5 comments about Bicycling Coast to Coast: A Complete Route Guide Virginia to Oregon.

1. Who knows whether I'll actually push the pedal that begins a coast to coast bicycling trip but having read Donna Lynn Ikenberry's "Bicycling: Coast to Coast," I now know what to feel, smell, taste and enjoy along the journey. The sunshine pours through her scenic descriptions and your legs ache during her climbs. As she comes close to each day's destination you can feel the anticipation of soothing well-used muscles. This is a guidebook to prepare for the trek as well as take along for reference. Buy two and leave one with someone responsible for knowing your itinerary.



2. Donna Ikenberry's "Bicycling Coast to Coast" is a well laid out, day-by-day guidebook for a bicycle trip across the country. From maps, to sights to see, to places to camp and eat, this book has everything you need to get across the country and not get lost.

   The only thing I wish this book included was trip preparation hints (of which it has very few). However, this book along with Steve Butterman's "Bicycle Touring - How to Prepare for Long Rides" make a great cross country bike touring set.




3. I biked the TransAmerica trail last summer and I used this book for pre-trip planning and as a guide while on the road. The vast majority of the route Ikenberry takes is along a trail that was first ridden in 1976 and was designed by Adventure Cycling. If you just need maps of the roads to take, you'll be much better served by getting them from Adventure Cycling. If you want to use this book as a companion to the maps, you should realize that this book was written for westbounders. If you are riding from west to east (like i did) get ready to learn what dyslexia feels like as you try to decipher all the directions backwards.

   The book is thin on trip planning info and simply points readers to other sources for info on bike touring. In general, most of this book merely describes points of reference along the TranAm trail (ie: mile 1 - You'll pass a convienence store on the left; mile 2.3 - You'll see a lake with picnic benches to the right). I felt that it lacked a real focus (sometimes it reads like a diary, sometimes it reads like a guidebook, etc) & was full of superfluous fluff (the state flower of virginia is blah blah, a family in kansas fed me cake, etc) that only made my saddlebags that much heavier.

   Overall though, it's not my objective to dissuade you from buying this book... as unbelievably it seems to be the only guide written about riding the TransAm trail. Ikenberry's book certainly has some usefullness - perhaps mostly so in providing info on places to sleep along the way. But even then, she fails to mentions whether these places have showers or food on numerous occasions. It's worth the 15 bucks... but the book could (& should) have been so much better... (for example: there is no mention anywhere of suggestions on what kind of bike to use, gearings, tires - nothing even remotely technical)




4. I used this book this summer, riding from Florence, OR to Yorktown, VA (yes, the book goes from east to west, so I was reading "backwards"). For my purposes, I used the book to help figure out how large towns were and what services they offered. 9 times out of 10 the book gave fairly accurate assesments of services. There were times when "full-service" towns were no longer in existance and the grocery or restaurant we had been relying on was nowhere in site.

   That said, I would NEVER bike the Trans Am, or even a portion of it, without consulting Adventure Cycling first [on their web site]. Their maps are indespensible and when used in conjunction with their up-to-date addendums, they are incredibly accurate. Ikenberry makes it pretty clear that she is using the Adventure Cycling maps as her guide as well.

   I also found it odd that Ikenberry only biked the Trans Am once. She makes comments on terrain and areas which are purely cicumstantial (such as mentioning "dog-prone" areas in Kentucky - where we had no more dogs than any other day - and areas with mean drivers.) It was sometimes hard to tell whether her descriptions of places were based on one pass through or fact. Plus, I would have trusted her judgment of "steep" and "trafficky" had I felt more confident in her bike touring past.

   On the plus side, Ikenberry does offer some nice background information on historical areas which the Trans Am cyclist may not otherwise recieve.

   Overall, I am glad I lugged the extra pound on my tour. It was helpful and since I wasn't relying on it for accuracy, I wasn't affected at all by the closed services. It would be great if someone would update the book! Some towns in the book are no longer on the Adventure Cycling route. Also, she breaks the route into 70 different biking days. Some are rediculously long. She must have had some serious tail-winds at some points! Again, had she biked the route several times, I am sure her days would have been more "normal" in some instances.

   In any case, bike the Trans Am since it is awesome and contact Adventure Cycling for your most accurate information. If you have [any money] left over and some room for a medium-sized book, squeeze Ikenberry into your pannier.




5. This book goes the wrong way, namely East to West. The book follows the old 1976 Bike Centennial trail that is well described and updated at the Adventure Cycling website. I followed this route, East to West. It would have been a lot better to have gone East to West. The wind gets pretty strong and it blows West to East; so, if you are riding East to West, you have to work much harder than if go would go the other direction. While I enthusiastically recommend the route, I suggest that it would be better to start in the West.

3 comments about Portland Then and Now (Then & Now).

1. This book is excellent! It has a lot of great pictures of our city and the "now" photos tried to keep the same angles and perspectives. I love this book!



2. What an interesting idea it was to take current pictures from the same angle as old photos of Portland. The book is well done and anyone who has lived in Portland and enjoys history will love this book



3. This book provides some great pictures of historic Portland and compares them with current Portland images. While it's not the most expansive piece regarding Portland landmarks, it captures important aspects of Portland's history.

3 comments about Bicycling the Backroads of Northwest Oregon (Bicycling the Backroads).

1. Good road selection, accurate maps and helpful text make this book an excellent guide to road bicycling in northwest Oregon. The forty-five rides listed nearly all start within short distances from Portland, Corvallis, Salem, or Eugene. Ride distances range from a short 11 miler to the three day 177 mile Oregon Coaster loop. Each ride in the book includes a clear map of the ride, a cue sheet/mileage log, an elevation profile, and a few paragraphs of descriptive text. This book was extremely helpful in planning a recent ten day bicycling trip around northwest Oregon. While I did not, strictly speaking, ride any of the 45 rides in this book, the information in this book contributed greatly in road selection and understanding the terrain. For example, in the Mt. Hood area, if I had relied on the Delorme atlas, our route would have included several gravel roads. Jones and Henderson's book, however, shows which roads in the vicinity are gravel thereby helping us avoid them. For those of you fortunate enough to live in northwest Oregon, this book would be an excellent way to discover some new rides. For the non-Oregonian, the book can serve as an excellent resource in route-planning. As a sidelight, I would comment that I have yet to find a book published by The Mountaineers that has not been uniformly helpful, whether the content is bicyling or hiking.



2. I'm not sure why this book hasn't been updated in so long, and I'm not sure why there isn't more competition from other guides in an area as bicycle crazy as Northwest Oregon, but this is the best guide currently available. In general, its maps and tips remain accurate, so I give it a thumbs up.
   
   And, please, wear helmets!



3. Did my first ride out of this book today. I noticed I hadn't been riding much this year as I was going over many of the same roads as previous years. This book opens up many great locations with excellent turn by turn directions. Looks like it works hard to keep you on the less traveled roads. Just what I was looking for.

1 comments about Hiking Hells Canyon & Idaho's Seven Devils Mountains (Regional Hiking Series).

1. The guide provides excellent trail information for novice and experienced hikers embarking on a day trip or longdistance excursion. The book rates each hike, offers a trail map, and gives directions for getting there. Seventy-four trails are listed, grouped by geographic location. Includes hiker's checklist, glossary, rules for low-impact wilderness recreation. I recommend both the book and the trails.

4 comments about Atlas of Oregon.

1. This is the best book about Oregon EVER!...It has all you need to know about the Indians, population and it evan has maps from the Lewis and Clark expedition! If you EVER need info on Oregon this is the Book to get!...



2. This book is a bargain. The wealth of information collected in one place is amazing. I consider this book the ultimate collection of interesting data on the state of Oregon. Those with children in Oregon should consider this a "must buy" for their children's education.



3. Loy & Allan build upon previous atlas efforts (OR 1976, CA 1979) and make use of technology and greater knowledge to produce excellent, useful maps and charts. Pre-1865 (inch-pound) measuring units are used instead of U.S. (SI) units as used in the 1976 edition (for example, temperatures are in °F not °C). Historic growth and immigration maps, education (K-12, university and school districts), demographics and future temperature and precipitation scenarios make this a handy "big picture" reference.

   Economic, water and transportation and other "sheds" enable a you to obtain a good understanding of past, current and future trends. Obtain the Atlas and CD - you will use them both for a long time.




4. Loy and Allen's ATLAS OF OREGON certainly is the benchmark to which all others must aspire. The hardcover edition is not inexpensive, but the sample pages displayed convinced me to take a chance, and was I glad that I did! The day I received it, I was mesmerized for hours. The quality and colors of the graphics, the exhaustive research and attention to detail were incredible. The charts, graphs, etc. are all easy to read. Every possible aspect of Oregon is covered. I believe a person could make an intelligent decision as to exactly where to live without even visiting the state! You feel you are there. Bravo!

5 comments about Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast: Your Guide to the Lighthouses of California, Oregon, and Washington (Pictorial Discovery Guide).

1. This pictorial coffee table guide highlights lighthouse history and lighthouses of the Pacific Coast, revealing the development of lighthouses in three states. From the technological evolution of the lighthouse to how they were maintained and are today restored and preserved, Lighthouses of the Pacific Coast provides very beautiful photos spiced with descriptions and information accessible to both destination-bound and at-home enthusiasts.



2. This book written by Leffingwell and Welty is visually appealing and sets down historical facts in an engaging style. The beautiful photographs taken by Leffingwell are augmented by stories of the politics and history behind the lighthouses and their keepers. They include information about women lighthouse keepers, how the lighthouses were constructed, which have been de-activated, and most important - how to get to the various lighthouses for a visit in person.

   The most interesting story was that of a construction crew and Coast Guard team working nearly around the clock for five days to restore the Cape Flattery lighthouse near Neah Bay in Tatoosh, Washington. Also worth noting were the descriptions of life as a lighthouse keeper, the artisanship of making the Fresnel lights, and the automation that replaced the need for human presence in these remote outposts.

   As the Oregon Contributing editor at Suite101.com, I am always on the lookout for books my visitors will enjoy and will help them plan their next trip to Oregon. This one is a winner!




3. A beautiful book to add to your collection. The pictures are wonderful and to read the book is a joy. A great buy to learn more about lighthouses on the coast.



4. A beautiful book to add to your collection. The pictures are wonderful and to read the book is a joy. A great buy to learn more about lighthouses on the coast.



5. I was a little disappointed with the pictures. I was hoping for close up pictures. The photographer seemed to take distant photos. only one or 2 were a frontal view and up close, most were from odd angles.

1 comments about Hiking Oregon's Geology (Hiking Geology).

1. This is a great book for anyone wanting to take hikes to see representative geology and to read a geological description of what they're seeing. The author details ninety hikes, mostly day hikes, in all corners of the state. The 'trailhead' directions are clear and easy to follow as are the descriptions of the trails. The book opens with an excellent 14 page introduction to Oregon's geological history and a nice appendix on indentifying rocks minerals. Dr. Bishop also wrote the 'In search of ancient Oregon', an outstanding overview of the states geological history.

4 comments about Traveling the Oregon Trail, 2nd (Historic Trail Guide Series).

1. A trip to the Grand Tetons this year was greatly enhanced by this book, which I came upon with a search on Amazon.com. We used it to plan a car trip from Portland and we followed the Oregon Trail home from southern Wyoming. The maps were wonderful and the information accurate. We even golfed 9 holes at the Soda Springs municipal golf course to see the swales on the 8th hole, in addition to many other stops of intetest!



2. Julie's book is very useful in traveling the Lewis and Clark Trail. Highly informative and illustrated, it includes specific as well as local information about the various sites included in the book. Well worth having and using.



3. My husband and I recently made a trip out west and used this book as our guide to follow the Oregon Trail. It was excellent! Her directions were right on the money and the book was easy to read and follow. She breaks the trip down to a day by day driving guide which was great so we knew how much time to plan. I would encourage visiting the 'out of way' options she offers. She also offers several driving options depending on your time allowance. A must have for an Oregon Trail trip!



4. This was an absolutely wonderful book which helped my family to see every interesting bit on the Oregon Trail. Many sites were really off the beaten path and I'm sure rarely visited. It was clearly written, fairly assessing the different sites and had very clear directions. We are a family of 6 so the time allotted for travelling place to place was a little short, but all in all this book is a "Bible" for those who want to embark on this great trip.

No comments about 100 Hikes: Travel Guide Eastern Oregon (100 Hikes Travel Guides).

No comments about Hiking the Oregon Coast: Day Hikes Along the Oregon Coast and Coastal Mountains.