2 comments about The Handbook for Beach Strollers from Maine to Cape Hatteras.

1. If you love strolling on the beaches of the Atlantic Coast but want to make some sense of where you are & what you are seeing, seek out a copy of this book. You won't be disappointed. Zinn shows how the world of the beach, from the water to the dunes, is packed with life seen & unseen. & he shows us where to look.



2. This is a great introductory field guide for tidepoolers and beachcombers. I grew up on the west coast but was still able to use this reference on Pacific sea life. Perhaps my favorite aspect of the book is the author's willingness to eat just about everything he finds, evoking a marine Euell Gibbons. (If you plan to do this yourself, please research local regulations for collection permits!)

2 comments about The Coast of Maine Book: A Complete Guide (Coast of Maine Book).

1. My family and I recently visited Maine and in preparation we purchased Great Destinations The Coast of Maine Book to get an idea of what we wanted to see. I found this book to be very clear and concise. It was extremely helpful in giving us an overview of what we wanted to see and do whilst in Maine. The coastline was as beautiful as the book depicted and I would recommend buying this book and also visiting this tremendous State.



2. The Coast of Maine book is good if you're a first-time visitor to the state. I recently bought this before going to Maine for a week and found this book very helpful. If you're going to be driving a fair amount, then you'll like this...it provides information about the interesting things to do in the major coastal towns and areas in between. This book is lacking in a couple of areas, however. First, the hotel and restaurants listed are few in number and don't provide the best selection, although it is a start. Second, the maps aren't very helpful if you're going to do a lot of driving and provide only a relative idea of your location. I would recommend getting a AAA map of Maine to accompany this book.

   That said, this is still a very useful book. Most of the other books on Maine were too focused (e.g., only lodging, or only lighthouses, etc.). This one at least gives a good overview and identifies both the common and less well-known things to do.

No comments about Moosehead / Penobscot Region Maine: Moosehead Lake to Umbazooksus Stream (Northern Forest Canoe Trail).

No comments about Mt. Desert Island & Acadia National Park.

No comments about Weekend Walks Along the New England Coast: Exploring the Coast from Connecticut to Maine.

No comments about Black Bangor: African Americans in a Maine Community, 1880-1950 (Revisiting New England).

1 comments about Islands of the Mid-Maine Coast: Penobscot Bay.

1. ANYBODY (and for once I mean it) who is at all interested in the Maine coast line, plans to visit Maine, has dreamed of cruising the Maine Archipelago, is interested in history and ecology of the northeastertn U.S. etc. owes it to themselves to order this book (and indeed the whole series). Lovingly written, beautifully illustrated with impossible-to-find historical photos and maps, this series by the greatest living (and probably greatest ever) expert on the history of Maine islands belongs in your boat, belongs on your desk, belongs by your bed. I try never to go Downeast without a stack o' Mclane (much to the bemusement of my skipper) and have spent mant happy afternoons on islands with my students working out just from where a particular photo was taken a century earlier. Beautifully written, with a nice mix of stories, geneologies, and a real eye for the land, this has been literally the "life's work" of a wonderful couple. All of us who know, study, and love these islands have a deep debt of gratitude to the McLanes.

1 comments about Acadia: The Soul of a National Park.

1. All winter our hearts are on Mt. Desert Island, 750 I-95 miles north of us. All winter, with Steve Perrin's book, we take virtual hikes on "our" island. Come summer (well, in July anyway) when our hearts and bodies are actually in Acadia we can stroll those trails we now know are compatible with my two aging knees and Margaret's greatly dimished vision. Steve's words are more valuable than he knows: we teach people to be "audio describers" for folks who are visually impaired or blind so their ears can be their eyes in theaters, museums, and yes, for television. Steve's writing is truly audio description. This summer if we meet him again on the Shore Path we'll tell him in person. Until then, thanks, Steve.

No comments about Maine Impressions.

3 comments about North to Katahdin.

1. After reading a few chapters, I found this book hard to want to read. Pinder's style is dry and slow, and leaves plenty to be desired. The stories he tells are rather uneventful, though I usually enjoy writings about simple events, but only when written well. The cover might lead a potential reader to believe Pinder will criticize yuppy hikers and the flocks of roof-racked Subaru driving granolas that fill the parking lots at his beloved trailheads. Pinder does not, however. He spends a fair amount of time talking with and about the thru-hikers he meets on the trail. I do believe there are better books to buy, and if one if interested in having the most "genuine experience" while out of doors, read some Thoreau.



2. Even though I bought this book "by mistake", thinking it had something to do with the video of the same name about thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail, I ended up enjoying it a lot. Pinder talks about why we go into the wilderness and what the essentials of the experience are. Having climbed Katahdin a few years ago, and having finished a section-hike of the entire AT recently, I enjoyed comparing my own experiences with his. He does a good job of explaining just why Baxter State Park is so special. Read it if you're on your way to (or back from) Katahdin.



3. I have no real interest in hiking, but since this book was written by my Cousin Eric, I wanted to read it. I found it to be very interesting, even for someone who has never been to Mt. Katahdin or on the Appalachian Trail. So even if you are a non-hiker, don't be afraid to try this book. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. It is easy to read and has some very interesting and touching stories.