4 comments about Down the Santa Fe Trail and into Mexico: The Diary of Susan Shelby Magoffin, 1846-1847 (Yale Western Americana Paperbound, Yw-3.).

1. Magoffin was a name familiar to the Mexicans who had trading relations with Susan's husband for years before he married her and took her with him from the states on an expedition to Chihuahua, Mexico. She kept a diary from which she drew her information for the only book I know written by a woman, young and pregnant, whose fate it was to die in her 26th year, at home. Accounts from her perspective at such a crucial time in relations between the United States and Mexico, in a venacular peculiarly her own, make her work one of considerable importance to the serious student of the time. Revealing also are individual encounters with men, some from her own country, and her opinion of Gen. Stephen Watts Kearny, commander of the U.S. Army of the West stationed in Sante Fe. Susan was a young lady of class the exercise of which makes the reader proud, and whose elegance charmed all who came to know her.



2. 
   Many journals of travelers along the Santa Fe (and Oregon and California) Trail have been published, but Susan Magoffin's ranks among the best of them. Susan Magoffin was born of a wealthy family in Kentucky and had recently married the successful Santa Fe trader Samuel Magoffin. They had spent six months on a honeymoon trip to New York and Philadelphia (about which Susan also kept a journal, though to my knowledge it has not been published), and now, two months after their return to Independence, Missouri, she was to accompany her husband on a caravan transporting goods along the Santa Fe Trail to northern Mexico. She was 18 years old.
   
   Magoffin is as charming as any 18 year old could be, and it's a joy for the reader to share her sense of adventure. She is obviously having the time of her life, despite the inconveniences of broken wagon bows and stormy weather. We also get a view of what life was like for typical travelers on the trail. There is also intrigue to a degree: Samuel's older brother James was on a mission for President Polk preceding Stephen Kearny's troops during the initial stages of the Mexican War, and news about James enters the journal at certain points, including once where he was robbed by the Apaches but somehow escaped with his life. After the trading caravan reached Santa Fe, the Magoffins contined on into Mexico, spending time at Chihuahua. The journal ends on September 8, 1847, and does not include her contracting yellow fever at Matamoras where she also gave birth to a son (he died a few days later). The couple then sailed across the Gulf of Mexico to the Mississippi River and to Susan's family in Kentucky. (Susan would live only another eight years, dying of childbirth at age 27.)
   
   It's a wonderful first-hand account. My only complaint is that I wish editor Stella Drumm had identified locations (camping sites, geographic sites, etc.) mentioned by Magoffin in the journal. Other than that, it's a chronicle that can be read often and always seem fresh and exciting. A must-read record of an important and lively adventure.



3. I am an author. I am writing a novel based on my grandmother's life. I'm using this book as a guide to writing her story. She was born in 1863 in Clinton, Iowa and traveled west. The route she took is not know but this book gives a vivid account of the trail and its tribulations and high points.



4. It is with some awe in my own breast that I write a review for this remarkable little book, which is a "Historical Diary" and therefore of importance to those who would study history from the human element rather than strictly through footnotes. I offer a quote taken from her that struck me as one of the most unique I have heard uttered - flowing from the mind through the pen and on to posterity from of one of the Pioneers; the raw honesty springing from the personal epic she never designed for others other than family to ever see:
   
   "There is such Independence, so much free, uncontaminated air, which impregnates the mind, the feelings, nay, every thought, with purity. I breathe free without that oppression and uneasiness felt in the gossiping circles felt in the settled home."
   
   The writer is not polished; but her work was never intended to be published. What makes it so intriguing is that she managed to capture the moment, the time, complete with names, descriptions of the country and the peoples as she was thoughtfully living it, something most of us would either not think of doing, or be distracted in the monumental tasks of everyday work in such an environment. Which brings me to the crux of the matter in a hurry: this woman, though very young, was educated, had married a mature, much older man man who had a thriving, though fraught with danger Trade business established on the fringes of the frontiers. She was pampered throughout the journey; yet never seemed to take it for granted. As a result, she could write enthusiastically of events and gather wildflowers at will, almost as a scientific mode arising unintentioned from the moment; this free, unencumbered freedom from heavy responsibility obviously was one of the things that allowed her to devote her time, energy and full attention to matters of the day that were happening around her, while her servants did the mundane work. This alertness is felt throughout the book, even in the midst of the terror of Mexican and Indian attacks that came within miles of their supply train. I don't know how much of this she went back and wrote with a steadier hand, but it appears that she was in full self-control at all times, even during these times of high stress.
   
   Her devotion to her husband is genuine, and is felt in a way much different than many diaries I have read. It seems as though their union was one of love, companionship; yet comprised of a strong sense of individualism, another idea that was rare within that era of female domination. She describes the grass, the cold, sweet limestone water, the suffering of the animals when lack of feed and water arose - it made no difference - the wagons must travel on.
   
   In short, she wrote what is possibly one of the most accurate, historical accountings, unembellished of the Santa Fe Trail at that time simply because she didn't know she was doing it.
   
   If you love old Southwest history, American Frontier History of any kind, you will enjoy this book.

5 comments about Southwest Camping Destinations: A Guide to Great RV and Car Camping Destinations in Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah (Camping Destinations series).

1. Excellent reference guide for RV travelers and snowbirds. We just spent six weeks traveling throughout Arizona and New Mexico with additional brief trips to Las Vegas and Lake Havasu City. This book became our first choice for campgound selection and tourist destination ideas. The section on snowbird parks is the best. This is truly a comprehensive and easy to use guidebook.



2. This book does list many campgrounds, but it fails to give any kind of a rating or opinion. If you're trying to decide on where the best place to camp is, it isn't helpful at all. All you get is a list a amenities and the location. No pictures, but it does include a few maps.



3. This book is intended to be a travel and adventure guide and succeeds extraordinarily well. Don't expect it to replace the Woodall's or Trailer Life catalogs and their rating systems. You want this book to help you plan RV vacations or weekends filled with adventure, historic way points and scenic sites. Additionally, it includes extensive listings of parks for snowbirds who spend more time in the southwest.



4. This book has been very helpful in planning our upcoming trip. Helped make decisions and find alternatives.



5. Guess I should have read the title better. Book was written to follow their destinations. If you have your own itinerary book was hard to use, if not impossible. It listed campground location in longitude and latitude, good if your using a GPS. Not so good if you weren't. It did not have a complete list of campgrounds for the areas.
   Just wasn't what I needed.

1 comments about Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Plunges into New Jersey.

1. So far, about half way through the book and I find the acticles as good or better than the General BR series. I love American History, and this book is quite an addictive read! Thomas Edison and Albert Einstein would be proud, as they are both written about as New Jersey residents.

No comments about The Best in Tent Camping: New Mexico: A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos (Best in Tent Camping).

2 comments about Fly Fishing New Mexico.

1. This guide book is designed to be an easy quick reference guide to fly fishing New Mexico. You won't find the extreme detail you'll find in many guide books, but you'll find everything you need to have a successful fly fishing trip in New Mexico. It's new and up to date and full of excellent references, such as fly shops, guides, regulations, and accessability. A must for a trip to New Mexico



2. Gives some great info. for someone who's coming from far away. Looking forward to checking out the streams when I get out there.

1 comments about Backroads & Byways of New Mexico: Drives, Day Trips & Weekend Excursions.

1. Slapdash and disorganized, you will have to study long and hard to gain any information from this book. Certainly not designed for a first time visitor to the area. No maps of routes described, no identification on the poor quality photos. Give it a big miss.

1 comments about Historic New Mexico Churches.

1. Terrific book with great photography. Really gives a sense of the place. My husband and I grew up in New Mexico and know many of these locations first hand. Seeing the pictures made me feel right at home. New Mexico has a varied past in which these churches have played an integral part. The author has provided an interesting text to give everyone a sense of that history.

2 comments about Hiking Carlsbad Caverns & Guadalupe Mountains National Parks, 2nd (Regional Hiking Series).

1. I used the first edition (1996) of Bill Schneider's book on hiking in the Guadalupe Mountains and Carlsbad Caverns National Parks with as close to 100% satisfaction as I ever get from this sort of thing. This new edition includes a scarcely modified version of Mr. Schneider's original text, which was direct, accurate and detailed. No problem there. No need for a new edition, but I know how the publishing industry works and am aware, also, of the sense that some readers have that everything needs to be "updated" every year or two. Well, the Guadalupe Reef and the caves under it have not changed very much since the mid-90's. Nor have the trails. So the author's text stands at five star level. Here are the changes you will see in the "current" book, leading me to give it four stars rather than the five I gave the 1996 edition:
   1) The 1996 edition had legible photocopies of the appropriate sections of the detailed Trails Illustrated topographic maps for each hike. The new edition has only very rough "contour" maps, with each contour corresponding to about a thousand feet. I don't know for sure because they're not labelled. They look sort of like those old wooden plate relief maps Scouts made for merit badges, sometimes seen in museums in visitor centers. The new maps also lack the trail mileages the T.I. maps had.
   2) The graphs that charted elevation change on the hike, mile by mile, have been eliminated.
   3) Also, the summary of elevation change over the course of the hike at the beginning of each hike description have been eliminated as well.
   These are the substantive changes. Mr. Schneider's original text, pretty much intact, mentions elevation change at various points so information relating to that aspect is not missing altogether. But I now have to recommend that users of this book ALSO buy the Trails Illustrated maps of these parks.
   Other changes don't matter so much. The first edition carried a two page piece called "the Grand Creation", about the formation of the caves in the Guadalupe Reef. This was an extract from "Silent Chambers, Timeless Beauty". Now's its gone. But it was just extra weight on the trail, anyway. But you know, I think the NEW edition is heavier!
   Finally, not that it matters, and I'm sure that the mistake is not Bill Schneider's, rather that of the person doing graphics for Globe Pequot Press, the photograph on the cover was NOT taken in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park, but in Big Bend National Park, I think from the Lost Mine Trail. At least they got the state right.
   You're better off with the old edition, but this one will do if you can't get it.
   By the way, here's a tip not in the book: Mr. Schneider makes reference to the particular beauty of the Guadalupe Ridge Trail in the early morning; this trail starts on the Scenic Loop Drive in Carlsbad Caverns NP. Keep in mind that the Scenic Loop Drive is GATED, and is not opened till some time between 7 and 8 o'clock. At least when I visited in late 2004. So if you want to get out there early, inquire with the National Park Service ahead of time.



2. This book was a great resource for a recent hiking trip. It was accurate and informative. The pictures were helpful, but most importantly, it was good hiking information. I would highly recommend this book.

3 comments about Lost Gold and Silver Mines of the Southwest.

1. I wrote the original book in 1963 (as Lost Desert Bonanzas) to mark 25 years of Desert Magazine lost mine stories. The main appeal was Norton Allen's great cartography (this is the only kind of map book that gets better as the maps are outdated by freeways and etc.). I would like input from treasure-seekers, but all I know about the particular lost mines is recounted in the book.



2. What is a book about lost mines without maps? The maps in the book were neat. Maybe the gold is still there?



3. This is a good read just to fire the imagination on a cold winter night. It's also a good one to get filled with bookmarks, margin notes, dog-ears, and fingerprints on the bookshelves of serious treasure-hunters. Buy it.

3 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. This is a wonderful book with something for anyone that likes to spend time outdoors.