1 comments about Moon Tahoe (Moon Handbooks).

1. If you only have a few days or a week to spend in Tahoe you will certainly want to make the most of your time. A good place to start is this new book by outdoor author Ann Marie Brown. In addition to stunning photos (both color and black and white--a trademark of Brown's travel guides), decent maps, and multiple itineraries for various types of vacation activities, this book povides a detailed listing of all the recreational opportunities at Tahoe. Hiking and biking receive the most attention but water sports, skiing and climbing opportunities are also covered in detail. Using this book, you will have no problem filling the days of your vacation.
   
   But of couse you will also want to enjoy Tahoe's nightlife, dining, lodging, and other tourist attractions. Brown's book covers it all. The book is divided into four sections: south shore, north and west shores, eastern shore (the Nevada section), and the Carson Pass area. Each section includes mini restaurant reviews, a list of lodging options (including campgrounds) and entertainment and shopping opportunities. This is truly a comprehensive guide. For my part, I will primarily use it to plan outdoor activities on my next all-too-brief visit to Tahoe, but I recommend this book to everyone who wants to spend some time in this fabulous region in California.

3 comments about Hidden Utah: Including Salt Lake City, Park City, Moab, Arches, Zion, and Bryce Canyon (Hidden Travel).

1. Hidden Utah adds to an inviting series, surveying less traveled hidden spots in Utah and providing keys to scenic drives, lesser-covered parks, Indian reservations and fossil quarries, and plenty of outdoors activities. Any considering a visit to Utah will find Hidden Utah packed with ideas from culinary adventures to hiking.



2. From walking tours and resorts to indian reservations and dinosaur quarries, Hidden Utah is an invaluable, "user friendly" guide to all beauty, diversity, and recreational resources that Utah has to offer.



3. The author, Kurt Repanshek, provides the reader with an informative and entertaining description of Utah State. After the introductory Chapter 1, "Utah Wandering", where an overview of the history, environment, and information about travelling and lodging as well as sports and leisure are given, seven other chapters follow and focus on the different areas constituting the territory (see below for the table of contents). In each chapter a preliminary description precedes details and peculiarities characterizing each area, and maps. Where relevant, the author "interferes" in the flow of the text by adding some comments, recommendations and/or curiosities which are delimited by a grey background and introduced by a bold-type title. Special marks called "hidden" are placed at different points of the book and signal "...that you have come upon a place off the beaten tourist track, a spot that will carry you a step closer to the local people and natural environment of Utah". The guide offers the reader a different way of retrieving information about a place by including a wide range of topics which will fulfil any visitor's interests and by gradually uncovering paths which are usually discarded in other guides and in some way "hidden" to tourists.
   
   Table of Contents
   
   Introductory Notes
   1. Utah Wandering
   2. Salt Lake Valley
   3. Northern Utah
   4. Northeastern Utah
   5. Central Utah
   6. Southwestern Utah
   7. Southeastern Utah
   Index
   Lodging Index
   Dining Index

3 comments about Journey to the High Southwest, 8th: A Traveler's Guide to Santa Fe and the Four Corners of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah (Journey to the High Southwest).

1. I bought this book to get some ideas for our family's summer vacation to the "4-Corners" area. The book has alot of information, little of it very helpful for trip planning. Most of the book is about the history, geology and nature found in each park. Details of the actual parks are written in the narrative form as the author drove and hiked in the areas. If you are willing to read through all this you might find a couple helpful gems and tips on your journey.



2. I was previously a ranger at Mesa Verde. This is without a doubt the best guide to the High Southwest that I've encountered. For years I've recommended this to friends, and each time I've been thanked for giving them an outstanding, wide, yet in-depth, and well written source of critical information about one of the most fascinating areas of our country. From where to go, what to see, and how to understand it -- from history, to geology, to ethnography, and much more -- this is an excellent introduction to the high country of our Southwest.



3. I travel in the region covered by this book a lot; over the years I have bought lots of guidebooks and other books about the area. Journey to the High Southwest remains my absolute favorite.
   I do not understand the comment of an earlier reviewer that it does not include helpful "tips" for "trip planning." You might consider supplementing it with a more standard guidebook of the Frommer/Froder variety, but I have used Journey to the High Southwest since our very first trip to the area (early 1990s) and have found it a trove of "useful tips." On that first trip, using this book, I was able, for instance, to plan travel through the Hopi Reservation, where to stay, how to find out about when and where there would be dances, etc. The recommendations of where to stay/where to eat are terrific. (We would never have found our favorite hole-in-the-corner diner in Espanola without this book!) In addition to all the good travel suggestions, it's beautifully written, a mine of information, and a joy to read. I am so happy to find that there is an 8th edition!

2 comments about Frommer's Utah (Frommer's Complete).

1. Frommer's Utah was great! we spent the week after christmas skiing at Alta- rated one of the best by Frommer's and i'd have to agree. the second week of our trip we spent in moab, and the book gave great hiking, camping, and driving directions for canyonlands, arches, dead horse state park, natural bridges national monument, and monument valley. what a trip!!!



2. The book is very helpful, but does not have all the required details for a full trip. I had to do addtional research on the net.

5 comments about Benchmark Utah Road & Recreation Atlas - Third edition (Benchmark Map: Utah Road & Recreation Atlas).

1. Benchmark are absolutely the best road atlases out there. I have the AZ, UT, OR, and CA maps that I have purchased for trips (I use my CA one all the time, but I live here) and find them invaluable. I can always find my way when lost, and they really do a great job of showing detail that you wouldn't expect, even in metro areas. They show the most random and remote Forest Service or BLM roads, and points of interest on those roads that you would otherwise need specialty maps to see. If there's a dirt road or otherwise going there, these maps show it. Highly recommended!



2. If your're going to Utah and plan on doing any driving there,whether your're staying on the main roads or driving on the back roads,Benchmark Road and Recreation Atlas is the book to buy.It lists the scenic byways,the backways and points of interest along the way.This book covers just about any recreational activity you can think of,from amusement parks to fishing,boating,sking,rafting and lots more.It's also very good for finding many of the hiking trailheads in Utah.I find it very informative,well oganized and easy to read.Well worth the money.A great book!!!!I highly recommend it!!!!



3. If you haven't been to UT, you need to go. Colorado seems to get all the hype when it comes to mountains, but UT is better for an assortment of scenery and things to do in the mountains. Benchmark Atlases are the benchmark from which all other road atlases are measured. My GPS nav system, as well as Google maps, will direct me to take dirt roads as part of a 'shortest route.' This is not an acceptable route on my Goldwing. These detailed maps clearly and precisely show the type of road from interstate to 4-wheel drive. It has helped me avoid bad routes numerous times.



4. I own both the Delorme Utah Atlas & Gazetteer and the Benchmark Utah Road & Recreation Atlas and the Benchmark Atlas seems to have a lot less clutter when trying to find something. The roads stand out a lot better as do the terrain features due do the shading almost giving a 3D effect. This is why I use the Benchmark Atlas when traveling to Utah. I also have the Benchmark New Mexico R & C Atlas and it is also excellent in my opinion. I do, however always have Delorme Topo 6 running on a laptop computer and it is indispensable on road trips.



5. The Utah atlas is very detailed and through the only thing I wish it had the milage on the highways like the New Mexico and Arizona do.

4 comments about 50 Best Short Hikes in Utah's National Parks: Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands (50 Best Short Hikes).

1. Great book!! Had excellant descriptions, difficult ratings and pertinent info. A must for hiking in Utah's National Parks



2. There is so much information you'll need for day hiking in Utah's National Parks.It tells you what the best seasons are for the hikes,distances,elevation gains,difficulty ratings and average hiking times.It's a fun,well organized,easy to read book with lots of nice pictures and maps.It's a great book and for a great price!!!One of the best!!!



3. I purchased this book prior to a trip to Zion and Bryce National Parks. I've read a number of hiking guides before and found this one particularly helpful. The author gives excellent details both on the difficulty of the hike and what you can expect to see. After hiking most of the trails in both parks, I can vouch for the accuracy of the guide and found the information very useful.
   
   The sole drawback is the lack of color photos which would add far more impact to these descriptions. This is a common failing of this type of book but it a shortcoming even so.



4. I bought this book because I was looking for short hikes for our family with elementary-aged children in all the titled Utah Nat'l parks. It does do a good job of describing the hikes in very great detail, how to get to the trail head, etc. Each hike is rated according to it's difficulty and child-friendliness and length of time to complete. This is all very good and helpful. However, I discovered after the fact that most of this same information is available on the National Park Service website and the brochure available for free at the visitor center, including some that aren't in the book.

3 comments about Scenic Driving Utah, 2nd (Scenic Driving Series).

1. I went on the Grand Cirlce trip (Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, and Glen Canyon/Lake Powell) and found this book very helpful in planning my trip. I gave it a 4 star only because it doesn't give the time required for each trip. For example, for the drive to Temple of Sun and Moon, from the book, it seemed like a 30 minute trip. However, from a separate source, it said the drive takes 2-3 days to finish. Nevertheless, still a good source.



2. We traveled all over Utah with this book and started to think of it as the Bible of Traveling Utah. Would highly recommend. Saw places that we would have missed if not for this book. Used it daily to plan our days.



3. I used this book on my recent driving trip to Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands. It was a real highlight on the trip. My friend, who was navigator, used it for "color commentary" on the drive. It's also a great supplement to other guidebooks such as Frommer's and Lonely Planet.
   
   My only criticism is that the maps and illustrations would be better in color and the text is a bit verbose. In spite of those bits, it's still five stars.

5 comments about Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks.

1. The title is slightly problematic, as this book covers much of southern Utah, its national parks (Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonland, Capitol Reef, Arches), national monuments, and other places worth of a visit. The maps are crisp and readable, though a few more detailed topo lines would help. Trail descriptions and recommendations for visits are generally pretty good as are estimates of time. Suggestions for places to eat and stay were also worthwhile. Other more specialized books are available if you want to spend most of the trip in one specific area, but this is a great survey of southern Utah.



2. Excellent book. My husband and I recently went on vacation to Southern Utah. We planned on visiting 5 national parks in Utah. I had purchased other books in addition to this one to prepare for the trip. I had no idea that this book would contain so much information about Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands. It was far more than I expected from the title. It even covered Moab. We booked everything last minute and called from one location before arriving at the next to secure hotel rooms. All the recommendations for lodging and dining were accurate. We were so pleased with this book that we purchased the Lonely Planet guide to the Grand Canyon while we were in Moab since we were visiting the Grand Canyon as part of this trip. I will definitely use their guide books again. They are well organized and are great for a quick reference. I kept this copy in my purse the entire trip. I would pull it out frequently to look up information about touring the parks or to find a place for dinner.



3. Great little book. I do not know why it is named "Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks". This book covers all the national parks, monuments and State Parks in Utah. For each area, the book gives information on what to see depending on the amount of time you have to visit(half day, one, two, three or more days). For each location it gives you the sights to see, trails to hike and other activities to do in the area. Along with places to stay (Hotels, Motels and campgrounds), places to eat, equipment rental and more. This book is small enough to put into your glove box.



4. This book is the best and most informative source of useful information for visitors to the national parks of southern Utah that I have found. It provides information on: the most popular hikes, popular restaurants, good camping sites, activities, descriptions of geology, flora and fauna, and brief histories of the early cultures, explorers and settlers. The book is very well written by authors who obviously know their stuff. All material is presented clearly and concisely and in a manner that enhances its usefulness. I recommend this book whole heartedly.



5. This was an invaluable resource for our 16 day trip to southern Utah. This book also includes information for the other national parks in Utah. We used it every day on our trip.

5 comments about Photographing the Southwest: Volume 1--Southern Utah (2nd Ed.) (Photographing the Southwest).

1. Book is an excellent source of information for our planned upcoming trip to Utah. Well worth the cost and I am ordering more books of the southwest area soon.



2. It's dicey to purchase a book without putting your hands on it and turning the pages. I always expect that the book will be less than the reviews. Not so with this product. It is a great addition to any photographer's toolkit. If you are visiting the Utah SW buy this book. It's been updated with a few essential GPS co-ordinates but not enough. I'll fix that when we travel there next fall. It is especially valid with information on how to get to the locations it talks about. Convinced us that we should take the truck and not just the SUV for better access to "off track" locations. The technical advise is solid. The awareness needed for great photos is always a great reminder for all of us. Photographing is not just technical ability, new cameras can take care of that for you, it's about "seening the shot". Sometimes landscapes are better with shadows, shilouttes, or people. This book encourages you to take the time to find your shot. A great photographer sees what others don't. This book will help you both technically and artistically.



3. If you're planning a tour of the American Southwest these brilliant books are simply the best possible guide to what to photograph, and how. In three volumes Martrès guides you to all the photographic highlights of Arizona, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. At the well known tourist spots he tells you what and when to shoot for best results, but he's also not afraid to take you off the beaten path to some less frequently visited scenic gems.
   
   I've just completed a photographic holiday following roughly the traditional "grand circle" route, and I couldn't have got some of my most successful shots without these books.
   
   The author provides consistent, detailed instructions for each location, including guidance on lenses and timing. Sometimes he even tells you which rock to stand on! Follow his instructions carefully, and you'll usually get good results, although some instructions require careful interpretation.
   
   It's also great fun shouting "snap!" when you realise the only other souls in some lonely location are also clutching a copy of the same book.
   
   All three volumes have recently been updated, with high quality colour photos throughout, and a comprehensive index of locations including ratings for accessibility and scenic and photographic value, invaluable if a tight schedule means making difficult choices.
   
   I'm already planning my next trip using volume 3! Highly recommended.



4. One of several books by this author and I think that the information here will be very helpful in getting great photos on vacation. The biggest problem in getting a good photo is the location. Having a starting point is invaluable and then the only variable is the weather. Having photos in the book to illustrate the locations is a major plus.



5. I already own the 1th Edition and used it extensively to find rare to be seen places in the Southwest. I am German and visit the Southwest once or twice a year and found this book to be invaluable. Easy to follow directions, great images, good advice. You don't need any other guide to see all the best places (which no one else finds).

5 comments about Utah Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. I have been a huge fan of DeLorme State Atlas and Gazetteer books for 20+ years. I will never plan a trip without one. I find them absolutely indispensable and have them with me on any car trip, period. I do however have a preference for the older style of mapping used on the earlier editions. I used to own an old Utah Atlas and Gazetteer and much preferred it to the new one. The enhanced topo information and colorations are neat but the actual road mappings have a new style that are annoying to me. It is much harder with longer dashed lines for unimproved roads to determine whether the road intersects another one. Anyone who does backroading in Utah knows that when a road is near another on the map does not mean they intersect. One road could be 1000 feet below another and both will dead-end. It is not fun to plan a trip not being sure whether your road goes through. Although I still like the maps, I feel the need to have another topo source for backroads. I wish DeLorme would update their Atlas and Gazeteers in the old format rather than the 'slick' newer style.



2. I love these DeLorme maps. I love traveling in the West but since I live in New Jersey, I get a little nervous sometimes when driving around Utah or Arizona - it's just so empty compared to what I'm used to. These Delorme atlases are my security blanket. They're so detailed that no matter where I am, I can look at the map and find a road or a landmark that will reassure me that I'm in the right place.



3. I think the title says it all. It is very useful. I got it really fast and it is flawless.



4. Great maps as always from DeLorme.. I have 6 different states, great for fly fishing, fishing and hiking.. You can use the GPS cordinates to get to specific locations. A must have for the fisherman, hiker and camper.



5. Quick delivery, good price, excellent travel guide for the state of Utah where you want to see terrain, not just highways.