3 comments about Moon California Hiking (Moon Handbooks).

1. Every two years or so, hikers in California are blessed with a new edition of Ann Marie Brown and Tom Stienstra's California Hiking, by far the most complete hiking guide to the state. Keeping track of all the trails and updating when necessary is no simple task. Indeed, one of the authors proudly advertises hiking, camping, and otherwise exploring the out of doors almost half the year in an effort to keep this book up to date and to "avoid .. getting a real job." The 2008 edition is the largest in several years and includes over 40 new hikes.
   
   What has stayed the same. California Hiking still divides the state into sixteen geographical regions and lists hikes in each area. Maps of each region are provided with directions to the trail heads, and regions are organized from North (Redwood Empire) to South (San Diego County and Southern Deserts). An introduction explains how to use the guide and lists favorite hikes of the authors in multiple categories, from best wildflowers and waterfalls, to best "difficult" hikes (the authors use a slightly different aphorism) ie., hikes you might not want to take your spouse on. Each hike includes a brief description, along with directions to the trailhead. Individual trail maps cannot be included in a guide as comprehensive as this one, but the authors provide information on where to obtain available maps, along with important details like entrance fees, permits, and local government agencies.
   
   What is new. More trails! From one end of the state to the other, the authors have added new hikes: some twenty in the San Franciso area alone. I am personally looking forward to walking the recently opened Mill Creek trail, found just south of Monterey and Carmel. Old growth redwoods are one of my passions, and any new trails of this sort are welcome. Among the new hikes in Southern California, Gray's Peak and Black Mountain Lookout both offer spectacular overlooks. Also new is Runyon Canyon in Hollywood Hills and several new trails in the Sacramento area. A few trails have been dropped from this edition. The Cedars Creek Interpretive trail, for example, has fallen into disrepair and is no longer listed in California Hiking. But for the most part, the changes are in favor of more, not less, and this edition is worth purchasing for the new hikes alone.
   
   Other changes include updating mileages and difficulty ratings. Those of us who are absolutely exhausted after climbing to the top of Yosemite Falls will be relieved to find that this trail is now rated a "4" on the difficulty scale (which runs from 1 to 5). The authors have also made extensive mileage updates to reflect new trail alignments. Deep Creek Hot Springs is now listed as 4 miles from a new trail head, and the Ewoldson trail, probably the single most beautiful hike in the Monterey area, is now listed at 5.3 miles to include a spur trail to a stunning overlook.
   
   Over the years I have met a number of hikers who use this book as their hiking bible for the state. More than a few of them (myself included) dream of walking every trail listed. That would require a Herculean effort, of course, but it says a lot that the authors of this book have done so multiple times and given the rest of us what is surely the most comprehensive state hiking guide currently available in the United States. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.



2. I actually used up my first copy of this book - I still have it but the pages are falling out and it is pretty dog-eared, so I bought the updated version. I love the rating systems (1-5 for difficulty, 1-10 for ooohs and aaahhhs), the area maps, the specific tips for each hike. My husband and I hike in the Sierras a lot during the summer and this book has taken us to some wonderful places. We even used the book to celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary with a "hike" across the Golden Gate Bridge! Just about anywhere you go in California, this book can guide you to a very satisfying hike.



3. Three books I use and reuse for hiking: this one (I'm happy it's been updated and use it for pointing me in the right direction reference more than detailed trail directions); the Golden Gate Trailblazer for all the gorgeous trails on the San Francisco coastline and those in beautiful Marin; the Stairway Walks in San Francisco book. Someday I hope to try some of the southern California outings. This book is very thick and comprehensive.
   Stairway Walks in San FranciscoGolden Gate Trailblazer: Where to Hike, Walk, Bike in San Francisco & Marin

3 comments about Afoot & Afield San Diego County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide (Afoot and Afield).

1. Jerry Schad is a remarkably prolific outdoor author. He has written extensively on hiking in southern California including the wildlands within Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. But San Diego is where Schad's heart truly lies and it shows in every edition of 'Afoot and Afield San Diego.' I have owned each one since the first in 1986 and this book just keeps getting better and better. The 4th edition (2007) features over 250 hikes and is sure to keep outdoor enthusiasts busy.
   
   Most of the 30 or so hikes new to this edition are in the chapters dealing with Beaches and Bays and the Coastal Strip/Foothills sections. In the last 20 years San Diego County has made remarkable progress at putting aside open space for recreation and this version of Afoot and Afield chronicles many new preserves that have appeared over the last decade. New hikes include the Hosp Grove, a walk among Eucalyptus Trees just south of Oceanside, the addition of three new routes in Mission Trails Regional Park (along with the banishment of one path up Cowles Mountain), and multiple new trails in the Alpine/Jamal area.
   
   While urbanized areas have seen many changes, the mountain and desert portions of the book are similar to previous editions. In Rancho Cuyamaca State Park, only one new hike was added, a pleasant jaunt along Cuyamaca Reservoir. Sadly, although the book has not changed much, the surrounding mountain landscape has. The 2003 Cedar fires destroyed much of the park and Schad's assessment that it will recover in a decade or two seems highly unlikely. As an aside, I was disappointed that Schad repeated the park claim and attributed the fire to "a century of fire suppression." That was, of course, part of the problem. But rampant mismanagement by the state park also shares the blame. Thinning, controlled burns, and spraying for bark beetles would have done much to mitigate the 2003 catastrophe. Happily, Palomar Mountain State Park has learned from the disaster that overtook Rancho Cuyamaca and is returning to active management of its resources, beginning with clearing away brush and downed wood. Because of this careful management, the many beautiful trails and cross country routes Schad describes on Palomar will be safeguarded for generations to come.
   
   In conclusion, this is a very good guidebook. It retains most of the best features of earlier guides and all of the best hikes. I miss the little icons that appeared in previous editions, but the heading for each hike provides all the information you need in a concise, readable format. The trail sketch maps are also for the most part adequate, but you will want to supplement these with more detailed recreational maps where available. Still, this is the most comprehensive guide to San Diego County, a four season outdoor wonderland. If you want to explore the region, you would do well to get this book.



2. I bought this book for my son who lives in San Diego. Recently, he has become and avid hiker. He tells me that he really enjoys this book.



3. I love this book and have been using Jerry Schad's words of trail finding wisdom for years. If you are living or visiting in the San Diego area and you like to hike, Afoot and Afield is THE book you need.
   
   Schad knows all the ins and out of San Diego county and mentions everything. This is not just a listing of all the well-known trails in the area - it's a complete description of everything with a trail. In my own local Mission Bay region, the book describes tons of long and short hidden trails, places I never would have found on my own.
   
   The book is organized with general county information up front (geology, geography, trail courtesy and the like, everything pretty basic), with trail descriptions following by region. A large map up front helps you pick the region you want. There are trails described for Julian, the Laguna Mountains, Cuyamaca Park, Anza Borrego desert, Torrey Pines State Park, Palomar Observatory Mountain, Penasquitos Canyon and many gorgeous coastal, mountain and desert locales. There are also swimming holes and waterfalls to explore.
   
   I enjoy the book's layout: pertinent user-friendly info is in a box, on top of each article (trail length, difficulty, best times to hike, etc). Directions to the trail head are consistently mentioned at the end of all trail descriptions, which is useful when you are driving to a new area. Hand-drawn maps and clear black/white pictures add to the usefulness of the text.
   
   If anyone ever riffled through my own copy, they will see I've placed notes in the margins, underlined portions of text, and turned the copy into a workbook of sorts.
   
   The Afoot and Afield book that started with San Diego has branched out to other areas. I also own and recommend Afoot and Afield in Orange County and Afoot and Afield in Los Angeles.

3 comments about Spiral Jetta: A Road Trip through the Land Art of the American West (Culture Trails).

1. Many art historians have written about the great modern earthworks of the American West and Southwest, but this is the first travel book to do so. What sets this book apart from others of its kind is the quality of the writing and the personality of the author, Erin Hogan. Hogan, an avowed urbanista from Chicago, writes with real comedic flair about the road trip she took in her trusty VW Jetta to visit the legendary Spiral Jetty, Lightning Field, Double Negative, Rodencrater, and Donald Judd's Chinati Foundation in Marfa (almost all of them funded by the Dia Foundation). Writing in a picaresque mode, along the way she encounters some pretty hairy and scary characters straight out of the old Wild West, but gone wrong, terribly wron. While her discussions of the formidable works of Judd, Smithson et al are excellent and accessible for general readers, the account of her accidental discovery of a folk-art site known as Hole 'n' the Rock is absolutely transcendent, right up there on a par with Perelman, Benchley, Woody Allen. A fabulous read. I hope we'll be seeing more from this talented writer--and soon.



2. As a woman who also took a road trip (well, OK, it was in a converted bus with my husband, pets, 200 pairs of shoes - and I still had to be dragged kicking and screaming), and lived to write about it, I had high expectations for this book. I was not disappointed. Even though I've never been that interested in "land art," Hogan nevertheless manages to bring it to life with humor and grace. I could also relate to her many misadventures as well as her growth during the trip, and I'm certain other readers will love going along for this ride.



3. Land art was a controversial movement that came out of the 1960's and 1970's. Artists like Robert Smithson, Nancy Holt and Walter DeMaria tore apart the concept of art being individual works displayed in a gallery or sculpture garden independent of surroundings and time. They went to the most remote corners of the American west and southwest and created huge installations that are wedded to the landscape with an expectation that time and elements, as well as the viewers' physical perspective, can change their work and statement.
   
   A generation later, an urbanite armed with a doctorate in art history, who was well read on the debate about land art realized that since its entire point is about where it is, she ought to go out and see these icons for herself. Erin Hogan may have been intellectually equipped, but going to land art is nothing like donning heels and a black dress and going to a gallery opening in Chicago. Thus her book is an amalgam of art history, art criticism and a frequently funny travelogue of an innocent who had never traveled solo before. The title of the book incorporates this range: the first earthwork she visits is Smithson's "Spiral Jetty" on Salt Lake, and the car she drives to remote, off-road locations requiring high-riding all-wheel drive vehicles is a VW Jetta.
   
   This book works on many accounts: Hogan is a natural storyteller and she is an accessible interpreter of art history and criticism. Due to very poor directions, not to mention a scary evening in a bar called the Saddle Sore, she does not find Holt's "Sun Tunnels" and later, a conversation with a Navajo ranger convinces her that it would be foolhardy in gun country to seek James Turrell's "Roden Crater." Although that's disappointing, she achieves some major experiences, especially a transformative overnight at De Maria's "Lightening Field." However inauspicious their start on the trip, she and the Jetta survive, and she provides revised travel directions for those who would like to make their own pilgrimages without the slapstick.

5 comments about Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the Southwest: Jayson Loam's Original Guide (Hot Springs & Hot Pools of the Southwest: Jayson Loam's).

1. I gave this four stars because most of the book is awesome and we've good experiences with the other additions. My wife and I love to travel to natural hot springs and we bought this after visiting most of the springs in the Northwest US.
   We bought this edition just to get some idea of the springs in Texas. There is only one listed though which is pretty inaccurate. Nothing in the Austin area is included but the stuff in Hawaii was right on!



2. I got into hiking and discovered hotsprings a few years ago. This book is a great guide and map to many great springs all over the South west and more.
   Def. reccomend it for the adventurer



3. This is probably the best hot spring book in existence for the southwestern U.S.. It is great, it has everything you need. Beyond the locations themselves, the book lists temperature of the pools, driving direcetions, driving conditions, exact GPS coordinates, accessability and a great description of the springs along with some black and white pictures. It has all of the major hot springs in it (I am sure there are still some minor ones on private property). I have been to a couple of the sites in the book and it was easy to find them. I would highly recommend this book.



4. By using the GPS coordinate, we had a lot of fun searching the hot springs in the Mammoth Lakes area. The only reason I give it 4 stars is there is a wrong GPS coordinate (reading the direction eventually got me there). Great book.



5. If you like hot springs, this is the book for you! The most information in the easiest format to follow. The directions are better than most other books like it, Really I haven't found a hot spring book that compares, this one has been around a long time and it's still the best. Also has been revised so its up to date.

5 comments about The Photographer's Guide to the Oregon Coast: Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them.

1. I am what most people consider an advanced amateur photographer. Last week I went down to Portalnd on Business and used David's book as my guide on a little detour I took on the coast.
   
   I had only one day to drive through the coast. The book was extremely valuable in helping prioritize where to go, and save time by driving right to the good spots. Thanks to this book I was able to take amazing pictures in Cannon Beach and other places.
   
   Absolutely recommended for anyone visiting Oregon, even if you are not a photographer, this book is much better than any tourism guide I have seen.



2. Having this along with my on my recent trip up the Oregon Coast was absolutely invaluable. It helped me choose which turnouts to take and which to bypass. I loved the included suggestions of what to do according to the weather, since several of my days were overcast and drizzle, rendering some of the views drab or nonexistant. I wish there were more books like this available for everywhere I want to go!



3. Covers alot of ground and offers more photo op suggestions than one could ever hope to take in one visit. Used it extensively to plan a photography vacation on Highway 101.



4. This book was amazingly specific in directions of how to best view an incredible scenery. It was great more for its direction of where to go, park, or stand than the photography tips. The author gave great detail such as tips for how to find the best parking lots, how to avoid the tourist packed spots, and how to find unmarked trails to find fantastic angles in isolation. We used it as our primary guide for three days down the coast and really loved it. Note that the order of the book is generally north to south.



5. I loved this book! The author shares many great secrets for finding out-of-the-way places to photograph. If you are looking for a book on technical how-to photograph, get another one. This book is all about location.

No comments about Frommer's Arizona 2009 (Frommer's Complete).

1 comments about Philadelphia & The Pennsylvania Dutch Country (EYEWITNESS TRAVEL GUIDE).

1. Thinking of visiting Philadelphia and the surrounding region? This is an awfully good introduction to the area and a fine resource for visitors and tourists. Is it perfect? No. Is it helpful? Yes indeed!
   
   The Eyewitness folks have developed a series of books termed "Eyewitness Travel" that are quite nice. This volume begins with context about the city, including comments on its history and a quick survey of some special attractions.
   
   Next, the book focuses on Philadelphia, area by area. Old City is, of course, especially interesting, containing many sights dating back to the city's earlier era, including the Betsy Ross House, Elfreth's Alley (the oldest continually inhabited street in the United States), and Independence Hall. Another delightful fixture? City Tavern, with its recipes by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson on the menu.
   
   Other areas include Society Hall and Penn's Landing, Center City, Logan Square and the Museum District, and other areas, including outside of Philadelphia.
   
   The Philadelphia Museum of Art is well described here (pages 88-91), as are many other cultural landmarks.
   
   Want an idea where to stay or eat? This work also includes information on these issues. One can certainly disagree with some of the listings (I have places to eat that I'd add), but the choices aren't unreasonable and would be helpful to potential visitors.
   
   All in all, a good resource to take with you when visiting Philly or the surrounding area.

5 comments about The Cheap Bastard's Guide to San Francisco: Secrets of Living the Good Life--for Free! (Cheap Bastard).

1. Being the gourmand that I am, I especially liked the section on eating for cheap, and sometimes for free. Good cheap tips and witty banter make for an amusing read.
   
   Now I need to find a book like this for London.



2. An essential read for cheapskates and big spenders alike. Written with a knowledgeable and detail oriented style. Even if you have never set foot in SF, it is an entertaining study of the city's culture.



3. The book contains a number of
   cheap/free ideas for those visiting
   the city, including terrific suggestions
   for shopping. Definitely recommended
   for both parents and singles.



4. This book is packed with great facts and activity suggestions for both locals and tourists, and for those, like me, who go to SF often as a day trip.
   
   It covers pretty much every interest a visitor might have. Plus it's a slim volume, reasonable to stick in your backpack.



5. I travel to San Francisco once or twice a year to get away from LA. Saw the book on Amazon and figured it would probably be a humorous read but didn't really expect any practical advice. To my surprise it was actually both. It's a smart funny read but it also REALLY DOES have the low down on free food, fun, and frolicking. My boyfriend and I went up a few weeks ago and planned the whole weekend using the book. Found plenty of art, parks, and music to keep us busy and hit some cheap and/or free happy hours and food joints. Probably the most fun I've had in the City and definitely the least expensive weekend ever! Thanks for the tips. Much appreciated!!

3 comments about 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: San Francisco, 2nd: Including North Bay, East Bay, Peninsula and South Bay (60 Hikes - Menasha Ridge).

1. The San Francisco Bay area has some of the best hiking in the state. Indeed, when I found myself with time off from work this April I left southern California and flew my father in from Idaho to enjoy a week in the region. Between Point Reyes National Seashore, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and the many state and local parks in the Santa Cruz mountains, Bay area hikers pretty much have it all. I'm actually envious of all the area has to offer and periodically threaten to move there until I remember that home prices are positively prohibitive. Still, spring is a wonderful time to visit and this new edition of Huber's 60 Hikes within 60 miles, San Francisco, is a good place to start.
   
   This book has all the nice features found in the "60 Hikes, 60 miles" series, including a nice locator map, decent trail sketch maps, and a list of author hiking recomendations broken down by hiking distance, best places to take kids, and areas where you can actually walk a dog in the canine unfriendly Bay area. Each hike also includes a "key information at a glance" section where readers can learn the mileage, elevation gain, a rough estimate of hiking time, and the GPS coordinates for each trailhead. In all, the book provides solid information for each trail.
   
   But what makes this book so special is the care Huber has taken in selecting the trails. As the webmaster for bahiker.com, she is very familiar with all the Bay area has to offer, but this guide does an excellent job of selecting some of the best. Included are several hikes on Mt. Tamalpais, Point Reyes, and numerous walks among redwoods. The latter are my favorites and I have hiked the routes she describes in Henry Cowell Redwoods (often overlooked) and Big Basin State Park on multiple occasions. Berry Creek Falls in Big Basin has to be one of the top hikes in the state. Huber has also gone to great effort to select a variety of different trails for readers. Hikes range from 3/4 of a mile to over 11 with the vast majority falling in between 4 and 7 miles. Literally anyone can find a hike suited to their abilities within this book. Finally, Huber is something of a self trained naturalist and she shares her extensive knowledge of plants and animals found along the trails in her detailed route descriptions.
   
   I try to get to the Bay area a couple of times a year to hike. For the most part, my explorations have been confined to Marin county and the Santa Cruz mountains, both of which can feel quite remote despite their close proximity to the city. I've hiked several of the routes Huber describes here, and am interested in doing many more on my next trip. I am also keen to explore the many regional parks in the East Bay area now that I have read this book. In all, this is a great guide to Bay area hiking. If you are a resident or frequent visitor, it will be a nice addition to your outdoor library.



2. I've really been searching for a great introductory book to get me started hiking at all the great state parks in the North Bay section of the Bay Area and this book came up. [...].
   
   Each park has an introductory section detailing distance, trailhead location, directions to the trailhead and much, much more. I usually use the introductory information to start my hike and then when I'm finished I go back and read the details. If I find I've gotten lost or found an unmarked trail, I can usually discover which is the correct direction.
   
   So far, I've only made it to five parks here in Sonoma and Napa County, but with the help of Huber's book, I'm looking forward to exploring farhter and discovering a new favorite hike.



3. This book is a terrific resource for people who like to walk and find themselves in the Bay Area. I found the book because it is mentioned on Jane Huber's wonderful website (www.bahiker.com). I bought the book out of gratitude, but I should have bought it out of pure self-interest. Having an actual book to page through, WITHOUT being hooked up to a computer, is a joy, and I rediscovered the simple truth that cross-referenced lists on paper (and a good table of contents and index) can be superior to links on the screen. With the book, it is a snap to compare hikes by location and difficulty at an information-packed glance. Huber organizes the book so that every question I can think of is answered, easily, clearly, helpfully. Hats off!

5 comments about The Year of the Goat: 40,000 Miles and the Quest for the Perfect Cheese.

1. Hathaway's writing is compelling, gentle and poetic from the first line. It was fascinating to learn how someone dared to give up an urban life to cross America in pursuit of--why not?--goats and, ultimately, love. While goats are the theme, the book's heart is about the daring it takes to give up everything to discover something entirely new. Who hasn't wondered "What if..." (What if I had the money to give up my life and try something else, What if I had the courage, What if I had the opportunity)? Hathaway chose not to wait for her circumstances to change; she went ahead and changed them herself, and her results are inspiring.



2. The authors perceived something missing from their city lives and began to dream of living closer to the land. Llama farmers and gardeners have routinely followed this path: what makes this different is their determination to raise goats - even though they knew little about either goats or farming. A hilarious, insightful survey of not only goat farming but producing the perfect goat cheese makes for a lively survey perfect for rural collections and culinary holdings alike.



3. This book was a big let down. I was so excited when I came upon it. The premise sounds great! My DH and I are also moving into such a new life of goats. . .But trying to get through these pages was tiresome work! It is written like. . . a flat book report is what comes to mind. I was rooting for this book; every chapter I had hope. Big disappointment IMO.



4. This book was recommended to me from a public library reading list. Although I was initially hesitant to read this book (I have little interest in the production of goat cheese or goat meat), I was really glad that I did.
   
   In this book, Margaret Hathaway and Karl Schatz (her photographer partner) leave New York City to travel around the United States to determine if they are interested in beginning a new lifestyle as agriculturalists. They interview any and all individuals associated with the industry of goats (cheese makers, chefs, butchers, show judges, etc.) and discover an amazing amount about the U.S. goat world and about themselves.
   
   The first few pages of the book are a little information-heavy, but the characters they meet on their journey make up for the intense emphasis on goat products. In reading this book, I feel like I got out of it what I hoped I would: a realistic and purposeful travelogue about American community.
   
   I read this as part of a book club (I suggested this book on faith), and we had some really interesting conversations about their journey, sustainable living, and small-town charm. Some of us loved it and others of us didn't like it as well.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in goats, back-to-the-land movements, and insightful traveling memoirs.*
   
   
   *For others interested in obscure (but interesting) travel narratives, I would highly recommend "Who Are You People: A Personal Journey into the Heart of Fanatical Passion in America" by Shari Caudron. This author dives into various communities (Barbie Doll conventions, Furries, Sci-Fi conventions, etc.) to understand what draws people to different interests and how these communities are interlinked.



5. I read this book to learn more about goat cheeses (which I have recently grown to love) and not only learned more about them, but about the passion that goes into their production. This book is about people with true love for what they have decided to do. It is a pleasure to read and I can't wait to get to the market and sort through the goat cheeses again, now with a little more knowledge of not just how they taste and how are produced, but the beauty of the animals and people responsible for them. Who knew a book about cheese could lead you to both laugh and cry!