2 comments about 60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: New York City: Including northern New Jersey, southwestern Connecticut, and western Long Island (60 Hikes within 60 Miles).

1. You would think that a hike in New York City would take you from say Central Park to Battery Park along the sidewalks. To my surprise, the Brooks have found all of these hikes within a reasonable distance from the city. As a for instance, the Pelham Bay Park is 2,766 acres in size with 13 miles of shoreline. It's also reachable by public transport. (Take the #6 train followed by the Bx29 bus.) The hiking there is flat, shoreline and all that. Or there's Norvin Green where you'll need sturdy hiking shoes, and find multiple deep-water streams to cross in a 9.3 mile up and down trail. Other hikes include wildlife refuges, state forests, national recreation areas, swamps, mountains, rivers, waterfalls, ocean shores. You can get away from the concrete.
   
   As a book, the layout makes it easy to find things. The overall maps lead you to the general area you may find interesting. The descriptions of each of the 60 hikes includes a description, a detailed map of each, elevation profile, and directions - usually by automobile and public transport. As the back cover says, If you live near NYC, get it.



2. Christopher Brooks surely did his homework in writing 60 Hikes within 60 Miles: New York City: with northern New Jersey, southwestern Connecticut, and western Long Island. The details on the many hikes in the Tri State area are very helpful. One can easily trace around the suggested trails that Brooks provides. Also Brooks adds a little history to many of the recommended trails.
   
   He gives equal emphasis to New Jersey, Connecticut, Long Island, and the Hudson Region. Also a comprehensive index is provided so the reader can easily distinguish flat hikes from vigorous climbs to ones to bring the children on. Every base is covered as this book is a fantastic guide for anyone looking to explore new hiking trails in the New York area.

3 comments about Birnbaum's Walt Disney World Dining Guide 2008 (Birnbaum's Walt Disney World Dining Guide).

1. If you are simply looking for locations, themes and price points this is your guide. But if you are looking for details on the best items on the menu, atmosphere, little known facts, etc this couldn't be a worse book for you.
   
   I realize that everyone has different taste, but you can in fact generalize; something the authors of this book seem to want to avoid at all costs. This books is straight fact, no opinion.
   
   I guess I'll have to follow my Dad's method for finding a good place to eat. "When in a new place, always look for the restaurant in town with a full parking lot; it may not be fancy but the food should be good."



2. If you have the regular birnbaums guide it should do fine. dont waste your money on this. it doesnt give any reviews or helpful hints at all. its just a basic rundown of each restaurant which is already in the birnbaums regular book.



3. There were two things I hoped to get from this dining guide - menus to help me make dining choices, and reviews of the various restaurants and food stands so I could avoid expensive but lousy food. This was important to me, as you have to make reservations WAY in advance of a trip to WDW to avoid waiting hours in line for food. What I got was Disney propaganda instead of critical reviews, and very little in the way of menu information. I suggest instead the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World by Bob Sehlinger, which has critical, more detailed reviews of each WDW dining option. The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2008 (Unofficial Guides)

5 comments about 50 Best Girlfriends Getaways North America.

1. This is an interesting and informative book. If you need a girlfriend's getaway, you are sure to find the perfect place. I especially like the breakdown of places to go, see, visit, eat, etc. You won't be disappointed in this purchase.



2. I bought this for my mom and she's found some really great things to do with her gal pals in it...I think I'll borrow it eventually.



3. The book is well written, and organized to help make travel planning easy. Haven't traveled yet to rate the experience, but loaded with great ideas!



4. This book is chock full of wonderful suggestions for time away for bonding with your best girlfriends. When I bought the book, I found that I had already covered about fifteen of the trips with one friend or another, so I can attest to the suggestions' being right on the mark. It's given me some great ideas for future getaways. Marybeth Bond knows what things are important to a group of women who want to eat, drink, tour, shop, and enjoy new and exciting (but safe) places -- and know that these things are often best experienced in the company of your good friends. She also recognizes that sometimes you want to embrace nature, sometimes you want retail therapy, and other times you want to just relax and be pampered. She has suggestions, well researched (she must have had a lot of fun researching this book!), for every preference. Highly recommended!



5. We're lovin this one too! So many great ideas! Highly recommend to all who need a "Girlfriends Getaway"!

3 comments about Sierra North: Backcountry Trips in Californias Sierra Nevada.

1. I finally replaced my 1988 5th edition with the current 9th edition by Kathy Morey, Mike White and the usual Wilderness Press accomplices.
   
   It is physically larger and heavier, but I have finally realized that it is ok to cut out just the trip I am doing and take it with me, so weight is not an issue.
   
   There are a couple of big improvements. The most significant one for me is the organization by major highway. i. e. Interstate 80 trips, Highway 89 trips, Highway 50 trips, etc. Makes it much easier to select possible trips for a short amout of time off. The other improvement is the use of text on grey background to indicate such things as chapter tabs, Notes that are a supplement to the trail text and so forth. It makes the book more interesting to the eye.
   
   The maps in my 5th edition were in a pocket at the back of the book. Now they are a full page in imbedded in the text with the associated trail description. They still have the trail elevation profiles that are still an important part of my trip planning. The bigger book size allows more and larger black and white photos.
   
   On the trail descriptions themselves, I have recently hiked all the PCT segments, and reading after the fact, find the descriptions accurate. On all the Wilderness Press guides, I sometimes find myself puffing up a steep grade and thinking "why didn't they tell me about this?". Assume that the descriptions are done by an experienced, acclimated hiker and don't assume the first day or two will be easy
   
   A friend just told me about a new hiking area where he had found a great view, so I looked up Thunder Mountain in Sierra North, and found out all about it.
   
   They have GPS waypoints on the trailheads. I find that where I need them is on these obsure trail junctions - maybe something for the 10th edition.
   
   Definitely a good book for your hiking shelf.



2. Planning a trip using another guide made me realize how good this book is. The first reason is the elevation profiles at the start of each trip that tell you how high and low you'll be--something good to know this summer when the temperatures at the lower sites (like Yosemite Valley) exceeds 100 degrees. Second, the authors tell you exactly what it is like to hike the trail, from one landmark to the next, without extraneous commentary. Seems like a simple enough formula but only these guys get it right.



3. This is the essential book for planning backcountry trips in the Sierra. Details such as noting which trails are open earlier season help planning a trip that won't get cancelled because of snow on the trail. More detail on shade and forest would be nice.

3 comments about The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite & the High Sierra: Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them.

1. This book was so-so in my mind. There are a lot of pictures but I had a hard time relating the discussion to where exactly they were referring to on the map. I'd need more information before I travel to Yosemite on a photography trip and will be doing more research as this book didn't have enough "meat" in it for me. It should have covered Yosemite in more detail and left out the High Sierra or vice versa.



2. This book has beautiful photographs that well illustrate what is possible when attempting to capture Yosemite's splendor. The size is really nice. Easy to throw in your day pack and take along on an excursion.
   
   The discussions on photographic technique are short and to the point. There is just enough information to get an understanding of what the latest digital camera equipment is capable of and how to achieve it without getting overly technical.
   
   Mr. Davis has obviously spent a lot of time in Yosemite at numerous locations and in a variety of weather conditions. There are great descriptions on how to find photographic vantage points. The text also contains valuable tips on the practical aspects of getting around the park, obtaining permits, and how to prepare. I especially liked the section on the High Sierra trails and backcountry travel.
   
   I strongly advise getting this book well in advance of your arrival. Its information will be a great aid in planning your time inside the park.



3. This is a very inviting book. The information in it is put very clearly. The photos and the tone of the book are extremely inspirational. The author obviously knows whereof he speaks.

5 comments about Wandering Home: A Long Walk Across America's Most Hopeful Landscape:Vermont's Champlain Valley and New York's Adirondacks (Crown Journeys).

1. This book is thin. I mean literally. It is really just a somewhat longish essay. I was disappointed that there was not more depth, more history, more "more."
   
   This is the story of McKibben's amble from Vermont to the central Adirondacks, with a crossing by row boat of Lake Champlain. McKibben is a good writer and he loves this landscape and is very concerned about it and its place in the global environment, but I could not help comparing him and this book to another Bill-namely Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods. Bryson is a much more energetic writer. In my opinion, he is funnier and deeper than McKibben. A Walk in the Woods is a great book, Wandering Home is light weight by comparison.
   
   McKibben has some very good thoughts on environmental issues and expresses an admirable moderation in this book. He is especially sensitive to the complexity of many environmental issues and actively criticizes the "knee-jerk" environmentalists for over-simplifying the issues in many cases. On the other hand, McKibben is something of a romantic airhead. Often his ruminations are fatuous and patronizing; for example, his dogma that those simple Vermont farmers and old Adirondack loggers that he's met are more "authentic" than you or I (McKibben makes this claim more than once in Wandering Home).
   
   Nevertheless, I liked this book and enjoyed reading it. McKibben loves the Adirondacks and so do I. In this short book he's managed to capture something of the flavor of the hidden Adirondacks, that fortunately so few people know. The Adirondack Park of New York is the most beautiful sylvan landscape in the world. McKibben's book raises, but barely starts to answer, such questions as why and how to protect and preserve the Adirondacks and other similarly blessed places.



2. Bill McKibben walks for sixteen days through the Adirondack Mountains to share his love of the land with his readers but what makes the book so special are the people Bill introduces, walks with, and talks with (and about...) along his journey. I was a Travel Agent for five years and was lucky enough to be sent to some of the best, first class places in America and this journey that Bill McKibben takes us on with his words is more meaningful than many of those places I went to which include the Grand Canyon & Scottsdale, AZ; the San Francisco Bay Area; Paradise Island & Nassau, Bahamas; Manhattan; the Sierra-Nevada Mountains (by train); and New Orleans & Mississippi River Cruise!
   
   Each authentic and real person that McKibben joins on his trek lends a hand in telling the story. The book is as much about the beauty of the people as it is of the land. I grew up twenty miles away from the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania, and presently I am a steward and guardian of 400 acres of land in central PA with my husband, his uncle, and my husband's brother and I share and appreciate Bill McKibben's deep love for the power of nature, the wild, and the people. I found John Davis (owns a bicycle, no car) as one of the most interesting characters in the book. I also like the stories of Chris Shaw, who has the good sense of memorializing the people who have passed on but that once lived in the Adirondacks and give the book historical authenticity. My favorite stories in the book are from Donald Armstrong and especially Armstrong's memory he shares with McKibben (and us) about Don's wife, Velda and a fly-fishing event. I laughed so hard I cried! It is a funny moment, but this husband-wife story is so cute and sweet, and gives one a feeling of nostalgia. (The church steeple is a cool part, too.) This is a gem of a story and Wandering Home is a gem of a book.
   
   I am a people person and for the first few chapters of Wandering Home I'm thinking that it is too bad Bill McKibben spends all this passion on the Adirondacks. I imagine what his passion could do to improve the lives of the infirm or impoverished people. Much to my chagrin, in the last few chapters McKibben admits this deficit with charm and honesty. He admits he should spend more time helping the less fortunate, and then justifies his love and preservation of the Adirondacks as his way of giving something back to people. And, I agree that he has. Furthermore, he explains that he tries not to be a drain on the planet. If only we could all think this way, maybe our global warming and environmental problems would vanish. For the first time in my life, I realize the full extent of the impact that people have had and still have on our surroundings and I am saddened and sickened by it. (I imagine a sunrise or a sunset over a mountain, or an ocean breeze I thank God there are still a few areas left in this world that man / woman hasn't been able to get his / her hands on.)
   
   I do have one eco-criticism of Wandering Home. Bill writes that he and John Davis climb to the top of Owl's Head on page 93 of his book. Owl's Head is a considerable distance away from Bristol, and is not included in the path outlined on the inside covers of his book. But, every author has to create mystery in some way, right? Judging by the description of Owl's Head I can see why McKibben would include it in his "walk" since Owl's Head sounds like a stunning place with it's 390 degree view of the Adirondack mountains. On my map, Owl's Head is about sixty miles north of Lake Placid one way, as the crow flies.
   
   Dr. Robert Bernard Hass (English Professor, poet, writer, and Robert Frost expert at Edinboro University) and I got into a discussion about hyper-individualism in class one day. Dr. Hass told me about his friend named Bill McKibben and how McKibben writes about hyper-individualism and that a good place to start on the subject would be Wandering Home. I am grateful that Hass recommended the book to me. It was a book that I was sad to see end, but a journey I will always remember in more ways than one. I was so inspired that I am planning on a short family vacation to the Adirondacks for this summer. I will do my best to demonstrate a sense of forest preservation and protection while I'm there, visiting the wild of the Adirondacks.



3. Bill McKibben describes a walk through place and community. The community is bound by a geographic region but the displaced reader is imperceptibly drawn into the mind-set of McKibben and his guests. You are introduced to a group who love the land on the Vermont/New York border and recognise it as one of the few "wild" places left in America. It is their passion to preserve and conserve that comes through and it is infectious. The book inspires the reader to analyse their relationship to place and modes of behaviour driven by place. The antithesis of economic consumption exists in all of us, however repressed. Bill brings it to the fore. The effect on the distant reader is such that you will join the community despite being so far way. Bravo Bill !!!!!!!!!!!!!!



4. I have spent much of my recreational time in the two places Bill McKibben writes about in this book -- The Adirondacks of New York and the Champlain Valley of Vermont. They both offer some of the most beautiful, pastoral scenery in the US. From Lake Champlain itself you can see the Green Mountains of Vermont on one side and the Adirondack Mountains of New York on the other. As Mr. KcKibben points out, while they may look similar and proximate from afar, each is quite different from the other. The Champlain Valley is more pastoral, bucolic and New England-like. The Adirondacks are much more rugged, wilderness-like and rough around the edges. Both can call to you in a way that becomes a lifetime's pursuit.
   
   This book is an easy and short read. It is engaging, paints wonderful pictures with words and gets you to think about the tension between a simpler life closer to the natural world and modern society and progress/development. He is fair in his assessment of the joys and the struggles associated with a simpler life closer to nature. I don't know who would enjoy this book more - the person who has enjoyed this simpler life or one who can only imagine it through books like this one. I highly recommend this book for people who love this part of the world or who have thought about getting closer to the land and living a simpler life.



5. Bill McKibben comes through again. This time it's "a walk in his woods," a three week hike connecting upstate Vermont with the Adirondacks.
   
   When you travel with Bill, it's a journey of body, a journey of mind and a journey of spirit, all rolled into one. You'll meet other folks along the way, people who have something to say to Bill and to you. You travel easy with Bill. This Bill is not as funny as Bill Bryson but he's more thoughtful. And he'll get you thinking.
   
   This book is a book about a place and about the history of that place. Having hiked in both areas, I especially enjoyed the subtle distinctions Bill is able to discern in landscape, flora and in the character of people between what he sees in the gentle hills of Vermont and the rougher landscape and terrain of the Adirondacks.
   
   Take this trip with Bill McKibben. You'll be glad you did.

5 comments about Tennessee Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. This is more than a book of maps. It lists state parks, campgrounds, places to canoe, etc. I think it works best when using another book in conjuction with it.



2. This Atlas, like all in the DeLorme series of Atlas & Gazetteer references, are wonderful map resources. A wealth of information is included. If anything, the level of detail, coupled with the topographic information, may seem a bit too much at first glace (if you are new to these guides). But if you're willing to spend a bit of time with the maps, you will find these guides to be very useful.
   
   In addition to the maps and the useful indexes and cross-references, these guides include listings or location sources for hiking, camping, fishing, recreation areas, unique natural features (waterfalls, bridges, caverns, natural areas, etc.), bicycle routes, horse trails, etc. And of course, GPS (Lat/Lon) coordinates are printed on each map.
   
   Although the scale of these maps demand it, it would be nice if the guide book dimensions were a bit smaller. At 11" x 15.5", it's a good size book, so it's not quite as easy to stow in the backpack or the motorcycle storage area, etc.
   
   Overall, these are excellent guides for any traveler or outdoor enthusiast.



3. This is not in as much detail as I expected and is just another map-I wish to return it-how do I do that ?



4. I am well satisfied with the service, however, the Gazetteer was dated 2004. Perhaps it hasn't been reissued since 2004.



5. GOOD SERVICE, GOOD PRODUCT, GOOD PRICE.
   
   GOOD = 5

5 comments about 50 Thrifty Maui Restaurants.

1. Wow ... every restaurant we tried was exceptional. We were staying at the Ritz Kapalua, so we were eager to go off campus for great meals at cheaper prices. Take this book with you when you go to Maui. It's right on target.



2. This book is not very in-depth, the reviews are short and not terribly accurate. There are plenty of cheap places to eat if that's what you want and it feels like they wrote this book to travel around Maui as a "critic" to get recognition and cheap food. Maui Revealed is much better.



3. My husband and I used this guide for a 5 day trip to Maui in January 08. We found the reviews to be up-to-date and accurate. Yes, the descriptions are brief, but this is meant to be a lightweight pocket guide that you can throw in your beach bag or keep in the glove box of your rental car, whether you use it on the fly to find a casual place to munch, or want to plan for something a little more upscale but still within a budget. Most of the places listed here are casual condo resort restaurants, "mom & pop" digs, or fall under the "fast food" category (but there's only one chain restaurant listed). But afterall, this is Maui and unless you are at the Four Seasons or other upscale resort area restaurant you are probably fine to roll in with your flip flops and a t-shirt. We liked the specifics like instructions on where to park and suggested menu items to try. If you like to stay at your resort and dine at the typical touristy restaurants in Lahaina and Kihei, you wont find this book very useful. But if you are like us and like to explore "out of the way" Maui when you go and are looking to spend less than $20 (or less than $10) per person on a meal, this book will be indespensible during your driving tours around the island. You can save money and eat at the less expensive breakfast and lunch spots listed in this book, and then splurge a night or two on dinner at Mama's Fish House, Roy's/Kimo's/Lahaina Fish Co., and a luau or dinner show. We ate at at least 5 places recommended by this book while we were there, from oceanfront restaurants to tiny taco stands on the Hana Hwy. By the way, we've used Maui Revealed for years (who doesn't these days?), and 50 Thrifty lists a lot of restaurants that Maui Revealed doesn't. So spend the few bucks for this book and have an even bigger selection of restaurants to choose from when you get there!



4. We brought this book on our trip and used it frequently. We were very pleased with the book. It was accurate regarding the restaurants, locations, menu selections, and especially pricing.



5. A first we thought that we will end up where there was OK food, but we tasted better food than some of the more expensive tourist locations. Gives you that great island living experience, you go to towns where no tourists hang out, restraunts with friendly people, mom and pop shops where people care about you and the food they are serving. I highly recommend this book, even if you are not on a budget.

5 comments about Weird California (Weird).

1. The book is definitely a good source of 'Americana' at its finest and is extremely entertaining. While some excerpts go on in detail of exactly where to find things, others are hazy if not incorrect. A little fact checking is needed. All said, purchasers will not be disappointed.



2. Photos, illustrations and stories are great. But I found the overall book lacking in one key area: Maps to show you where these places are located. Or even where some of the cities are located. Very fun book but but I felt I wanted more info. with greater detail.



3. I picked up this book out of facination. I realized that in the County where I live they spoke of the Olivas Adobe. But they had the facts of the place all wrong. One instance, they had the owner and builder of the Adobe, who in fact was a part of the Mexican Army under General Santa Ana, serving under General Santa Barbara. There never was a General Santa Barbara. Too bad. The legend of this ghostly place has a great story but told by the wrong people. They need to do a little bit more research than just crank out books with misinformation.



4. As others have stated, the one big thing lacking in this book is a map. It would be much more convenient if there was an overall map citing the locations of places described in the book so you could easily see what weirdness is near you to explore. Even a simple index by county would be more useful than nothing. I can't speak to the fact checking, but it is an entertaining read.



5. Perfect solution for weekend getaways if you live in or near California. Can't wait to start traveling to some of these cool places. Very well written with outstanding photography.

4 comments about Connecticut/Rhode Island Atlas and Gazetteer (Connecticut, Rhode Island Atlas & Gazetteer).

1. We have come to rely on the Gazetteer series for general navigation when an Internet connection is not available. My husband purchased the New York version for a business trip and found it to provide exactly the information he needed.



2. You really cannot go wrong with the Atlas Gazetteer from Delorme. Especially if you are flying into Jackson, MS and planning to drive around half(literally) the state on all sorts of back roads trying to find streams, creeks, etc.



3. I wanted to get this atlas, especially to help us find places to go camping and hiking.. It's not always easy to find campgrounds or primitive campsites (since they're not always located in clearly identified campgrounds), so having these detailed maps is very useful for that. We recently used the atlas when we camped in the Catskill Mountains region, and I was glad we had these maps to help us out.



4. Already have an Atlas, topo CD set of Northeast, Garmin GPS Vista with topo/street maps. Once I found these Gazetteers, I bought one for every state in New England and New York. Each of the above provide different levels of information and alternative routes and access to various locations, often places with no direct road or trails. The gazatteers provide fast detail access to areas in question over the GPS or atlas and are invaluable to me while in the vehical. Although, the GPS is my lifeline away from the vehical, the gazatteers are large and not weather resistant.