2 comments about 100 Hikes in Washington's South Cascades and Olympics: Chinook Pass, White Pass, Goat Rocks, Mount St. Helens, Mount Adams (100 Hikes In...).

1. It is a little rough around the edges. Many of the directions in the book are unclear, and make finding the trail difficult. Also the series needs to improve on emphasing the difficulty of some hikes. I have met many people on the trail that thought the 6 mile hike at 3800 ft increase in elevation was not going to be too bad. The author should note on these hike the experience the hiker should have.

   Good book to get ideas, but you will need supplemental maps.




2. No one, and I mean no one, knows the trails of the Pacific Northwest like Ira Spring and Harvey Manning. Whether you are looking for advice on a brutal five day hike-a-thon over the toughest terain, or a family-friendly afternoon hike to introduce your outdoors passion to family or friends, they have been there and done that, with and without the kids or the crampons. The directions are always clear, concise, and accurate. The photos belong in a glossy coffee table book, not a guide book. Maybe there are individual books that are better at an individual trail, but for a sure thing every time, go with Spring and Manning!

3 comments about Best Desert Hikes: Washington (Best Hikes).

1. This new guidebook to hiking in the coulee, sage and Palouse east of the Cascade crest fills a void in learning about and discovering a region that many overlook when contemplating an outdoor adventure. Many of the hikes and areas described may be foreign to many "westsiders", and some even to their neighbors in eastern Washington! One of the particular thrills in reading through the guidebook is the sense of discovery on finding out things about a land that many have dismissed as a wasteland and habitat for the occasional rattlesnake, tick, lizard and sage plant.
   
   One soon finds out the truth very quickly with the help of Alan Bauer's photography and the writing of Dan A. Nelson. One of the greatest things about the region is that it's a perfect antidote to the wet and gray fall through spring of the Westside. Fall and Spring are mild, winters cold but generally dry with just a dusting of occasional snow. The region is abundant with all kinds of wildlife and without the thick forest can be seen much more readily. The wildflower show in spring is not to be missed either.
   
   I have done a few of the hikes they describe and a whole new world has opened up for future enjoyment. Interestingly, though with most of the 100 hikes featured in the book they are describing a physical trail, jeep track or game trail, they stress that due to the mostly wide-open layout of the land the hiker has the freedom to roam whenever or wherever the need strikes them. Of course private property and common sense needs to be paid attention to!
   
   The book is chockfull of helpful info such as a long list in the front breaking down each of the 100 hikes (in the same order as they appear later in the book) by the name, total distance, hiking time, difficulty and season it can be hiked in. A good introductory chapter gives you background on the region and how to prepare for it. Then follows the 100 hikes covering an area from just east of the Cascades, north to the upper Grand Coulee, east to Kamiak Butte near the Idaho border and south to Twin Sisters Rock near the Oregon border. Hikes range in altitude from the Saddle Mtns to the shores of the Columbia River and inside vast canyons and coulees to vistas over wildlife-teeming pothole lakes.
   
   Each hike begins with the necessary info like mileage, degree of difficulty, elevations, maps and permits that are required that anyone familiar with a hiking guidebook would expect. What is nice is a quality photo for each trip (though a shame more are not in color- they are stunning) and a good map, plus accurate directions to get to the trailhead and the hike description itself- where the authors enthusiasm and delight in each spot is contagious!
   
   I eagerly await the next chance to explore more of the region Bauer and Nelson have brought to light in this fine guide. It's a must-have companion for central-eastern Washington hiking.



2. OK, I'm not a big fan of the east side of the Washington Cascades BUT when there is so much snow in the mountains, the east (dry) side of the state looks a little more interesting.
   
   In my heart, I'm a west-sider but I grew up and am currently in the Yakima Valley. Throughout my life (I'm now somewhere in my middle ages), I never knew there were things to do around here on the dry side! This book showed me so many things about the Yakima area and other areas on the dry side. And dry doesn't mean boring!
   
   Herds of deer and elk, eagles, bluejays and avian galore! The flowers in the spring are gorgeous! We even have a cactus - needles and all but in the spring, a fantastic bright fushia bloom can be found on it. The views are outstanding and are comprised of huge mountains, rolling hills, canyons, as well as wild and tamed rivers. Here and there you even get to go through tunnels and visit old ghost towns.
   
   With this book I've found plenty of things to do when the weather up in the mountains becomes too foreboding. And I'm very glad I have done so!



3. If it is winter/spring and everything west of the Cascades is buried in snow or soggy wet....and you just need some blue skies and forever views? Head east! This is a great guidebook to get ideas from especially if you haven't had the pleasure of hiking East.

1 comments about Portland Hikes: Day Hikes in Oregon and Washington Within 100 Miles of Portland.

1. I recently purchased Portland Hikes to replace my original book that is so worn it's falling apart. I didn't realize I was purchasing the third edition. Everything is mostly the same, except for the maps. The maps in the original book are full-page, while they are only half page in the 3rd edition. All of the relevant information for your ultimate destination is provided, but they have removed the surrounding sites, which I enjoyed. The font seems to be a bit smaller, too. I can live with that, but I really preferred the larger maps. All that to save a few pages...???

No comments about Washington D.C. in Photographs.

No comments about Drive Around Washington DC, 2nd: Your guide to great drives. Top 25 Tours. (Drive Around - Thomas Cook).

1 comments about Seattle Outdoors: Hiking & Cycling-Puget Sound and Cascades.

1. Seattle Outdoors Hiking & Cycling: Puget Sound and Cascades by Bob Dreisbach is a no nonsense encyclopedia of hikes with clear directions to reaching the trailhead, equally clear directions on the trails and notes about what to expect. The hikes are organized sequentially by region, making it easy to choose from the hikes available in a particular area. I have a stack of guidebooks for hiking in the Puget Sound and Cascades but this is the one I use more than any other.

2 comments about Cleveland Park (Images of America).

1. Having just moved to the area, it's nice to have a little history lesson. The photos are incredible. Things have changed in our neighborhood. Anyone native of DC will love this book and any from the IMAGES of AMERICA series.



2. This is a great read for any DC resident; the pictures will certainly delight and amuse and educate!

No comments about Washington DC Insight Day & Night Guide.

No comments about Olympic National Park Pocket Guide (A Falcon Guide; Pocket Guides).

2 comments about The Inside-Outside Book of Washington DC.

1. My son is 5 and has become very interested in the buildings of Washington D.C. I had a hard time finding a book that had a lot of pictures without all the verbage. This book is the best that I have found! Delightful pictures will hold the interest of the very young. Recommended for the pre-book-report set!



2. While this book was a good idea for youngsters, it left out a number of important places in D.C., so wasn't as useful as I had hoped in helping my little one get ready or remember our trip.