Best Tennessee Travel Guides
Contributors include author Tony Earley, Senator Bill Frist, fashion designers Matt and Carrie Eddmenson, musican Rosanne Cash, chef Tandy Wilson, writer J. Wes Yoder, songwriter Thad Cockrell, among others. Unlike traditional guidebooks that list the same old must-see sights and touristy neighborhoods, this new series, entitled Wildsam Field Guides, gets at the soul of a city.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'd never been to Nashville, and this guide made me feel like I'd lived there for years."
"I bought this book while in Nashville and didn't crack it open til I got home."
"This was the first Wildsam Field Guide I bought and I think it's still my favorite."
"This is a small book that packs a huge punch when traveling."
"I always skim through one when checking out a new city--makes you look at things completely differently once you land."
"love the illustrations and interviews!"
"Much more exciting than the traditional guidebook with real stories, illustrations and venues that allowed me to really connect to the City."
"It's super cute but has rookie type flaws."
Moon Nashville gives you the tools to make your own choices, with: Insider tips on the best spots to eat, drink, sleep, shop, and explore, marked with a Moon symbol, including the Best Place to See Elvis; the Most Theatrical Dining Experience; the Most Inventive Brewery; the Best Live Radio Show; the Best Place to Browse for Tunes; and the Most Histric Hotel 6 easy-to-use, full-color neighborhood maps Excursions to Land Between the Lakes, Lynchburg, and Bell Buckle The firsthand experience and unique perspective of author Margaret Littman. And with 75,000 miles on her station wagon already, she has lots of ideas for little-known places to listen to music, eat barbecue, paddle a lake, hike to a waterfall, or buy works by local artists.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"User friendly and very informative."
"This book came out just in time to plan our trip, and I carried it with me all over town."
"I'm a Frommer's Travel Book loyalist, but Frommer's does not have a guide to Nashville, TN, so I purchased this one instead."
"I bought this as a Nashville native (aka Unicorn around here) because, sadly, I needed some reminders of how cool this town can be."
"Best guide ever!"
"Confession: most of what I know about Nashville came from a two day visit to be on a professional panel a decade ago, and from watching the TV series because a friend was one of the lead actors."
"Love this guide!"
"We recently spent a few days in Nashville and this handbook came in very handy for what to see and how to get around."
Blues Traveling: The Holy Sites of Delta Blues will tell you where that legendary deal was supposed to have been made and guide you to all the other hallowed grounds that nourished Mississippi's signature music. A trip through Mississippi blues sites is a pilgrimage every music lover ought to make at least once in a lifetime, to see the juke joints and churches, to visit the birthplaces and graves of blues greats, to walk down the dusty roads and over the levee, to eat some barbecue and greens, to sit on the bank of the Mississippi River, and to hear some down-home blues music. "This localized, detailed, and lively guidebook to blues music in Mississippi recommends following by car 'a rough circle beginning and ending in Memphis' for a comprehensive tour. So perhaps it's time to revisit, and I'm going to let Blues Traveling be my guidebook and excuse to make a trip to these holy sites of Delta blues. Along the way Cheseborough provides details on the towns, homes, and gravesites of famous blues musicians, buildings where they played, radio stations, sites of music festivals, and current clubs and restaurants that feature the music.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"However, having said that, this book is in serious need of an update, especially with the coming of age of the hot tomale trail and the blues markers that are not a lot and state wide. Where you turn it is paved then turns into a dirt road and it at least a mile to the crossroad."
"This guide is a must to travel in this area and for blues fans."
"But if you buy the book and take it to heart you'll soon figure out a REAL Delta blues tour will consume more than just an idle weekend."
"Great stuff.I wished I had checked the mail before we left.This book would have been awesome on our trip!"
"This book was extremely valuable when my son and I set out on our blues tour in July."
"i found this very helpful, easy to read, in preparation for taking this trip."
"I just discovered this fascinating music trail while visiting New Orleans and Natchez, It looks like I'll be heading back to the area with book in hand delving into the musical heritage."
"The classic stars of blues have been dying off (though, some new voices take their place) and everything from the current economy to the casinos knocks off some blues places, but a lot is still out there and this is a great guidebook for the blues traveler."
Best General Tennessee Travel Guides
First used as a vital transportation link by Native Americans and later by "kaintucks" and frontiersmen, today the Trace is experienced by more than 13 million visitors a year. 25 Civil War sites 73 antebellum homes 65 museums and art galleries 78 antique shops and malls 72 bed and breakfasts 56 campgrounds 175 restaurants 49 spots for water sports and a whole lot more.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"She adds detailed info which many other travel writers seem to deem boring and don't bother."
"I haven't read the entire book yet, but about 1/2 of it."
"This book did not give as much detail as I wanted."
"This isn't a detailed travel guide for this historic highway, but it gave me a good idea what driving it would be like."
"Dated."
"The Trace starts in Natchez and ends in Nashville, not the other way around, so if you want to use it as a guide, you'll have to read it back to front."
"I have lived in Mississippi all my life but never really enjoyed the Trace until getting this book and following its suggestions for places to visit and things to see."
"There are no internet addresses or any email addresses for anything mentioned in the book: accommodations, attractions, restaurants, shopping, events or for additional information. I tried phone calls to several places and half of the numbers were no longer in service."
Best Memphis Tennessee Travel Books
In Memphis Type History: Signs and Stories From Just Around the Corner, nineteen of these everyday signs are beautifully captured by painter Rebecca Phillips. Examples like the Universal Life Insurance Company, during the time of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, assassination, or the Lorraine Motel for Stax recording artists, or even the great Sam Phillips, whose desire for creative change started Sam Phillips Recording Studio. While interesting, the engineering specs of the Sputnik do not tell anything about the sign's true importance because a sign is a reflection of something more important than itself. In others, like the Chicago Pizza Factory archway, they have been recreated to express something new without forgetting the old. In the pages that follow, an intersection of art, history, and personal stories will allow an atmospheric experience of Memphis through paintings, photography, and personal stories.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"They really capture the unique essence of the city, they’re not of the most ‘glamorous’ sights but they show the ‘rough around the edges’ beauty of the city which make it stand out from anywhere else. It’s been a real schooling. If you want to know more about the people, stories and history of this fabulous city nestled on the shores of the mighty Mississippi then you can't go far wrong with this great little book."
"One of my earliest memories is looking out the window of my parents' Volvo and seeing "Sputnik", a very memorable version of a type of sign called a "rotosphere" (as the authors inform us). However, and perhaps simply due to the fact that this is written and not spoken, the book lacks some of the magic of a real conversation. The paintings and photographs of each landmark really help tell the story (in fact I found myself wishing for more photos showing different angles and eras for each sign). I hope if you end up with a copy of this book that you enjoy it as I did--and maybe even start looking around your own home town a little closer for gems like these in Memphis."
"At the age of 63 and being a native memphian, I was hoping the author, Caitlin Horton, would be able to capture the true renaissance of this great city of Memphis."
"Memphis Type History offers the reader a pictorial and biographical tour of Memphis Landmarks."
"I am reading this book now and really enjoying it."
"Having lived in Memphis for about 5 years, I was pretty familiar with the signs and some of their history, so most of the details in the book resonated with me and in some cases triggered memories long dormant."
Best Nashville Tennessee Travel Books
Contributors include author Tony Earley, Senator Bill Frist, fashion designers Matt and Carrie Eddmenson, musican Rosanne Cash, chef Tandy Wilson, writer J. Wes Yoder, songwriter Thad Cockrell, among others. Unlike traditional guidebooks that list the same old must-see sights and touristy neighborhoods, this new series, entitled Wildsam Field Guides, gets at the soul of a city.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'd never been to Nashville, and this guide made me feel like I'd lived there for years."
"I bought this book while in Nashville and didn't crack it open til I got home."
"This was the first Wildsam Field Guide I bought and I think it's still my favorite."
"This is a small book that packs a huge punch when traveling."
"I always skim through one when checking out a new city--makes you look at things completely differently once you land."
"love the illustrations and interviews!"
"Much more exciting than the traditional guidebook with real stories, illustrations and venues that allowed me to really connect to the City."
"It's super cute but has rookie type flaws."
Best Texas Travel Guides
Author and Cowboys employee Nick Eatman, through interviews with current and past players, provides fans with a one-of-a-kind, insider's look into the great moments and the lowlights throughout the team's history. Nick Eatman writes for DallasCowboys.com as the featured columnist and has been with the Dallas Cowboys organization since 1999.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As a Dallas Cowboys fan, I pride myself on knowing random tid bits of knowledge or facts that people rarely know."
"There were a few, but not a lot."
"Pick it up for the Cowboys fan in your family, I know they'll enjoy it."
"I really enjoy reading Nick's articles and finally got around to ordering his book; great book, brought back some memories and hit some things I had forgotten about."
"Christmas gift that I already gave a little early."
"Very informative."
"The author is also a gifted journalist, a knowledgeable and witty talk show host on The Cowboys Break streaming online."
"If you are a big fan of the Cowboys, and grew up watching the glory days of 90s and loved the Parcells era, this book is for you."
Best Minnesota Travel Guides
The stories of these grand houses are, above all else, the stories of those who built and lived in them—from the fantastic saga of Marion Savage to the continent-spanning conquests of James J. Hill, to the all-but-forgotten tragedy of Olaf Searle, a poor immigrant turned millionaire who found and lost a dream in the middle of Lake Minnetonka. The first book to take an in-depth look at the history of the Twin Cities’ mansions, Once There Were Castles presents ninety lost mansions and estates, organized by neighborhood and illustrated with photographs and drawings. Larry Millett is an architectural historian and the author of Lost Twin Cities, Twin Cities Then and Now, and AIA Guide to the Twin Cities.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As a preservationist I feel this book should be sitting on the desk of city planners nationwide as an example of how we haphazardly destroy the very elements of our cities that make them unique."
"This is a lovely book and a must-have for coffee tables across the Twin Cities."
"If you have any interest in the history of the Twin Cities, Historic Architecture, Victorian Homes, or the 19th century, this book is definitely a worthwhile purchase!"
"My brother in law saw an article about this book in our local news paper."
"We open the gifts one by one so everyone can see who got what...this book was the hit of the party...everyone was jealous of the person who received the book."
"This is a beautiful book with many memories for my parents and a few for me, too."
"The book is well laid out, and has great pictures."
Best Maine Travel Guides
Maine: A Portrait is the result of Lucian Niemeyer's desire to explore the Maine viewed by his inspiration, Eliot Porter.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A beautiful rendering of Main."
"Mr. Neimeyer shot this book plain, not fancy: he apparently did not use a digital camera and states he did not use filters or image manipulation tools."
"This book contains two sections of photos: the coast and the woods."
"I bought this book sight unseen as a birthday gift for a friend."
"..great pics I love Maine..gave it as a gift..I hope the recipient is worthy of it!"
Best Kansas Travel Guides
An invaluable companion for exploring new trails or learning about accustomed routes, this comprehensive guide will tell you all you need to know (as well as what it might surprise you to learn) about the trails that crisscross Kansas—history and geography, wildlife and scenery, park locations and cultural possibilities, and, now and then, even a bit of geology and botany. This book is a great starting place for people wanting to explore some of the adventurous and recreational trails our beautiful state has to offer. "— Lyle Riedy , President of the Kansas Trails Council "Grab your binoculars, camera and lunch, pack up the family, and let the Conards lead you on an adventure. "— Bob Gress , Director emeritus of Great Plains Nature Center "With photos, maps, and detailed descriptions, this book will take you down trails that you’ll never forget. This book is a great starting place for people wanting to explore some of the adventurous and recreational trails our beautiful state has to offer.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Although there are other trail guides for Kansas trails, most are sport-specific (i.e., focusing on mountain bike trails or hiking trails) and none are as comprehensive as this."
"I bought this for my boy and his wife."
"A great resource for all outdoorsy types!"
"Excellent written book!"
"Great family effort!"
"I bought this book in anticipation of a trip to Kansas next Spring."
"Very well written and indexed."
"I really liked this because it explained the various trails enough to get you started on them effectively."
Best Delaware Travel Guides
One Day Adventures complete with: 60 road and town maps; Full travel directions; Time & weather considerations; Restaurant suggestions; Do-it-yourself tours; Practical information on visiting hours, fees, parking, handicapped access, and more; Thorough descriptions of all worthwhile sights; Background material & Internet sites. For over 35 years he has been refining his carefree style of daytripping while working in New York, London, Paris, and other cities; first as head of a firm specializing in promotional photography and later as a professional writer.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This book is very detailed and is full of helpful hints."
"Just what I needed, and a great purchasing experience."
"Lots of great places to visit."
Best Vermont Travel Guides
Complete map coverage for all of Vermont including Burlington, Rutland, Montpelier, Barre, Bennington, Brattleboro, Manchester, Woodstock, Middlebury, White River Junction, St. Albans, Ludlow, St. Johnsbury, and Newport as well as all other communities.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I read a review for the Rand McNally Vermont Road Atlas wherein the reviewer dumped the Rand McNally mid-trip and picked up the JIMAPCO Vermont Road Atlas and recommended it above the former."
"It keeps me from going in circles and helps me find covered bridges, wildlife management areas, hiking trails and other interesting things along the ways."
"NIce maps, good detail."
"The spiral binding allows you. to lay it flat on your lap or desk."
"Just what we needed to replace our original Vermont Road Atlas which had been well used, and had seen better days."
"Timely delivery good product."
"This atlas has amazing detail on every road and the spiral binding makes it real easy to use."
"The spiral binding is great, the index is mostly useful; however, it uses town road numbers which makes it very hard to figure out what the road is because many of the ones we were looking for did not have a number on the sign or we were not sure what the number was until we had already driven past the road."
Best Connecticut Travel Guides
This atlas is fully street indexed and includes U.S., state and interstate highways, Merritt Parkway and the Connecticut Turnpike, hospitals, parks, golf courses, airports, railroad routes, neighborhoods and ZIP codes.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I bought this one used as they don't publish these anymore."
"Thank you,its a very helpful map too have."
"Lucky us that we found this copy of Fairfield Cty CT at Amazon; we use local maps to direct our drivers, and need the larger-font street names."
Best New Jersey Travel Guides
This is the ''Down The Shore'' book, from the publisher of the popular Down The Shore Calendars: Fifty-four contributors capture the heart and soul of the Jersey Shore in this extraordinary pictorial hardcover. If you won t make it to the Shore this summer, this handsome volume may be the next best thing to being there. Should you acquire this well-wrought work of art, a word of caution: By no means consider lending it to anyone; it will not find its way back to you! Brings the fabled Jersey Shore right into the living room....
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Peter O'Brien's sunset with the loving couple seated on the high bench found on the cover really looks beautiful especially the sunset scenario color."
"This is a beautiful compilation of pictures of the Jersey Shore and announce to all why it is we from New Jersey love our shore."
"Anyone who loves the Jersey shore will love these photos...great coffee table book."
"I only had a little time with the book, bought. in a gift shop at Sunset Beach (with the Sunken Ship, an old. one-of-few concrete ship from WW-I (likely in the book). and given to my mother, a Jersey gal in late years, now."
"I am a proud Jersey Girl, and I have been going "down the shore" every summer since I was a small child."
Best Oregon Travel Guides
The new cartography is about much more than just land! David Banis has managed the Center for Spatial Analysis and Research in the Geography Department at Portland State University since 2006, working with a wide variety of partners at the federal, state, and local levels.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It documents the most absurd things, from house color by neighborhood to noise level in Providence Park by minute in a Timbers game."
"This book is PACKED full of interesting maps, facts, history, images, and impressions of Portland past and present."
"Got this for my best friend's birthday after she moved to Portland and she's loved it as fun way to get to know her new city even better."
"Fun way to explore Portland from many different perspectives."
"this is a great book written by Portland State University professors and their students."
"A creative and smart approach to visualizing the culture of a city."
"I bought this as a gift."
"If you thought you knew about Portland you're wrong!"
Best Arkansas Travel Guides
Original Disfarmer Photographs is the first publication to present these vintage prints, made by Disfarmer's own hand at the time the pictures were taken--at once family mementos and the original work of one of America's greatest portraitists.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Had just watched a documentary on this man and was so fascinated by him, his life and mostly his amazingly stark, raw portraits that I needed to buy the book to always have those photos with me."
"A nice companion piece to the other Disfarmer book of photos."
"And you really have to be grateful to Mr. Albright for having bought and preserved all this stuff for feeling something in common with the man and his work."
"There is another book called "Vintage Prints" which came out around the same time as this and there is no overlap so if you are a collector you should get both of the books."
Best Montana Travel Guides
Glacier National Park and the Great Northern Railway became synonymous in the early 20th century. C. W. Guthrie is a freelance writer who lives in the Ninemile Valley west of Missoula, Montana.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Bought this book for my husband for Christmas."
"great read about a beautiful place."
"All Aboard for Glacier is a we done book about the Great Northern RY and Glacier NP."
"Good coffee table book."
"Very well researched & interesting read."
"Wonderful illustrations and delightful writing."
"This was a nicely done book about the history of Great Northern in general in addition to highlighting how important the development of the U.S. was on the railroads."
Best Indiana Travel Guides
In an era dominated by huge railroad corporations, Indianapolis Union and Belt Railroads reveals the important role two small railroad companies had on development and progress in the Hoosier State. An interesting history not only of these two railroads but how they ultimately served as a model for the many other belt railroads . This is a great history book, neatly telling the value of railroads in the development of the United States as well as in Indianapolis.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I worked in Indianapolis for over seven years and was fascinated by Union Station and the railroads."
Best Illinois Travel Guides
Produced in cooperation with the Chicago Public Art Group, Urban Art Chicago effectively conveys the vibrancy of community public art (now a national phenomenon) and how it alters the relationship of artist to audience. This terrific guide opens the doors of Chicago's public art to the caring tourist.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"good photos and details about the murals."
"Quick shipping."
"Also adding to the book's usefulness is a bibliography and a collection of capsule biographies of major artists in the mural movement. But my favorites include the following: William Walker's "Childhood Is Without Prejudice," with its interlocking faces of many races; Christopher Tavares Silva's "Soaring Toward Excellence," a symbolic, energetic celebration of books and education; Aurelio Diaz' "Latino Youth, Inc." mural, with its stunning pre-Columbian imagery; and Jeff Zimmerman's "Paid Programming," a visual satire in which the United States flag is morphed into a bar-code."
"Urban Art Chicago is a beautifully produced guide to many of Chicago's murals and would be an excellent gift for any school teacher."
Best Nebraska Travel Guides
In this sequel to the best-selling If I Never Get Back , Sam Fowler manages to break into the past once again—but this time it’s 1875. Brock's sequel to If I Never Get Back promises the quaint historical charm that distinguished its predecessor, but some erratic plotting and a decision to virtually eliminate the baseball motif hurts the follow-up effort.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Brock's treatment if the "gay" Indian was equaly offensive to me as a 2 spirit person."
"Into the mix we now find Mark Twain, international intrigue, and the metamorpheus of professional baseball into our National Pastime."
"Great time-travel book - sequel to "If I Never Get Back" - Couple of episodes with Mark Twain, riding the rails with hobos in 1875 - gambling in Saratoga Springs, coal mines in Pa. - and settling a village in Old West Nebraska."
"Not as good as the first one."
"Like its predecessor, "I Don't Care if Never Get Back", Two in the Field is a great read."
"Sequel to "If I Never Get Back..." I was so happy to read the rest of Sam's adventures."
"It could have had more vintage baseball in it like it's predecessor."
"The book was interesting and did hold my attention."
Best Kentucky Travel Guides
Others support the daily life and work of Kentuckians, such as a Sunday afternoon celebration of a baptism in Jessamine Creek or friends sharing their thoughts on a warm February day in Sharpsburg, Bath County. Including a foreword by Wendell Berry, the book also reminds us of our responsibility to serve as stewards for Kentucky's rich history and historic places. "Archambeault's work, in words as well as images, is an invaluable a resource as is the land he records. "The historic and cultural significance of the landscapes, buildings, and sights of old Kentucky as many of them fall into neglect, become altered, or disappear is explained in this photographic elegy to the scenic treasures of Kentucky culture.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Nice coffee table book."
"Although the company I worked for gave me a going away gift, I wanted to leave them with something that would connect us and they would be able to see pictures and learn something about where I was from."
"These were gifts, and the recipients loved them."
"Beautiful book...highly recommend."
"This book is filled with outstanding photography from Kentucky, the beautiful Bluegrass state!"
"Stunningly beautiful photographs of the history and character of the commonwealth of Kentucky."
"While I admire the effort to preserve photos of the old monuments/areas, and the photos were lovely, I just wish more had been taken in the spring or summer."
Best Ohio Travel Guides
Mouthwatering treats from Hough Bakery and traditional ethnic flavors from the local market. Join in as dozens of Northeast Ohioans share their personal stories of Christmas past; includes recollections of people who made Christmas happen, too: former Santas, retail window dressers, entertainers, and of course parents. Every year that passes, the Christmas memories of our youth grow sweeter and more perfect. A 1965 photograph of holiday shopping at Higbee's or an original Atari 2600 box can momentarily transport us to times as treasured as they are impossible to revisit. That's the emotional territory author Gail Ghetia Bellamy covers in Cleveland Christmas Memories. The photo-heavy, 120-page book not only documents the city's bygone retail traditions, but also steps inside our homes to look at how we celebrated the holidays. What resonates are the photographs of artifacts from Christmases past, be it a kid's shopping bag from the Higbee's Twigbee Shop, a WMMS advertisment with the FM rock station's iconic buzzard pulling the sleigh or Frankie Yankovic's 1964 album Christmas Party. I would recommend each CLE-lover have a copy on hand for those nights sitting around the fireplace with a mug of hot cocoa and holiday tunes in the air .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Mostly people aged 60 and older will appreciate this more - I am younger but still remember some of these things - either personally or from family members reminiscing. For example I had no idea the stores hired off duty policemen to play Santa."
"Had some great reminders of Growing up in Cleveland."
"But it's also a huge gift for me, being able to sit on the couch with them and watch them get so excited when they remember a place from the book and then tell me stories about them."
"Anything about Cleveland is fun."
"So many of the photos in the book looked just like photos we had of our chilhhood! I gave one book each to my mom and my sister and they couldn't stop reading it--everything else stopped while they kept saying ."
"We loved seeing the department stores at Christmas time when we were kids, especially the animated windows, so just had to have this book."
"one of the best books about Cleveland history that I ever bought."
"Great collection piece for all Clevelanders, but i think it's great for all that love Christmas season and nostalgia in general..."
Best Utah Travel Guides
User-friendly highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices, emergency information, park seasonality, hiking trail junctions, viewpoints, landscapes, elevations, distances, difficulty levels, and durations Focused on the best - hikes, drives, and cycling tours Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, camping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, summer and winter activities, and hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Contextual insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, geology, wildlife, and conservation Over 65 full-color trail and park maps and full-color images throughout Useful features - Travel with Children, Clothing and Equipment, and Day and Overnight Hikes Covers Zion National Park, St George, Snow Canyon State Park, Cedar City, Glendale, Bryce Canyon& National Park, Red Canyon, Panguitch, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument and more. The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet Zion & Bryce Canyon& National Parks, our most comprehensive guide to these parks, is perfect for both exploring top sights and taking roads less travelled.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"It stated to take the Queen Garden trail first and then make the ascent up Wall Street and it was 100% accurate on this."
"Excellent guidebook, and we used it to prepare for our trip, though once we were at each of the parks, the park documentation was excellent."
"This book is packed with information about Zion and Bryce Canyons."
"A nice travel book and was useful on our recent trip to the area."
"This was the most useful and informative guide I found for Zion and Bryce."
"Comprehensive info on parks with map inserts,pictures, trip plans, history and geology, and, of course, detailed information on all the hikes."
"I'm still making my way through this book; it's so loaded with useful information."
"purchased for my upcoming trip."
Best Iowa Travel Guides
Taken by a true insider who has lived in Iowa his entire life, Frazier’s photographs are rich in emotion and give expression to the hopes and desires of the people who remain, whose needs and wants are complicated by the economic realities remaking rural America. Years of working, walking, photographing, carefully making notes, names, places. Inhabitants: Farmers, Migrant Workers, their families, Hunters, Churches, Trailers, Storms, Open Fields, Sunday Night. “I wanted to explore the lives of the people who stay, who are casualties of the growing economic divide that separates America’s rural and metropolitan classes. Having lived in Iowa all my life, these forgotten communities are part of my own history.”—Danny Wilcox Frazier.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Driftless: Photographs from Iowa. fantastic book, great illustrations, excellent quality."
"Typically, the photographs show the lower classes, but a few of the images depict well-dressed people practicing their religion, or engaging in a civic activity. Other examples of this genre include: (1) IN THE AMERICAN WEST (1996) by Richard Avedon; (2) PHOTOGRAPHS FROM ONE YEAR (1983) by Nicholas Nixon; (3) SOCIAL GRACES (1984) by Larry Fink; (4) APPALACHIAN PORTRAITS (1993) by Shelby Lee Adams; and. (5) GRIMM STREET (2005) by Mark Cohen. I saw an exhibit of IN THE AMERICAN WEST in the Corcoran Gallery in Washington D.C. APPLACHIAN PORTRAITS is excellent in terms of composition, uniqueness, and image quality, but some of the images in APPALACHIAN PORTRAITS are so bizarre that a typical person would find no solace in looking at them (we find snake handlers, and hillbillies looking like escapees from a mental institution). To conclude, DRIFTLESS:PHOTOGRAPHS FROM IOWA features sharp-focus images, with excellent contrast (ranging from bright whites to jet blacks), and plenty of variety. Variety takes the form of inhabitants of trailer homes, hunters toting rifles, tawdry scenes in taverns, and straightforward landscapes."
"They are depressing pictures."
"The sugar-coated, romanticized, or one dimensional view of "Middle-America" would have us believe that Iowa is only a land of covered bridges, fields of dreams, or over weight mall moms casting their red state ballots."
"The idea has merit: to capture the feel of a changing Iowa, with the relentless agri business taking over the individual farms, small towns built up over decades on many of the State's crossroads now disappearing, their inhabitants, having either worked on the land or in local industries but now drifting away. They clearly have a sense of place and tell a story which I felt was more or less missing from Frazier's contemporary look at Iowa because his photos are too personal and subjective (and I wonder if he takes them quickly, too)."
"Danny Wilcox Frazier's book of photographs, Driftless, is just that."
Best Western US Travel Guides
Told with suspense and style, sparkling with warmth and humor, Wild powerfully captures the terrors and pleasures of one young woman forging ahead against all odds on a journey that maddened, strengthened, and ultimately healed her. “Strayed’s language is so vivid, sharp and compelling that you feel the heat of the desert, the frigid ice of the High Sierra, and the breathtaking power of one remarkable woman finding her way—and herself—one brave step at a time.” — People (4 stars). — The Boston Globe "One of the most original, heartbreaking, and beautiful American memoirs in years. The cumulative welling up I experienced during Wild was partly a response to that too infrequent sight: that of a writer finding her voice, and sustaining it, right in front of your eyes.” —Dwight Garner, The New York Times. Strayed’s journey is exceptional.” — San Francisco Chronicle “One of the best books I’ve read in the last five or ten years. Wild is angry, brave, sad, self-knowing, redemptive, raw, compelling, and brilliantly written, and I think it’s destined to be loved by a lot of people, men and women, for a very long time.” —Nick Hornby. By laying bare a great unspoken truth of adulthood—that many things in life don’t turn out the way you want them to, and that you can and must live through them anyway— Wild feels real in many ways that many books about ‘finding oneself’ . [Strayed] has the ineffable gift every writer longs for of saying exactly what she means in lines that are both succinct and poetic. an inborn talent for articulating angst and the gratefulness that comes when we overcome it.” — The Washington Post “Vivid, touching and ultimately inspiring account of a life unraveling and of the journey that put it back together.” — The Wall Street Journal “Strayed . with a raw emotional power that makes the book difficult to put down. In walking, and finally, years later, in writing, Strayed finds her way again. And her path is as dazzlingly beautiful as it is tragic.” — Los Angeles Times “A fearless story, told in honest prose that is wildly lyrical as often as it is dirtily physical.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune. “This isn’t Cinderella in hiking boots, it’s a woman coming out of heartbreak, darkness and bad decisions with a clear view of where she has been. There are adventures and characters aplenty, from heartwarming to dangerous, but Strayed resists the temptation to overplay or sweeten such moments. Her pacing is impeccable as she captures her impressive journey.” — The Seattle Times “Strayed’s journey was at least as transcendent as it was turbulent. She faced down hunger, thirst, injury, fatigue, boredom, loss, bad weather, and wild animals. Yet she also reached new levels of joy, accomplishment, courage, peace, and found extraordinary companionship.” — The Christian Science Monitor “Strayed writes a crisp scene; her sentences hum with energy. Cheryl Strayed emerges from her grief-stricken journey as a practitioner of a rare and vital vocation. She has become an intrepid cartographer of the human heart.” — Houston Chronicle “A deeply honest memoir about mother and daughter, solitude and courage, and regaining footing one step at a time.” — Vogue “This is a big, brave, break-your-heart-and-put-it-back-together-again kind of book. I snorted with laughter, I wept uncontrollably; I don’t even want to know the person who isn’t going to love Wild. This is a beautifully made, utterly realized book.” —Pam Houston, author of Contents May Have Shifted and Cowboys are My Weakness.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Although I did not hike the PCT I did backpack in Yosemite."
"Cheryl Strayed's memoir of an 1100 miles trek on the Pacific Crest trail is an astonishing story of a spectacular and breathtaking adventure of coming to terms with grief and survival during a difficult trek through snow_clad mountains and thick forests for two months beginning in the Mojave desert and hiking through California and Oregon to the Bridge of Gods in Washington."
"This book is not for everyone, you either seem to love it or hate it, but I loved it."
"The author tells her personal story which includes a lot of her flaws and mistakes. I'm grateful for the author's willingness to share this with enough detail to make the reader understand her state of mind and her experience of events."
"Having hiked, during my long life, on four continents, along trails of varying degrees of intensity, I empathised with every painful step this young, intelligent and courageous woman endured on the extremely challenging Pacific Crest Hiking Trail on the North American continent."
"But this book is really less about the PCT and more about the emotional journey which apparently was a good deal more strenuous than the trail. This book documents with chilling honesty the route she took emotionally to deal with that upbringing."
"I am an experienced hiker and Cheryl Strayed was an outdoor person but not a hiker of the type who usually attempts an extreme hike. Her writing is so good that I could envision each part of the trail as she hiked along the PCT."
Best Alaska Travel Guides
Travel through the coastal rainforest, the fishing towns and ice fields of Southeast Alaska; the glacier-carved landscape of Prince William Sound and Kenai Fjords; through the major cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks; and on to the crown jewel, Denali National Park. The quality of the photography is first rate, and varies from the small scale of flowers and wildlife to the grander scale of mountains, fjords, and glaciers.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"A good balance of pictures and narrative, ideal for anyone contemplating a drive through Alaska."
"Just received this beautiful photographic book and we couldn't be more pleased to view and read all about Alaska."
"Bought this for someone who went on an Alaskan adventure and cruise, and they said it was amazing to have to remember their trip."
"Absolutely superb photography by Mark Kelley and stories by Nick Jans."
"Wonderful book."
Best Nevada Travel Guides
This authoritative guide will show you how to navigate the crystal-clear waters of Lake Tahoe and the exciting nightlife of “The Biggest Little City in the World.”. For more than twenty years, the Insiders' Guide® series has been the essential source for in-depth travel and relocation information―from true insiders whose personal, practical perspective gives you everything you need to know. From world-class ski resorts and rugged mountains to pristine beaches and magnificent golf courses, there's more to Reno and Lake Tahoe than just spectacular entertainment venues and casino gaming.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I certainly have picked out other day trips and activities for future return visits."
"I have just moved to Reno and this book was on my hit list so I can understand and get acquainted with the area as soon as possible."
"I look forward utilizing it during my trip to Reno."
"Wow what a extensive book on what all is offered in that area !"
"This book provided the information I needed."
"We got this updated edition because we were moving to Reno and had to have the latest scoop on all the information this book holds, and it holds a lot of information."
"haven't had time to look at much."
"This book is very helpful and full of information, however I was disappointed that a book about such a gorgeous place had no pictures of the places it was describing."
Best Wisconsin Travel Guides
Chronicling the Brewers from the Suds Series of 1982 to the 2011 National League Central title and from Bambi's Bombers of the late '70s to Harvey's Wallbangers of the early '80s, Bill Schroeder, a longtime Brewers color commentator and former Brewers catcher, provides insight into the Brewers inner sanctum as only he can. Olson grew up in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he spent a semester on the men’s basketball team “before they got good.” Bill Schroeder is the color commentator for the Milwaukee Brewers, a position he has held since 1995. Born in Baltimore and raised in Princeton, New Jersey, Schroeder graduated from West Windsor Plainsboro High School, where he earned All-State honors his junior and senior years.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In If These Walls Could Talk Bill Schroeder and Drew Olson provide a comprehensive look at the Milwaukee Brewers, paying tribute to the great players like Robin Yount and Paul Molitor, reliving memorable moments on the diamond, sharing a smattering of tales, most only mildly amusing, giving credit to behind the scenes staffers like the director of clubhouse operations and the director of team travel, and reflecting on the challenges of broadcasting a game."
"The book also seems to end abruptly as well."
"Highly recommend picking up a copy and reading and even perhaps rereading just before the start of the baseball season or any time the reader requires a baseball "fix!""
"If you are a Milw Brewer fan, you need to read this book."
"Enjoyed thoroughly."
"Bill Schroeder has been with the Brewers for a long time now as a player and then an announcer."
"My husband is a huge Brewers fan and, of course, anybody from Wisconsin loves Bob Uecker."
"If you like the Brewers you will enjoy this book."
Best Midwest US Travel Guides
Composed decades before Sigurd Olson or Calvin Rutstrum began documenting the wild life of the upper Midwest, Howard Greene’s journals are a window into a world at once familiar and strange, the wilderness caught on the verge of becoming the North Woods we know today. You can almost hear Kent Ryden’s ‘quiet human voices whispering in the landscape.’"—Mary Graves, chief of Cultural and Natural Resources, Voyageurs National Park.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The journals of Howard Greene have been skillfully annotated and set in context by Martha Philips."
"It was interesting to get a first hand view of what some of the rivers and waterways were like in the early 20th century."
"This is the perfect gift for so many people."
"Over night shipping and this is an amazing book."
"Fast delivery."
"Wonderful book, enjoyed it so much."
Best Pennsylvania Travel Guides
In this ultimate guide, true fans of Pittsburgh Steelers football will learn the origins of the team’s iconic logo, the best place to tailgate before kickoff, and how the legendary Steel Curtain defense got its nickname. Matt Loede has covered Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, and the National Football League for Fox Sports Radio, the Associated Press, and other stations around the country.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My daughter is an up and coming Steelers fan, so my wife and I told her she needs to know the history of the Steelers if she's going to be a true fan."
"This was a Christmas gift for my karate teacher in addition to some other fun Steelers products."
"Go to my "coffee table" for reference and good memories of my home town/team."
"Anything concerning the Steelers is great."
"Fun gift for a Steelers fan."
Best Georgia Travel Guides
Whether you're headed to downtown or to the ethnic mecca that is Buford Highway, you’ll find Atlanta’s best chefs innovating and continuing to redefine the culinary food scene in the big Peach. Part-cookbook and part-tour guide, Atlanta Chef’s Table. manages to capture the complexity and breadth of Atlanta’s modern restaurant landscape, and serve as a resource for those interested in emulating the flavors of this pivotal time in Atlanta food, at home. Atlanta Chef's Table. is more of a food-focused narration of where Atlanta came from and where it's going. Atlanta Chef's Table is a stunning book worthy of your kitchen counter or your coffee table." Atlanta Chef's Table. highlights that authentic zeal, the focused precision and the gastronomic excitement that Atlanta restaurants have been working on for the last decade and it is a stunning collection of recipes to behold.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'm generally not a fan of traditional cookbooks as you can find virtually any recipe online and they take up a lot of space in the kitchen cabinets."
"I found just the perfect item in Kate Kordsmeier’s book “Atlanta Chef’s Table.” This is the kind of book you like to sit out on the porch to read, pen in hand, so you can take notes of where you want to dine or what dish will be the main focus at your next dinner party."
"Great book for foodies who not only love new recipes but also like to have a little knowledge about the history of Atlanta's best restaurants."
"The benefits of this book are two fold - It allows you to get to know the wonderful chefs and restaurants in your city and allows you the ability to create their dishes right in your own home!"
"Wonderful book and I love the photography as well."
"This book is a nice resource for the culinary happenings in Atlanta."
"Not only does it provide some great recipes, but also gives a great overview of some of the best restaurants/chefs in the ATL."
"Just received this cookbook as an early Mother's Day gift from my daughters."
Best Idaho Travel Guides
In her new book Rusch to Glory: Adventure, Risk & Triumph on the Path Less Traveled , Rusch weaves her fascinating life's story among the exotic locales and extreme conditions that forged an extraordinary athlete from ordinary roots. Rusch has run the gauntlet of endurance sports over her career as a professional athlete-- climbing, adventure racing, whitewater rafting, cross-country skiing, and mountain biking--racking up world championships along the way. “ Rusch to Glory tells the story of Rebecca Rusch, a 38-year-old whose sporting career has had more twists and turns than the singletrack upon which she currently dominates the sport of ultra-endurance mountain biking. “ Rusch to Glory is an easy read about the rise of Rebecca Rusch from an average Chicago kid to one of the best known female cyclists in the country and the determination it took to get there.” ― Outside. “Rebecca Rusch turned to the bike to cement her position as one of the best endurance athletes in the world.” ― VeloNews. “You name it, Rebecca Rusch has tried it―get inspired by her adventures mountain biking, white-water rafting and climbing in exotic locations around the world.” ― Triathlete.com. “Written by multi-world and national champion mountain bike racer Rebecca Rusch (with Bicycling’s Selene Yeager), Rusch to Glory contains plenty of tales of riding and racing. “You name it, Rebecca Rusch has tried it―get inspired by her adventures mountain biking, white-water rafting and climbing in exotic locations around the world.” ― Triathlete magazine. “Rebecca Rusch of Ketchum is among the best endurance athletes on the planet, and how that happened is a fascinating story and a great read. She got a taste for adventure as a rock climber, then spun that into an adventure racer and mountain bike racing with lots of detours on the route to becoming a world champion. “Rebecca Rusch [was] not just one of the top female racers out there, she [was] flat-out one of the best all-around [adventure] racers of either sex.” ― Jacques Boutet, professional adventure racer.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Rebecca Rusch is a world-class endurance athlete who reached that status by facing her fears, taking calculated risks, working hard and not giving up. She is honest about the issues she has struggled with, which include an eating disorder and the death of her father in the Vietnam War. I've put sticky notes in the book so I can quickly find helpful passages when my running isn't going well or I need a boost."
"As opposed to Jens Voigt's autobiography, which was my first attempt at a cycling based book, this book is written in a smooth,professional style."
"This is certainly not a 'Christian' book - but it is a great book about a wonderful young woman (young to me:) who doesn't give up - who is a model of the word persevere and who is giving back to her community and to many others (including me) who want to live life to the end with purpose."
"I am an active 46 year old mom who loves to try all sorts of athletic activities, including mountain biking (which I find few women on the trails). Now I know where to look for some fellow biking women."
"If you want to read about someone who is a go-getter and truly lives life to the fullest read this book!"
"She was the featured speaker at a Women's Intersport Network Awards Luncheon in Columbia, Missouri."
"Ms Rusch is a true champion athlete that comes across real and approachable."
"Amazing, that's what this book is."