1 comments about A Canoeing & Kayaking Guide to West Virginia, 5th.

1. I just recently discovered this book when a friend loaned it to me, and I can't wait to order my copy. This is a nice reference book that will stay on my coffee table from April to September. I do a lot of canoeing/fishing on the rivers in the summer, and this book has already led me to a lot of great floats that I didn't know about, even though I'm a native West Virginian. It's not going to tell you what to expect around every bend, but it does list the more notable areas of each river, including the dangers and problems you may encounter.

   The first section of the book has basic information on canoeing and kayaking, terms and definitions, dealing with locals, phone numbers and other sources of information, and more (Much of this is written in a humorous way, reminding me somewhat of Pat McManus).

   The book then lists each river basin, and after a short description of the area and a little history, it breaks it up into sections. The layout for each section is as follows:

   1.TABLE - Contains capacities and ratings of the section including rapid classes, river gradient, water volume, scenery rating, time of trip, and river level.

   2.MAPS - List of the names of the USGS maps and county maps that cover the section area.

   3.DESCRIPTION - Describes the river, the scenery, and any other noteworthy aspects of the trip.

   4.DIFFICULTIES - Notes any dangerous areas or other problems you may encounter along the way.

   5.SHUTTLE - Suggests put-in and take-out spots or if there are any shuttle services provided.

   6.GAUGE - Notes locations of river level gauges, phone numbers to call for river level information, or just basic references to gauge the level of the river for navigability. (I especially like this. Many times it goes something like, "If there are three stones showing on the so-and-so bridge, you should have no problems from point A to point B." This is nice since so many of our rivers have isolated sections that are nearly impossible to scout.)

   If you live in West Virginia and want to canoe or kayak, or if you are planning a trip here for some river sports, this book is a great buy for the money.

No comments about Streetwise Maryland & Virginia Map - Laminated State Road Map of Maryland & Virginia - Folding pocket size travel map (Streetwise (Streetwise Maps)).

2 comments about Are We There Yet, Daddy? (Picture Puffins).

1. Our three year old son just loves this book. An entertaining yet educational book focusing on spacial relationships, a detailed narrative, and mathematical skills. The text is a rhyming, yet unusual narrative. The book includes a large map in the front and a smaller map with each section as the father and son travel to Grandma's house. Each section ends with "We have XX more miles to go" declining from 100 to 10 in steps of 10. Highly recommended.



2. Virginia Walters is a teacher at my daughters' elementary school, Condit, in Bellaire, Texas. She is a kind and loving teacher that all children fondly remember. Her first book is a winner with my kids. Every parent who has tired of hearing that dreaded phrase, "Are we there yet?" will benefit from it.

4 comments about Albemarle: A Story of Landscape and American Identity.

1. This is a fabulous book for anyone who lives in, has ever visited, or has ever even thought of visiting Albemarle County, V.A. The history is extremely well written, and the photographs are out-of-this-world beautiful! I highly recommend it!



2. Don't be deceived by the physical dimensions of Albemarle and beautiful photos it contains. This is more than just a coffee table book, thanks to Wingtips author Avery Chenoweth's elevating prose. The book will manage to trigger the sensory memories of anyone who has ever spent any time Charlottesville.



3. As a teenager, I spent years wandering around the Albemarle County countryside. Not literally wandering for the whole year, but a still lot of time in all seasons. More than 10 years later I've still yet to see everything, as Albemarle is rather like a small European country. Small but remarkably varied with pockets of unique 'kingdoms' hidden all around.
   
   Anyway, in all those days of wandering through fields of llamas, being chased by farmed buffalo and generally getting lost in the woods at all hours, Albemarle County never looked this good. It is remarkable how truly picturesque this place becomes through the lens and pen of the photographer and the author. Much better than the real thing.
   
   If you are interested in Albemarle, you don't need to come here and see it yourself. Stay at home and read this book instead.



4. Nothing wrong with the content of the book but for a coffee table book, this one from Amazon had several flaws. Yes the cost was less than buying at the bookstore but the bookstore copy probably wouldn't have wrinkled pages and pages still stuck together with the edges uncut. Really shoddy quality.

No comments about Romantic Virginia: More Than 300 Things to Do for Southern Lovers (Romantic South Series).

No comments about Dog-Friendly Washington, D.C. and the Mid-Atlantic States: Includes Northern Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

1 comments about Way Out in West Virginia: A Must-Have Guide to the Oddities and Wonders of the Mountain State.

1. Author and West Virginian Jeanne Mozier has compiled more information about what West Virginia has to offer than most of us would ever want to know in this labor of love book. From the mundane to the amazing, Mozier takes us through a whirlwind tour of the natural and man-made wonders of the Mountain State. It's clear that Mozier loves West Virginia, and if we cannot find ourselves matching her enthusiasm for the Mail Pouch Chewing Tobacco factory in Wheeling, we can still appreciate her efforts to bring to our attention the highlights - no matter how modest - of West Virginia's contribution to the US tourist industry.

   I have to admit, I love these type of books. I often go off the beaten path in my travels, in search of the forgotten tourist trap or the weather-beaten historic marker. Since I live close to West Virginia, I've had the opportunity to visit many of the sites that Mozier mentions in her book. Some places are real gems, such as the bathhouse in Berkeley Springs and Shirley Dougherty's Harpers Ferry Ghost Tour (I highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in the supernatural. Shirley's unique storytelling style makes the modest fee well worth the money). As a guide to all those other West Virginia wonders that I have yet to see, this book is invaluable. I have yet to taste the succulence of the Pepperoni Roll (the state food of West Virginia?!?), but Moziers' mouth-watering description has piqued my curiosity.

   If you are planning a trip to West Virginia, or if you will be merely passing through, pick up a copy of this book. Then go visit the New River Gorge, see a mummy, sit in George Washington's bathtub, climb an Indian burial mound, and walk the streets where John Brown once led a slave rebellion. And when you stop at a gas station for a fill-up, don't forget to pick up a pack of Pepperoni Rolls.

No comments about Landfall along the Chesapeake: In the Wake of Captain John Smith.

No comments about Atlantic Cruising Club's Guide to Chesapeake Bay Marinas: Cape May, New Jersey to Hampton, Virginia.

3 comments about A Guidebook to Virginia's Historical Markers.

1. I was disappointed that this revision did not include the markers for county/city markers. Author did state they were in previous edition, but I don't have the previous edition.



2. Just an updated, but briefer, version of the original. The errors and omissions are appalling - it reads like a download of someone's ill-planned and poorly-researched website.



3. This edition of the VA marker guide includes all of the extant markers in the state, listed by city/county/region (rather than by marker number, as was the case in the previous two editions), and has a list of all of the county markers in the back of the book. Each marker entry reproduces the text as it appears on the actual marker (hence the inconsistencies of style and occasional "errors" which one of the other reviewers alludes to), as taken from the VDHR master list; in short, this is the definitive guide to the markers as you'll come across them, not a transcription of a random blogger's Web site . . .