3 comments about That Ribbon of Highway I : Highway 99 from the Oregon Border to the State Capital.

1. "That Ribbon of Highway" wonderfully captures the memory of those times when travel along "the Main Street of California" was indeed an adventure. It takes the reader back to a time before Interstate 5 made travel through the state a matter of speeding from origin to destination, with the only experience with the outside world involving, say, a quick stop at the drive-through window at yet another stamped-out McDonald's. As the author points out, of the three major north/south highways in California, Highway 101 may have been more romantic, Highway 395 more mysterious, but it was Highway 99 that truly served as "the peoples' highway," and thus is arguably more important in a historical scope.

   I like this book a lot. The author and photographer have lovingly captured the historical spirit of Highway 99. I give it four stars instead of five only because I don't want to build the expectations of this book too much. It isn't a big, coffee table-sized tome filled with large glossy full-color photos and expansive essays. Rather, it's more a small, "night stand" sized volume, with black and while photos and brief treatments of the various points of interest along the stretch of the highway between the Oregon border and Sacramento. However, the modest format of the book compliments memories of those pre-Interstate 5 days more adeptly than would a Time/Life version of the subject; it goes gentle on the memories of our hearts by bringing them to the fore, rather than revising them with someone else's vision.

   For those readers who treasure the memories of a time when travel by road seemed a richer, more colorful experience, I heartily recommend "That Ribbon of Highway." It's a little book with lots of heart and soul. HJ




2. Living Gold Press has published a two volume regional history and guidebook collaboration by Jill Livingston and Kathryn Golden Maloof focusing on California U.S. 99, a highway that extends from the Mexican Border to the Oregon Border. That Ribbon Of Highway I: Highway 99 From The Oregon Border To The State Capital presents historically informative and engaging text by Jill Livingston that is splendidly enhanced by Kathryn Maloofs photography as well as line drawn maps, community vignettes, descriptions of key bridges, and landmark sites. Also highly recommended is the companion book, That Ribbon Of Highway II: Highway 99 From The State Capital To The Mexican Border.



3. "Society for Commercial Archeology Journal," Spring 2000. For those of you unfamiliar with the West Coast, Highway 99 is the principal historic highway that knitted together the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Portions of it were known early on as the Pacific Highway or the Valley Route or the Golden State Highway. However, in 1928 these various bits were sewn together and given federal designation as US 99. Despite de-designation as a US highway in 1964, Highway 99 continued to play a prominent role in western transportation. Jill Livingston and Kathryn Maloof have compiled a two-volume guide to the history and sights of Highway 99 in California. Each book, half-sheet size and paperbound, provides a general summary of the road's history and a detailed description of features along the existing road organized geographically from north to south. Both offer an extensive photographic tour of the respective route sections, as well as sections devoted to detailed maps that outline the route and provide directions on how to access often-bypassed elements or road alignments. There are generous graphics and photos throughout. I may be a biased reviewer of this topic. I grew up on Highway 99 just south of Sacramento and enjoy mostly fond and entirely vivid memories of this road. I have muddled memories of passing objects from car to car while careening down the Grapevine toward Metler, CA to rescue a friends' stranded vehicle. I also remember with fresh horror as I watched my record collection of 250 albums melt in 100+ degree heat while broken down on that same wretched hill in 1983. Livingston and Maloof have brought it all back for me. I pine for chicken dinner at Pollardville and an orange freeze at the Mammoth Orange. I mourn the passing of the Blueberry Hill Café in Chowchilla, and am startled to see a picture of the theater where I saw my first genuine rock concert in 1975. The authors have peppered their text with sidebars of interest to one and all. The evolution of the Ridge Route and disappearing/reappearing highway under Shasta Reservoir are two of my favorites. The organization of the books is clear and easy to follow; the photos are beautiful and plenty. The text is well written and enjoyable, not bogging down in non-essential detail or excess verbiage. These books are just the ticket for roadside exploration off the beaten track in the Golden State.

No comments about Smith Rock Select.

2 comments about Kidding Around the Gorge: The Hood River Area's Ultimate Guide for Family Fun.

1. Great guide to get the kids exploring and active during the summer months. A must have for people new to the area to familiarize them with all the gorge has to offer.



2. If you are in the Gorge with kids...then this guide is the BEST!! It's written by actual Hood River moms, and they really know how to keep the kids entertained on a visit to the Gorge. There are lots of kid-friendly hikes and places to see...but also this book goes the extra mile by providing directions to ice cream shops and playgrounds and the like.

4 comments about Mountain Bike America: Oregon: An Atlas of Oregon's Greatest Off-Road Bicycle Rides.

1. Lizann's book is the best guide I've ever read! Great photos, maps and descriptions of some of the best riding in the Pacific Northwest. A great buy for any fat tire rider who's new to the area.



2. This book is the first guidebook I've seen that truly has maps that are useful. They are so visually detailed and helpful that I would highly recommend this mountain bike guide to any new or experienced mountain biker. Oh yeah, when I'm on the road this book also gives me a lot of history and information about the area I'm visiting.



3. I'm am glad to finally see a comprehensive mountain bike guidebook that covers subjects that many readers want more information about. This guidebook includes a section on mountain bicyle camping and biking with your dog. I've always wanted to take my gear with me and camp overnight and this section was very helpful. It lists outdoor vendors that carry camping gear and gives you a sample list of what you should bring. This book even has overnight a trail called "Haystack Lake" that is a good trail for those wanting to try their first overnight trip. I also have a dog and the "Mountain Biking with Your Dog" section gave a lot of practical advice I could use and also listed vendors that sell dog gear. I'm so glad to finally see a book that not only describes great trails but also is a great reference for other aspects of mountain biking!



4. This is a good book with many interesting places to ride. The maps and directions are very detailed allowing the reader to easily find the featured trails in the book.
   
   The difficulty ratings are exaggerated however. The book seems to be geared toward beginning riders. All of the trails that I have checked out have turned out to be very easy regarding technical skill level. If you have ANY experience I would reduce the difficulty level by 1 (e.g. difficult to moderate, moderate to easy).
   
   The book is fairly thorough, but there are many great spots left out of the book. As far as the valley goes it leaves out what I would consider some of the Greatest Off-Road Bicycle Rides. MacDonald Forest, Rickreal, McKenzie River trail, Oakridge, etc...
   
   I would reccomend the book, but I would HIGHLY reccomend talking to your local bike shop for the hidden treasures of Oregon.

5 comments about Two Wheels North: Bicycling the West Coast in 1909.

1. This book is an amazingly well-written story of the adventures of two young men bicycling from Santa Rosa, California to the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle in 1909. You are drawn into the narrative until, before you know it, you find yourself riding along with them on their trip, tasting the dust, feeling their occasional pain, and even enjoying a piece of pie with them... and then you realize that, like an Ansel Adams photograph, you have been drawn into an illusion of a reality long past. And, smiling, you dive back into the book and continue pedaling.



2. I first bought the book because of its Vashon Island connection, being a lifelong islander myself. But I quickly decided it's one of the best bicycle touring stories in my library -- the boys come alive in the writing, no dreary list of statistics and mileposts, just two boys becoming men on their ride north to Seattle. Puts a whole new perspective on that ride for anyone who has cycled the Pacific Coast route in modern times.



3. If you enjoy reading about cycling and living this is a great book. I've read every touring and cycling book you can imagine, but this is the best! It really gives you a new perspective on how we ride today when you look at what these two boys had to endure at the turn of the century when roads did not exists as we know today. A truly well written adventure, great venacular dialogue, credible and yet an incredible story.



4. I bought this book thinking it would be an interesting adventure tale. It is that but so much more. The writing is poetic and heart warming. An absolutely wonderful little book!!



5. For anybody going on bike tours this is a humbling book to read, and hard to put down. You can't help but root for two 18 year old boys who don't know enough not to make the trip. It also has special meaning for anyone who has ever driven all or parts of I-5 from San Francisco to Seattle. In 1909 it was possible to stay on the best road between California and Washington, and still get lost. Finally you get a feel for what life was like when my grandfather was alive. The postcards the two boys sent to their parents show buildings still standing today, but life was so much different. A good read.

1 comments about Portland Hikes: Day Hikes in Oregon and Washington Within 100 Miles of Portland.

1. I recently purchased Portland Hikes to replace my original book that is so worn it's falling apart. I didn't realize I was purchasing the third edition. Everything is mostly the same, except for the maps. The maps in the original book are full-page, while they are only half page in the 3rd edition. All of the relevant information for your ultimate destination is provided, but they have removed the surrounding sites, which I enjoyed. The font seems to be a bit smaller, too. I can live with that, but I really preferred the larger maps. All that to save a few pages...???

2 comments about Weekend Rock Oregon: Trad and Sport Routes from 5.0 to 5.10a (Weekend Rock).

1. If you are planning a climbing trip to Oregon this Rock Climbing Guide is a must. The routes of Smith Rock are worth the price alone. This guide is for beginning and intermediate climbers (5.0 to 5.10a). The route descriptions, pictures, and diagrams are awesome. Climb some of the states most beautiful locations. This book is a great guide and instrutor.



2. This book is perfect for climbers who only need descriptions of routes 5.10a and under. (The author includes highly rated 5.10b/c routes, as well.) It gets discouraging looking at books where I have to flag the few pages that refer to climbs I can do. This book is reasonably priced and full of great pictures, information, and climbs I can do. What more could I want in a guide?

1 comments about Oregon Coast (Magnificent Places).

1. I received this book after attending Rick Schafer's workshop a few years back and have learned so much from it. The illustrations are so beautiful and really show how wonderful the Oregon Coast is. I have returned many times to photograph it myself since the book is inspiring. Rick has a trained eye that matches no other. If you want to see Oregon's beauty or just want a coffee table book that takes you away this is the one to buy!

1 comments about Camping Oregon, 2nd (Regional Camping Series).

1. This is a great camping guide. It has all the campgrounds listed. It could have had another rating like beauty of the campground, but I loved it. From the description I could tell if we would like the campground or not and if it turned out not to be the nicest one, we could look up all other campgrounds in the area. The maps were helpful, directions easy and descriptions mostly fit. It's amazing how many nice campgrounds there are in Oregon! Also it is very well organized and you can find your way through the book very quick.

No comments about Oregon Off the Beaten Path, 8th (Off the Beaten Path Series).