1 comments about The Northwest Coast: Or, Three Years' Residence in Washington Territory (Washington Paperbacks, Wp-62).

1. I suppose it is pretty silly to review a book of this age, but I loved it so much it's going on my list of books worth reviewing.
   
   The language is wonderful and it's hard to believe that someone with such a range of interests and writing ability would be found in the ranks of the pioneers.

1 comments about Mountain Bike Adventures in Washington's South Cascades and Puget Sound.

1. This book covers many of the great rides that most of the population areas of the state can ride. We have particularly enjoyed the level of detail of the routes off of highway 410. The author's superlative explanations were so enticing that we ventured the 100 miles from our home to test them out--ever point was justified. We have been back 3 times in the last month to try them again. Without a book like this, you just have to take your chances...with the odds not always in your favor.

   Each documented route has great directions on how to get there and how to get through the route and back out with meticulous attention to the key scenic points, the level-setting of the difficulty, and the waypoints (in 10ths of miles).

   On our last ride, we were discussing the ride up Bald Mountain with strangers who were also carrying the same book with them on their bikes. We're not the only advocates.

   All-in-all, Kirkendall's book is a great motivator to get out and enjoy the splendor of this state on two wheels.

   You can't be disappointed by this book.

No comments about AAA Spiral Washington D.C., 3rd Edition (Aaa Spiral Guides).

5 comments about Dirt Cheap, Real Good: A Highway Guide to Thrift Stores in the Washington DC Area (Washington Weekends).

1. we used Dirt Cheap this weekend on a trip to Philly - these girls know their stuff! i got a brand new thrifty couch at one of the stores listed in the book, and we ate breakfast at carman's country cafe in south philly, which was delicious and really really fun. i highly recommend Dirt Cheap Real Good.



2. Dirt Cheap Real Good Rocks. I was visiting some friends in Philly and my friend was wearing a cool old IZOD(I had been dying to find some IZODs and Le Tigre vintage shirts). When I asked him where he got the shirt-he pulled out Dirt Cheap... and we spent THREE full days on tours of the Philly area thrift shops! I cleaned up!(now you can find some of those shirts on my ebay site) There were also cool insights to local eateries!! Now I have one in my car and have circled the next several trips.. They need to write one for every part of the U.S.!!



3. I bought DIRT CHEAP, REAL GOOD for a weekend trip to D.C. and I was blown away by the thorough research the authors had done on thrift shops in the area. They not only tell you where to go, but also include information about what to expect in terms of price, selection, and even atmosphere. The writing is lively and fun, and the book is illustrated with photos of many of the stores. This book is a gem for true connoisseurs of thrift stores and American popular culture.



4. You may purchase this guide looking for some stores to stop into, but what you'll find instead is the makings of a thrift vacation. The authors outline great roadtrips to surround the highlighted thrift stores, so you'll know where to stay and eat as you thrift your way around the mid-atlantic region. They even throw in some other activities besides thrifting in case you go into bargain-hunting overload. It's a pretty genius idea and a totally original take on road-tripping. I highly recommend picking this book up for a new perspective. Plus, they do give you all those great stores to stop into.



5. I read this book assuming that, after 9 years living in the DC area, I would find summaries of my favorite haunts, and maybe scoff at outdated listings for a few that had closed. I did not expect, and was very happily surprised, to find mention of several newer shops, including a few nearby I didn't even know existed!
   
   The book was obviously very thoroughly researched, and I'm sure they had a blast writing it. (Now, if only I had thought of it!)

1 comments about Insight Pocket GuideWashington D.C. (Insight Pocket Guides Washington Dc).

1. I think this guide gives complet information and is not too big to handle.
   It includes an extra map. It will lead us perfectly through our 2-days-stay.
   Gisela, Germany

No comments about To Tacoma by Trolley: The Puget Sound Electric Railway.

4 comments about Great Hot Springs of the West: Arizona California Colorado Montana Idaho Nevada New Mexico Oregon Utah Washington Wyoming.

1. depending on what your looking for you may not want this guide. it has a fairly well established list to many commercial hot springs, but little else. If your looking for hot springs where you can hook up your RV then this guide may work for you. If on the other hand your looking for real, natural hot springs off the beaten path, then this guide is worthless.



2. We have tried one hot spring listing and enjoyed our hot soak, found one shut down, one remodeling and one a bit too pricey for us. Would like to see some reference to actual costs rather than than reasonable or free or deluxe. One place inacessible without 4 wheel drive but we will keep trying, the maps are good.



3. This book does a great public disservice. The information in the book has not been updated in years and is terribly outdated. Quite a bit of the information is absolutely wrong. Send the publisher a message - don't buy the book until they update it. Save your money, there are much better, current books out there such as "Hot Springs and Hot Pools of the Southwest" & Northwest - which are updated ever two years



4. The only useful thing about this writer's books on hot springs are the USGS maps and the latitude/longitudes. I bought a book of his nearly 20 years ago and was thoroughly dissatisfied, & was incensed when it seemed to me he was more interested in providing info for the land yacht crowd. I wonder if his book alleging that the lunar landings were hoaxes is any better. I doubt it. He probably denies the Holocaust took place, too. If you want a book on hot springs, check out Jayson Loam's books. They are much better. If you want info on faked lunar landings, get the movie "Capricorn One."

3 comments about Washington Itself: An Informal Guide to the Capital of the United States.

1. This book was an excellent counterpoint to the usual 2 sentence blurbs in most guidebooks. Each entry gave a brief historical overview of each building or monument. I really enjoyed getting background information on buildings that I see every day. I thought for a new Washingtonian it is an excellent way to familiarize oneself with the landscape and for the tourist it is a more in depth way to get to know the whos and whys of Washington architecture. I have found myself refering to the book periodically whenever I find some new circle or park with an oddball statue or name. The book is organized by geography so it can also be helpful for any walking tour of the city. An excellent reference tool.



2. Where can you hear the first two notes of 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' in Washington? On the Metro, that's where.

   That's just one of the little tidbits in this gem of a book, which I bought in 1983 just before I came to Washington for a three-month internship. I didn't return until 1999, but I kept the book as a good guide for my visits.

   Applewhite pulls no punches, disparaging some of the more modern office buildings in the federal part of the city (he's brutal on the Rayburn House Office Building), but giving a wonderfully rich guide to Embassy Row and other areas that not everyone visits.

   If you want something more than your average travelogue travelguide, get this. It'll help you fall in love with our Nation's Capital. I know it did that for me.




3. The title is misleading: This is not a guide to Washington, but a personal and very subjective guide to the architecture of Washington. It is really best suited for Washington residents who have lived with these buildings for years, but never taken the time to appreciate their delights or to learn of the fascinating stories behind them. Applewhite spent his professional life as a bureaucrat at the CIA, across the Potomac from Washington. But it is clear from the book that his real love was architecture and history. It is a privilege to be able to share the author's insights about these buildings that he loved -- as well as some that he despised. The prose is a sheer delight.

No comments about Scenic Spots: Chinese Tourism, the State, and Cultural Authority (A China Program Book).

2 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!