3 comments about Trout Streams of Wisconsin and Minnesota: An Angler's Guide to More Than 120 Rivers and Streams, Second Edition.

1. I am a guide and fly fisherman in SE Minnersota and still refer to this book when I explore new water. Almost as good as having a guide with you. Mel Hayner MINNESOTAFLYFISHING.COM



2. This book is fantastic. The author literally fished almost every stream and wrote about them. The book is filled with photos and maps to help get a visual on what he is describing about each stream. I also found helpful the places to stay and eat he suggested. Make notes of your own next to each stream he wrote about. A must have when scouting new trout streams.



3. This book offers a comprehensive guide to all the major trout streams in the Wisconsin/Minnesota area. Well written with fantastic advice.

5 comments about 50 Hikes in Central Pennsylvania: Day Hikes and Backpacking Trips, Fourth Edition (50 Hikes Series).

1. Mostly a very good resource. Speaking on a pure scenic level, the author shows you some fantastic views and pretty trails. However, he fails to tell you sometimes when the trail is incredibly rocky or steep. Overall, though, definately worth the money



2. I only began hiking at the end of September but have done 6 hikes so far. I've done 2 hikes in this book (Bohen Run (#36) Pine Trail and Hemlock Mtn (#41?)), which were my first hike and my most difficult hike respectively. I've also done 4 hikes in Thwaites' Eastern PA book. This author is almost always very precise and descriptive. Even as a beginning hiker I found his text so easy to follow. He points out neat things to check out, side trails, etc. but also leaves some surprises out. Some are good, some are not so good. Sometimes his descriptions leave out things like climbs, which beginning hikers need to know. And some trails are badly blazed or have hunters, which should be noted. Some trails need to be updated. But overall, I can't recommend his books enough. Thoroughly interesting, accessible, and informative. I always feel completely safe with his book in my hands. I still don't see how he did Pine Trail and Hemlock Mtn in only 6 hours though! He must be in great shape! We usually finish about an hour less than the hike time, but that one was difficult. He is definitely the authority on hiking! I hope he keeps writing and finding new trails for us to explore!



3. Tom Thwaites has done a lot for the Pennsylvania trails, and is the father of the Mid State Trail, which is my favorite trail to day hike. This edition of 50 Hikes in CPA is nicely updated from the last edition, and the hikes are all excellent. Dr. Thwaites loves great views, and so do I, and this book will get you to the best of them. One thing I especially like about this book is the careful research that has gone into relating the history of the areas you are hiking in--it's nice to know a little something other than where you are! About the only complaint I have about this indispensible guide is the fact that some of the suggested hikes are quite arduous and long for me. I'm a big guy, so I wear out easily, and this may not apply to you. What I've done, though, is used this book in combination with the MST maps to make my own day hikes with the same destinations. I've also done some of his recomended hikes as overnighters. Between this and Jean Aron's "The Short Hiker" you have a great start on hiking in this area. Kudos to Dr. Thwaites and his efforts!



4. This is an good book describing several trails in the area. Some of the trail descriptions are a bit on the short side, but overall it does a good job locating overlooks and trail descriptions.
   
   The only thing I could suggest is setting up a website to go along with this book. Something that could keep track of errata and trail conditions along with a messageboard and such. The first time I used this book, we did hike #6, the Maple Run Trail and found out that the book says to go out 2.8 miles out Maple Run Road for the trailhead, but in reality, it is only 1.3 miles. We lost a day of hiking because of the error. If there was an easy way to monitor such errata, it would help.



5. This is a decent book describing the basics of 50 different hikes. The book has two pages of text plus a small map of each hike. The text tells you how long the hike is, provides basic driving directions, and indicates whether the hike is rocky or wet. However, I felt uninspired after reading about the hikes. I was left wondering whether it was really worth a two hour drive for some of these out of the way hikes.
   
   The author does not present this book as the 50 best hikes, only as a list of 50 decent hikes. I would have liked to see color photos, better maps, a better list of what to look for on the hikes, rankings of the most enjoyable hikes, and a numerical rating of aspects such as rockiness, steepness, and wetness, so I could better determine how certain age groups would fair on the hikes.

5 comments about 100 Hikes in Utah.

1. I've looked though this book and was really impressed by the detailed information and variety of hikes. I just ordered it from Amazon and am very anxious to use it this summer with my family and rugged little Scout troop who are gaining a great appreciation for this beautiful land.



2. This otherwise excellent guide is seriously compromised by a major omission. For hiking in the west it is really important to know the maximum and minimum elevations of a trail. This book lists the elevation gain, but amazingly and foolishly does not tell you at what altitude the hike begins and ends. This is such a serious (and needless) blunder that I would not recommend the book.



3. I bought "100 Hikes in Utah" for my daughter and her fiance because I thought it would be perfect for them. They have discovered the beauty of nature in Utah, especially in the southern part with the cliffs and rock formations.
   
   This is a very well-written guide to the 100 places Steve and Rhett have explored. They know what they're doing, and their experience and love of the outdoors is evident throughout the book.

   I like how each chapter is set up with information right at the beginning of the article on every site, telling the reader about the distance round trip, hiking time, difficulty range, best season to go, etc. The articles give great detail about the journey, with tips such as camp sites, water sources, and scenery throughout. There are many wonderful pictures throughout the book. I only wish they had been in color since it's clear the views are spectacular. (Check out the hair-raising photo on page 98!)

   I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in hiking the beautiful landscape of Utah. Be sure to take this book along with you.




4. Keep a copy in your car-- I do. Trail guides are easy to understand with all of the information needed to find trailheads with confidence. I have owned this book for years and have used it a number of times to plan trips to a specific destination or to break up long drives with a quick hike when I am on my way to/from some other activity. Get the book, fill the car with gas, and see how many of the hikes you can complete this year!



5. This book has some great hikes. You may use it to find the hikes, but do NOT rely on it's described hiking distances or directions. On one hike they describe a 1.5 mile section of trail that in reality was about 4 miles. Use your topo maps & GPS before the hikes to be sure of the distances. On another hike, their description of a return route was very vague & didn't mention several landmarks which would've made the route easier to find. Some of the slot hikes don't mention certain obstacles, though these could've happened after the book came out. This book may be too out of date to be useful...

5 comments about Dog-Friendly New England: A Traveler's Companion, Second Edition (Dog Friendly).

1. This is a great book, we have dogs and love to travel. This book gives us a wonderful list of places to stay and other information.
   Thank you,
   Jane



2. We took our two dogs to Canada and used this to navigate the northeast. Highly highly recommended.



3. Dog-Friendly New England is a well-organized travel guide for those of us who can't think of travelling without our dog. The book is organized by region,
   and each region is rated for its "dog-friendliness."
   This book is fun to read when you're just trying to plan a New England trip.
   It offers just the right amount of information, with capsule reviews of lodging establishments, restaurants, and attractions. You can probably plan your whole trip to New England based on the recommendations in this book.



4. My wife and I wanted to travel with our Newfoundland dog. No small feat! I read the reviews of this book and decided to try it for myself. I have just returned from 8 days in Kennebunk, Kittery, Bar Harbr ME and Newport RI. The suggested places to stay were teriffic. Clean, roomy enough and very very hospitable. The places to eat and go were also uniformly great! While these were not 5 star resorts, the owners get 5 stars for opening their places to a gateful family! GET THIS BOOK!



5. I purchased this volume, unread, as a gift. Therefore, I cannot offer first-hand testimony (hence, my four stars). The recipient, however, vouches for its accuracy and usefulness.

3 comments about Michelin 2008 Los Angeles (Michelin Guide Los Angeles).

1. Littered with errors, this book does not meet my expectations. With a poor selection of Chinese restaurants, incorrect city names (i.e. somehow the City of West Hollywood became Hollywood, community in the City of Los Angeles) and poor reviews containing no substance. I would stay clear of this in favor of Zagats.
   
   It is clear this book was rushed and the product shows.



2. Tried 5 restaurants from different categories and they are all good in general. I think most of the restaurants on the guide worth a try and the 1 star Japanese restaurant was the best out of the five.
   However, I wouldn't rely on this guide to find authentic Chinese food. I personally think there are couple really good Chinese restaurants in San Gabriel and Alhambra areas that were not covered in this LA guide.



3. I have bought the guides for SF, NY, Vegas, and LA. While the ones for most of the cities are very good, I think the LA one disappoints. I know that LA has many more restaurants that could have made the guide. Perhaps not starred, but better than many of the non-starred selections in the guide. I realize that a big portion of the problem is that the scale of LA makes it hard to cover, but some effort should have been made to be more comprehensive prior to publication.

5 comments about Wind River Trails.

1. Finis Mitchell (Author) is known as the ultimate authority on the Wind River Range (Wyoming). He began exploring the Wind Rivers as a teenager (1920s), later worked as a guide and outfitter there, planted most of the lakes with fish. Book is small (fits in backpack). Has maps (including USFS/USGS references), photos, very detailed written descriptions of trail systems in Wind Rivers. Marvelous detailed accounts of how he planted hundreds of lakes with Fish back in the 30s. Great detail on which trails are best for which purpose, etc. There are other, fancier, newer-style books on the Wind River Range, but only this book is written by a man who literally walked every single inch, scaled every peak, fished every lake in the entire range....the book is sort of a novelty item as well, in that it is actually printed in what looks like his original typewriter font...the maps are hand-drawn, but are actually more reliable in some ways that actual USGS maps of same area. FANTASTIC BOOK...A COLLECTORS ITEM..AND A VERY USEFUL TEXT AS WELL.



2. A hiking guide by the "elder statesman" Wind River mountain man. One of the highlights of this short book is the autobiographical sketch. Finis Mitchell has hiked the Wind Rivers since 1909, taken 105,345 pictures and has scaled 244 peaks. The book provides short descriptions of numerous hikes, gives directions to trailheads, and, for fishermen, describes the fish species that the lakes along the trails contain. Scattered throughout the book are poems and sayings by Mitchell. Only 144 pages long, the book lacks details found in other Wind River trail guides, but nonetheless is a gem.



3. Finis Mitchell is the real thing; a true nature lover who hiked the Wind River Range so many times, that he can actually give you landmark by landmark directions to hikes, fishing and scaling peaks. He has a no-nonsense wisdom paired with a poetic nature. The story of how he stocked many of the lakes with trout is fascinating. Very clear routes to Gannet and Dinwoody Pass.



4. This is a no-nonsense, old-style guide to the Wind River Range. The author has been a guide there since the Great Depression. He provides some autobiographical information about his guiding business. He recounts, with pride, stocking high-mountain lakes that had never had fish before -- a practice that runs directly counter to today's views about preserving ecosystems.
   
   The book is small (about 4x6 inches, 144 pages) with poor production values -- Courier font that has not been typeset, old black and white pictures, hand-drawn maps. It's organized by access point. You'll need a road map of the region to make sense of the directions, however, and there is no map of the Winds as a whole. There is elevation information for some peaks (not all), and no elevation for anything else.
   
   The prose is straightforward. He tells you where the trail is, and how to follow it. Mitchell doesn't provide any information about why you might choose this route or that, this destination or that one. He just tells you that Trail X goes to point Y by route Z. There is no sorting of routes by day hikes, overnights, week trips, or the like, which have become standard in hiking guides.
   
   Mitchell clearly knows every inch of these mountains well -- so well, in fact, that mileage information is irrelevant to him. So too is elevation, for the most part. Sometimes he'll tell you that "a Boy Scout troop would make this trip in two or three days," or similar information. He also sounds entirely credible when giving advice about likely snow conditions on peaks.
   
   Standards for hiking books have changed. A LOT. Don't rely on this one all by itself, and buy a Wyoming map and topos for your route. But when I go to the Winds, I'll carry this little book in my pack. It's full of an old-timer's sharing of his wisdom.



5. I met Finis some 20 years ago when he was giving a presentation on the Wind Rivers to a club of some sort. A captivating presentation with amazing photos of carrying the fish up to the lakes in old coffe cans and the like.
   
   As others have said, this is a primitive book by today's standards, my biggest gripe is no index. But if you want to know about the trials, along with some insights as to where to go, this is the book to have.
   
   I do agree that you will be best served by a second book, and some good maps... and with google earth you can see it as well.
   
   But my autographed copy is a special possesion, and I higly recommend it. I wish I could have hiked with Finis, when he passed much that was known about this high country passed with him.

1 comments about 50 Hikes in Eastern Pennsylvania: From the Mason-Dixon Line to the Poconos and North Mountain, Fourth Edition.

1. Not a bad book for hikes to eastern PA. The one thing I would have liked to have seen was some sort of rating scale for the hikes listed in terms of photographic opportunities or "must see" places.

2 comments about The Michelin Green Guide To USA West (Michelin Green Guide: USA West).

1. This is the same review I wrote for the Michelin Green Guide USA East. To cover the entire USA, one must buy 2 books.
   I have been using green (and often red) Michelin guides for almost 50 years. For any area in the world they cover, they are clearly the best guide books available, with some caveats: one must have a good general education, and one must be able to read a very condensed map--skills many young Americans sadly lack. With those skills, however, as usual this new edition of the USA book is superb. Unlike almost all other travel books, Michelin offers clear value judgments, rankings, of sights. I have found over the years that I almost always agree with Michelin opinions. Because I like the series so much, and this book is very good, I give it 5 stars. Sadly, however, I don't think these books are as good as in past years. They should have more ½ page city maps, and there is no reason in the Green Guides to list hotels and restaurants. I suspect fewer maps and more hotels/restaurants are a sop to modern competitive requirements. For the most part, hotels and restaurants suggested are only the very most expensive--perhaps for those European travelers who have strong Euros to spend! Not much use to ordinary people! Another problem with Michelin Guides is that they are relatively expensive and if one travels widely, the collection of necessary guides (both Green and Red) becomes very large indeed. All that said, as an American I find this and the companion edition (Michelin USA West) wonderful reviews of the entire USA. If one has the time to travel widely in the USA, there is no better place to start vacation planning.



2. As all Michelin guides, it provides very concise and objective advice. If it says "***" (three stars) make sure you go there!!!

1 comments about Mountains for Mortals: New England: Scenic Summits for Hikers (Mountains for Mortals).

1. I live on the coast of Maine and did not realize what great hiking trails i had near by. The book is so detailed i am going to hike the two trails by Camden Maine Thanks for a great hiking book.

3 comments about Chow Maine: The Best Restaurants, Cafes, Lobster Shacks & Markets on the Coast, Second Edition.

1. Well worth getting for locals and visitors alike spending time on the Maine coast.



2. I have lived in and have travelled to Maine for over 40 years and have a pretty good idea of both the local restaurant scene and the new commers. However, in a travel format I think the book should have focused more on the wonderful Seafood, Lobster Pounds and Clam shacks dotting the Maine coast. Yes they have some but give too much space to new wave cooking. If you are going to visit Maine I think you want the flavors of Maine, not spaqgheti alla carbonara.
   This book missed the mark and excluded several of Main's best well known Lobster Pounds and Clam Shacks.



3. The idea of such a guide is great...but the result is lousy not to say something worse. This is supposed to be a food guide but you have no ratings! in addition you have no signs enabling you to know at first sight if a place mentionned is a luxury restaurant, a casual lobster place or a family hamburger cafe.
   In addition to the negative side, no mention of wine list.
   Out of the tens and tens of restaurant guides I have bought, this one is certainly the worst.