2 comments about Rock Creek Park.

1. A meticulously researched, beautifully written treasure, filled-with fascinating photographs, plans, drawings and paintings as well as apt quotations. Even includes a map of plant associations and lists of the different species as well as places to picnic, golf, ride and play ball to be found in Washington's planned city wilderness. A fitting tribute to the positive impact of the Olmsted family of landscape architects on the nation's capital.



2. I have to admit, although beautifully produced, this slim book about one of America's greatest urban parks left me a little disappointed. It consists of four main sections followed by four appendices, interwoven with photographs, paintings, sketches, and a few maps. The first section presents a brief, broad overview of the park's history. The second section focuses on the highly influential 1902 McMillen Plan, and discusses some of the backroom politicking surrounding it. The third section is a brief overview landscape architecture pioneer Frederick Law Olmsted and his family firm. The fourth main section consists almost entirely of excerpts from the Olmsted's 1918 report on the park. The appendices include a brief chronology of park administration (buried in here is a lovely little anecdote about Teddy Roosevelt skinny-dipping!), a brief overview of the park flora, a little on bridges across and within the park, and some basic visitor information.
   
   The material isn't bad, it's just somewhat dry, and reads somewhat like an official history or publication. It would have been nice to get a little of the social history of the park, more on how people actually used it, possibly culled from newspaper archives and the like. It also would have been nice to hear a little more on some of the problems faced by the park, such as homeless squatters, pollution, and safety and crime (the most famous example being the discovery of Chandra Levy's corpse). Another area not touched upon is the fauna, for example, there's a huge deer problem in the park, as well as numerous red foxes, and recently, confirmed coyote sightings. There's definitely room for a more comprehensive book on the park, for example, the section on bridges was great -- but there are plenty more interesting examples that could have been included. Similarly, while the photos and illustrations were all very nice (most were drawn from collections at the Library of Congress and DC Public Library), there wasn't a whole lot of variety to them -- they tend to show similar sun-dappled views of the creek surrounded by foliage. It would have also been nice to get an orienting map at the very front of the book, instead of toward the end.
   
   In sum, it's not a bad book, just a little thin for such an important part of Washington's cultural and geographic history.

No comments about Better Bed & Breakfast Inns: Covering Northern California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming (Complete Guide to Northwest's Bed and Breakfast Inns).

1 comments about Best Short Hikes in Washington's South Cascades and Olympics.

1. Whether it's your schedule or your body that prevents you from doing long hikes, this is a good resource for southern Washington's Cascades. Has all the usual statistics you've come to expect in a Spring-format guidebook.

No comments about Scholars' Guide to Washington D.C. for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (Scholars' Guide to Washington, D.C.).

1 comments about Seattle.

1. I got this book through my library, and I was amazed. The pictures are wonderful! Some of the pictures are so good, I want to go and take them myself. Great book for anyone trying to get a glimpse of Seattle and it's charm.

No comments about Exploring Mount Helena.

1 comments about National Geographic Destination Map Washington D.C. (National Geographic Destination Map).

1. This map is ok if you need the lamination; however, it doesn't have as much detail as a regular Rand McNally map, so be forewarned. It's alright if you're not going anywhere tricky or improvising a lot on the fly.

2 comments about We the People: The Story of the United States Capitol.

1. This book has a rich color photo of something amazing on almost ever page. It is full of things most of us will never see. And full of very interesting facts and traditions about the U.S. Capitol. Really don't miss out on this you will not be un-happy.



2. This is one of those books every one shoud read!.I never knew that our capitol was so beautiful!

No comments about Washington Ghost Towns Sites.

No comments about Rand Mcnally Kitsap County, Washington (Rand McNally Streets Of...).