2 comments about 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Albuquerque: Including Santa Fe, Mount Taylor, and San Lorenzo Canyon (60 Hikes within 60 Miles).

1. After thirty-five years exploring New Mexico's stunning landscapes, I feel I am still just getting started. But where to go next? Fortunately, Stephen Ausherman's splendid guide has arrived to provide a host of suggestions. I will depend on it to add method to my madness and point me in the right direction. Highly recommended!
   --William deBuys, author of River of Traps and The Walk
   
   This is a very impressive guide that I'm sure will be welcomed by the local hiking community, especially as it includes numerous hikes not widely known.
   --Bob Julyan, author of The Mountains of New Mexico and New Mexico's Wilderness Areas



2. Stephen Ausherman's new guidebook, "60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Albuquerque, including Santa Fe, Mt. Taylor, and San Lorenzo Canyon," is, without a doubt, my pick for 2008's Best Book About New Mexico.
   
   I realize that, as I write this, the year has more than eight months left to go, and I'm aware that I myself am planning to publish a New Mexico title before the end of the year, but Ausherman's new book is honestly so good, so quirky, so informative, and so unique, that I feel I can go ahead and declare it as the year's best, without hesitation.
   
   The book, as its title suggests, contains sixty hikes, all within about sixty minutes of Albuquerque--within sixty miles of the Big I, where Interstate 40 crosses Interstate 25.
   
   What the title doesn't immediately reveal, however, is just how amazing these sixty hikes are, just how compellingly readable their descriptions are, or just how transformational this book has the potential to be to anyone willing to go out and experience them.
   
   The book's preface lays out the book's contents, and I challenge any resident of central New Mexico--anyone with even a spark of lust for life or a smidgen of curiosity--to read that preface and not feel overwhelmed with a feeling that maybe this place you've been living has more to it than you thought; in my case, it filled me with an almost caffeinated urge to rush out and see what it described for myself.
   
   The book's sections include:
   *The Duke City--featuring urban hikes within Albuquerque's city limits.
   *The Salt Mission Trail--venturing down into the Manzano Mountains.
   *The Turquoise Trail--heading up into the Sandias and beyond.
   *El Camino Real--exploring natural wonders along I-25 toward Santa Fe.
   *The City Different--snooping around Santa Fe and its environs.
   *The Cuba Road--heading down toward Cuba and Cabezon Peak.
   *The Jemez Mountain Trail--finding amazing formations around Los Alamos.
   *The Chihuahua Trail--moving through wild desert toward Socorro.
   And:
   *The Mother Road--following Route 66 from west of town to Mt. Taylor.
   
   Since being introduced to this title, I have already hiked a number of its hikes, and have already found my view of what surrounds Albuquerque completely altered. This place is amazing, and even though I thought I had an inkling of what its deserts and mountains hid, I now realize I did not. At all.
   
   If you live in Albuquerque, just get this. Just order it right now, or go get it from Page One. You will not regret it. It's rare that a guidebook comes along that makes you want to just sit down and read it from cover to cover, but whose hikes are so unique and intriguing that you have little choice but to put the book down and throw on a daypack.
   
   Highly, highly recommended.

3 comments about Journey to the High Southwest, 8th: A Traveler's Guide to Santa Fe and the Four Corners of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah (Journey to the High Southwest).

1. I bought this book to get some ideas for our family's summer vacation to the "4-Corners" area. The book has alot of information, little of it very helpful for trip planning. Most of the book is about the history, geology and nature found in each park. Details of the actual parks are written in the narrative form as the author drove and hiked in the areas. If you are willing to read through all this you might find a couple helpful gems and tips on your journey.



2. I was previously a ranger at Mesa Verde. This is without a doubt the best guide to the High Southwest that I've encountered. For years I've recommended this to friends, and each time I've been thanked for giving them an outstanding, wide, yet in-depth, and well written source of critical information about one of the most fascinating areas of our country. From where to go, what to see, and how to understand it -- from history, to geology, to ethnography, and much more -- this is an excellent introduction to the high country of our Southwest.



3. I travel in the region covered by this book a lot; over the years I have bought lots of guidebooks and other books about the area. Journey to the High Southwest remains my absolute favorite.
   I do not understand the comment of an earlier reviewer that it does not include helpful "tips" for "trip planning." You might consider supplementing it with a more standard guidebook of the Frommer/Froder variety, but I have used Journey to the High Southwest since our very first trip to the area (early 1990s) and have found it a trove of "useful tips." On that first trip, using this book, I was able, for instance, to plan travel through the Hopi Reservation, where to stay, how to find out about when and where there would be dances, etc. The recommendations of where to stay/where to eat are terrific. (We would never have found our favorite hole-in-the-corner diner in Espanola without this book!) In addition to all the good travel suggestions, it's beautifully written, a mine of information, and a joy to read. I am so happy to find that there is an 8th edition!

3 comments about Frommer's New Mexico (Frommer's Complete).

1. I browsed many guidebooks in bookstores and read several from the library before settling on this book to take with me to the Southwest.

   The writer writes well and she is not afraid to offer candid opinions of hotels and tourist sites. She's a New Mexico native and shares her passion for the state with the reader.

   ** I especially liked the lists of top attractions by type in the front of the book: Best of Natural New Mexico, Best Scenic and Historic Drives, Best Outdoor Activities, Best Family Experiences, Best Historic Hotels, etc. (there are 12 of these lists).

   These lists helped my companion (my 13 year old son) and I get our hands around the diversity of this state and plan just what we most wanted to do during our one week in the Southwest.

   Once we narrowed down what we wanted to do, the book was arranged by region, listing all the other things we could do while in that area.

   Other good companion books for this trip were Tony Hillerman's novels set in Navajo country and the book, Roadside Geology of New Mexico.

   The Frommers book for Arizona has the same organization and is very good, but not quite as good as this book.




2. I just took a week-long trip to New Mexico and gave up using this book after the first day. I found my free AAA New Mexico Tourbook far more complete and informative.



3. Well researched and plenty of information. Gives details on what to expect, how much you may pay, when to go etc. I hope that it had more pictures but other than that, this is the only book you'll need.

1 comments about The Spell of New Mexico.

1. This is a must read for anyone seriously interested in the state of New Mexico.

3 comments about Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque (Regional Guide).

1. We were staying with a local in Taos whose restaurant reviews for the area echoed the ones in the book. One of the restaurant listings even mentioned the exact dish she always get at that locale (Tres Colores).
   
   One addition - try to make happy hour at The Alley (the oldest building in town, used to be a trading post) which is just steps off the plaza (where they have free concerts on Thursday nights in the summer) for some really incredible (and cheap) margaritas.
   
   We didn't go wrong with the restaurant or tourist attraction recommendations in Albuquerque either. I thought this was a GREAT guide!



2. We were heading to Northern New Mexico for the first time and this book helped us plan our trip for maximum enjoyment. What an amazing area!



3. LONELY PLANET ALBUQUERQUE, SANTA FE, AND TAOS is a great book on the rugged northern section of New Mexico. The three cities the book focuses on each have their own charms, especially Santa Fe, with its live-and-let-live attitude providing for healthy ethnic diet ideas that will be useful for anyone who's trying to look good for their favorite actor or actress. Other ways to achieve that dream, such as hiking and bicycling in the mountains surrounding these three cities, are also discussed, as are shopping opportunities and radio stations. Overall, this book is a wonderful addition to any travel library.

4 comments about Top 10 Santa Fe, Albuquerque, Taos (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides).

1. If you are planning a trip to New Mexico this is an invaluable guide to have on hand. It very thoroughly covers all of the sights you would ever want to see and gives wonderful recommendations for hotels and restaurants. The one drawback is the maps are a little small so you will still want to have a bigger map of each town. Despite this the information is very well organized and easy to use. This is a much needed guide and one that I highly recommend.



2. A Good book that highlights most of the popular attractions/restaurants.
   Also has good locator maps. Its compact size is great for traveling.



3. The thing I love most about the TOP 10 books is their size. Very easy to fit into a pocket or daypack. The info is concise and accurate. The TOP 10 ratings make it easy to plan your days; you know what you really should see and do if you're new to a place. The price is reasonable, too.
   
   I've been to Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Taos before and I can confirm that this little book has hit all the right spots!



4. This small, easy to use, guide packs easily. The index helps one find things quickly -- and the images are excellent. It was perfect for a one-week trip.

1 comments about Scenic Driving New Mexico, 2nd (Scenic Driving Series).

1. Laurence Parent is a well-known photographer - his photos illustrating this book are superb (wish there were more) and his descriptions of these drives in New Mexico are great...the maps are crude but serviceable. They are better than the very rough ones in his Hiking New Mexico, though...I've driven almost all the routes described and got my money's worth many times over - the book is well-used and always with me on my New Mexico trips.

5 comments about New Mexico Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. Not only is it an easy to follow road map but it includes points of interest with descriptions... A 'must have' for a tourist in a new territory to be discovered!



2. I have been driving around New Mexico for the month of October. I have a Lowrance GPS that has been terrific. I have also been using Delorme's New Mexico Atlas to allow me to see bigger picture issues and to strategize where I want to go. They have been a great combination for me.
   
   The only negative -- and it is a very small negative -- is that it did not have some streets in newly developing areas in Las Cruces. For that matter, neither did my GPS, and I just installed the latest update to its database in September.



3. Has great detail of all of New Mexico. My wife and I will be taking a vacation there soon and this will help us a lot.



4. An indispensable addition to your travel planning for New Mexico! Buy one and you'll find you'll want more DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteers for traveling in other states!



5. I have a Tennessee map and it shows the contours with 100 foot intervals. Although this map does give some elevation points, it does not show the contours.

5 comments about Photographing the Southwest: Volume 3--Colorado/New Mexico (Photographing the Soutwest).

1. I bought all three books from the series Photographing the Southwest by author Laurent Martres. I'm preparing for 2 weeks trip to USA next year. I found these books very useful. All provide very valuable information about the best time and conditions for all the people having passion for taking fotographs at most famous places all over Southwest. Simply must have.



2. I bought this new book as it came out just in time for my photography journey through the four corners area of Colorado and New Mexico. I've seen some of the same sites before but Martres gave routes I've never known existed or was possible. Hence, I have new photos from angles I've never known I could get.
   
   This book is great and a must-have for photographers in the Southwest area!



3. This book is a fabulous guide to photographing the natural sights in Utah. Martres provided specific information on where to be for the best shots and also gives basic photographic advice. While you read, you need to remember what he says at the beginning of the book: he photographs the southwest in autumn due to the heat and light. So, use common sense when Martres says, "early afternoon is the best time to photograph..." If you are there at other times of the year, you'll need to do a little research about when the best light is available.
   loved the book and will buy more of his work!



4. If you're planning a tour of the American Southwest these brilliant books are simply the best possible guide to what to photograph, and how. In three volumes Martrès guides you to all the photographic highlights of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. At the well known tourist spots he tells you what and when to shoot for best results, but he's also not afraid to take you off the beaten path to some less frequently visited scenic gems.
   
   I've just completed a photographic holiday following roughly the traditional "grand circle" route, and I couldn't have got some of my most successful shots without these books.
   
   The author provides consistent, detailed instructions for each location, including guidance on lenses and timing. Sometimes he even tells you which rock to stand on! Follow his instructions carefully, and you'll usually get good results, although some instructions require careful interpretation.
   
   It's also great fun shouting "snap!" when you realise the only other souls in some lonely location are also clutching a copy of the same book.
   
   All three volumes have recently been updated, with high quality colour photos throughout, and a comprehensive index of locations including ratings for accessibility and scenic and photographic value, invaluable if a tight schedule means making difficult choices.
   
   I'm already planning my next trip using volume 3! Highly recommended.



5. This series belongs in the library of every nature photographer traveling to the Southwest. My one complaint with the first edition was that it was so comprehensive as to be difficult to pick the great from the meerly good sites. The second edition offers a solution to this problem by having a comprehensive table in the back of the book rating every site for natural beauty and photographic value on a scale of 1-5. So with just a quick glance You can identify all the 5 star places and research them. Then all he 4 star sites and research them, and so on. In the same table he gives lots of practical information like road conditions. The color photographs are also a big improvement over the black and white in the first editions. Over all, a tremendous asset to anyone exploring the Southwest.

5 comments about On Mexican Time: A New Life in San Miguel.

1. I absolutely loved this book!! The writer's style was such that I could vividly imagine myself in SMA during the mid-eighties to the mid-nineties. The characters were so real and full of life: the gardener who had a mistress, the man who killed someone twice, the young girls who helped around the house and grew to be women with their own girls, and many many more characters came to life. The book was like a great movie you don't wish would end and when it does it leaves you sad that it's over. Luckily for us Tony Cohan has another book, Mexican Days: Journeys into the Heart of Mexico, on his life in Mexico which I'll be quickly ordering to pour through just like I did with "On Mexican Time".



2. I bought this book 7 years ago and am currently reading it yet again. This is one of those books I can't read enough. I never get bored with this book. Cohan uses all the senses to bring the reader into the story and paint the most beautiful mental portrait of Mexico.
   -Jodi: age 24



3. I have lived in San Miquel and this is a good book on the city and the people. Things have changed a lot in the past forty years and we need another update.



4. When I was 16 years old, I traveled to San Miguel de Allende under the kindly watch of a young teacher-couple that I knew through my church. After two weeks in their rented home on Calle del Chorro, they set me up in a casa de huéspedes on Pila Seca Street. It was the most formative adventure of my young life! The introverted and frightened-of-his-own-shadow kid that I was disappeared rapidly as I was enveloped into the fold of the guests at Domingo and Pita's place. I really grew up that summer and made San Miguel my home. I returned home an older and more confident person. My stay in San Miguel de Allende changed my life and is responsible for my love of Mexico and my chosen profession: high school Spanish teacher.
   
   Tony Cohan caught the essence of San Miguel de Allende and I was transported back through his wonderful prose to those days. It was such a thrill to recognize the places he wrote about and the experiences (both frustrating and exhilarating)that time and travel in Mexico provides.
   
   If you want wonderful writing, a deeper understanding of Mexican culture and a view of one of the most beautiful towns in Mexico, I highly recommend On Mexican Time!



5. Author has a nice touch, however, half way through he seems to run out of much to say except reportage. Reports about fixing a centuries old house can be about as dull as being there. No duller. There are interesting reflections, along with descriptions of people and places in the first half of the book, making it worth the cost of the book and your time reading at least half of it.