3 comments about The Ultimate Guide to Asheville & The Western North Carolina Mountains, 3rd Edition.

1. I didn't find this book to be at all what I expected. It has alot of lists, may be more helpful for someone moving to North Carolina than visiting or vacationing.



2. This book is just a bunch of lists. It has no information that you couldn't find in the phone book. Unbelievably bad. Do not get this book



3. My husband's book is 476 pages long, and contrary to the negative reviews of the two other reviewers, it is not just a bunch of lists. Far from it, it is a comprehensive reference book, written in the format of a traditional guidebook, with commentary on restaurants, accommodations, natural and cultural attractions in the mountains, history, architecture and much more. It is proven guidebook,covering every aspect of Western North Carolina that would be of interest to visitors, and over 20,000 copies have been sold.

No comments about Woodall's Western America Campground Directory, 2008 (Woodall's Western Campground Directory).

No comments about The Roadshow Illustrated Companion.

4 comments about 239 Great Places to Escape to Nature Without Roughing It: From Rustic Cabins to Luxury Resorts (Special-Interest Titles).

1. It is a nice overview and selection in helping choose a beautiful location yet away from the crowds if you desire. Thank you Fodors



2. The book is a good idea that disappoints. By covering all 50 states plus all the Canadian provinces, there is very little for each state. Typically, a state gets 2 to 4 entries. This concept might work better in a set of regional guide books.



3. A further addition to the title in the form of a subtitle stating 'Within the USA' would keep travelers from anticipating a world-wide coverage of such nature spots: be that was it may, any journeying within the U.S. will relish this gathering of romantic lodges, cabins, out-of-the-way scenic park areas and more. Don't expect a single paragraph of description here: each listing includes multiple paragraphs describing the lodging, surrounding areas, price range, and outdoors services nearby.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



4. A very interesting book. Some of the places are REALLY isolated. I'm always a little bit cautious about being so cut off from civilization, in case of a medical emergency. However, if you are young and healthy, the book is filled with great ideas.

5 comments about Tough Trip Through Paradise, 1878-1879.

1. this is a great story from one who lived with the indians during the time before their decline. this book is hard to put down.



2. A Spanish-Texan quits his job wrangling for the Army in Montana to set out trapping and trading with the Indians. His stories - full of grandeur, intrigue, death and romance - never cease to have a ring of truth.
   In Garcia's accounts he is never the hero, but rather the hapless greenhorn who escapes by the skin of his teeth and a generous apportionment of luck.
   Written in true trapper/trader/rancher dialect, this book is a joy to read and a pity to finish. I love his insights and Tom Sawyer wisdom, self deprecation, and observations about life with the Indians (and life with whites).



3. Stepping Off the Edge: Learning & Living Spiritual Practice
   This book's handwritten manuscript was found in a dynamite box in its author's Montana cabin after his death at age 88. Garcia was an original Western settler, arriving in Montana in 1878, one year after the famous Nez Perce Chief Joseph's surrender. If you want authentic Old West, here it is. Garcia tells it like he saw it, favoring neither Native Americans or Europeans. He marries three Indian women (sequentially) and leaves his past world behind. This book has romance, beauty, humor, deadly adventure. Danger. Thrillers come nowhere near this true story. Most of all, Andrew Garcia's soul shines through his writing. What a dear, good man. I wish I could have met him.



4. I purchased this book for my husband. He enjoyed it and passed it on to other readers.



5. I read this book many years ago and then lost my copy of it, so I ordered another one on Amazon. This is the most moving book I have ever read. If you're into non-fiction westerns, this is the book for you. I found the first half a tad slow but the second half was fantastic. To this day, when I think about it, it almost brings tears to my eyes. The story was written from the memoirs of Andrew Garcia, a scout for Custer and tells of his adventures traveling through the west with his native american wives. I loaned this book to a friend and he shares my enthusiasm for it.

5 comments about Lost Cities of North & Central America (The Lost City Series).

1. There are two ways to read Childress. If you want to live in a button-down, straight laced world of academic archeologists, then every time Childress asks a question, just answer (to yourself) No! Then go about with your boring life.

   But if you want to live a little wild, to peel back the layers & pierce the veil, then answer (again, to yourself) Yes! to every one of his questions. Should you do that, you will have a gay old time figuring out how the world all fits together!

   Honestly, DHC's speculations are full of BS, but it sure is fun suspending your disbelief & reading these books. Someone mentioned that DHC really seems like a great guy, and you get that sense reading this book. Sounds like he would be a really cool guy to travel & chat with. His travel writing is straighforward, but exciting.

   Unfortunately, the book is full of typos & poorly done photographs. After reading 5+ of the Lost Cities series, I don't even notice anymore, but it will bug some beginners.




2. Much of this book is pleasant escape reading, and some of the things discussed are intriguing, such as tunnel systems associated with some ruins. The book was spoiled for me, however, when I came to chapters dealing with things I knew of firsthand. One major Northwest petroglyph site is placed in the wrong state. There are just enough wrongo facts to make me wonder how many others masquerade as reality in the text. I will reread the book in the future and enjoy the mysteries of past cultures south of the border, while keeping a salt block handy for the rest of it. His books certainly hold true to the basic instructions for finding lost cities - ask the locals. Few lost cities are truly lost to those who live in the area. They're just forgotten. Enjoy this as a tale told by a traveler, and a collection of some of the more interesting legends of American mystery archaeology. I don't really think there are Egyptian treasures in the Grand Canyon, but I would be delighted if they were real. The same holds true for the treasure-laden tunnels of Death Valley...



3. Of course, the reason others won't tell you those stories may be because the stories are patently false. I was looking for a book that would be a good read after "Collapse" -- something that would tell me about fallen civilizations. This isn't that book -- at least not from a rigorous, scientific approach. The author, for example, asserts that pterodactyls live in today's Arizona.
   
   The author believes that traditional academics are dismissing the truth because it doesn't fit in with their preconceived notions. The only reason I didn't rate this book lower is that it is clearly a great source for others who feel the same way. The rest of us, however, need to look elsewhere for scientifically grounded speculation into North American prehistory.



4. I thought I was a student of the esoteric but David Hatcher Childress makes me realize I am still only an alcolyte. History is a mystery and you can believe it because I told you so, just like your highschool history professor. This book will take you on the grand tour of North America and reveal some of the mystery that historians attempt to hide from us in their ivory towers. If you want to expand your mind without taking a lot of mind altering drugs try reading Mr. Chilress' Lost City books. He must have spent a lot of time in the underground book stores prior to his travels. That might be why he decided to hit the road in the first place, to find out for himself. Could America once have been a land of giants, or do pterydactyls still carry off unsuspecting travelers, or are there hidden books with knowledge from the ancients? Maybe, and maybe after reading this book, you will want to take a road trip and find out for yourself.



5. I loved the book. From the places I have been and the books I have read, this book hits the mark. We need more like it.
   
   Good Job!

No comments about Rand McNally Los Angeles & Vicinity, California: Major Roads & Highways (Rand McNally Folded Map: Cities).

No comments about Rand McNally Harley Davidson Ride Atlas of North America: U.S., Canada, Mexico with Map.

2 comments about 100 Hikes in The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Second Edition.

1. You don't have to just hike the Appalacian trail if you visit the Smokey Mountain National Park....and this book proves it. Packed with information about the parks and it's trails and non-trail hiking, it's a good book to pack for that vacation you are taking to the area. For day hikes, overnight hikes, or thru hikes of the area, this is a good resource.



2. I love this book as well as the other Russ Manning guide books. Although I try to keep books in great shape this one is so well used that it is dog-eared, written in, and just generally bent from all of the backpacking it has done. I rely on the guide book to get me to new heights in the Smokies. Russ Manning does a great description with the maps and with the hikes. And I know that he keeps up with the changes in the terrain since I have met him on one of my hikes in the Smokies.

1 comments about Streetwise Downtown Manhattan Map - Laminated Street Map of Downtown Manhattan, NY - Folding pocket size travel map with integrated subway station locations (Streetwise).

1. If you think you'll ever find yourself in Manhattan, do us all a favor and buy this map. You don't want to look like a tourist fighting with that huge copy of the NYC subway map that they hand out for free. I'm convinced that the MTA has some sort of deal with the muggers to hand those unnecessarily large maps to mark the tourists.

   This is by far the most comprehensive Manhattan map I've seen packed into an easy-to-carry, laminated package. It has all the essentials that would be valuable to the casual visitor or the local yokel who would never admit they don't know where Essex crosses Rivington.