No comments about Placenotes--Santa Fe.

1 comments about William Henry Jackson's "The Pioneer Photographer".

1. I've just started reading the book, the biographical sections are extensive and interesting. They might, in fact, be the best part of the book (together with the update/ annotations).
   I was hoping for a large collection of Mr. Jacksons photographs but instead got more text than anything. You do get some photographs but they tend to be small, not full page (they are interesting). I didn't count them but believe that there are more sketches and paintings than photographs of the man's subjects.
   One thing I noted was that the editor of this edition writes that many of the photographs are "attributed to", meaning either no one is certain of the photographer but think he did them or even that an employee actually did the work.
   If what you really want are 1870's photographs you'll have to find another Jackson book somewhere to get many of them.

5 comments about Moon Handbooks: Puerto Vallarta (3rd Ed.).

1. We just returned from a two week vacation in Mexico, where we travelled from Guadalajara to Puerto Vallarta using the Bruce Whipperman handbook as our guide. The book, which is compact in size, is packed with useful and specific information that made our trip easy and enjoyable. We especially appreciated the back-road tips.



2. If you want to know about more than just the Puerto Vallarta area buy the Pacific Mexico Handbook. Better than 80% of the content of the Puerto Vallart Handbook is included as well as information of the other Pacific destinations. If you do not plan to venture more than 25 - 50 miles from Puerto Vallarta this book adds no additional value.



3. Book was not well written nor was it well thought out. It was difficult to access specific information (such as hotels and restaurants). The author also recommended the Hard Rock Cafe--which made me wary of any other recommendation he had! I'd recommend the Frommers Guide to Mexico for a better picture of Puerto Vallarta and Discover Puerto Vallarta for the pictures and additional information.



4. Every Moon Travel book I have purchased has been far and away the best travel book for the region. Anyone who has traveled in Mexico knows that restaurants and hotels change a lot in one year. The fifth edition of this book, copyrite Nov 2003 is as good as it gets. I also had the Frommers and AAA guide with me for 8 days of driving in and around Puerto Vallarta and the only book I needed was the Moon book.



5. Absolutly positively the worst travel guide I have ever read!!! Don't waste your money. The only thing that surpases what it doesn't include, is what it does include. Hardly anything of value! This book is a waste of a perfectly good tree.

3 comments about ACCESS Santa Fe, Taos & Albuquerque.

1. I always find the ACCESS Guides to be the best travel guides overall, and look for them whenever I am about to travel to a new location. So far, I have used their guides to Alb/SantaFe/Taos, Seattle, Montreal/Quebec City, Phoenix, San Francisco, Hawaii, San Diego, and London.

   I like their format - they are organized by neighborhoods, so you don't have to seach around through the book all day; and they have an empasis on restaurants and shopping, which I find the other guides don't give enough info on and which are my FAVORITE activities when travelling. Also their print is large, clear, and color coded, which also makes it easy to find what you want (restaurants in one color, shopping in another, tourist sites in another).

   It's the best guide to carry around each day while travelling.




2. I buy and Access guide for any city which I am about to visit. I have found their reviews to be topnotch.
   
   I wish they would publish and updated guide to Santa Fe!



3. I agree with the other reviews: these ACCESS guides are by far the best for cities, and I am really sorry there isn't one more recent than 1999 for Santa Fe. I bought more recent guides for Santa Fe - ehh. The others are very limited in the scope of information.

4 comments about Driving by Memory.

1. Though published by a university press, this is no dry academic tome. It's an unusally creative attempt to capture the spirit and the meaning of the drive through the desert. Fox writes of three approaches to the archetypal desert city, Las Vegas: from Sante Fe, from Los Angeles and from Reno. His writing is personal, captivating and will make you see the desert (and our paths through it) in entirely new ways.



2. What a letdown. Yes, the prose is decent, and the premise is undeniably attractive but, for anybody who holds the drive to Las Vegas close to their heart, these 3 separate tales of driving across the desert toward that glittery focal point called Sin City will all leave you feeling cheated. Why? Well, most of all, the author TURNS OFF THE HIGHWAY BEFORE GETTING TO VEGAS! How can you leave out the final 5 miles!? If you have to be dragged, kicking and screaming, into a casino, what in the world are you doing writing a book with Vegas at its center? Yes, the author shows that he knows the road, and what the various mountains are called, etc., but he obviously has no understanding of what compels most of us to take that road so many times in our lives. Skip this book and spend the money on a tank of gas yourself. This book has no Elvis.



3. Last November, I flew into las Vegas for the first time on a bright, sunny day. I had my nose pressed to the window most of the way, and was in awe of the what lay below. I followed the roads through the desert that led to Vegas and vowed to make the drive myself some day. I couldn't believe my luck when I happened across this book. But, the book left me bored and disappointed. Maybe I was expecting too much, but even the author's reader-friendly prose could not make this an interesting read.



4. Fox's wit, charm, and intellect combine to create a fascinating book that is part memoir and part geography, culture, and history lessons. A rare combination that suits a reader like me who is always looking for books that help me see life through a clear new lens!

5 comments about Frommer's Cancun, Cozumel and the Yucatan 2004.

1. This book is pretty much what you would expect from Frommers. A good book showing what to do, with a certain kind of audience in mind. I would have to say its not for the backpacker type or the budget traveler. But good if you are a don't get your feet wet kind of a person. ....



2. So many guidebooks! If you're going to the area, how do you know which to get? I just spent an hour flipping through all of the Cancun/Cozumel/Yucatan books at a local bookstore, and this looks like the best all-around for our trip to Cozumel. So for all you shoppers out there: I haven't been on the trip yet, but for what its worth, an hour of browsing determined this book the winner.



3. Just back from two weeks in Cancun and I found this book to be indespensible! The Maps were very acurate and I found the resturant rating system to be reliable. I can't say much about hotel ratings as I stayed at the same place the entire time. I think it would be hard to find a better all around guide book. Also check out "A Tourist in the Yucatan" fun thriller



4. I spent the last three weeks in the Yucatan (and I had a wonderful time!), and found this to be a reliable guide. The rating system is dependable, the maps helpful, and for the most part the info is up to date. I will say this, you might concidering more than one guide book as all of them seem to have some defficincies. This would be most important for the independent travler and the travler who is planning to get away from the major resorts. You might also consider buying good maps.



5. I am not sure the person who wrote the chapter on Isla Mujeres is familiar with the metric system. "1 km or 1.6 miles." The back of the book has a conversion chart showing that 1km = .62 miles. They make this conversion mistake all throughout this chapter.

4 comments about Fodor's Cancun, Cozumel, Yucatan Peninsula 2000.

1. Like the other Fodor's guides that I've used in my travels, this book is phenomenal. From the hotels to restaurants to side trips, this book points out the bests of the Yucatan Peninsula.

   I've been to Cancun three times (most recently in February 2000) and can attest that the 2000 version is right on the money.

   I highly recommend this book for the first time visitor as it will give you great ideas for any length of visit. A also recommend it for those who have been to the region before as the book will recommend those areas that the first time visitors generally don't get to. The thing that is so helpful about the guid is that it helps you prioritize the things that you want to do.




2. A marvelous guide book that is easy to use. What I liked best about it was that it was up to date, something very important when traveling in Mexico. The maps were easy to use and the grading system for hotels and resturants was very reliable. This book really did help make my trip special!

   I also recomend: "A Tourist in the Yucatan" a thriller set in the Yucatan! a great beach read!




3. I am off to Cancun in 2 months. Never been there, so I wanted to "check things out" in advance. I bought this and Frommers Guide. I was not impressed by either one. Fodor's was especially short on info in my opinion. The Cancun section was rather small overall. I have found better information just surfing the internet. They give you some very basic descriptions and price guides, but no recommendations. I have never been there... that is what I need! Which tour is best, which ruins should I see, etc, etc. I got NONE of that! Frommers was a little better in that they gave you more diverse information, but no real recommendations. I will see if I can find something better than both of these before my trip. If you must choose between these two popular travel guides, go with Frommers.



4. If you are interested in Cancun and sorrounding areas, this is the book.

2 comments about Sonora: An Intimate Geography (University of Arizona Southwest Centre).

1. I read this book that I borrowed from a friend 3 years ago. I am a Sonoran native, and I found most of the author's comments accurate. Although I found it a bit pessimistic and cynical at times, I really enjoyed his observations on the present conditions in the state, since most of them are true.

   Arturo Wagner Navojoa, Sonora




2. This is a delightful read, a vivid description of the land, the people, and the culture of Sonora, written by a person who loves it.

   A research scientist at the University of Arizona, David Yetman creates a nice balance among history/geography; the human stories of people he meets; and his personal relationship to the land and indigenous people .

   The esteem in which Yetman is held, both by Sonoran natives and gringo colleagues, is awesome. He moves easily from intimate conversations with native families willing to share their last tortilla, to sophisticated discussions of politics, agriculture, and drugs with officials in the highest of places. While acknowledging the challenges facing Sonora in light of ecological and social changes, he goes easy when questioning reluctant locals about the drug culture, presumably to avoid putting them, and himself, in harm's way.

   Yetman's academic credentials are revealed in the wealth of information about the varied landscapes within Sonora. That he truly enjoys and respects the people he has encountered over thirty years and hundreds of visits shines through and gives the book its personality.

4 comments about New Mexico's Continental Divide Trail: The Official Guide (The Continental Divide Trail Series).

1. I have used the companion volume on a hike along the Colorado stage of the Divide trail. The format of that guide was excellent and the route description, although brief was accurate and most useful. My main criticism's of the Colorado volume are reserved for the Maps, reproduced from USFS sheets and inadequate in topographical detail, and the weight that for a trail Guide was rather heavy(too many nice photos, interesting but not essential bakground information, and heavy weight glossy paper).

   The New Mexico volume is in an identical format and so it remains on the heavy side. I will have to pare it down into individual segments and post them ahead to post offices along the trail to be collected. However the maps are a great improvement as they are reproductions of Topo Sheets with all the necessary detail of topography and land forms to engender confidence in route finding when bushwacking. As with Colorado, waymarks are included that use latitude and longitude so entered on a GPS set it can be used to keep you on Trail. All the necessary information for re-supply and access to and from the Trail is included although I will have to test its accuracy when I am on Trail this spring. There is some complexity in the route choices along Stages 19 and 20 North of Pie Town that make for difficulty in following the sequence of pages but I guess that this will resolve itself when on trail. There is an inconsistency in continuity between the Guides as the New Mexico volume is written assuming a Hike proceeding Northward while the subsequent Colorado volume assumes a Southward going trek. Incidently the Wyoming guide reverts to a Northward progress again. I expect this guide to be an essential purchase for any thru hiker for it establishes a definitive route for the CDT through the state. I will comment again on opinion of the book when I get back from the Hike when I have had real use of it.




2. I have used the companion volume on a hike along the Colorado stage of the Divide trail. The format of that guide was excellent and the route description, although brief was accurate and most useful. My main criticism's of the Colorado volume are reserved for the Maps, reproduced from USFS sheets and inadequate in topographical detail, and the weight that for a trail Guide was rather heavy(too many nice photos, interesting but not essential bakground information, and heavy weight glossy paper).

   The New Mexico volume is in an identical format and so it remains on the heavy side. I will have to pare it down into individual segments and post them ahead to post offices along the trail to be collected. However the maps are a great improvement as they are reproductions of Topo Sheets with all the necessary detail of topography and land forms to engender confidence in route finding when bushwacking. As with Colorado, waymarks are included that use latitude and longitude so entered on a GPS set it can be used to keep you on Trail. All the necessary information for re-supply and access to and from the Trail is included although I will have to test its accuracy when I am on Trail this spring. There is some complexity in the route choices along Stages 19 and 20 North of Pie Town that make for difficulty in following the sequence of pages but I guess that this will resolve itself when on trail. There is an inconsistency in continuity between the Guides as the New Mexico volume is written assuming a Hike proceeding Northward while the subsequent Colorado volume assumes a Southward going trek. Incidently the Wyoming guide reverts to a Northward progress again. I expect this guide to be an essential purchase for any thru hiker for it establishes a definitive route for the CDT through the state. I will comment again on opinion of the book when I get back from the Hike when I have had real use of it.




3. I completed the southern-most segment of the CDT, along with 4 other backpackers from Middle of Somewhere Expeditions. We (myself and the other trip guide) found the book to be as complete as possible, given the difficult current circumstances of the Bootheel area. The problems we encountered were mostly due to problems with the trail markings, or the complete LACK of a trail at all - not the book. Writing is excellent, and most all the information present was current. The "official" route chosen for that section was only established with the publishing of this book - in fact, our group were among the first people to navigate it. The bootheel section is an adventure - barbed wire fences, scrambling through deep canyons and over ragged peaks with no trail to follow, a wide variety of (sometimes dangerous) desert creatures, and spectacular scenery. Julyan's book (along with a GPS unit and some MapTech maps) got us through - and that's pretty impressive. Don't believe me? Try hiking that section.



4. This is a guide to a dream that is still unrealized -- a trail from Mexico to Canada that follows the Continental Divide. Like the Appalachian Trail which took decades to complete the Continental Divide trail is still in the making. Thus, the many complexities of finding a trail that in some places doesn't exist -- and in others has several alternatives for finding your way.
   
   The maps, the photography, the detailed descriptions, the elevation profiles all combine to make this an outstanding guide. The guide divides the 700 miles of the CDT in New Mexico into 28 segments and describes each in detail for the hiker going south to north. You'll nead the description, especially near the Mexican border where "trail" is an exaggeration. Time to learn to use that GPS that's been gathering dust in my desk drawer.
   
   The guide is a a bit heavy, so if I were carrying it on the trail I would tear out the needed sections. Also, it was published in 2001 and perhaps a new edition is needed. One would hope that there have been improvements in routing and marking the trail since then. As with the Appalachian trail progress toward completion is slow and opposition from landowners along the route is intense. It's a noble endeavor, however, to create what may become the longest and finest wilderness hiking trail on this planet.
   
   Smallchief

No comments about Mountain Villages.