5 comments about A Lady's Life in the Rocky Mountains (The Western Frontier Library, 14).

1. Did you ever read any of the BEANY MALONE novels by Lenora Mattingly Weber? In them I first read about Isabella Bird and her remarkable life in the American West. Beany's older brother, Johnny Malone, is a teenager when the series begins, a young Denver boy with a remarkable passion for unearthing the memoirs and daguerrotypes of Colorado pioneers and taking notes on the old-timers who settled the state. Their colorful lives make his ordinary life seem rather pastel, so he often sinks into a nostalgia of the past, while his family members tease him about the dreamy look in his eyes. He helps a veteran journalist, Emerson Worth, complete his magnum opus, OUR CITY HAS DEEP ROOTS. And among the pioneers Johnny obsessed about was none other than Isabella Bird, so when I found this book on a recent trip to Boulder, I added it to my rucksack.
   
   If you are reading on horseback, as Isabella Bird did, this is perhaps the ideal book to carry with you. She was a woman used to the English-style horse with its Ascot breeding and high carriage. What she found in Colorado were, naturally, the horses of the West, more perfectly adapted to the mile-high atmospheres, but slung somewhat lower than anything she's been used to and slightly swaybacked. Bird adapted quickly, and the fun of her autobiography is to see her taking in her stride a series of calamities and hardships that would have Job complaining bitterly! No matter if it's an insect infestation or tumbling right through a sheet of ice into zero degree river chills, for Isabella Bird it's all part of a day's fun. Travel writing in the 19th century was, of course, the leading genre of prose. From no other source were English-speaking readers able to find out more about other people's lives, and the curiosity was immense.
   
   You'll like Isabella, and her crazy love affair with Colorado. She remains very much a lady, but will challenge your preconceived notions of what a lady is and isn't. Most of all you will thrill to follow the course of her journeys up and down the mountains through which, now, there are some better trails but still the same amazing sunrises which she describes with the thrill of one for whom every day's an adventure.



2. For many years I saw this book in National Park bookstores and passed it by thinking it would be an example of the overwritten, rather tedious journals of other Victorian travelers. When I finally found it at a used bookstore and rather reluctantly bought it, I was surprised to find out how exciting and relevant her story was.
   
   Because I live in Colorado, I recoginize and travel through many of the places she describes. Just this weekend as we traveled along Highway 67, my husband and I remarked on the likelihood, that this was the same route she'd taken out of Colorado Springs.
   
   Her accounts lend life to the grey, weatherbeaten cabins, abandoned roads and rusting rails that we see. Even though many parts of Europe and the US were relatively modern at the time of her adventures, it is surprising to read just how primitive and precarious was the life of many Colorado settlers.
   
   Even if you aren't from Colorado, read this book to become aquainted with a Victorian woman who found a way to live life fully. Read it to learn about life in the west. Read it just because it's a good read.



3. I bought this book while visiting Estes Park, CO...hungry for books about life in the West that may not be so readily available here in NJ. I found it to be one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read! Isabella's descriptions of the Rocky Mountains and the climate through which she travelled are vivid and gripping. But more than that, she gives a detailed and honest account of what life was like for settlers on the frontier. How she managed to ride thru the mountains where the only "trails" were tracks of wagons or animals, when often those were covered with the seemingly constant snow, boggles the mind. Her love for Colorado sings out in every word she writes. I too was deeply touched by its beauty, and hope to return again, this time with an enriched appreciation due to this wonderful recounting of Isabella Bird's journey.



4. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and the descriptive way the author wrote. I have been through Colorado and have seen the beauty she described. Also enjoyed the story because there wasn't a lot of violence and if there was any sex, it was only in our imagination which is the greatest kind. I was amazed at how the lady rode for miles in rugged wilderness without seeming to get lost. The fact that she could subsist on meager food was also interesting.



5. This book arrived in top condition and in time. In a college book store this book cost a lot more, so I am very pleased to be able to buy it from this seller.

No comments about West Virginia: An Explorer's Guide (Explorer's Guides).

1 comments about Michelin the Green Guide New England (Michelin Green Guides).

1. This is actually standard Micheline guide
   You can use as well as attraction descriptions as tourist paths

5 comments about Hawaii (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. I give this book 3 stars because the pictures are beautiful and they made me go and visit the places pictured in the book. But, as another reviewer wrote, you can't cover all the Hawaiian islands in 150-200 pages. Way to little info about the islands and the sights. Ok if you want a quick overview, but not ok if you want details. I usually like the DK guide books, but this one was disappointing. The Ultimate Guide and the Rough Guide are much better.



2. I like the Eyewitness Travel Guides mainly because, when planning a trip, I get more excited about it just looking at the pictures I will be seeing in person. These guides have beautiful photography. There was great information in the Hawaii Guide, although I was surprised to find no mention of Nawiliwili, Kauai, where our cruise ship docked. I know others who have stayed there as well, but didn't find mention of it. However, the information was helpful and it was great to find places in Hawaii that were not gouging the tourists for all their money! The book helps with that.



3. We own about 15 of the DK Eyewitness Travel guides, and have dogeared the pages over several trips. They are amazingly useful.
   
   But this one is not their best effort. Hawaii is a very diverse place, and to try and "hit the highlights" in a travel guide is a mistake. This book is right at 200 pages, but almost 80 are about Honolulu, Wakiki and Oahu, leaving only 120 pages for all of the other islands. Even the pieces about Oahu (with little info about the west coast/Makaha and just a mattering on the North Shore) and Honolulu (with a few measly paragraphs on Pearl Harbor) is scant.
   
   As I said, I love the DK Eyewitness series, it is the first travel book we get when going someplace new. But for Hawaii, there are several other books more in-depth. If you are going to Maui or The Big Island, I suggest getting Maui:Revealed or Hawaii The Big Island: Revealed (each 300 pages, pictures, maps, etc.)



4. 
   It is a great book, has a lot of color pictures, but dont have great maps and is difficult for travelers.
   I recommend only for first time visitors to Hawaii.



5. This book is easy to read, concise and to the point. Seems to contain all of the sites a first time visitor would want to see. I purchased two other books on Hawaii but this will be our main guide. The others will serve if we want more details about the sites. I know others who have used this book in Hawaii and they highly recommend it.

5 comments about 101 Best Outdoor Towns: Unspoiled Places to Visit, Live & Play (101 Best...Series).

1. I'd recommend this book for anyone that enjoys travel and the great outdoors. I completely enjoyed it! The book reveals some little known gems, places that haven't been hurt by overdevelopment. The authors provide tips on where to stay, where to find a good meal, and what activities are available. If you have a spirit of adventure, be it wild or mild, this book has something for you...and some place wonderful to discover.



2. This is a great guide that is well put together and has the right amount of information on each town to help get you started. There is no useless filler that I have seen in other books, this one gets right to it. I would definitely recommend this one for anyone that loves to travel and have some good information about the place right before they go.



3. After seeing the rave reviews of this book, I was looking forward to enjoying its tour through undiscovered outdoor towns. After reading through the reviews of towns known personally to me, it appears this book gives you a good list to begin your outdoor town quest but delivers very little content and additional sources to continue it.
   
   What I liked about this book: They introduce many towns not widely known to travelers and outdoor-minded downshifters. Some examples are Red Lodge, MT, Cloudcroft, NM, and Sheridan, WY. Their focus on smaller towns (though they never define how big that is) is welcome, which is why you don't see many of the outdoor town usual suspects such as Boulder, Asheville, and Flagstaff.
   
   What I didn't like: the book idea itself is ill-conceived as it attempts to cover 101 towns for "living, visiting, and playing," but ultimately falls short of the mark as it's too much to cover in one book. They would have been better served leaving off towns such as Moab and Taos and focusing on the lesser known gems they uncovered.
   
   There's no seasonal weather information in the book other than the odd anecdote (unbelievable for a travel/relocation guide). Town elevations are not consistently given, even in the West where it's a vital stat for a city. They don't mention that Livingston, Montana is one of the windiest spots in the lower 48, or that Gunnison, Colorado and West Yellowstone, Montana often have the coldest temps in the continental US in the winter.
   
   Although housing prices were stated to be a key factor in winnowing down their list, no median housing prices are mentioned. They cover the economy of a town in unhelpful brevity: "industries: tourism, retail" with no mention of wages or unemployment rates. The pictures in this book are atrocious -- most of the time it's hard to determine what the black and white photos cobbled together from state tourism boards and chambers of commerce were trying to depict. Good quality color photos would have added immeasurably to the book. There's only one map in the book, and it labeled the Columbia River as Hood River.
   
   Fact checking was inconsistent -- it says Gunnison's weather is milder than Crested Butte, CO yet this is exactly wrong. Gunnison is colder in the winter and warmer in the summer than Crested Butte. Caption under photo of Columbia River and the town of Hood River, OR claims that it is a picture of the river of "Hood River." The book says that Silverton is only 19 miles away from Telluride's Airport, but they don't tell you this is via a 4x4 jeep road that's only open for a few months in the summer when they finally plow through the 20 foot snow drifts in June at the 11,789 foot Ophir Pass. Otherwise it's over a 50 mile crawl on winding (although beautiful!) roads.
   
   There is nothing substantively critical in this book. Come on guys -- all towns have their downsides whether it's the brutal winters of Whitefish or the remoteness of Alpine, TX and your book would be better addressing those as well.
   
   It also would have been beneficial to have additional suggested readings, internet sources, and the number/website for the local visitors bureau.
   
   I'm left with one gnawing thought upon reading this book -- did the authors genuinely visit all of these towns? They don't claim to have done this. The pictures are from the tourism boards, some of the facts are wrong, and they are accustomed to writing about outdoor gear they've never used and places they've never visited from their time with Men's Journal. I would be interested to know.



4. I can't review this product because when it was delivered the mail carrier left it outside, and it was apparently stolen.



5. First off, I'm jealous of anyone who lives (or spends a lot of time) in any of the towns mentioned so colorfully here. This book gives me exactly what I need to know: what to do (what trails, trout streams, rivers, favorite hideouts, etc.); where to do it; who the local legends are; where to sleep--and maybe most importantly, where to grab a bite and a drink at the end of the day. I can find the elevation, chamber of commerce phone number, and weather online. But I can't find the intangibles and vibe of a completely out-of-the-way town like Lake Placid, New York or Silverton, Colorado unless I know a local, or read this book. Extensively researched, very pithy, and often funny. The writing is much better than standard guidebook fare.

No comments about Insiders' Guide to Savannah and Hilton Head, 7th (Insiders' Guide Series).

5 comments about Day Hike! Mount Rainier.

1. I really enjoy reading Ron C. Judd's books. He has a terrific sense of humor and is not afraid to call them the way he sees them.
   You can tell by the descriptions in this hiking guide that he's been out on every one of these trails. The book is organized so you can tell which hikes are best for beginners and which will be a long walk for any veteran hiker.
   This is one of a series of three guides that is specifically written for day hikers, but it would be just as useful for anyone planning a backpack. Most of the hikes have a section on extending the hike, so just about anyone who shoulders a pack would benefit by this book
   If you compare it to the other trail guides about Rainier, I think you'll find that this one is the most up-to-date and accurate book of all. Better than that, this one was produced by a real writer.



2. After buying both this book and "Hiking Mt. Rainier National Park" by Schneider, I would say this book definitely takes second place. The nice features are the detailed elevations and the topographic maps. He also gives anecdotal descriptions, like if there are mosquitos or not. However there are a couple of detractors. A few of the hikes are not really even in the park. He also intersperses some snide comments that I do not find humorous, though I guess that is what he was meant by them. A good book if you ONLY intend to day hike and not explore the park in depth, but for a really complete guide Schneider's book is a lot better, as well as being more professional and emphasizing the care that we need to observe to preserve this beautiful national park. However, I do recommend buying both of them for an even more complete hiking guide. They really do not overlap too much and the writing styles are so different you benefit from the information found in both of them about the same hike.



3. I was extremely pleased with this book. It is geared toward hikers of every level of fitness and ability. I found the NPS website confusing in its description of hikes, but this book did a very good job breaking down the various hikes by location, length, difficulty, and change of elevation, as well as providing a good description of what to expect. I took several hikes while at Mt. Rainier and found the book to be very accurate. It also has a number of practical tips which I found useful since I had never hiked at altitude before. I encountered other hikers who lacked guides and they were clueless and missed out on a lot. If you are going to take the time to get to the park, you should spend a few bucks on a book to guide you the rest of the way.



4. We purchased two books on Mount Rainier hiking. This is by far the best. In fact we didn't even need to buy the other book. Ron does a surperb job of descriping each trail in detail. The ratings from easy to extremely difficult are very accurate. He gives elevation gain and rates each trail as far as beauty. The ratings of each trail is from 1 to 5 backpackers instead of stars and we found them to be completely true. We are backpackers as well as day hikers, but we wanted only to day hike these trails, so this book is just what we needed. My advise is to buy this book, it is really all you will need if you only want to day hike. Happy hiking!!!! I hope you enjoy Mount Rainier as much as we did.



5. I've spent a fair amount of days at The Mountain without any trail guide book, but decided I needed one to get full enjoyment out of the park. The book has all the information you need to choose a hike based on highlights, season, difficulty, and solitude.
   
   It is arranged by park region and even includes a few hikes from outside the park that have good views of Rainier. Directions on how to reach the hikes are clear, as are directions while on the trail. Maps are cropped USGS-style and show elevation gain well, along with adjacent elevation gain charts.
   
   I appreciated the inclusion of autumn in some hikes' "best seasons to hike". Far too many books base this designation on wildflower seasons, but leaf color change and mushrooms can provide just as much interest in season. The author's sense of humor is pretty good, although forced at times. Regardless, it does not detract from the discussion f each hike.
   
   All in all, I'd definitely recommend this book if you are only interested in day hikes.

5 comments about Brooklyn: A State of Mind.

1. BROOKLYN: A STATE OF MIND, edited by Michael Robbins, is a treat for anyone who wonders about the place they always hear about in movies and t.v. or who was born and raised in the greatest borough of the greatest city on Earth (ahem). In spite of the gimmicky subtitle, this collection of essays and stories, photos and cartoons, film scripts and stills, is as informative, inspiring, stunning, human, and a little bit scary as the place itself. Some of my favorite pieces are:

   1) David McCullough's "Harry Truman: Live and In Color in Brooklyn". (I'm a sucker for anything by McCullough, anyway.)

   2) Glenn Thrush's "The Mistake of '98". In 1898, when Manhattan (which was New York City back then) incorporated the surrounding four boroughs to create Greater New York City, everyone thought it was a fantastic idea--everyone, except for Brooklynites, that is. Brooklyn, which at the time was the third or fourth largest city in the U.S., really didn't want to be associated with the dirty, corrupt and immigrant-filled island on the other side of the Brooklyn Bridge. (Brooklyn wanted to be its own dirty, corrupt and immigrant filled place.) Thrush's piece is a fascinating look at the events leading up to and years after the consolidation.

   3)Jon Gartenberg's "Brooklyn on Film: The Guy from Brooklyn in World War II". I had always remembered watching old WWII movies and, sure enough, there was always the Brooklyn guy. Even in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, the character, Reiben (sp?), is from King's County and wears a Brooklyn bomber jacket. Gartenberg explains why this staple became so common in this movie genre.

   Lastly, the photos, some of the best are by Stanley Greenberg and Genevieve Naylor, provided some breathing room around the enormous amount of text. BROOKLYN: A STATE OF MIND is one of the best books about the greatest place on the planet. Got a problem wid dat?

   Rocco Dormarunno, author of The Five Points




2. I grew up in Brooklyn in the 50s/60s. I now live in Los Angeles but I still miss the old neighborhoods. The stories in this book bring me right back. It's a great read for people who want to reminisce or for someone who would like to get a taste of life in a time of innocence in a place of unparalleled sense of community.



3. 125 stories packed with interest. If Chicago is the city of big shoulders, we learn, Brooklyn is the city of big mouths. Mel Brooks growing up in Williamsburg. Coney Island weirdness. Neighborhoods decline and are reborn. The world's handball champ. Blacks, Jews, Italians. Park Slope, Bed Stuy, bensonhurst, Flatbush, Midwood, Gravesend. A black themed B&B in a Victorian mansion. Comedians, musicians, crooks, athletes , writers all tell their stories. Rivoting.
   
   Great packaging, index, photos.



4. the most enjoyable book i have found to bring back the days of growing up in the wonderful, diverse city of Brooklyn. i keep 5 copies on hand and give them out to people i meet of my generation frim Brooklyn.



5. This is a scrapbook of the world's greatest city from the end of WW II to about the beginnings of television. It's necessarily sentimental because almost everyone who contributed to the volume doesn't live there any more. They (we) did our best and went elsewhere and although we may have succeeded because of the place we came from, most of had to leave to be who we are.
   So this is a sentimental tribute to the old country. The photographs are wonderful-that is, they tell the truth as I remember it and some of the essays are great.
   This is another bedside, bathroom, waiting room book best sampled in small doses and savored.
   
   Lynn Hoffman, Brooklyn Tech '61 and author of New Short Course in Wine,The and the Brooklynesque bang BANG: A Novel

5 comments about Sanctuaries: The Complete United States--A Guide to Lodgings in Monasteries, Abbeys, and Retreats.

1. This is an excellent guidebook -- not only the best of its field, but also the only one that I know of. In my opinion, this is an absolute essential for the spiritual adventurer. Armchair seekers -- such as I -- will also enjoy its many, many stopovers and tales. I recommend it highly, but wonder why something like this wasn't written sooner ... when I was still young and single enough to put it to better use.



2. During these very stressful times, when the simple desire to find peace within becomes a burning obsession, this book can help you locate some perfect places to do just that.There are many guide books out there to choose from for a myriad of vacation styles but this book is extremely unique as it only offers places where a seeking soul can find inner peace, can find the true divine nature of who they are, to find deepest form of traquality one can obtain on a vacation or perhaps in life itself. If a person were looking for dinner shows, black diamond restaurants, thrills and high-entertainment for the whole family, this isn't that kind of guide, nor are the places mentioned between the covers going to be appealing.This book is only for those who seek the greatest thrill of all: inner tranquillity and divine connectedness. It's a "must have" book for the inspired traveler. I give it a 5+ rating! Laurie.



3. As another reviewer alluded, many of the monasteries/convents in this book are included without the nuns'/monks' knowledge or permission. Further, at the end of each state's chapter "other places" are listed for guest accommmodations. The listings are totally inaccurate. Having contacted many of the "other places" I discovered that some have facilites for guests and others do not. The information in the book is not dependable.



4. Though this book was written some 8 years ago, the information contained is still quite useful. There are many travel books on the market but virtually none focus on this type of market: spiritual travel and retreats in the US. I've been to several of the retreats and have been enthralled with the people I've met there. It's easy to get caught up in the Disney World consciousness of travel but if you want something a bit different, this book has that kind of information for you. Yes, some of the places may have changed but not all of them. If you have an area in mind, this book is most helpful to finding out what's available. In this very unique field of travel, this is an excellent reference book for opening the mind, heart, and spirit to greater things. These folks who have the retreats and monastaries don't usually advertise and are not found on the internet so any help is good help. This book is exactly what it says it is, a guide book. I'm so very thankful to have it too, it's been an exceptional tool.



5. I appreciate that this book exists (I would have no idea how to find these places otherwise, especially the Eastern-thought ones), but the book (and the two others by the same authors) is written sort of as a piece of "spiritual tourism." The descriptions of each place seem to focus on the accommodations and amenities; for example, I think almost every place is described as having "delicious [vegetarian] meals."
   
   That's nice, and I'm glad to know that I would eat well if I went there, but I would have liked a bit more description of each sanctuary's spiritual approach, as it is relevant to my reasons for wanting to go to one.
   
   Maybe a set of short general descriptions of the various approaches at the beginning of the book (Benedictine, Trappist, Jesuit, Mahayana, Theravada, Zen, etc.), including their similarities and differences. Then, in the description of each individual place, how they carry out that particular tradition, any differences of approach from the "standard," and so on.
   
   Don't misunderstand - there is some description of spiritual approach, but it isn't as consistently present as the descriptions of the meals, the beds, the view, and so on.
   
   The other two books by these authors have a decent amount of overlap, but they're useful, too. (I have all three.) I don't know if it's mentioned elsewhere, but each of the three books lists, beyond the places featured and described, the names, addresses, and phone numbers of many other places in each state. I'm sure that some of the information is probably out of date by now, but at least the names and general locations give one something to go on in a search.
   
   Sanctuaries: The Northeast (A Guide to Lodgings in Monasteries, Abbeys, and Retreats of the United States)
   
   Sanctuaries: The West Coast And Southwest (A Guide to Lodgings in Monasteries, Abbeys, and Retreats of the United States)

4 comments about Benchmark Nevada Road & Recreation Atlas - 2nd Edition.

1. I use this atlas for it's great off-road detail to plan and execute ATV trips. This is the BEST atlas I have found for off-road detail in Nevada and it hasn't let me down yet. It must be the best, since others in our ATV Club have it and refer to it often. I never see another atlas on the trail besides this one!



2. When I purchased a Nevada Road & Recreation Atlas that had missing pages, Benchmark offered to correct the problem immediately. They responsed to my email in less than 24 hours. I've used 3 of their Atlases for different states and find them extremely useful.



3. Not only does this map label and explain all the interesting recreational features in the state, it also labels all the rural ranches and farms(!) We use it at the university! THANKS!!



4. The Benchmark Nevada Atlas is of the best topographic atlases of Nevada. This large format atlas includes historical sites, major and minot roads, and physical features that complements most GPS based mapping programs. It's a must have if exploring landsailing sites in Nevada!!!!