1 comments about Insiders' Guide to the Oregon Coast, 3rd (Insiders' Guide Series).

1. THE INSIDERS' GUIDE TO THE OREGON COAST should be purchased with THE INSIDERS' GUIDE TO PORTLAND, OREGON, in order to give you a complete picture of Western Oregon. It's interesting to note that certain topics in this book are broken up into different sections of the coastal region, including town listings and tourist accomodations. Certain radio station categorizations, however should be taken like the humor in comedy movies featuring Melissa Joan Hart, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Cameron Diaz, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Garner, and Natalie Portman, as they are incorrect. This is a minor quibble however, as this book is generally a great guide for anyone looking for things to do in coastal Oregon to get in shape for their significant other and/or their favorite celebrity.

1 comments about Best Places Portland (Best Places).

1. BEST PLACES PORTLAND is a great guide to the city of Portland, Oregon, and the surrounding area, with incredible discussion about the best outdoor activities, dining, nightlife, shopping, museums, lodging, and other attractions. There's also a section on day trips within a couple of hours' drive. Overall, the Portland metropolitan area has a great deal to offer, so pick this book up, and you can't go wrong.

4 comments about Frommer's Portable Portland (Frommer's Portable).

1. I picked this up thinking it would be a good idea to brush up on what is good to see in Portland since we only had a few days. I was hoping for more information on the outlying areas around Portland but the lowdown on Portland was useful, especially highlighting the important "musts" as well as providing decent maps for pre-planning.
   
   Positives - Decent maps, good ideas, perfect for a short trip.
   Improvements - needed more information on day trips outside of Portland, especially since Portland is short distance from major attractions and there wasn't good discussion of distances and time needed to travel like other sections.



2. I would have liked this book to be more intra-regional and do more talking about the green zones around the metropolitan area but as far as detailing what's what in Portland itself, I have no criticism. Also some nice maps came along with this book, which is handy.



3. This is a great resource for a short trip to Portland. The small size fits easily in a pocket or purse. We tried several restaurants listed in the guide and all were excellent. I suggest Jake's seafood and Bijou Cafe for breakfast. Also check out the Mount Hood loop directions in the book--no trip to Portland will be complete without this!



4. This is an oversized pocket guide. Fits great in a coat pocket but not too well in pants pocket. Has great map. Gives reviews of about 50 or so eateries. The 'Best Places' guide is much better though.

1 comments about Moon Coastal Oregon (Moon Handbooks).

1. Just returned from Coastal Oregon. Book was extremely helpful, love the maps of various towns--gives you the heart of each one so you can find your way around. Smart purchase if you're traveling to Coastal Oregon.

4 comments about Insiders' Guide to Portland, Oregon, 5th: Including the Metro Area and Vancouver, Washington (Insiders' Guide Series).

1. INSIDERS' GUIDE TO PORTLAND, OREGON, 5TH is a great guide to the cities of Portland and Vancouver, as well as their surrounding suburbs. Besides such information as house values, attractions, and the quality of schools in the area, the book also features detailed listings of the radio stations in the area, as well as in-depth discussions of what types of healthy-eating ideas and ethnic cuisine you can find in this metroplex. The book lacks a deep discussion of shopping malls in the area, preferring instead to focus on the other types of stores where a guy can find things to keep his woman happy, including CDs to dance to with her and clothes to help him look his best for her, which seems to indicate that independent stores are often the way to go to keep such promises, especially in a high-culture area such as Portland/Vancouver. Despite the lack of information on local malls, however, it's a wonderful book.



2. I liked the information in this book, Even has school listings. I was purchasing it for tourism purposes and it covers that but doesn't have pictures or long descriptions and prices. Since that is what I was looking for I was a little disappointed. Good for info bad for tourists.



3. This book has lots of useful information, but fails to tie the information in to graphics for those of us who have trouble visualizing the locations from the text. The neighborhoods are described by their names, and rougly tied into the city as a whole. However, the maps are not specific enough.



4. These books (there is a series) are the first resource we go to upon learning that it is, once again, time for us to transfer. They have all the information that most people could need and I recommend them to every military person I know that is in the process of transferring to make their move just a little bit easier. A look at the contents of this particular book:
   
   Area Overview
   Getting Here, Getting Around
   History
   Bed-and-Breakfast Inns
   Hotels and Motels
   Restaurants
   Brewpubs
   Coffeehouses
   Nightlife
   Shopping
   Attractions
   Kidstuff
   Festivals and Annual Events
   The Arts
   Recreation and Spectator Sports
   Portland Parks
   Golf
   Day Trips
   Relocation
   Child Care and Education
   Health Care and Wellness
   Retirement
   Media
   Worship
   Index
   
   No, there aren't a lot of pictures, but I can buy a coffee-table book for that. This is information and lots of it - including addresses, phone numbers, and websites when appropriate. Great for visitors and potential newcomers alike!

2 comments about 100 Hikes / Travel Guide: Oregon Coast & Coast Range (100 Hikes).

1. William Sullivan, the author of this guide book, is reputed to be a fifth generation Oregonian who grew to love the Oregon coast as a child spending time in the family cabin in Lincoln City. As a fourth-generation Oregonian and veteran of numerous day trips and camping trips as a child and adult to the Oregon coast, I have found the book to be a great guide and an eye-opener to places and trails that for years I had driven by without noticing or stopping.
   
   I live in Salem, Oregon and for the last few years I have carried this book in the trunk of my car. I try to get to at least one new place or hike out of the book every time I go to the coast (i.e. the 'shore', for you east-coast types).
   
   If you are stuck in Portland over a weekend on a business trip or planning a vacation in Oregon, this is the book to buy if you want to get off Highway 101 and see some of the spectacular sights on the Oregon coast.
   
   The only shortcoming of the book is the lack of any color photographs.



2. This guide was great. It enabled me to plan for hikes, and had maps and all information needed to get to the places and take the hike without buying separate maps, etc. Good basic information on the hikes, what to expect, etc. My only complaint was that there was very little "subjective" information on how hikes compared with others, such as "This hike has the best views in the area", which would help decide which to do if you don't have alot of time.

5 comments about One Hundred Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades (100 Hikes).

1. I bought all three books that Mr. Sullivan has written about the Cascades, but I never got a chance to try out all the trails. I just moved from Eugene, and just before I left, at the end of the summer, I got a chance to go to Bryce Creek outside Cottage Grove. What a hidden secret. The area was beautiful, lots of small waterfalls, not too far from the main road, and I even took my little car up to Bohemia Mountain and had an incredible view! I am glad that one of my last activites in my home state was going to this place, all thanks to Mr. Sullivan! He knows what he is talking about, so buy this book and explore your state!



2. This is simply the best hiking books I've ever owned (and I own a lot!) A great selection of hikes, well written descriptions and directions, and excellent maps. I've been on over 30 of Sullivan's recommended hikes and enjoyed them enormously. The photos are beautiful. Get this book, get out and enjoy the wilderness!



3. An indispensable guide to hiking the Oregon Cascades. It contains all the information that you will need to find your way around in these spectacular mountains. The information on lodging and camping is also very helpful.



4. Very useful. Allowed me to plan and take hikes without any other information or maps. Had good information on elevation gain, miles, etc. Maps of each hike were useful and accurate. Good background on what to expect, natural features, etc. Could use more "subjective" information on scenic views, how crowded it gets, etc.



5. Love this book! I rate and write about my hikes on its pages. I always carry it w me on my hikes, in a zip-lock bag. The maps are so necessary. The trails have changed slightly on only one hike, so far, but we just made notes in the book.
   
   One thing to keep in mind, he rates the difficulty of the hike by the distance, not the exertion... so, we've had a few fun surprises.. mostly being that the hikes are EASIER than he leans towards rating them.
   
   Opens up a world of local hikes. Fabulous!

5 comments about 100 Hikes in Northwest Oregon & Southwest Washington, 3rd Edition (100 Hikes).

1. I have lived in Oregon for twenty years, I bought one of the first editions of this book, found it on my shelf yesterday. I can say its the best hiking book around, reading it was a trip down memory lane. I have done a lot of hiking, biking, kayaking over the years. Bought a new copy , time to redo a lot of my favorite hikes, Hamilton Mountian, Dog mt.
   This edition is improved, the flower guide is really nice.
   The best feature of this book is the small sctech maps showing the elevation and trails. No, it does not replace a real map, but its nice to have a viusual. ( years ago I was doing the Ramona falls hike and I meet a couple backpacking arounf Mt. Hood without a map! and they were lost!)
   If you want an guide to the best day hiking in the Portland area,this is it .



2. This updated NW Oregon hiking guide is an ideal daypack essential for visitors and residents alike. Bill is a peripatetic author whose slide shows I attend as often as I can, and this third edition was the subject of one of those. He's a friendly and most genial speaker/writer/ hiker whose words and pictures literally 'pop' from the page and propels the casual reader to 'take a hike'. The 2nd edition was good, but this edition's colorful photos of landscapes and wildflowers, plus traveler-friendly easy-to-follow directions and (new!) campgrounds/cabins listings puts it into the 'must-have' category. As a frequent hiker on Friends of the Columbia Gorge outings, I rely on his impeccably accurate descriptions of each hike. I also recommend Timberline Press Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest plus Moon Handbooks Columbia River Gorge for things to do before and after your explorations!



3. If you live in the Portland area and like to hike, this book is a must own. Sullivan's reputation as the definitive source for hiking information is well deserved. And this wonderful, well-researched and incredibly detailed book is the only item I need when I am out hiking (aside from food and water)!
   
   Not only does it serve as a clear and accurate guide to the hikes of the area, the book makes you feel as if you need to hike all of these hikes.



4. Typically, I buy Falcon Guides, but in this case I would recommend this guide. Not that the Falcon Guides of this area are bad, but this book is preferred. The author's living in the area shins through. His recommendations on hikes are excellent, and I found the book easy to use.



5. I checked the first edition of this book out from the library and then I didn't want to return it I liked it so much. A lot of other hiking books are hard to read and don't have pictures to help you visualize where you're going. When I saw the new edition with COLOR PICTURES, I had to buy it. This book is great-- it gives good directions, it has a picture for each hike, it even tells you if there is a campsite to say overnight or if you should expect crowds. Trail etiquette is also a good thing to include; hopefully people actually take it to heart. I love the handdrawn sketches of the trail; they do a great job of showing the topography of the hike. If you live in Portland and like getting out, this book should be at the top of your list. So many beautiful places so close by. There was one beautiful hike that was literally across the river from my favorite campsite, and I never would have found it without this book!

5 comments about Pacific Northwest (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. DK/Eyewitness Travel Guides are GREAT! I wish DK published more areas. Lots of pictures, great descriptions, well put-together graphics, quality printing. The books are entertaining even if you just dream of traveling to far-off lands. These books really give you a feel of what the areas are like, the culture, sightseeing locations, even the food!
   
   I have bought Fodor's and Frommer's and they just don't compare, even Fodor's information was wrong and outdated though the date of the book was the same year I traveled. DK blows the others out of the water!



2. I have used a number of Eyewitness books in my travels and have found them all excellent. They are a great help in trip planning and very usefull while traveling.



3. PACIFIC NORTHWEST (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE) is a great book, as it puts the cities of Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver together in one place. I really enjoyed the part about the cuisine of the general area, as well as the Lloyd Center Mall. However, even though the book deserves five stars, there are a couple of flaws, such as there not being any maps of the bus and light-rail systems in these cities, and a lack of discussion of major shopping areas such as Capitol Hill in Seattle or any mention of Portland's various independent record/tape/CD stores; in fact, the only major shopping areas really described in any kind of detail are the aforementioned Lloyd Center Mall and Pike Place Market. However, there ARE plenty of illustrations and photographs, so you DO get a visual feel for what the different areas are like. Overall, this is a five-star book whose only flaw is glossing over certain things that might be important to some people in order to cover other aspects of the Pacific Northwest.



4. This is a wonderful guide to the Pacific Northwest. If you're traveling beyond any one city (i.e. Portland, Seattle, Vancouver) this is the guide for you. Done in the traditional Eyewitness format with glossy pages, wonderful photos and diagrams, it provides a great overview of the cities mentioned and the region. The only drawback as a travel guide is its weight. Very heavy to be tagging along on a visit, yet due to its quality, I put up with the weight. If visiting only a few areas, photocopy the pages for your own use to lighten your load!



5. We picked the Eyewitness guide to the Pacific Northwest for a recent trip to Portland and Seattle in part because there were few other options: the Fodors, Lonely Planet, and Michelin Green Guides all seem to be out of print and dated. Like its brethren, this Pacific Northwest Eyewitness guide is strong on visual information, and weak on description.
   
   The book has lots of pictures and good maps, helping you get around and then recognize your goal or destination once you get there. But descriptions and explanations of specific places range from a few sentences to (at most) a few paragraphs for the major sites.
   
   For example, for Seattle the section on Pike Place has great visual information to help you find your way around the market, but just a few sentences each on the Pike Place fish throwers and the original Starbucks. And while the Space Needle gets a few pictures and two columns of text, and the relatively new Experience Music Project is also given a nice two page spread, other fascinating experiences like the Seattle Underground Tour in Pioneer Square are not even mentioned. I'm sure Lonely Planet had that one.
   
   Bottom line: this Eyewitness guide to the Northwest can't be beat for its photos and useful maps, but as with any Eyewitness guide it helps to have an additional supplement--a friend who can show you around the area, or another guidebook--to make up for what the Eyewitness lacks in details. Buy this guide primarily for the pictures and maps, and then keep it as a souvenir when your trip is over.

3 comments about Benchmark Oregon: Road & Recreation Atlas - Third Edition (Benchmark Map: Oregon Road & Recreation Atlas).

1. Benchmark are absolutely the best road atlases out there. I have the AZ, UT, OR, and CA maps that I have purchased for trips (I use my CA one all the time, but I live here) and find them invaluable. I can always find my way when lost, and they really do a great job of showing detail that you wouldn't expect, even in metro areas. They show the most random and remote Forest Service or BLM roads, and points of interest on those roads that you would otherwise need specialty maps to see. If there's a dirt road or otherwise going there, these maps show it. Highly recommended!



2. Once again I have purchased a "Road and Recreation Atlas" and found little or no mine locations. My recreation is prospecting/metal detecting and rockhounding and while the contents state "mines" they are few and far between if at all. Are they trying to tell me there was very little mining in Oregon or that I should choose a new hobby because they don't classify mine as a "recreation". I think they are just trying to say that their maps are just not accurate enough or their "Field Checkers" (oxymoron if I've ever heard one) are so lazy or dumb, they can't locate a mine with a GPS? All me and a few other amateur explorers are asking for is a general location of mines, and we don't expect it to be spot on. That would enable us to plan a little bit and hopefully not get lost doing it. If it says "mine location" then it should show them. DeLorme does on most of their Atlas and Gazetteer's so why can't Benchmark?~desertdan



3. If you are going to do much traveling in the more rural areas of Oregon, then this Atlas is almost a necessity. I had the 1998 edition and just purchased this one (2006) to help with our travels this summer. I have found it to be accurate and it has almost all of the roads that are available to a modern automobile - it might keep a person from getting lost and it certainly helps if you are planning a trip into an area with which you are not too familiar.