No comments about Digging Up the Past (The Adventures of Wishbone #6).

No comments about One Nation Under God: Religious Symbols, Quotes, and Images in Our Nation's Capital.

1 comments about Faith of Fools: A Journal of the Klondike Gold Rush.

1. I was floored by this book. It is diary of a group of men traveling to the yukon in search of gold. I was amazed at the things that they went through. In our relatively easy modren life, It is good to read about what extremes people would go through in the old days. To say that they had a rough journey would be an understatement. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get a feel for what it must have been like to ber part of the gold rush in the Yukon territory.

1 comments about Lonely Planet Washington, DC.

1. Just so no one else gets confused...this is a city guide of Washington DC, not a 'traditonal' Lonely Planet guide book. That having been said, I do love the small size of the book makes it a lot more handy to carry around. The content however is a little more heavy on the history of the town and little usless tidbits then on the what to do & where to go. Single paragraph discriptions of the various museums & attractions are good for an on the fly type book, but not so much for doing resarch on planning a trip.

   Of course there is so much in DC that I can understand the smallish descriptions, all in all, good to keep in the pocket when in town. 3 stars for not identifing it's self as a City Guide other then in the picture.

No comments about Mt. Rainier: Adventures and Views.

1 comments about Walks and Hikes in the Foothills and Lowlands: Around Puget Sound (Walks and Hikes Series).

1. I loved the trail selection and maps in this book. A good concentration of hikes/walks on the Eastside. (Not like other books that try to cover all of Western WA hikes in one book and only mention one or two hikes on the Eastside). Would have liked more detailed information on the hike, such as surface (e.g. paved, bark, gravel, etc.), accessibility (e.g. stroller/wheelchair) and a little bit more detail on exact trailhead locations (using same language found on trail head markers). Several trailheads were hard to find using the instructions in this book.

4 comments about Frommer's Washington, D.C. 2006 (Frommer's Complete).

1. Frommer's continues its tradition of excellence with the 2006 guide to D.C. Most helpful to us were the "Getting to Know Washington D.C" chapter, and the chapter on "Suggested Itineraries". The pullout map is invaluable. If you've never been to D.C., or have not toured the city, this book is a fabulous reference.



2. I rated the 2004 edition of this book at 5 stars, but this edition has slipped just a bit for containing outdated information and omissions of a few other things, so I would say it deserves a 4-and-a-half star rating.
   
   The major thing missing is a mention of The Circulator. This is the bus that loops from Capitol Hill through the K-street corridor to Georgetown, and is $1 to ride, and runs until 10pm. It is cheaper and runs much more frequently than the blue bus that is mentioned in the guide. The Circulator started in early 2005, so it should have made it into this year's edition of the Frommers.
   
   The guide lists a Smithsonian Museum Hotline, and when I called this month (August 2006), the number was out of service.
   
   The Phillips Collection is listed as being free during the weekdays. Wrong. The Phillips Collection is donation-only during the weekdays, and the gal at the desk did watch us drop some money in the donation box. Not a huge deal, but the information was inaccurate. The Phillips has doubled in size since the renovations were completed, and "The Boating Party" is once again on display after its long absence in a traveling exhibition, as is my favorite, "Woman With Dog" painted by Pierre Bonnard.
   
   In the 2004 edition, there was a restaurant that my wife and I loved named Olives. It was not in this edition, but it is still in business and was a fabulous experience when we went (as it was 2 years ago). We enjoyed Olives vastly better than La Tosca (don't order the chicken at La Tosca...blah).
   
   Another place that should be mentioned in the guide is The Capitol City Brewing Company right near China Town (with another location on Capitol Hill). The variety of micro-brews was fantastic, the staff was very friendly (especially Benny!), and during weekdays from 4pm until 7pm, they have half-price beers and appetizers at the enormous bar section (the sesame-covered seared tuna and the Asian quesadillas were absolutely delightful). A great place to visit if you are on a budget.
   
   Even with these minor errors and omissions, it is still a highly valuable guide.



3. This book gave us all the info we needed to plan our trip. The maps inside the cover were very helpful. Book has a lot on where to stay and eat, but only if you have lots of money. For the budget traveler, that info was too much considering how much everything they reviewed cost. Gave lots of info on where to go and what to see. Would recommend to anyone traveling.



4. No feedback yet from the actual owners.
   I have found Frommer's to be the best in travel books.
   LOVE them for where to go and all the information I need for a great visit.

No comments about Columbia Highlands: Exploring Washington's Last Frontier.

1 comments about Northwest Flatwater Paddling Guide to Lake Bay.

1. This is an excellent guide to paddling in the northwest. It is up to date and concise, and includes all the things you want to know when going on a paddling vacation with the family.

1 comments about Best Hikes With Dogs: Inland Northwest (Best Hikes).

1. I bought this book even though I don't have a dog. I have several hiking books from the Inland NW and have found this one useful for locating good hikes in the region. Most of the hikes are in the northern part of eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana - most at least an hour's drive from Spokane or CDA.
   
   This book has very useful overviews that include the elevation gain, length, average hiking time, highest elevation, best hiking season, and the USGS map to go along with the hike. The text for each hike is good - though as with all guide books, I've found inaccuracies that can have you scratching your head, or worse, lost. The trail map is a traditional topographical style with thick dotted lines showing the primary trail. I also liked how non-primary trails were shown in the maps - functional for side excursions. There are good black and white pictures strewn through the book. Dog owners should find the "tips" section and the hike text useful.
   
   Drawbacks include no overall difficulty levels - though this is often found in the text. I would have also liked to have seen more trails closer to town. Overall, I would recommend this to Inland NW hikers, both dog owners and not dog owners alike.