No comments about The State Parks of New Mexico (Coyote Books).

No comments about Sun, sand ... and safety: Mexico's deserted beaches have made tourism officials look for a new angle after the Sept. 11 attacks. (Terror Fallout).(Brief Article): An article from: Business Mexico.

No comments about Rand, McNally & Co.'s new guide to the Pacific coast: Santa Fé route: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas.

No comments about Life in the imperial and loyal city of Mexico in New Spain, and the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico: As described in the dialogues for the study of the Latin language.

No comments about Into the Unknown: Major Powell's River Journey (Highlights from American History).

No comments about Caribbean Travel Map.

No comments about El Gringo;: Or, New Mexico & her people,.

2 comments about Jack Ruby's Kitchen Sink : Offbeat Travels Through America's Southwest.

1. Miller weaves a wonderful tale from several personal (and at first glance unrelated) experiences. Enchanting ramblings about the American Southwest will influence anyone's opinion about this spectacular region of North America. This book provides a great read and much anecdotal knowledge that encourages readers to share these stories with others...sometimes as if they had lived these experiences themselves!



2. I've been really getting into travelogues lately, mostly because I cannot afford to travel nearly as much as I'd like.
   
   The American southwest embodies a mythical place in my head. I suppose it's because whenever I fly to Nevada or California (via a short layover in Phoenix, which I never get to explore), I'm awed at how much of this country is truly and utterly empty. Which of course makes me want to 1) learn all about it; and 2) move there pronto. Barring the latter, as Ohio is not yet done sucking the life out of me, I've had to settle for the former.
   
   This is some serious southwest - not the midwestern housewife's dream once she's realized she'd rather be doing something else, something involving crystals and flowy clothes (a la Taos, NM). This is the southwest where the border with Mexico is just a vague idea, and people eek out a meager living in the middle of the freakin' desert.
   
   Miller writes with Edward Abbey's fondness for this last American frontier, and even includes his own meetings with Abbey in the narrative. Where Miller differs though is that he writes about the people of the southwest, and their intimate relationship with the land, and each other (the section on Bisbee is particularly engaging).
   
   I couldn't put this book down, and after completing it, the American southwest is still a mystery in some ways - something that can only be experienced first hand. Though I did learn the likely origin of the dreaded black velvet painting.

No comments about Two thousand miles on horseback, Santa Fé and back: A summer tour through Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado, and New Mexico, in the year 1866.

2 comments about The Magic of Bandelier.

1. I would recommend this small book to anyone who is interested in southwest archaeology. Written by an archaeologist, it resonates with solid science. But equally as notable is its readability. You laymen looking into southwest archaeology should enjoy this. Also those travelling in the area will appreciate all of the background provided in so few words .



2. I first discovered ruins of the Anasasi Indians in 1972 during a trip to Mesa Verde National Monument. Since then I have spent many hours exploring Anasasi sites including Bandelier, Canyon De Chelly, Chaco Canyon and scores of less known sites. I have read several books trying to understand who these people were, why the left their homes, and what happened to them. All of these books have been informative, but most have left me still confused. Now I have found a great book, "The Magic of Bandelier" by David E. Stuart. Mr. Stuart has written an interesting and detailed book about the Anasasi Indians who lived in and around Bandelier National Monument. He paints a clear picture of where these prehistoric people came from, what their daily lives would have been like, and why they migrated between the deserts, mesas and river valleys of the Southwest. He has taken complicated information, and presented it in a clear and concise manner. "The Magic of Bandelier" explains why and when different type of living shelters were developed, from pit houses to cliff dwellings to the huge stone and mud pueblos found in most of the national monuments. It also contains excellent information about the pottery made by these people, the remaining shards of which can still be seen at most sites. I think that lay persons, as well as those searching for scholarly information about the Anasasi Indians, will find "The Magic of Bandelier" to be both informative and stimulating. Now if I can only find my back pack and the time to explore more of these magical sites.