3 comments about Silver Palaces.

1. This book is essential for any fan of vintage campers. It has so much more than the story of Airstreams with coverage of many varities, both unique and common. Great photos on every page, with enough text to describe without a lot of needless details. Keister is on target with the vintage trailer hobby. If you are not a trailer collector, you might be after this book.



2. This is truly an oustanding book with lovely photography and compact writing. The result is an interesting read with plenty of history coveyed in a complete and interesting way.



3. Having owned different RV's over the years, it's fun to see what was out there and what is still chearished and functioning. It's always a tug at the heart strings to see some of the old ones go away.

5 comments about Americana the Beautiful: Mid-century Culture in Kodachrome.

1. Charles Phoenix has done it again! We've loved each of his books, and the last few we've bought almost as soon as he released them. This one has even more of Charles' trademark old, but crisp, bright and clear, color Kodakchrome slides, all taken by amateur photographers like you and me (or our parents and grandparents!), from all across America, and all with brief, nondistracting, colorful, very witty and informative commentary. It's a perfect gift for a "Fourth of July" Party. You'll laugh as well as be a little saddened by this colorful, visual reminder of our treasured, more innocent and playful past. Cheers and thanks once again to Charles Phoenix. And if you get a chance, check out his website and go see one of his hilarious live shows or tours.



2. Another selection of snaps rescued by Charles Phoenix just before they might have ended up in the local landfill. In the same format as his excellent 'Southern Californialand' (ISBN 1883318424) and so much better than the earlier 'God Bless Americana' book. The two hundred amateur slides feature a rich seam of everyday life full of white middle class detail (which of course does raise the question: didn't colored folk take photos back then or perhaps they never junk them).
   
   Overall I thought the photo selection was fascinating and grouping them in themes worked well. The last few pages have some intriguing architectural and transport slides like the 1964 flying saucer style State Capitol Bank in Oklahoma City or the late fifties General Motors Aerotrain pulling into a station. On page thirty-six onward there are several pages of people at home showing all kinds of domestic activity, food on tables, kitchens, watching home movies or just enjoying company. It's interesting looking at these photos because they are so unlike anything taken by professionals though sometimes the composition, lighting and color does lift them out of the mundane.
   
   Like 'Southern Californialand' the editorial format works well with photos one to a page, allowing for a deep caption or several slides butted together. My only criticism is that sometimes out of focus images are too large, for example the soft-focus Jefferson Drive-in on page ninety-seven would have worked better much smaller or even rejected. Also captions frequently describe in words what the reader can obviously see in the picture but fortunately many of them also have plenty of historical background detail about things in the photos.
   
   Charles Phoenix has hit on a successful publishing genre and there surely will be more titles to come but until the next one you can follow the latest finds on his website.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.



3. Americana the Beautiful is a trip down memory lane; especially for us Baby Boomers.
   
   These old shapshots are great! What a wonderful trip we took every summer when we visited my mother's family in South Carolina. Remember those luggage racks on station wagons? I remember being on the New Jersey Turnpike one time and luggage thtat was tied to the roof blew off. Dad had to pull our station wagon to the side of the road and pick up a suitcase full of diapers for my younest brother!
   
   I have fond memories of the Dairy Queen and the Good Humor mah. The smell was sweet mixed with raw exhaust fumes! What great times those were!



4. l have always been fascinated by the 1950s, it was like no other era in history,The American dream, good old fashion values, and families.It was portrayed as an era of blissful harmony and peacful existence for all. When l came across this book by charles phoenix, l was delighted, you cannot be amazed by this book of ordinary people, capturing their lives, on film in excellent quality. The fact that these pictures still remain, in wonderful quality taken by amateur photographers is truefully historical. If you never lived through the 1950s, and l didnt, because lm 35 years old, and your only glimpse of this era is in the movies, then this book is a real gem. His other book, californialand, is equally great book, which he showes more of these great photos of ordinary people living in the 50s. Great historical books.



5. There is nothing like great images and insight to bring back a long ago era. This book does a great job at setting the stage! Buy it and enjoy!

5 comments about The Sierra High Route: Traversing Timberline Country.

1. I made good use of this book to plan a wonderful cross-country trip in the Sierra. Roper was kind of vague at times, but I never got lost.

   The route he described was breath-taking. I intend to use this book to plan next summer's trip.




2. This book outlines a magnificent experience following an off-trail, higher version of the Muir Trail through the High Sierra. We have followed most of Roper's route over several years: sometimes we thought we were lost or overwhelmed, but it always turned out fine, and usually excellent. He treads a fine line between complete instructions that would allow no mistakes, and an experience that gives the hiker their own opportunity for route-finding, discovery, and growth. This is one of our favorite books, and we keep an intact copy plus another one torn apart for each journey and sometimes given away to people met along the way who need it. We still travel the trail some of the time, but genuinely value this alternative farther away from the crowds.



3. My girlfriend and I recently took some of Ropers advice on a Mt. Conness Loop 5 day hike in Yosemite. It was an increadible trip. Roper gives just enough hints to get you there but few enough to make it still feel like exploring. Be advised however when he referes a section of your hike as 'adventurous' or 'exciting' he means it. We pushed ourselves to the physical and mental limit on this trip.



4. This book is the ideal companion for everyone who likes walking off-trail on uneven terrain with a heavy pack. We used it last summer to hike a section of "the high route" (from devils postpile to tuolumne meadows) and it was so marvelous, we are going back this summer for another section. Roper gives exactly the amount of indications needed for a successful trip, although some experience in off-trail mountain-hiking is required. The high route is not trivial, even if no technical climbing is involved. The only thing: for most people it doesn't matter to have a single connected route. It would be nice to have other (shorter) routes in the same style, which are not necessarily connected. Maybe in another book? I don't know of anything comparable.



5. A FANTASTIC book about an awesome wilderness area! This is a must do hiking trail for me. I bought my brother this same book and I'm already planning our hike.

No comments about Wilderness Press Hot Showers, Soft Beds, and Dayhikes in the Sierra: Walks & Strolls Near Lodgings.

5 comments about Georgia Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. Very useful and about as accurate as you can get in a print edition, but a recent printing is missing some pages and has doubles of others. Check your copy, especially around pages 16-24.



2. I have bought 8 DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer atlases and think they are all superb, the best on the market. I use the co-ordinates to locate pin-point spots on the maps!



3. The Gazeteers are unique and very informative if you understand and can read Topographic maps. This is not the best choice for a road map but might just be the best compromise for any outdoor enthusiast looking for very good details in an easy to read and transport atlas. Great for planning backwoods adventures or finding old road alignments in many instances.



4. This State Map is the best I can find. I have several of these, and use them frequently to choose routes that I want to travel. The Best!



5. ALL DeLORME Atlases & Gazetteers are:
   ULTIMATE (printed) EARTH GUIDES
   
   The DeLORME is a superb visual representation of terrain and every feature of the landscape with a listing of Trails, Fresh Water & Salt Water Fishing Sites; Hunting Areas; Recreation Areas; Historic Sites; Unique Natural Features; Campground and Primitive Sites; Attractions, State Parks, Federal Lands, State & County Lines (borders), power lines (great for traversing areas or following out of wilderness if temporarily lost), private airports as well as large airports, and much more.
   
   This is not a `city map' with every street named and is more for the vacationer or outdoor enthusiast. Every street is shown, with main streets named. This is more for planning a vacation, canoe or kayak trip, hiking, off-roading on Jeep trails (shown), finding boat ramps, trail heads and so on.
   
   GPS (WGS84 datum) tick marks and grid lines are on each page. The terrain is masterfully represented by detailed color-coded shading with elevation lines clearly showing flat areas as well as rises in terrain allowing one to picture the terrain before seeing it.
   
   The pages show boat ramps, lakes, ponds, creeks, streams, water falls, springs, swamps, forests mountains, trails, old abandoned railroad grades (great for hiking), military bases, Indian Reservations, bridges, fire towers, and back country details galore.
   
   SIZE MATTERS: Pages are 11" x 15"; representing approx. 30 miles. X 40 mi. The back outer-cover shows the whole state. Great for quickly estimating mileage & travel time by looking at the page-grids. Forty minutes North-South, 30 minutes E-W in rural areas and more for populated areas or steep mountainous roads.
   
   In summary: A lot of bang for your buck!

5 comments about Three Weeks with My Brother.

1. Warning. Don't read the front cover flap of this book. It is a plot buster.
   
   This book is for anyone who ever had a brother or sister or ever wanted one. It describes a trip around the world in three weeks to some of the oldest buildings on this planet. While it seems like they spent more time on the planes than actually in the countries, and they saw more museums than they could handle, they also stood in awe of the world's greatest man-made treasures. Interspersed with the stories of old buildings, there were stories of old relationships: between two brothers, to their parents, to their sister, to their spouses and to their own children. In short a great read.
   
   Just don't read the front cover flap before reading the book.



2. Nicholas Sparks -- author of novels-turned-into-movies like "Notebook" and "Message in a Bottle" -- uses an around-the-world trip with brother Michah Sparks as the catalyst for this autobiographical work. It is largely about pain, ranging from Nicholas' pain over feelings of emotional neglect because he was the "middle child" between an older brother and a younger sister to the childhood pain of seeing his close companion drifting away from him as the boys moved in different circles of friends during their school years. However, pain also strengthened the bond between the brothers as they faced the loss of loved ones; no one else had the memories they shared, so no one else could understand the depth of their hurt. Sparks's clear and simple style makes for easy reading so that the emotions are not obsured by language.



3. After having 4 kids, most books would put me a sleep. I could not put this book down. What a great true life story about this fantastic author.



4. I just finished this book this morning and I have to say it was just average. Having just come back from a trip with my own brother and being of similar age to the Sparks brothers, I connected with this book on some level, but not completly. For instance, they refer to each other as "Brother" or " Little Brother". I have never really heard brothers regularly refer to each other in that way. I also never realy connected with the family as a whole, so I wasn't vested in the loss of his father or mother as there was a sense of detachement for both throughout the book. His sister's struggle and ultimate death was hard to read due to my own relationship with my younger sister, so the last third of the book gripped me more than the first 2/3s.
   
   
   
   All in all, it is an average book. If I were to rate it, "Tuesday's with Morrie" was a 10 on a 10 point scale, the "Tender Bar" was a 9 while this book was an even 6.



5. Not only is this story a memoir of the three-week trip around the world, it is an autobiography of their childhood. So many great humorous scenes - several I just had to read to my husband! I did not feel the detatchment to the parents as some readers described, but I got a clear picture of parent/child relations in the generation before me. And although I do not having siblings I grew up with, I did not feel alienated and was genuinely drawn into the friendship between them. Several parts had me in tears - and not just from laughing.
   
   I want my husband and his older brother (who are close) to read this - I think it will spark their memories of childhood.
   
   All in all, a fantastic book! For anyone - men and women alike, with or with out siblings, younger or older.... something for all.

No comments about Zagat Walt Disney World Insider's Guide 2008/09 (Zagat Walt Disney World Insider's Guide).

3 comments about Great Lodges of the Canadian Rockies: The Companion Book to the PBS Television Series.

1. Great pictures, informative text, and a tempting vacation guide (the book comes with a pocket guide showing prices, phone numbers, directions, photography tips, and other information). Describes the architectural and cultural evolution of the greatest lodges in Canada - most are those lodges built by the railways or by early 20th century mountaineers. All your guests will pick it up.



2. Anyone who loves spectacular mountain scenery and historic lodges should grab this book! Not only does the book contain the well-known spots (Banff Springs Hotel, Chateau Lake Louise and Jasper Park Lodge) but there's an entire section on lodges you can ONLY hike or ride horseback to. Barnes other books all feature American lodges, so this trip into the Canadian Rockies is a special visual treat full of history and plenty of sentiment. There are fold-out pages for real panoramic shots and a neat little guide in the back.



3. After watching the PBS series in July, I decided to buy the book. (I already own Great Lodges of the National Parks.) Not only are all of the spots in the series here, but MANY more. They all have wonderful photos and even better stories. It was touching to hear once more about Ken Jones (the first show of the series is in his memory).

3 comments about Best Easy Day Hikes Lake Tahoe.

1. We just returned from our trip to Tahoe and used this trail guide on the Grass Lake hike. It is obvious that the writer actually hiked the trail to write the directions. It was very descriptive of every step of the way. It also fits in the back pocket very nicely.



2. Just took a trip to South Lake Tahoe and used this book to guide our hikes. It's written in 1999, which I didn't realize until taking two hikes, both of which had poor descriptions/directions and innacurate maps.



3. We used this book while on a recent Tahoe vacation. Although it was written in 1999 we found the descriptions accurate enough to go on two fabulous hikes (and we are out of shape parents with a 7 & 10 yr old). Bring it along and enjoy the beauty Tahoe has in store.

2 comments about Pennsylvania's Forbes Trail: Gateways and Getaways along the Legendary Route from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.

1. This book explodes with information, history and suggestions. It was a daunting task, I'm sure, to collect all of the contents, but well worth it. The Forbes Trail is something all Pennsylvanians, and for that matter, all Americans, should explore and relish. It's such a vital part of who we are and how we arrived at where we are.
   
   The suggestions in the book for places to stay, to see, where to eat, things to do, places to explore - all abound, which makes for a rich presentation. There are lots of things to do which are off the beaten path. With this book in hand, adventures beckon. I recommend it heartily.



2. This book provided all that it said it would and more. A must read for anyone interested in the establishment of our great country!