1 comments about Exploring the San Juan and Gulf Islands: Cruising Paradise of the Pacific Northwest, 2nd Ed..

1. Boaters around here know the Douglasses as the king and queen of cruisers, and their handbooks are our bibles. They've been everywhere, done everything, and they take *really* good notes. This guide is one result; it includes details on every anchorage, waypoint and description in the area. If you plan to spend any time in Pacific Northwest waters, this book is a must have.

1 comments about Moon Handbooks Maryland and Delaware: Including Washington, D.C. (Moon Handbooks).

1. This book is the best for the money--I compared it to the Frommer's guide in the bookstore, and this one has twice as much information, and covers both states from top to bottom, including some pretty unusual attractions. Great for day trips from Baltimore, too.

2 comments about Paddle Routes of Western Washington: 50 Flatwater Trips for Canoe and Kayak.

1. A group of companions and I were off to find a run of the Black River near Olympia, and were having trouble finding where we wanted. We were driving through Littlerock in two cars each with a canoe on top, and pulled over to compare ideas of what to do on our map. Behind us pulled up a truck as we stopped. It was Verne Huser himself, who noticed our canoes and that we were going in an odd direction, so decided to follow.
   
   The author helped us figure out how to get to a good spot on the river, and we had a great time! So, how often do you think that happens that the author of a book about paddle routes was there to offer friendly advice while we were lost?



2. When I bought this book I thought I'd like to try some flat water trips. But I forgot one thing: the trip back to the car is really tough. These trips take at least two people with two cars, so I never go, since I don't have any friends who kayak (or canoe). In fact, I don't have any friends at all, come to think of it.
   
   Anyway, if you are not like me and if you do have some friends who like to drive a lot and can get all the cars and boats in position, remembering to leave the beer in the DOWNhill car, and to take the keys to BOTH cars and all that complicated stuff you have to figure out, then this is a pretty good book, because it gives a lot of information about where to go, how to get there, where to leave the downhill vehicle, where to start from, how long the trips are and so on. The maps are nice and there are some good black and white photos showing what you will see in color if you and all your friends can work it all out.

4 comments about Ghost Towns of the Pacific Northwest: Your Guide to Ghost Towns, Mining Camps, and Historic Forts of Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia.

1. We have been photographing Ghost Towns for about 30 years now and we must say that this is probably the best book that we have ever seen... and we have seen them all!



2. This book covered many of the most popular ghost towns in the Northwest corner of the US and Canada. A myriad of good photos and just enough information to entice you to get in the car and go. I would have liked to have a little more information regarding those obscure ghost towns that are not easily accessed or identified.



3. I bought this book as a gift. Since my parent are from that area I thought they'd enjoy it. However after I read the book I found a pretty major mistake. In chapter 3 the writer refers to the Pacific County seat as being "North Bend" when its actually South Bend. One can only hope the writer didn't make any more mistakes.



4. I have had an interest in western ghost towns since the late 1960s and have sought out and photographed many ghost towns over the years. To that end, I have about 30 or 40 ghost town books and I would have to say that this is not one of the best. In my opinion, it is one of the worst. In fact, it's not as good as other books by Philip Varney in the same series. However, as a professional photographer myself, I can say that the photographs by John and Susan Drew are quite good. One problem with this book is that it lacks the depth of most other ghost town books. The information given just skims the surface. It's generally just raw facts such as when the town was founded, etc. Good ghost town books should go into the colorful stories that all these towns have. That's what's so fascinating about ghost towns. Another problem with the book is that it shows too many towns that are not really ghost towns at all but may only have a couple old historic buildings or they may be simply tourist towns. Many of the pictures are not of towns at all but rather dilapidated barns, etc., which can be seen anywhere in the country and are certainly not ghost towns. There is a classification system for ghost towns and not all ghost towns are classic "true" ghost towns, of course, but this book has very few ghost towns that will be of interest to a real ghost town enthusiast. In addition, the text doesn't always clearly specify the status of the towns so a reader may travel far to see a ghost town only to find that it's bustling town with a couple historic buildings, a museum, or it may be just a tourist town. I would like to know the true condition of these towns but Varney is very vague about that. Most of my ghost town hunting has been in the Southwest, California, Colorado, Utah, Idaho, and Montana so it is possible that there simply aren't that many good ghost towns in the Pacific Northwest but other books that I have would suggest otherwise. Unlike some other books in this series, the maps do not use symbols that represent that actual state of the towns. For example, a crossed shovel and pick symbol often represents a "true" ghost town. But this book does not follow that useful and helpful practice, which is odd. It almost appears as if Varney simply got lazy in this effort and didn't bother to seek more remote ghost towns or gather more information about he towns he does cover. Good ghost town books should be enjoyable even to the armchair traveler who will never actually go to these towns. To accomplish that, the unique and interesting stories of the towns should be sought out and shared by the author. Florin's books, although dated, are wonderful examples of how ghost town books should be. Fortunately, if and when I do seek out ghost towns in the Pacific Northwest, I have other books that cover that region much better than this one.
   
   One other point: A very interesting and fascinating feature often included in the best ghost town books are "then and now" pictures that juxtapose images of the past and the present of the towns. For example, it's very interesting to see period photographs of, say, the town's main street along side a recent photograph of the same scene. There are a couple old pictures in this book but recent photographs of the same scenes are not included.
   
   All-in-all, I can't really recommend this book to ghost town enthusiasts but I suppose it's a moderately interesting addition to a ghost town book collection. But if you are seeking true ghost towns and interesting information about them, you can find better books to meet those needs.

2 comments about The Washington Almanac: Facts About Washington ((State Almanac Series)).

1. This is a well organized and comprehensive compendium to Washington State. The author has gathered an impressive array of information, from economic and geographic information to touristic suggestions and interesting factoids from past and present.The author has an upbeat and informative writing style that makes you want to read the book, not just look something up.

   This is a great gift for Washington residents or wannabe residents.




2. my mom recently moved to olympia and this book was a gift for her. she finds it useful and funny

5 comments about Washington Schlepped Here: Walking in the Nation's Capital (Crown Journeys).

1. Buckley's entry in the "Crown Journeys" series is an occasionally amusing, intermittently interesting, and ultimately shallow slim guide to about two of Washington, D.C.'s 67 square miles. His walks cover Union Station, the Capitol, the White House, the Old Executive Office Building, Lafayette Park and Square, Ford's Theater, the Lincoln, Jefferson, Roosevelt, Vietnam War, and Korean War memorials, the Washington Monument, and Arlington Cemetery (which is not in Washington, but across the river in Virginia). In other words, the twenty year resident enlisted to write this book takes the reader to most generic tourist spots in the city, all of which you will find in any reasonably decent regular guidebook. He does this with sometimes funny, sometimes leaden humor, highly leavened with his strong conservative sentiments.

   His walks are littered with cribbed historical anecdotes and tales of his glory days in the corridors of power. Buckley came to Washington to join the Reagan administration, and he's not shy about name dropping and telling you all the neato-torpedo insider stuff he saw and did. All which could be overlooked if he actually went anywhere off the beaten track, or acknowledged in the remotest way that D.C. is a large city with actual neighborhoods where people are born, live, and die. Sadly, he takes the opposite route, and chooses to disparage that large swath of people (the vast majority of whom are black) who live in DC and have always done so. In the opening pages, he quotes Joseph Alsop's self-description as "That sad and rootless thing, a Washingtonian" and then goes on to say that DC natives "would probably sniff at that, but then they sniff at pretty much everything." Well, what DC natives sniff at is not being allowed to vote in presidential elections until the mid-60s, and to this day having to pay federal taxes without having a vote in Congress (that's why DC license plates bear the "Taxation Without Representation" tagline). Buckley is emblematic of a whole cadre of people who move to DC-usually to get involved in politics-and never engage with it, never commit to it, and love being there for all the wrong reasons.

   To be sure, the book tells plenty of interesting stories about the formation of the city, and especially its chief designer, Pierre L'Enfant. However, the city Buckley details is one of monuments and ghosts, not people and neighborhoods. It's an annoying approach, because there is so much more to the city that the casual tourist would benefit from hearing about. How about the historic U Street area, which has boatloads of black history? How about the The Awakening statue at Hains Point? How about historic Georgetown? How about the Canal? How about the largest urban park in American, Rock Creek Park? How about the amazing National Cathedral or the equally amazing Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception? How about the most underrated museum, The Building Museum? How about Dupont Circle, the center of gay culture in the city. How about cool walkable neighborhoods like Adams Morgan, Mt. Pleasant, Brookland, and Takoma Park? Nope, instead, we hear about a invitation only party hosted by the Cheney's in the Museum of American History and Arlington Cemetery (which is an amazing place, but ISN'T IN DC!).

   For the monuments and all that, this book isn't a bad supplement to a good guidebook. However, if you really want to learn about the city and the regular people who live there, check out Edward Jones' wonderful collection of short stories, Lost In the City, or pretty much any George Pelecanos' crime novels, or the 1994 book Dream City: Race, Power, and the Decline of Washington, D.C.




2. I am neither ardent Republican nor Democrat. But, I am an ardent Christopher Buckley fan. I've read most of his books and find him to be unfailingly witty and insightful. And, if you've ever seen him doing his schtick in person, you'd realize that he doesn't take himself that seriously.

   So, if you scrutinize this book looking for evidence of partisanship, you're surely going to find it. But consider the way Buckley presents it: screaming across the room to get Dick Cheney's attention, he is self-aware enough to acknowledge that his behavior is a source of embarrassment to his children. And as for those who might criticize his penchant for name-dropping, consider the following passage:

   "For two years I had a White House pass that allowed me everywhere except, of course, the second-floor residence. One time, hearing that Jimmy Cagney was about to get the Medal of Freedom in the East Room - where Abigail Adams hung her wash out to dry, where Lincoln's body lay in state, and where I once sat behind Dynasty star Joan Collins while she and husband number four (I think it was) spelunked in each other's mouths with their tongues while Andy Williams crooned 'Moon River' - I rushed over from the Old Executive Office Building just in time to see President Reagan pin it on the man who had tapped out 'Yankee Doodle Dandy' and was now a sad, crumpled, speechless figure in a wheelchair. I remember Reagan putting his hand on Cagney's shoulder and saying how generous he had been 'many years ago to a young contract player on the Warner Brothers lot.'"

   That's typical of the book and of Christopher Buckley's personal style. Just the right combination of name-dropping, humor and reverence. He's silly when can be, and respectful when he needs to be. His 'Washington Schlepped Here' demonstrates a child-like enthusiasm for museums, an insatiable willingness to learn from Park Rangers and other tour guides, and a respectful reverence for George Washington and (especially) Abraham Lincoln.

   And despite growing up in a family where Franklin Roosevelt was known only as 'that man,' he pays tribute to the enormity of FDR's achievements when visiting both the FDR Memorial and the Holocaust Museum.

   For Christopher Buckley fans and newcomers alike, this book is a great read.




3. I have not read anything by Christopher Buckley before, but I am, as of this book, a fan. Buckley offers a light-hearted romp through Washington, D.C. He's quite witty and a great writer. I also think he does a fine job of passing on some interesting tid-bits of information. It's kind of like a right-wing version of Vowell's "Assasination Vacation." She has more information, but Buckley is funnier.



4. "Washington Schlepped Here" is a better then average spoken tour of our nation's capital. Drawing on his experience as a former Washingtonian, Reagan administration bureaucrat and novelist, Buckley gives the listener a quirky tour of many of the special places in D.C. The author's emphasis on the Lincoln assassination sites alone makes this CD a great addition to anyones collection. I expected this book to be cynical and demeaning to various figures from Washington's past. However, Mr. Buckley delivers a city filled with honor, courage and sacrifice. The spoken CD therefore balances idealism with a healthy dose of skepticism. Although it is supposed to be used in conjunction with a tour of Washington, it can be listened to without traveling through D.C. Overall, a compelling, albeit short, tour of many interesting places in and around our capital.



5. I've always enjoyed walking through the nation's capital, so
   I was intrigued by the premise of WASHINGTON SCHLEPPED
   HERE--written and read by Christopher Buckley.
   
   It is a walking tour of Washington, DC, by an insider who has both
   lived and worked there for some 20 years . . . ordinarily, I'm not a
   big fan of such books, but I had fun with this one and only regret
   that I was listening to it when driving to work in Pennsylvania . . . it
   would have been so much meaningful to have it in hand when actually
   taking the tours that the author describes.
   
   Buckley interjects lots of humor into what ordinarily could be a dull
   topic; however, he also gives mini-history lessons that taught
   me things about the city that I never knew . . . though he also
   presents information about the Arlington National Cemetery,
   which isn't even Washington, I enjoyed that part perhaps the
   most because of his mention of the fact that Allard
   Lowenstein (my all-time favorite politician) is buried there.

No comments about Moon Washington Fishing: The Complete Guide to Lakes, Streams, and Saltwater (Moon Handbooks).

5 comments about The Dog Lover's Companion to Washington, D.C. and Baltimore: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog (Dog Lover's Companion Guides).

1. I highly recommend this book to dog owners who love to take their little four-legged friend(s) everywhere. It is well organized and the writing style used is perfect for dog lovers.

   It covers almost all the parks in the Washington D.C., Virginia and Baltimore. Have you ever looked up a park on a map and it looked huge and perfect for your dog, and when you got there, you and your dog were very disappointing with the park? Well, the review for each park is quite accurate. With this book on hand, you can look up a park and find out if it is suitable for your dog before driving there. It covers important information that a dog owner needs to know about the park/area - such as the poop scoop law and the leash law.

   It also contains information (ie. hotel, restaurant, pet stores, etc...) that is very useful for dog owners who like to take their pooches on vacation with them.

   Embedded into the book, you will find dog adoption information. The book encourages suggestions from readers. I've already written to the publisher suggesting to include information on various rescue organizations and local animal shelters - a way to help promote pet rescue/adoption.




2. I bought this book when it first came out for a friend of mine who was moving to Baltimore with her dog. Two years later, I borrowed it from her when I discovered I was moving to D.C. I found it enormously usefull for choosing a dog-friendly neighborhood with good access to parks. The authors understand the basic qualities of a good dog park: safety, space, a group of 'regular' neighborhood go-ers, and access to a good espresso bar for weekend dog walking. Overall, the writers do an excelent job.

   I have only a few complaints. One - due to the impossibility of visiting every park in this populous region more than once, I've found that the park's ratings can heavily reflect the day and time of the visit -- not necessarily what the park is like on a typical weekday at 6pm. Also, some park ratings reflect a nice place to go with a small dog on a leash, you won't necessarily have the same experience with your massive Great Dane tugging at every new smell. The writers also disapprove of dogs being off-leash, and rate more lowly some parks that are true jems for those of us with larger dogs that require more exercise.

   Overall, a great guide, and certainly unique. A must for all dog owners in this area, particularly if you moving to this region.




3. This is one of my favorite books ever. Really. I moved to the D.C. area with my lab three years ago, and while we were used to having dozens of places to go for various reasons or times, I didn't know where to begin to find good places to take her around our new home. This book was a godsend for finding fun places to go, especially because I found the reviews to give a me a very accurate idea of what sort of place we were going, including what sort of "feel" it might have for dog-friendliness. Some of the features of the book I have found extremely helpful are:

   * Birds-eye maps showing where the reviewed locations are in the counties covered (perfect for finding a park near odd places that I might run errands)
   * How strict the leash law is followed (this is a biggie for me -- while the authors point out excellent reasons to use the leash, they very helpfully suggest where we can get away without it)
   * Rough idea how crowded the area in question might be, and how easy or difficult to get to (varies of course by time of day and season)
   * Whether there's a place for doggie swimming

   In my area (Sterling/Ashburn, VA) I've found the book to be amazingly comprehensive for my local and outlying areas, and find that the park descriptions have always given me a pretty accurate idea what to expect. The book covers a wide enough range (including some pseudo-local vacation destinations) that I've used it on countless occasions to find nice stopover while on short trips outside my "home turf". Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys finding varied places to visit with their pups.




4. I bought this based on the great reviews, so perhaps it was a let-down because I had high expectations. This is a guide book with a slight dog orientation, but honeselty, I didn't feel like this really gave me much valuable information about living and traveling in the DC area with a dog- other than telling me where parks are (info available on many web sites). The actual dog-friendliness of the parks, and rating system seemed totally off with how I would have rated parks. Seems like they are rated more for person-appeal than dog-appeal.
   
   But maybe I'm just biased as I have a hound and value FENCED off-leash parks above all :)



5. I had traveled to Reston, VA with my dogs to go to the Pet Fiesta while there I picked this book up and used it to travel all over the Washington D.C. area with my dogs. I am so glad that I did because I was not sure what I was going to do after the Pet Fiesta was over and this book opened up lots of options and lots of ideas for future trips.
   
   I advise taking a pen with you so you can write in additional things that you find that may not be listed in the book. While at Old Town Alexandria today we ate at an Irish restaurant that had a doggie menu that was not listed in the book but was a must go to if you travel there.
   
   I loved this book and only wish that there was one for my area.

4 comments about Washington, D.C., Then and Now (Then & Now).

1. Washington D.C., Then and Now, is full of many fascinating pictures taken in and around the Washington D.C. area. The city is rich in history and full of a number of buildings, monuments and historic areas. Through the years, the city has changed and developed around these landmarks. Washington D.C., Then and Now traces this development and change through pictures.

   The premise behind the book is to show the reader each area of the city as it appeared using archival photographs on one page, and comparing it to a recent picture of the same area, taken from approximately the same location, to demonstrate how the area has evolved.

   The author has organized the book by street name or area. The earliest known picture of the Capitol, taken in 1846, is the most famous picture (Only seven are known to exist). There is an interesting story about how the rare picture was obtained. You'll have to get the book to find out.

   Whether you have traveled to Wahington DC or are just interested in the pictoral history of our nation's capital, the book has a lot to offer. It also makes an excellent coffee table book for your guests to peruse.




2. Having seen a few other books showing historical photos of different cities' landmarks and their modern looks, I was interested to see what this book would offer. I was not disappointed, fiding the choice of subjects ranging form the famous to the obscure, painting a picture of a Washington long ago.
   
   With many of the more famous buildings in Washington having been built in the last 70 years, there aren't as many older structural pictures to hold up against a view of the current looks. This is often refelcted by what originally stood on the site, and then the facing page shows what is built on the site now. Obviously, there are pictures showing the White House, Capitol, and a few other notable buildings to examine for small changes, but the majority of the book features things the average visitor wouldn't normally notice.
   
   To people who have spent some time in this great city, they would greatly appreciate where the modern looks and everyday scenery has come from. To the average reader, this book would be an interesting coffee table book to entertain the curious.



3. This book is pretty good to see a historical comparison of Washington DC "then" vs. "now." The most disappointing aspect here is that a lot of the current pictures seem to have been taken on the same overcast late fall/early winter day. Washington DC is one of the most beautiful cities in the world but a lot of the current pictures don't capture that. The historical pictures and overall comparisons are pretty good though and I would have rated this a "5" if they had done a better job capturing the city's beauty. A solid "4" none the less.



4. Mitchell's book is the fifth in the "Then and Now" series that I've bought, and it is every bit as good as the others. If you are not familiar with the concept, old photographs of particular street corners or buildings are contrasted with corresponding current images. The author displays his detailed knowledge of the area as he recounts stories that accompany each set of photos.
   
   Due to the consistency of some of the buildings in Washington, D. C., the main difference between pictures of a certain structure from 100+ years ago and today is only that one is black and white while the newer one is in color. But some locations have been dramatically transformed over time.
   
   Any student of history and especially people interested in Washington, D. C. should really enjoy this book.

4 comments about Field Guide to the Cascades & Olympics.

1. This book is designed to cover the most commonly encountered species of plants and animals in the Cascade and Olympic Mountains, but it also will be very useful in the lowlands and coast ranges as well. The second edition has been considerably upgraded and the art is now all in color. If you are looking for ONE book to cover plants, mushrooms, butterflies, insects, amphibians and reptiles, mammals and birds and you want the most commonly seen ones selected out for you, then this book will serve you well.

   I encourage readers to review the introductory material on communities to familiarize yourself with the habitats and concepts that will guide you to use this book to its fullest.

   I welcome comments about this book, you can email me at floriferous@msn.com




2. I bought this for my 7 year old CubScout for camp. On our nature hike, the camp staff referred to it repeatedly to answer the groups questions. We ended up donating it to the camp at the end of the week and buying another copy for ourselves. The pictures are large and detailed, very easy to use.



3. We happen to be active in Boy Scouts in our area so whenever a young man gets his Eagle Badge we make sure he gets a copy of this book from our family. It is a great book for young and old alike who travel or live in the Pacific Northwest



4. I was looking for a small but comprehensive book to help me identify plants and animals in the Pacific Northwest. This book has been an excellent choice!
   
   Topics are well-organized so you can quickly find what you're looking for. Plant and animal drawings are well done, and I've never had problems identifying what I've just stumbled across on the trail. The book is durable so I can take it hiking without worry.
   
   Descriptions of everything are a bit spartan, but that's fine: it keeps the book small. There is enough information to positively identify things, and then I can do more research once I get home if I need to.