2 comments about Mountain Bike America: Indiana, 2nd: An Atlas of Indiana's Greatest Off-Road Bicycle Rides (Mountain Bike America Guides).

1. Layne Cameron has truly given Indiana cyclists something to be proud of. He has displayed, with inciteful commentary and fun humor, the best mountain biking Indiana has to offer and the interesting monuments these trails have near their locale.This book is an all-terrain cycling Bible with wonderful maps and excellent directions. Thanks Layne!



2. This is a book that any mountain biker in Indiana, Eastern Illinois, or Northern Kentucky should have. Dozens of trails, helpful directions, and contour maps. There are a number of terrific, yet out of the way single-track trails included. The only negative is that it is a bit dated.

No comments about Daytrips, Getaway Weekends, and Budget Vacations in the Mid-Atlantic States: New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington (Daytrips ... Getaway Weekends in the Mid-Atlantic States).

1 comments about Spirit of the American Southwest: Geology : Ancient Eras and Prehistoric People : Hiking Through Time.

1. Spirit Of The American Southwest by geology and archaeology enthusiast Tom Prisciantelli is an exciting an informative tour through the geology, archaeology and history of twelve great hikes through Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. Spirit Of The American Southwest is filled from cover to cover with a descriptive text which is enhanced with black-and-white photographs, forming a superb basis for an adventurous hiker's journey through the eras. From ancient sites once inhabited by Paleo-Indians millennia ago, to geological treasure troves that bespeak the history of the Earth itself, Spirit Of The American Southwest is an impressive and confidently recommended guide for armchair travelers and on-site visitors, as well as an unusual and invaluable contribution to Native American Studies reference collections and supplemental reading lists.

1 comments about The Southwest: New Mexico and Arizona (The Smithsonian Guides to Natural America).

1. All of the Smithsonian Guides to Natural America are excellent, and this one is no exception. It is one of the best guides available to the natural history of the Southwest, and is beautifully illustrated with color photographs. Not only visitors to this region but residents as well would find their understanding and appreciation of the natural environment enhanced by this attractive and informative book.

5 comments about Access San Francisco.

1. I went on vacation to San Francisco about a month ago and I needed a book that would guide me to the city. Access San Francisco was extremely informative and helpful. I found some great restaurants, cafés and shopping areas. Of course, it also guided me to China Town and the Golden Gate Bridge. Also, the book tells us the history of San Francisco and the different types of neighborhoods one might want to go to. I loved it. Are you planning on going to San Francisco? If so, buy Access San Francisco. Believe me, it is a tourist's must have!



2. Having been to SF a few times before (some years ago), I purchased this guide as my only guide for the city. I didn't want to carry a big heavy book on my weekend trip and, more often than not, I found myself without the information I needed. The typical questions any visitor might have go unanswered and the information is spotty. For instance, the author gives a list of the primary local radio stations, including the radio dial numbers for them, but fails to tell the reader what some of the primary city bus routes are that run in and out of the center of downtown. And yet, looking at the maps throughout the book, you'll see route numbers on many of the streets depicted, but these refer to bicycle routes, not buses. Really, how many tourists are even going to think about riding a bicycle through probably the hilliest city in the world? The most obvious thing that is lacking is any information about the one thing that any visitor wants to know about: the cable cars (there is mention of the oldstyle electric buses or trolleys). Look in the index under "cable cars", and you won't find it. The basics about the cable car system are missing: what the cable car routes are, where does one get on the cable car (I knew that you can get on one at any stop if it's not full - good luck), and how to pay for the cable car ride (the operater collects the fare or looks at your day pass just before the car leaves the stop).

   The restaurant reviews are handy, but again, uneven. My companions were eager to go to Fisherman's Wharf (one place I knew to be such a tourist trap that it was best left unvisited) and have dinner. Once we were there, we found the guide lacking in any mention of the most obvious places to eat in the heart of the Wharf. The author mentions one restaurant, Alioto's, but discounts the rest as simply not worth going to. So we went to Fisherman's Grotto, which I was apprehensive about, but it wasn't bad, certainly not haute cuisine. We were all pleased with what we ordered. I tried the sand dabs, a type of small flat fish caught in the Bay, which were nicely prepared and very delicate: lightly floured and fried in a little butter.

   On the plus side: the maps are very handy, and easy to read. I did like the way the book was sectioned-off into the different districts.

   Overall, the book is best suited as a supplement to a more thorough guidebook, but not the primary source for your trip. I just can't see how anyone can write a guide book to any city and fail to give information about key places that most tourists will want to know about.




3. A San Francisco resident since 1976, I still rely on each new edition of the Access (and Knopf) Guides to maintain familiarity with other neighbourhoods, and supply out-of-town guests with copies of each.



4. There are a lot of guidebooks out there for every major city in North America, but I always find the Access Guides useful, as well as helpful and up to date. So many books are geared toward the foreign tourist with information that you can hardly use. At last here is a book that give honest looks at San Francisco hotels, shops, and restaurants. Keep up the good work..



5. I have always thought this was the best guidebook series going, but since Richard Saul Wurman sold the series to Harper Collins the books have been getting sloppy. The writing has been taken over by "updaters" who don't check the facts. The updater's name doesn't appear until the outside back cover (in this case a woman named Linda Peck).

   For instence: in the section on the Fairmont Hotel (p. 84) the writer states that the Crown Room has wonderful buffets, brunches and dinners. In fact, the Crown Room has been closed to the public for the last four years -favoring private functions and banquets which presumably bring in more money per square foot.

   Excited that the book said the Crown Room was open, I e-mailed the Fairmont to make sure. They replied that it is still used only for private functions, with the exception of "holiday buffets" such as Easter, Mother's Day, and Christmas. (In other words, special days when they can fill the entire square footage.)

   I know that things change in cities, and guide books have trouble keeping up with all the store-front restaurants that open and close. But we're talking about one of the world's most famous hotels -not to mention one of the world's best views which has now been denied to both guests and the public.

   On page 21, a paragraph about the War Memorial Opera House says "(See the plan on the next page.)" The problem is that the plan is directly below that paragraph -not on the next page. If you take the writer at her word and turn the page, you are looking at a diagram of the Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall instead.

   Richard Saul Wurman's entire life has been dedicated to accurate communication. He has worked too hard to build this series to see new editions jammed together without proper proof reading.

   Oh yes, with modern printing technology Harper's can just as easily print entire articles in the key color -just as Wurman did. The books look cheapened by having only the paragraph titles in color.

4 comments about CITG to Washington DC (Complete Idiot's Travel Guide to Washington Dc).

1. This book would be very good for a first time visitor to Washington. If you are going to go and need a guide...here it is.



2. I compared this guide to three others and found the Complete Idiot's Guide to be much more useful for my family. It was nicely organized with very up-to-date, easy-to-understand information for the D.C. novice. The handiest feature is built-in, full color maps -- a D.C. features map in the back and the rapid transit system grid, drawn by color, inside the front cover. It makes this book a definite "take-along" when touring our nation's capital.



3. The complete idiot's guide to DC is for complete idiots. It gets the facts wrong about DC, is insulting to the city, and is marginally useful as a guide for tourists. Read the Michelin, Rough Guide, Ulysses, or Lonely Planet instead.



4. Great book. The Idiot series for traveling is good no matter what location you choose. Use this book in conjuntion with a google map to really figure out where to stay, eat, and visit. Good reading.

5 comments about The National Geographic Traveler: California (National Geographic Traveler).

1. Ok, may be not the best - who judge, but very close too. Do not think, just buy and enjoy reading and traveling.



2. Recently we visited California for the first time. We covered San Francisco, LA and San Diego in one week. We had planned everything before-hand using the National Geographic Traveller and our experience is it turned out very useful in that respect. It exaclty tells you what is a must see and what looks good from where. So we were prepared and we expected certain things. For e.g. this book says that the views from Coit Tower are breathtaking and they really are so. We had to walk up from China Town to Coit Tower on the very steep streets of San francisco. But once we were at Coit Tower the views of the city were excellent. This book also mentions some driving tours which are very useful. One thing I would like to mention here. We had rented a mustang convertible to drive the Calif Highway One along the coast. Our friends recommended to take the 17 mile drive on our way and we were surprised why it was not mentioned in this book. But after driving through the seventeen miles we continued the drive along Highway One. And let me tell you the 17 miles drive is nothing compared to the gorgeous views on Rte One. If you ask me, please avoid the 17 miles drive it is just a rip off of 8 bucks. There is much more beauty ahead on Rte One. We should have listened to the book, the book was right by not mentioning it!



3. I can't comment on the substance of the book because there's no way to read it. My only advice is that if you purchase the book, DON'T buy a used one from Kudzu Books in Georgia. They ship it via the postal service in a very flimsy envelope. By the time you get it, it will be too mangled to read. Worse, they give no hint as to how to contact them by email or phone. Amazon is no help either.



4. Disclaimer: This is my experience with just this one book. I have not extensively used other similar travel books, so I can't compare them much.
   
   I was looking for a book to show me the sights around California and I specifically wanted something with a good mix of pictures and text, as pure textual descriptions can be rather subjective and occasionally unclear (not to mention boring). After a day at the local bookstore, I decided on this one.
   
   This book does an amirable job of combining the two elements. The pictures are descriptive and very helpful in determining which places to visit and the text helps fill in the remaining info. The format is pretty basic: You get a half-page photo of the major destinations along with a few pages of accompanying text describing the place and the surrounding attractions. The book is divided into major geographic areas, such as "Southern California", "Central Coast", and "Northern California"; the major cities (LA, San Fran, San Diego, etc.) also get their own sub-sections. This makes it easy to find information.
   
   Unlike some other guidebooks, this one does not come with maps of every destination -- which is something I actually prefer, since those are usually available at the actual destinations and there's no reason to waste pages on them. However, larger-area maps and driving route maps are included and they're certainly helpful in plotting roadtrips.
   
   More importantly, the included destinations seem to be well-chosen. I took the book with me on a one-week trip along California's west coast and it provided interesting things to see all along the way. I explored most of the destinations it mentioned and I was usually quite happy with the results.
   
   My one gripe with the book is that it doesn't always give enough details about the destinations. Some places get a few pages of text, but others are given only a simple sentence or two. I would really have liked to see more about all the mentioned destinations -- such as photos for even the less important attractions and pricing information for all the mentioned restaurants -- even if it meant a thicker and bigger book. The book wasn't bad; rather, I just wanted more of the same.
   
   As I said above, I haven't been able to use any other similar books so I can't really say how this one compares. This review may be changed or updated in the future if I find better guides. But as for now, I'm very happy with this one on its own and I definitely plan to take it with me on my next trip.



5. 
   National Geographic have set a whole new standard in travel guides. I have several and I think they are excellent. Generally speaking,travel guides become outdated within a year or so after being published. As a matter of fact,some series are issued annually. They are loaded with information on lodging, hotels,B&B's,and restauralts with lots of data on prices. These things become out-of -date very quickly;and even when you look up rates,you will find most of of little or no interest. Besides these things are easily obtained elsewhere ,for instance on the Net.
   Where this guide shines is in the information it gives on all the points of interest.It is loaded with excellent photographs,maps and drawings that we have become accustomed to getting from National Geographic. The book also covers history,culture and everything of interest to a visitor to California. This book is so good that when your trip is over,you will want to keep it as a wonderful memory of all the places you visited. A short time after a trip ,one usually tosses the guide,for the simple reason that it is quickly dated,printed on cheap paper,and is very short on real information and pictures,--Not so this one. You'll want to keep it.
   I do a lot of Birding,and have many of the Field Guides that have been published over the years.The most popular guide among Birders is and has been for several years is "Field Guide to the Birds of North America ",published by National Geographic.
   They have employed the same methods,skills and quality in this book as their others.
   This book will serve you even well after your trip as a reference to California, When reading or hearing news about places,or whatever;you'll find this a good place to look for additional information.

5 comments about The Snowboard Guide: North America.

1. "Thanks again for doing such a stupendous job on the book, we are very pleased with the results and our placement is great." Amani King, Switch Manufacturing USA "Let me start by saying that the Snowboard Guide: North America is incredible!..... The best ever." Sonny Mayugba, Heckler Magazine "Possibly the sickest snowboarding travel book avaliable........ they'll make you amped to ride. " Melisa Larsen, Transworld Snowboarding "I'm going to take it home and play with it." Kevin Kinnear, Transworld Snowboard Life "That North American book is siiiiiick.... it makes me homesick. Keep up the good work." Trey Cook, Switch Manufacturing Europe "You should all be stoked on such a solid piece of work." Barry Duggan, Burton USA "Excellent - bursting with informtion." Sean Newsom, The Sunday Times "I would say that if you are thinking of going to the states then this would be the compulsory travel companion." Chris Nelson, Asylum Magazine



2. Just a quick note to say that Ali Hannan was our co-ordinator/text editor and the publishing editors/authors were Tim Rainger, Bruce Sutherland and Ollie Fitzjones. This is also the case for The Snowboard Guide: Europe. Thanks for buying the book and I hope it gets you into some freshies!



3. After 7 years of snowboarding, mostly in the rockies and the sierras, I have yet to find a more organized and informative snowboarding guide. This book breaks down the different mountainsbased on location(Pacific, Mountain West, East Coast, Alaska and Canada). And it breaks them down in terms of freeride, carving, freestyle(park riding)and backcountry. It also tells a good bit about the town lodging, restuarants and things to do.
   It gives detail history of snow amounts and all the statistics of the mountain.
   Oh yeh, if you are a visual person this is the book. Lots of pictures. It has a mini-map of all resorts slopes.



4. This is THE book of resorts in North America. Stop looking now and buy this book! I recieved this book as a Christmas present in 1999. Although the cover is missing, the pages are stained and torn I love it. I still get it out every time I plan a snowboard trip. It should be required reading for anyone who is planning a snowboard trip. This book has taken me all over Vermont, Quebec, Colorado, Oregon and Washington. An updated version would be VERY nice, alot changes at these places in 7 years.



5. Great book outlining various ripping locations across North America. A bit outdated as it was published a decade ago, but def has its relevant points that are still valid. I still pull it off the shelf every time I plan a trip. It's very well laid out, organized, and to the point info. It even caters to all types of riding, pointing out the ropes from novice areas to the best spots to find the pow for those advanced riders. No riders handbook would be complete w/o a section on the night life. Once again, a must have for the rider who likes to explore the resorts around North America... or Europe in the European edition.

3 comments about Mollyockett.

1. In just 163 pages, Pat Stewart tells the story of Mollyockett, an Abenaki Indian woman who lived most of her life in the hilly country of western Maine. (Or, rather, bedridden in her final days and hours, Mollyocket tells her own story to a ficticious young gift descended from one of Andover, Maine's, first settlers).
   What a remarkable story she tells--a tale of the struggle between native people and settlers, a story of this strong woman's own deep apirituality and faith.
   Even the book design is distinctive, modeled after a purse which Mollyockett wove and which now belongs to the Maine Historical Society.
   I recommend this slim, creative and engaging book as a fine way to meet one of our country's native ancestors.



2. Basically, when we read fiction (or as in this case, fictionalized history), we want a story...the kind of story that in early times would have kept us listening to the storyteller until the tale was completely told. Pat Stewart's device, letting Mollyockett, the last of the Pequawkets, tell the story of her long life in the white man's world is just this kind of tale. It is clear that the author has carefully researched the life and times of her real-life character and that Mollyockett's story is based in fact. However, by taking some poetic license Stewart has been able to breathe life into Mollyockett, going beyond the facts and fleshing out the personal qualities and skills of this unusual woman. The result is a series of well-told tales that are revealing of both the storyteller's life and character, informative of the Native American history of New England, and revealing of the ambiguity of the French and Indian Wars. Avoiding the pitfalls of using any vernacular, Stewart has Mollyockett speak clear, almost poetic language. A storyteller herself, Stewart has faithfully produced a character that spins her own stories with a compelling, yet gentle voice that absorbs the reader. I recommend this book to readers of all ages who like good stories about real people and events that really happened.



3. I used this novel with my high school English class last fall. I teach in an urban environment where kids are reluctant to read, period. But I found that the students were REALLY into it. I had students who I suspect never read, reading it and telling me so. They kept saying, all year, "can't we read another novel like Mollyockett?".
   
   It is told in flashback by the title character, Mollyockett, a medicine woman/weaver/wanderer, the last of her nation, the Peqwackets. She tells the story to a young English settler, Sarah. As she loses strength, Sarah tends to her and listens to her stories. For the most part, she tells the story chronologically... and she has an interesting life. Pat Stewart weaves the stories together seemlessly so that nothing seems forced or strange. If anything, she makes the reader want to know more about the real story.
   
   We were lucky to be able to host the author at our school and she captivated the kids. Mostly, they wanted to know about Native American Medicine practices, since they were studying that as part of their unit, but many wanted to know how she actually wrote the story; she told them about the process of researching the history and making up parts she didn't know about. I still think some of the students had a hard time realizing that the story was based on the life of a real person!
   
   It is rare to find historical, fictionalized accounts of Native Americans, and even rarer to find ones about Abenaki or any other New England Native American groups.
   
   Anyway, I highly recommend this novel to teachers to use in their classrooms, but also to anyone who likes historical "fiction"... uhm, fictionalized history?

No comments about Hiking the North Cascades.