3 comments about Hiking Michigan.

1. The 'Hiking Michigan' guidebook was ok, but I expected more. The book is adequate for casual walking. Unfortunately, the maps were not well done. Both the trail maps and the directions to the trailheads lacked important detail. The guidebook did not have a summary matrix of trail information that would have been helpful in planning outings. On the positive side, the descriptions of the trails were accurate. In addition, the book includes introductory sections on clothing, equipment, and trail ethics. Therefore, 'Hiking Michigan' is a good starter-book for the novice, but it falls short compared to true hiking guides.



2. I found this book to be very helpful on my first foray into the Northern Michigan wilderness. My wife and I walked the Herman Vogler trail and the Ocqueoc Falls trail while visiting friends on a vacation in Onaway, MI and found the book to be very accurate (maps and descriptions). Both trails are within a 30 minute drive of each other, and are must see's if you are in the area. I cannot speak of any other trails accuracy(s), but once we make another trip up north we will be sure to check out another trail or two and let you know! Good book, good price, I would (and have) recommend this book to anyone interested in hiking Michigan.



3. This book has good reviews on trails and is very helpful. There are some trails it does not mention that I would have liked to learn more about but it does have a lot of good information.

5 comments about Legends Of Light: A Michigan Lighthouse Portfolio.

1. Legends Of Light: A Michigan Lighthouse Portfolio is a stunning, full-color photographic showcase of Michigan's lighthouses, inside and out. A brief introduction embellishes the compilation of full-page and some two-page spread photographs. From simple, cozy lighthouse interiors to panoramic scenes of the ocean shore at sunset, Legends Of Light is a very special tribute which is hallmarked by visual splendor and is a superb giftbook selection -- especially for lighthouse aficionados.



2. This is a gorgeous book, and the text nicely balances the photographs, tying in the meaning of the photographs with the stories of the lighthouse, and with Ed Wargin's endeavors to reach the lighthouses just to photograph them. Truly worth having.



3. Aficionados of lighthouses take note! Ed Wargin has photographed the lighthouses of Michigan and his work is impressive. His talent is evident as he is able to breathe life into his subject matter.
   
   Legends of Light contains lighthouses photographed from the inside and outside and various prospective of the surrounding area, including the environment. Wargin gives us a bonus because he lists all of the Michigan lighthouses and provides a map of their location in the back of the book. That added immensely to my enjoyment.
   
   Gull Rock on Lake Superior was established in 1867. The view from above of the lighthouse perched on its own tiny island is dramatic. You're alternately drawn to its beauty and repelled by the confinement.
   
   The internal photograph of Lake Michigan's St. Helena Island lighthouse is warm, cozy and ever so inviting. I wanted to snuggle up with a book by the stove and read while drinking a cup of hot tea.
   
   The stark reality of winter in a northland lighthouse is evident in Wargin's photograph of Cheboygan Crib Light on Lake Huron. As I gazed on the winter white, I found myself becoming chilled. It is extraordinary for a photographer to ellicit such strong feelings and emotions from a viewer.
   
   The interior of Whitefish Point on Lake Superior is a room that could be found in any home, yet it is in a lighthouse.
   
   The burial site near Rock Harbor is fascinating and evokes all sorts of questions like who, when, how?
   
   South Manitou Island lighthouse on Lake Michigan has my heart. Actually, I found myself studying the picture and returning to it repeatedly. I'd love to live there.
   
   Wargin has captured the flavor and the majesty of lighthouses with his wonderful images. My heart now belongs to the lighthouses and the Great Lakes region. I want to visit so many of them it looks like a road trip is in our future.
   
   Armchair Interviews says: Legends of Light is a book to savor and to live in the dream of the beauty of our northern Great Lakes Region. This is a wonderful gift book for someone who loves lighthouses. And maybe that's you.



4. I've known Ed for a few years and have come to respect and enjoy his images. He finds images that we as non-photographers can only dream about. Nice Work Ed and congrats on yet another super book!
   
   Dan McGuire, Roichester, NY



5. My dad, like many others, does the lighthouse thing with an emphasis on Michigan lighthouses. I wouldn't even think of getting him another book of lighthouse photos but I saw this in my doctor's waiting room and instantly knew I had to get it for him. The pictures are beautiful and the text interesting. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Michigan Off the Beaten Path, 6th: A Guide to Unique Places.

1. I'm from Michigan and I'm truly offended at this book...there are a lot of things to see in Michigan, everything from renting a cottage at one of Michigan's countless beautiful lakes both large and small, to hiking the Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes, to visiting it's many lighthouses. And that's just in the lower peninsula, I'm not too familiar with the U.P. Yet, the author mentions the attractions worth visiting as the 'bicycle spokes museum?', or the 'Be kind to your mother-in-law bridge?' I've never heard of either one and I've lived here all of my life? They make the state of Michigan and those who live here look foolish and backwards... If this is a book about locations that can be found 'off the beaten path', there is much to be said about Michigan. Some of the most beautiful attractions are located here, which do not appear to be in this book. If the sites described are the featured locations in the book, thanks but I'll pass. One would be better off picking up a free brochure from a travel agency...



2. As a native Michigander, and now a nearby Chicagoan, I found this book both amusing and helpful. I had no idea of some of the little sites and attractions of my native state and used the book on some car trips back home. Of course, the book assumes you are aware of the big tourist attractions so it concentrates on the hidden treasures. I have shared this with fellow Michigan natives and they loved it also.



3. This book was not intended to show tourists all of Michigan's wonderful attractions, such as the Mackinaw Bridge, Mackinaw Island, etc.(That is why those attractions are not listed in it). This book tells us about all of the "HIDDEN TREASURES" in Michigan. The treasures that one would find if they went down the back roads. This book is excellent. You will not be disappointed. Read the book, pack up your kids, pack some lunches, and go enjoy yourselves by visiting our "hidden" Michigan.



4. I should have listened to the reviewers about this book. VERY weak. Free state brochure gives far more info. Lesson learned



5. The jawdropping number of misspelled streets and towns in this book could form a book of it's own. There were also far too many attractions, restaurants, hotels, exhibits, etc; that have been closed for more than eight years that were included. I had hoped to give this book to relatives just moving back to "The Mitten State" after having lived in the Pacific Northwest for 40+ years. If I had given the book to them before reading it myself to point out favorites they'd be driving in circles and wasting oodles of gas. This book was a "tosser".

1 comments about Pigeon River Country: A Michigan Forest.

1. This book covers a lot of topics.
   
   It's a history of the Pigeon River Country, located about 35 miles south of the top of the "mitt" of Michigan, country that has remained wild after logging in this area was completed in the early part of the last century. More recently drilling for oil in the The Pigeon also caused some of the most notorious environmental battles that ever took place between a state, the oil industry, and environmentalists. Three different court cases made it to the Michigan Supreme Court and those rulings had a large impact on environmental law related to drilling in wild natural areas.
   
   The book is also a trail guide, providing tables of fauna and flora that exist here. The Pigeon is the only woods east of the Mississippi that contains wild elk, which are pretty easy to track if you go in with a local or get some advice from the State's Dept. of Natural Resources officers who are stationed in the forest.
   
   The Pigeon also contains three world-class trout fishing rivers, two of which are also navigable by more experienced canoeists. There is a major hiking / mtn. biking trail that runs through it as well, providing day and overnight wilderness experiences.
   
   I've traveled all over the world, lived in CA twice and FL once, but I knew the Pigeon would draw me home to commune with the elk, coyotes, bears, the white pine and cedars, the Beech and Maple trees, and the bald eagle. The Pigeon is still a fairly wild place with many contiguous sections with neither roads or trails, allowing for a North Woods experience guaranteed to be people-free.
   
   Franz' passion for the Pigeon rings through truly. Sometimes the book gets a little long-winded about the beauty of rain drops on a leaf, but if you read this on the trail, you'd never consider entering this tract of land without this wonderful guide as your friend to a better understanding the Pigeon River Country.

No comments about Driving Michigan: Mile by Mile on I-75.

3 comments about A Petoskey Watercolor Journal.

1. No matter where you live this book is one everyone who loves travel, beauty and art, will love. Packed full of paintings and painting tips this book is a delight and an insight into the authors town and talent.



2. This book is a treasure! A must for any fan of this darling Northern Michigan town, this journal combines helpful painting tips with Petoskey sights and scenes - a wonderful souvenir and an excellent tool for artists at any level.



3. Catherine Carey captures everything that is beautiful about Petoskey in this watercolor journal while giving practical, clever painting tips for her readers. A wonderful keepsake for Northern Michigan visitors, but artists and tourists from all over can appreciate this colorful, well-written treasure. This book will definitely inspire you to capture your memories in a unique watercolor journal of your own.

No comments about Sleeping Bear Dunes.

3 comments about Michigan's Most Haunted, A Ghostly Guide to the Great Lakes State.

1. Ok, I don't want to say this book is haunted, but this is my 4th attempt to leave a review, and whenever I do it shuts down my AOL.
   
   Written in a straighforward style, believers and skeptics alike will appreciate the thoroughness behind every story. The author doesn't embellish; she lets the stories stand on their own - and this just makes them spookier!



2. This is a charming little book that is part travel guide, part ghost story. The history of each property is described, followed by short eyewitness accounts of the strange events at that location. Since these are all "public" places, (inns, etc.) you could go on a tour with this book as your guide. If you are interested in historic properties in Michigan, or looking for a fun-to-read collection of short ghost stories, this may be the book for you.



3. Loved the book, but than again the author is my daughter...I enjoyed this book because these are actual places you can go to so you can determine for yourself if they are indeed haunted...looking for volume #2..

2 comments about University of Michigan & Ann Arbor Streets (Professor Pathfinder's Campus Maps).

1. I don't often rave about maps (in fact, I never rave about maps), but this is one I've grown to love. It's a perfect size and scale and was incredibly easy to read, even as I drove along new streets in my new city. Particularly useful was that large grocery and retail stores are marked on the map. This made it easy to figure out the closest Target, Best Buy, or grocery store from my new apartment, and the stores ended up serving as landmarks as well as new places to shop. Also, when you're on the phone, trying to locate a smaller store, they can say, "We're located across the street from the Whole Foods Market," or "We're at the north end of the such-and-such mall," and you know just how to find them. The map even shows you what block you're on -- helpful when searching for a specific address. I'm one of those people who gets lost going around the block, but this map got me where I had to go every time.
   
   Also included is a very detailed and clear map of campus.
   
   I bought two maps of Ann Arbor but never used the second one. This map did it all. Highly recommended.



2. this is an impressive map that has different zooms of the Ann Arbor area. I took it with me when apartment hunting and it was very helpful. in the interest of full disclosure, there are free downtown maps available here and there (i saw some in the Maynerd parking entrance), but people who saw my map said it was much better.

2 comments about Michigan State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide (State Parks).

1. I live 2 miles from one of the State parks reviewed - Bald Mountain. I have to say I learned more from this guidebook than I knew from living here and asking the locals. It contains maps and layouts of the parks, and gives lots of good information. If you live in MI or are planning to visit, it's worth it.



2. Great historical and park activity information. I just wish it would have been more specfic ie; which sites are good, maps of park layouts etc. Still good guide.