida (Wild Florida).

1. There are a lot of travel books about Florida but Great Walks has a special flavor that makes it much more than just another travel book. These short journies are educational, inspiring and uniquely chosen to give you the taste of something unusual and special. Don't miss the Bo tree in Tampa or the Ospreys at Osprey island - both will open your eyes to a sublime beauty that the casual tourist never sees.



2. I had a chance to talk to Lucy in person -- here's some background: Lucy had a weekly column in the Ocala paper -- she'd report on a lazy ramble at some interesting site she'd just visited, then ask readers to join her next walk. It got to be a very popular column, with lots of walkers showing up every Saturday.
   When Univ Press of Florida was looking for topics for their Wild Florida series, Lucy was a shoo-in. She buckled down, ranging the state for interesting walks. Each section of her finished book has a city walk, a wildlife walk, a great garden, some historic site, and one unusual place.
   Better yet, Lucy's relaxed writing brings each place alive. I prefer floating to walking, but this book has inspired me to get out and ramble (that's amazing in itself!)
   Each walk has complete background information, such as a map, GPS coordinates (are you into geocaching?) admissions, and even lunch spots.
   Lucy drawls when she speaks. Her writing doesn't - it sparkles.
   
   Sandy Huff
   author of
   "Paddler's Guide to the Sunshine State"



3. I was hooked right from the start and didn't stop reading until finishing walk number 50 in "Old Town Key West." Lucy's award winning writing skills shine forth throughout with her vivid descriptions, fascinating historical background information, and amusing anecdotes. Her photographs and maps are an added bonus. Lucy provided a multitude of rich details about each location and how to get the most out of every walk. Readers are truly left with "no excuses" for not grabbing their walking shoes and starting the exploration of our beautiful state! I'm ready to go!



4. Whether you are 70, 27 or 7, an active outdoors person or just like easy, but interesting walks with friends and family - this guide is for you. Some of the venues are classic Florida gardens or little known historic sites, others quaint small towns, lovely open stretches of wilderness on Florida's awesome coastlines, or trails through shaded hardwood hammocks and sub-tropical havens. Tourists and long-time residents who want to discover the REAL Florida will especially welcome this friendly little book. It's packed with information to lead 21st century explorers down some of the roads and paths less traveled in the Sunshine State.