1 comments about Desert Memories: Journeys Through the Chilean North (Directions).

1. I've lived in Chile and I've lived in the desert (but not Chile's Norte Grande). Ariel Dorfman writes very compellingly about the many complex aspects of desert life - the mining-based economy, the range of people who come from elsewhere, the relation of the desert as "periphery" to those "other places" who live off its wealth. Also he does justice to the desert's beauty, native peoples, transportation systems. He involves himself in the narrative, almost Woody-Allen style at times, but this book isn't in the British travel narrative mode of "here are all the awful things that happened to me." Rather, it's a story of extraordinary people and places - world-class scientists, grass-roots activists, byzantine networks of in-laws (few Chilean memoirs would be complete, lacking these!). It's a measure of this gifted writer's absolute skill that he has so many funny moments, and fine descriptions of the desert's landscape, and the pathos of people working to reclaim the ghost towns of the mining industry, all in one book. One of the book's most moving moments, for me, is the chapter that ends with the narrator observing of one town citizen who'd returned to a reclaimed ghost town, that there was no need to ask if he'd kept the key to the house he'd been forced to leave thirty years earlier.

   The title is absolutely right: memory and time are crucial to the desert. In writing of Chile, one of the most complicated and interesting country of the world, Dorfman brings with him his experience, contacts, broad awareness of this land. The narrative is beautifully structured, too. Dorfman, in all, is getting better and better with time. There are many wonderful books about Chile's extraordinary history, its many-layered social class structure, its heart-breakingly beautiful geography. The field of social and ecological memoirs/travelogues about Chile is a very crowded one, with some top-notch writers (think Darwin, just for starters...). Desert Memories is one of the best books there is for anyone considering a trip to this country.

2 comments about Day Trips from Kansas City: Getaways Less Than Two Hours Away.

1. I have not read this book but I was told about it by someone on my Clinton Main Street Board. The book evidently does not include Clinton, Missouri in its data. I would like to visit with the author regarding her statistics and question her as to why Clinton, Missouri was not included in the 2-hour radius of Kansas City, MO. Clinton has recently received an award as an All America City for the year 2000. With a population of approx. 10,000 and close in proximity to Truman Lake, we have a lot to offer. We are approximately 1/2 way between KC and Springfield, as the "crow flies". I am Project Manager for Clinton Main Street and can be reached at the above email address or my phone # is 660-885-2121. I would like to invite Shifra to our community and would like her to reconsider Clinton, Missouri as a viable tourist area within a 2-hour radius of KCMO.

   Thank you - Marsha Dark Project Manager Clinton Main Street PO Box 173 Clinton, MO 64735




2. Whenever I feel stressed out, I get on a two-lane highway, with this book in hand, and go to off-the-beaten path places that are great fun. Last week I went to two small towns only 30 minutes from where I live in Kansas City and shopped at antique stores, had lunch at a fabulous cafe, and got some great gifts thanks to this little guide. Indispensable. Wouldn't be without it!

1 comments about Northern California: Travel-Smart Trip Planner (Northern California Travel-Smart).

1. This is the best book I have found on this lovely part of America.
   It's the only one that mentions the lost coast.
   If you plan a trip to Northern California, I certainly recommend this as a travel partner.

1 comments about Indian Country: Sacred Ground, Native People.

1. In his new book, Indian Country, Sacred Ground, Native People, photographer and writer John Annerino has once again captured the spirit, history and beauty of the American West. Traveling through the sacred land of the Navajo, Hopis, Apache and Pagago people, Annerino bears witness to the majesty, mystery and the spiritual magnificence of this land. His photographs capture awesome vistas and mountain ranges as well as Native ceremonies. He "sees" the light of this land in a way that conveys the deep emotional and spiritual attachement he has to both it and it's people and his words express and explan the history and beliefs of the areas tribes with respect and reverence. This is trully one of his finest works to date. Indian Country is a testament to the sacred history of the West and a lesson that these lands and traditions must be preserved and honored.

No comments about The National Grasslands: A Guide to America's Undiscovered Treasures.

1 comments about Missouri Off the Beaten Path, 7th (Off the Beaten Path Series) (Off the Beaten Path Series).

1. I found a lot of useful information in it. I'd recommend it for those new to Missouri, stopping in for a visit and even to locals who want to find something new not far from home.

No comments about Indian America: A Traveler's Companion.

No comments about The Complete Visitor's Guide to Mesoamerican Ruins.

1 comments about Hiking Virginia's National Forests: Hikes along the Big Blue Trail, Laurel Fork Trail, Shenandoah Mountain Trail, Appalacian trail, and many others.

1. Spanning much of western Virginia, the combined George Washington and Jefferson National Forests provide some of the best and most abundant hiking in Virginia. Being an avid hiker and planning to spend a few months in central Virginia, I chose to purchase this guide to give me some hiking ideas. Unfortunately, I was not particularly happy with what I got.
   
   This guide describes trails from 10 selected areas in the national forests. While the selected areas range geographically from Big Schloss in the north to Mount Rogers in the south, all of the areas selected are remote wilderness areas. Many excellent dayhiking trails (such as the Cascades Trail near Blacksburg) are left out. While some people enjoy long wilderness dayhikes or backpacking trips, many hikers (such as myself) prefer more manageable dayhikes. Due to the areas selected for description, very few hikes in this book fit into that category. While it would be impossible to describe all of the national forest trails in 193 pocket-sized pages, more variety would allow this book to be used by a wider audience.
   
   Normally in my reviews I give a description of what is included with each hike. With this guide, that is somewhat difficult because Karin doesn't really describe hikes. Instead, she simply describes each trail in the selected area, usually giving no indication as to how they might be put together to get a nice loop (or other) hike. The problem with this method is that the author ends up merely recounting facts about the trail rather than describing a hiking experience. As such, while the descriptions contain some good information, it is hard to get a feel for what hiking this trail in person would be like. Also, while each selected area comes with an area map (with contour lines!) and an area overview, you have to be careful relying on her maps: quite a few details are omitted, and frequently the maps have been rotated on the page so as to best fit the shape of the region (so north is not necessarily "up"). Thus, in addition to leaving a lot of hikes out, the descriptions that do appear in this book leave somewhat to be desired.
   
   In conclusion, if you are looking for some detailed information on the wilderness areas in George Washington and Jefferson National Forests, perhaps for a backpacking trip, this guide might be of interest to you. For the rest of us, this guide will be too narrow in focus and too hard to use. Most people should consider one of the 50-hikes books instead of this guide.

No comments about Oregon Coast.