No comments about Paddling Washington: 100 Flatwater and Whitewater Routes in Washington State and the Inland Northwest.

5 comments about Above Seattle.

1. Everybody who has any relation to Seattle should have this book! To people who live there it shows their city from a different point of view. To people who like to get a detailed impression of the city and its close environment I really recommend it ! But this book (in my eyes) is not made for people who look for a "tourist guide".



2. Stunning quality; if you've been there, you will easily be able to pick out your favorite spots, despite the distance. The captions are a little dry, but the pictures make this aesthetic book one of value.



3. THIS BOOK IS A KNOCKOUT, IT'S 12 X 14, THE PICTURES INSIDE, MOST OF THEM ARE THE SAME SIZE AND ARE SO CLEAR IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE THERE, YOU LOOK AT SEATTLE FROM ALL ANGLES AND TACOMA, YOU CAN MAKE OUT PEOPLE IN THE BUILDINGS, THERE ARE OLD PICTURES FROM THE 1920's RIGHT NEXT TO TODAYS PICTURES, THE BOOK TELLS YOU WHERE AND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT, YOU CAN READ SIGNS IN THESES PICTURES, IT SHOWS HOW CLEAN THE SEATTLE AND THE PUGET SOUND IS, IF YOU LIVE THERE THIS BOOK IS A MUST, FOR IT WILL SHOW YOU AREAS YOU MAY HAVE NEVER SEEN, FOR THERE IS SO MUCH TO SEE, AND TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, THIS BOOK THIS IS THE PERFECT TRAVEL GUIDE FOR THE NORTHWEST, IT'S A 160 PAGES OF THE CITY, WATER, NAVEL SHIPS, FERRYS,AIR PORTS, AND MOUNTAINS, THERE IS JUST NO WAY TO PUT THESE GREAT PICTURES IN TO WORDS! "THANKS" ROBERT CAMERON



4. Seattle is set in a very diverse geographical region. This diversity provides for ample breathtakingly beautiful and lush photographs of the metropolitan area. Lakes, mountains, trees, islands, bays, rivers - this area has it all and is cleverly photographed in this Robert Cameron book.
   The book is fairly up to date although citizens or connosieurs of Seattle may notice the dated-ness of the book by the conspicuous absense of some new construction in the downtown area and the changing condition of other areas of the city. If you like pictorials, this is a great one to own and probably one of the best of the Seattle Metropolitan Area. I highly recommend it.



5. This is one of Robert Carmeron's last books and it is one of his best. Seattle really lends itself well to this kind of photography, the city is so naturally blessed. The photography in this book is classic Cameron and the photos are so vivid. I recommend this book to anyone with an interst in this beautiful city or just an interest in great photography in general, you won't be disappointed.

2 comments about Fodor's Washington, D.C. with Kids, 4th Edition (Special-Interest Titles).

1. I bought this book so we could plan for our first trip to DC this summer. I have a ten year old son. I have really enjoyed this book. It lets me know what thing he will like and possibly dislike. It has been helpful as there is so much to do and we only have 4 days. We want to make the most of our visit and this is letting us do that by helping us choose the best things for us to do.



2. I bought this new book because it was the most recently published and sounded great. It is not great for a number of reasons. First, it is heavily weighted toward trips with tweens and teens rather than younger children. I was planning a trip with children 6-8 years old. Most of the recommended places are recommended for tweens and teens. In fact, had I not known better from friends, I would have skipped the International Spy Museum altogether, because the guide recommends it for "older tweens and teens" and makes it sound beyond the understanding of a younger child. Having now been to the museum, I can see that tweens would be able to take advantage of many things they have there that younger kids can't really do, but it is a GREAT spot for younger kids. There is PLENTY there that they can enjoy. It is very fun for the whole family, actually, and was my husband's favorite spot we visited.
   Another reason the book is not great is that it includes paragraphs on virtually every page of "Smart Stuff" for kids (mainly addressed to tweens and teens again), which is little tidbits of info or quizes that may be interesting. I think that may be helpful for a family with super bored kids or a family that is super boring and cannot otherwise provide information to their children, but it is (a) mostly for older kids, (b)not all that interesting, (c) really bulks up the book to the point that it's a pain to carry around with you and (d) apparently takes up so much space that important basic information is omitted.
   This leads me to my next complaint: When planning our visit to the Air and Space Museum, I consulted the book. It gives very little information but says that the museum is so large that you need to plan your visit in advance because you simply cannot see it all in one day. Hello!!!!! That's why I bought this guide book - - to plan my visit! The entry on Air and Space doesn't even list all the galleries/exhibits in the museum or highlight the "greatest hits". They could have done that in two short paragraphs, and that would have been the most useful information. Instead, they include more "Smart Stuff" and a list of kids books to supplement learning on the subject. Great to have that, but not at the expense of the information I need to actually plan a visit to the museum.
   In sum, this book frustrated me. It was somewhat helpful, yes, but unless you are going with older kids or have taken your kids before, it's not exactly what you need. I'm not sure there is a better guide that is up to date, but this one needs major improvement.

3 comments about Washington, District of Columbia Popout (USA PopOut Maps).

1. I moved to DC two weeks ago and went a week without this map and now a week with it. What a difference! At first, I was using a hodge-podge of metro foldouts, museum maps, and visitor guides. It was do-able, but messy and confusing and all the folding and unfolding was annoying and quickly dog-eared any maps I had.
   
   I saw this pop up map in a store and got it because I thought it looked cute, but its dang useful and I take it everywhere, which it is small enough to do.
   
   This is why its awesome:
   
   - its sturdy and made with a cardboard cover that protects the inner maps
   - its small and folds up to fit in a back pocket or purse, but expands to a nice size
   - it has a full metro map on the back cover (exactly like the ones found on the trains)
   - no folding! It pops out and pops back in, takes 1 second
   - makes great use of space, a map on every surface except the front
   - detailed with great information on the Mall area only on one map
   - detail of old town Alexandra w/ bus routs and detail of Georgetown
   - index of streets and places of interest with map coordinates on back of fold out maps (which makes them a little awkward to read)
   - $6.95, how could you go wrong?
   - dang it if it aint cute
   
   
   Some things it might be lacking:
   
   - it does not cover all that big of an area, but it gets 95% of what a tourist will visit
   - no info on city buses at all, just metro trains
   - the street maps shows the metro stops but not the lines of the routs
   - it does not show where the outlets of the metro stations are, for example some metro stations are very large and have two or more outlets on different streets. This is small thing, but I had a map with this info on it and it was surprisingly very very useful
   
   Even with these things "missing" I still gave it 5 stars because its super useful, nice looking, easy to read and use, and all for only 7 bucks! Also, they made great use of space on the map and if they added all of those things it would be a confusing mess or wayyy bigger. I just mention them to make you aware of its limitations.



2. This map is great. I have a wedding coming up and I intend to purchase a map for every person coming in from out of town. This map is easy to navigate, small and easy to carry, contains metro information, streets, hotels, points of interest, shopping, and restaurants. It is so handy! I recommend this for anyone planning a trip to DC.



3. Used this map for our vacation to Washington DC this summer. The fold out maps are detail and informative and on 2 scales so you both see the area map as well as the large city. I liked that the Metro stops were on the maps and that there was a separate Metro map on the backside. Fits easily into a shirt pocket or pants pocket.
   
   All of the Monuments and Tourist sites were well marked and shown with a walking distance scale.

3 comments about Day Hike! North Cascades (Day Hike!).

1. I got this book because I read Mike McQuaide's "Trail Running Guide to Western Washington" and thought that anyone who could run more than 50 trails around here had to slow down eventually to write a hiking book.
   This one is a really good hiking book, too, with quick reference information on each trail at the top of the page. You can get everything you need to know about the hike without reading the whole description. Of course, if you do that, you'll miss some fine writing.
   This is another one of those new trail guides that provides the kind of information your feet will appreciate most, and there's none of the preaching and reminiscing you find in a lot of those older guides.
   If you're looking for the best guidebook to the trails of the North Cascades, you don't need to look any more.



2. I own the authors trail running book and liked it so I bought his new book as soon as it came out. It really fills the void in North Cascade guide books-it covers the Mt. Baker side very nicely, where other books ignore it. A definte must if you hike up here! I've carried it in my pack since I bought it. I like the rating system, the kid guide, the directions, and the topos - I also like that it isn't bulky or heavy. I met Mike Mcquaide at a book signing recentley - he really loves the trail!



3. I only got to spend a few days in North Cascades Nat'l Park so I had to find a guide that gave me the most bang for my buck. This is the book...
   
   One of the most frustrating things when trying to use a hiking guide is finding the trailhead to depart from. Not so with this book. It has good directions to the trails and nice, concise descriptions of the paths you'll be traversing. Two of the author's most recommended hikes (Maple Pass Loop & Cascade Pass) were also recommended by the ranger at the Newhalem Visitors Center. We took their advice and weren't disappointed, fantastic 6.5 to 7.5 mile trails, cool mountain temps and slopes covered with wild blueberries. We tried another trail near Mt. Baker but were turned back after thirty minutes thanks to a washed-out bridge over a raging torrent. That was OK, we used it as an excuse to spend the rainy afternoon enjoying our cozy cabin and its fire.
   
   There are some black & white photos in the book that don't do the vistas justice but that's OK. The idea is to get out there and experience the mountains for yourself. Day Hike! North Cascades is a handy and helpful guide for those of us who don't have time to really get into the back country for overnight camping.

No comments about Rand Mcnally Seattle, Washington (Rand McNally Easy to Fold!).

1 comments about Moon Washington Fishing: The Complete Guide to Lakes, Streams, and Saltwater (Moon Handbooks).

1. I was very disappointed as this 500 page book devoted 3 pages to fishing the san juan islands.

No comments about Very Washington, DC: A Celebration of the History and Culture of the Nation's Capital.

1 comments about Hiking Washington's Alpine Lakes Wilderness: Day Hikes and Easy Overnights.

1. I own a lot of Falcon Guide books. They are excellent. I tear out the pages for the hike I'm about to go on, follow the directions, read about the history or flora or fauna during lunch, then put the pages back in the book when I get home.

1 comments about Making Mountains: New York City and the Catskills (Weyerhaeuser Environmental Books).

1. I am enjoying this book very much. I was born in the Catskills and I am learning so much that my parents never told me. It is very well written.Making Mountains: New York City and the Catskills (Weyerhaeuser Environmental Books)