No comments about High and Mighty: Select Sketches About the Deschutes Country.

No comments about Camper's Guide to Oregon: Parks, Lakes, Forests, and Beaches (Camper's Guides).

5 comments about 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Portland, 2nd (60 Hikes - Menasha Ridge).

1. An excellent guide for day trips around Portland. The author is an acqaintance of mine and on several occasions I witnessed the care with which he took in making book an accurate guide to Portland-area hiking. Gerald is a great writer and he not only gives you the details of the hike (like clear directions on how to get there, an art all too often lost in Portland hiking books), but puts the hike in a brief desciptive context of history, forestry and asthetics that is rare in a hiking book. The book helps the hiker know more about Oregon and its natural treasures.



2. Over the past 25 years I've bought dozens of Pacific Northwest hiking guides and this is just about the most enjoyable one I've ever owned. It is about the only hiking guide I've ever sat down and systematically read from cover to cover, simply because it was such a joy to read and because it contained so many treasures. The author isn't merely interested in telling you how to get there and how not to miss a turn in the trail, but he shows a genuine love for each of these hikes, pointing out what is amazing about each of them, often giving a little history about the trail or other anecdotes associated with a hike, including personal experiences which are genuinely amusing or informative. I especially enjoy his appreciation of trails through old growth forests, something you don't often see in hiking guides. Most hiking guides seem to get worked up only by big, expansive views, but this author sees beauty and magnificence on all scales. Although I was familiar with at least half of these hikes, I learned about a lot of new ones that I've already started exploring. For example, check out the old growth noble firs along the PCT from Barlow Pass to the overlooks at White River Canyon. These trees are absolutely mind-boggling, not because they're big around but because they grow so amazingly tall and straight. It stimulated me to read more about these trees and I learned that they can soar into such heights with so little girth because the wood is hard and light. No Douglas Fir could get this tall without putting six feet of girth on themselves. Here you see flawless, branchless trunks as straight as nature can make them, no more than three to four feet in diameter with no perceptible taper rising two hundred feet like the pillars in a cathedral before finally displaying a puff of foliage at the top no more than 15 feet wide and 30 feet tall. And then the emerald forest of moss-infested silver firs and mountain hemlocks that follow closer to timberline have the head shaking in wonder over such stunning beauty. Thanks to this author, I discovered this incredibly beautiful section of trail after hiking all over Mt. Hood for 25 years without having discovered it. There are lots of other new possibilities of this magnitude for me that I am eager to try out, thanks to the enthusiasm and attention to detail of this author.



3. Now in an updated and expanded second edition, 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles by hiking expert and travel writer Paul Gerald showcases a full sixty superbly developed trails within an hour's drive of Portland, Oregon. These are enthusiastically recommended excursions that offer mountain views, forest solitudes, magnificent waterfalls, and wonderful ocean beaches. From flower-filled meadows on Saddle Mountain to a spectacular view of Multnomah Falls (the highest in the state), 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles is additionally enhanced with a list of hikes appropriate for children, ideal for wildlife watching, impressive for multi-use, seclusion, and local history.



4. Great idea for a book- put together a list of hikes that makes it easy to decide what to do outdoors on a surprise sunny day off that are a short drive from a large urban area. Alas, the devil is in the details- the writing is adequate (you'd have to be a pretty poor writer to blow it in a three paragraph description) but the editing is atrocious. When compared to a Falcon Press, Nauvilus, or Mountaineers Book, it is obvious that the publisher has no clue about the subject matter. For example, it's organized strangely- hikes are organized by placename, not physical location. (Since the book's premise is based on a geographic organization, I would have assumed that it would have come naturally)
   
   The real downfall of this book is that there are no descriptive maps to speak of and the driving directions aren't as clear they should be. While this book has plenty of other faults, it would have been nice to know details like which hikes need a high ground clearance vehicle to reach, or what seasons are appropriate for a given hike.
   
   This book is dirt cheap, which is both a blessing and a curse- meaning that a limited run publisher isn't going to put much money into editing. The glaring lack of editorial direction seriously diminishes the utility of the book. I can't see how anyone who has actually used this book, aside from the author or his friends and family, could give this book five stars.



5. I like the size, color and composition of this book. It looks and feels good (soft pages). In addition, it's got up-to-date references for many wonderful places to hike around Portland. I found it easy to comprehend. Great gift!

1 comments about Best Places Northwest: The Best Restaurants and Lodgings in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia (Best Places Northwest).

1. I've had the older edition of this book for years and brought it on every road trip we've ever taken. Certainly it doesn't have every wonderful place you've ever stayed at -- but it has so many that are good it would be foolish not to follow the recommendations it provides.

   My only complaint is that some of the wonderful places (which, granted, we never would have found had it not been for this book) have become so difficult to get reservations at that we find this book sometimes does not help for those last minute weekend trips out of town.

   That said, if you live in the Northwest, consider this your bible -- from Portland to Vancouver, the Islands, and everywhere in between -- you will always find a reliable recommendation for a good table and a warm bed in the pages of this book.

No comments about 2 To 22 Days in the Pacific Northwest: The Itinerary Planner (2 to 22 Days in the Pacific Northwest).

No comments about Oregon Mountain Ranges (Oregon geographic series).

1 comments about Travel Smart Oregon (Travel-Smart Series).

1. Finally a travel/guide book that reveals the secrets and true beauty of Oregon! Gordon Coffin has done an excellent job of covering the entire state. The "Special Interest Tours" are well planned and have something for everyone. As a "local", the book is a great reference for our many visitors. We use the "Calendar of Events" section to schedule out-of-town guest's visits to coincide with fun events such as Portland's Waterfront Blues Festival. The writing is colorful, descriptions are enticing. This book makes planning and organizing a trip in Oregon so easy. Gordon Coffin stayed away from the overvisited tourist attractions and shared his private collection of Oregon gems. This is a book for anyone planning a trip to Oregon and a must for all Oregonians.

No comments about Oregon Map (Rand McNally Folded Map: Highways and Interstates).

3 comments about Veg Out Vegetarian Guide to Seattle and Portland.

1. I have been a vegetarian living in Seattle since 1991; this book revealed some great new vegetarian places I had somehow missed! I gave it to a visiting friend. Great book for a person visiting town; fits right in your pocket.



2. "The food ranges from the samosas, pakoras, and curries found in Indian restaurants to upper-worldly treats such as Tseral-mixed vegetable balls..." ~George Stevenson describing Himalayan Sherpa in Seattle, WA
   
   There is an entire world beyond salads and side orders of vegetables and this book proves it. If you love visiting Seattle & Portland or you are a Vegetarian looking for an excellent dining guide, this should impress you. The size of this book makes it easy to keep in your backpack, purse or car.
   
   The Restaurants are found in Seattle, Bellingham, Olympia, Tacoma, Portland and Eugene. There are listings for Tea Houses, Juice Bars, Farmers Markets and Green Grocers. You could enjoy tea in a Chinese Temple, visit a fun PCC Natural Market (my personal favorite for natural foods and organic products) or sample Mulitethnic cuisines at many interesting locations. They even list Larry's Markets where I used to work.
   
   Some of the highlights:
   
   The Elliot Bay Café - Try a Veggie Reuben in the café in the basement of the famous Elliot Bay Books in Seattle.
   
   Shalimar - Exotic foods like Mulligatawny Stew or dishes with eggplant, mango and lotus stems.
   
   Persian House - Pomegranate sauces and lentil dishes and they have a nice buffet lunch at a very reasonable price.
   
   George Stevenson's creative writing style is refreshing and honest. He makes each location sound completely tantalizing. The listings all have a star rating, hours, payments accepted, Parking locations, Yes/No for Alcohol and Atmosphere Description. Some of the restaurants are completely Vegan and some have Full Menus with Vegan Options.
   
   You could go to an upscale restaurant in the evening or stop by a Family restaurant with great artwork and enjoy a relaxing lunch.
   
   The next time I'm in Seattle or Portland and my husband asks me where we should eat; this is the guide I'm going to show him. In fact, you could almost plan a trip just so you could visit some of these locations.
   
   Also look for Veg Out Books for Southern California, New York City, San Francisco Bay Area and Washington D.C.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review



3. The Veg Out Vegetarian Guide to Seattle and Portland is a pocket guide designed to slip in a purse or travel bag. It's got a sturdy cover and slim design. It also includes a fold-out map of both cities (somehow the map of Portland is much larger and easier to read, perhaps because the editors decided to cover a smaller geographical area.)
   
   The book is organized geographically and actully includes "Seattle East," which is really the cities of Bellevue, Kirkland and surrounding suburbs; Bellingham (north of Seattle); Olympia and Tacoma (south); and Eugene, Oregon in addition to Seattle and Portland. Grocery stores, farmers markets, and juice bars have their own chapters and there's a short list of local northwest vegetarian orgainzations. There are three indices: alphabetical, by cuisine, and an index of "top ten" lists for food, atmosphere and best buys.
   
   Each restaurant is rated by star and price. There's a cuisine designation and the bottom of each entry tells how "veg friendly" each location is, for example "Full menu with vegetarian and vegan options." Since most of the restaurants listed are not exclusively vegetarian, I would have appreciated an index listing the veg-only restaurants. It has been omitted from the cuisine index.
   
   Seattle and Portland are both veg-friendly cities, but it might be hard for a visitor to know where to start. The VegOut editors have listed all the major favorites of local vegetarians as well as some of the lessor known finds like Hillside Quickies in Seattle and The Tao of Tea in Portland. --Amy O'Neill Houck

No comments about Oregon: A Picture Book To Remember Her By.