Koncocoo

Best South Carolina Travel Guides

Moon Charleston & Savannah (Moon Handbooks)
As editor-in-chief for the alternative weekly Connect Savannah , Jim Morekis knows the must-see sights and local secrets of Charleston and Savannah, from exploring the French Quarter to kayaking in the Golden Isles. When not busy writing, Jim enjoys spending time with his two beautiful daughters, Alex and Sophia, and his dear wife Sonja, who gets his deepest gratitude for opening his eyes to the true wonder and mystery of the Georgia coast.
Reviews
"Good book but wasn't prepared for the prices of the B&B's for the Charleston area."
"Bought as a graduation present for a student attending the College of Charleston."
"this is an okay book but had to use the internet to get a better insight on details."
"Fair...not like a Frommer's."
"Well written and thorough."
"not very useful, disappointed."
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South Carolina's Plantations & Historic Homes
The plantations and historic homes of South Carolina, one of the richest states for plantations, draw millions of visitors each year. Paul Franklin is travel photographer and writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications.
Reviews
"The book includes well-written profiles and beautiful photography for 34 landmark sites from Charleston to the Upcountry. Being essentially a coffee table book of well-known sites, with little professional appeal, anything more than about $40 for a new hardback would be too much."
"This book is very well written with great photos of a very beautiful state."
"These Mansions rival Newport RI, but are located in some of the most obscure areas."
"I like this book because it combines color photos with a good general history of the homes, and the residents of those homes."
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Insiders' Guide to Charleston, 12th: Including Mt. Pleasant, Summerville, Kiawah, and Other Islands (Insiders' Guide Series)
This comprehensive guide to Charleston and its suburbs details the countless activities available to Lowcountry travelers. With its beautifully preserved historic downtown, nearby Atlantic coast beaches, lively mix of food, art, and music festivals, and Southern charm, it’s easy to see why so many people are drawn to Charleston. From walking tours of elegant old homes and gardens to golfing at the area’s world-ranked resort courses, this authoritative guide shows you how to take full advantage of the city’s many treasures.
Reviews
"Charleston is a beautiful city with a rich past and phenomenal future."
"Nice little book about Charleston."
"we are traveling to both charleston and savannah and found better information in the moon travel book that has BOTH charleston and savannah in it."
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Best United States (Southern) Architecture

South Carolina's Plantations & Historic Homes
The plantations and historic homes of South Carolina, one of the richest states for plantations, draw millions of visitors each year. Paul Franklin is travel photographer and writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications.
Reviews
"The book includes well-written profiles and beautiful photography for 34 landmark sites from Charleston to the Upcountry. Being essentially a coffee table book of well-known sites, with little professional appeal, anything more than about $40 for a new hardback would be too much."
"This book is very well written with great photos of a very beautiful state."
"These Mansions rival Newport RI, but are located in some of the most obscure areas."
"I like this book because it combines color photos with a good general history of the homes, and the residents of those homes."
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Best North Carolina Travel Guides

Ribbon of Sand: The Amazing Convergence of the Ocean and the Outer Banks
The disappearance of the Lost Colony, the raids of the pirate Blackbeard, and the Wright brothers' first attempts at flight. North Carolina's Outer Banks region, 180 miles of shifting sands, has both a romantic past--including the lost colony of Roanoke Island, the Wright brothers, pirates and shipwrecks--and a unique natural history. In a popular style of science writing that will appeal to lay readers, the authors discuss the history, geography, and ecology of North Carolina's Outer Banks in the context of barrier island geology and ecology. Pr, 1982, and Paul V. Godfrey's Barrier Island Ecology of Cape Lookout National Seashore and Vicinity, N. Carolina, G.P.O., 1976), this work is suitable for natural history collections in public and academic libraries.
Reviews
"Ribbon of Sand explains the dynamic, fragile and unique ecosystem that is the Outer Banks and the relatively recent pioneers in botany, geology and herpetology that have studied the area and flipped conventional science upside down."
"This is another book about the Outer Banks."
"A very interesting discussion of the geology of the outer banks interspersed with its history and kept most interesting and readable."
"I purchased this book to learn more about the Outer Banks, which I have long wished to visit and where we will spend a week this summer."
"The book was reviewed & purchased after briefly looking at several pages."
"One could call an “Outer Banks for Dummies’ Alexander presents the story of the outer banks as one of a long lost paradise that is no stranger to the elements of change."
"Beyond the fascinating subject, the authors' chapter by chapter analysis of the forces that compete on the Banks -- sand, wind, land, forest -- is a clarifying approach to writing about the science of the Banks."
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Best South Dakota Travel Guides

Exploring the Black Hills and Badlands: A Guide for Hikers, Cross-Country Skiers, & Mountain Bikers
"Exploring the Black Hills and Badlands" features. trips for hikers, skiers, mountain bike riders and equestrians. Hiram Rogers, a geologist and hydrologist, is an avid outdoorsman who has written for several recreational publications.
Reviews
"This book needs an update badly but nonetheless is a great resource on the area."
"Surprisingly had to order from Amazon as none of our bookstores in town have a copy."
"I was told that this was the best hiking book written for the Black Hills and Badlands, so I bought several to spread them out to hiking buddies."
"I particularly like that the author goes into detail about what each trail can be used for."
"We are taking this along on a trip to the Badlands and Black Hills in a couple of weeks."
"good book to locate a hike in the black hills I also bought a national geographic topo map of both areas."
"I purchased the book entitled Exploring the Black Hills & Badlands."
"I bought this guide for the sole reason of a planned stay in the Badlands of SD."
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Best Montana Travel Guides

Lonely Planet Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks (Travel Guide)
Lonely Planet Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. 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, conservation Over 47 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 Yellowstone National Park area, Mammoth Country, Roosevelt Country, Canyon Country, Lake Country, Norris, Geyser Country, Bechler Region, Grand Teton National Park area, Jackson and more. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travelers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves. Bradley has lectured on Central Asia to the Royal Geographical Society and recently traveled across Asia in the footsteps of Marco Polo for a five-hour French-German TV documentary.
Reviews
"Good description, a bit more plentiful in suggest hotels and restaurants than the Canadian one."
"Can't go wrong with Lonely Planet books."
"It helped us hit a bunch of areas in Teton and Yellowstone with only 2 days to do it in."
"Outlines and provides good descriptions and synopses of hikes and activities."
"Very useful and informative."
"informative but paper was cheap so tore easily."
"Reasonably helpful in planning our trip."
"Just what I needed for a trip next year."
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Best North Dakota Travel Guides

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit
Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded. Though the ‘stranger’ in the title is Knight, one closes the book with the sense that Knight, like all seers, is the only sane person in a world gone insane—that modern civilization has made us strangers to ourselves." —Jennifer Senior, The New York Times "Michael Finkel has done something magical with this profound book… [His] investigation runs deep, summoning…the human history of our own attempts to find meaning in a noisy world."
Reviews
"Not only is this story of Chris Knight one of the most compelling that I have read in some time, but the lengths that you went to, to research his venture into the woods of Maine, to understand him, to get to know him, clearly better than anyone else has, and to represent him with such dignity, astounds me. While some, especially those whose homes were burgled, might still never understand what would cause a person to want to live in such extreme conditions let alone in solitude, far removed from the ‘regular’ world, after reading the book, while I will never spend a night, let alone an hour in the woods, what drew Knight makes sense to me now. It’s not to say that after reading THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS that every reader will feel compelled to pick up and leave their jobs, families, and the comfort of modern society behind, but it sure does offer food for thought."
"I wanted to read this book as the Maine woods have been a part of my life and I was unfamiliar with this story until I saw this book. I realized from the start that at the core of this story was an important topic I already have been worrying about that I feel American society either is unaware of or is purposefully ignoring: the neuro-atypical person and the challenge of how they will live (not thriving but suffering) in modern America. Knight was content and found peace in living that life until he was caught with the help of sophisticated surveillance equipment while robbing food from a nonprofit camp for disabled children (including kids on the Autism Spectrum). The heartbreaking part of this story is that the suffering that Knight endured was due to square pegs not fitting in the round holes of modern American society, his relief and contendedness was found living in isolation in nature, but this is not really allowed in America, and when possible it's only available to those who are able to financially support themselves due to an inheritance or some income stream that they are lucky to find that meshes with their talents and abilities. But this book provides more food for thought, for me at least, than just Knight's hermit years story. I hope this book is a catalyst for Americans to think about this issue, with the rising rates of Autism and mental illness, we have more people this decade than ever before who are not fitting in with the mandatory American public school system and who are not fitting in to work jobs as adults enough to support themselves independently let alone the issue of if a person is happy or content."
"Many of us dream of secluding from the busyness of modern living—the fast-paced, noisy, cyclical nature in which life has become; yet many of us do not have the courage or tenacity to pursue such a dream, much less achieve this dream for the amount of time that Knight did. On a practical level, Michael Finkel has written this biographical account excellently."
"My heart goes out to Mr. Knight."
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Best Louisiana Travel Guides

Eat Dat New Orleans: A Guide to the Unique Food Culture of the Crescent City (Up-Dat'd Edition)
Completely revised and updated with brand-new restaurants, Eat Dat New Orleans is the ultimate guide to America's best food city. Michael Murphy, a book publishing professional, has been a vice president at Random House, publisher of William Morrow, and founder of the literary agency Max & Co. By day two of his first visit to New Orleans in 1983, he knew he was home.
Reviews
"It was, at the time, the best book about food, specifically New Orleans food, that I had ever read."
"Michael Murphy's Eat Dat New Orleans is so much more than a restaurant guide: its a cultural study of NOLA through its food and its food creators--its a tremendously great read for anyone who has been to New Orleans or is planning a visit or anyone interested in NOLA's diverse cultural from afar."
"Nonetheless, I would still recommend this book highly as a reference and as a repository of detailed information on the most famous restaurants and chefs in NOLA."
"I'm still dreaming about the beef debris po' boy I had at Killer Po' Boys (Murphy's #1 rated po' boy shop)."
"Instead of a box, it was shipped in a huge flimsy bag that offered zero protection. This brand new book now looks used and I'm a bit embarrassed to give it as a gift."
"I gave this to my kids who live in New Orleans and it is their go-to book when deciding where to eat."
"This is perhaps the best and most comprehensive review of New Orleans restaurants that I have read over the years."
"This is without a doubt, my favorite book about food that i've ever read."
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Best Arizona Travel Guides

Guide to Arizona Backroads & 4-Wheel-Drive Trails
Easy, moderate and difficult routes are color coded, while symbols quickly show kinds of vehicles allowed on each trail. A separate mileage log ties numbered locations along the route to a custom map featuring a detailed relief background.
Reviews
"I used this one to find some really cool places in SW Arizona."
"I love this guide."
"Great for planning and routing."
"We will also take along our Co. and Utah books as we plan on swing back up that way for a few days before heading home."
"Very nice book with spiral binding makes it easy to lay open for use."
"You will find tons of cool trails, descriptions and directions with GPS coordinates from start and finish."
"Absolutely love this book!"
"I'm not a daring off-roader (can't afford to break the equipment), these books make it very clear which trails I should explore and which I should avoid."
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Best California Travel Guides

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (Oprah's Book Club 2.0 1)
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. Amazon Best Books of the Month, March 2012: At age 26, following the death of her mother, divorce, and a run of reckless behavior, Cheryl Strayed found herself alone near the foot of the Pacific Crest Trail--inexperienced, over-equipped, and desperate to reclaim her life. While readers looking for adventure or a naturalist's perspective may be distracted by the emotional odyssey at the core of the story, Wild vividly describes the grueling life of the long-distance hiker, the ubiquitous perils of the PCT, and its peculiar community of wanderers. But Strayed doesn't want sympathy, and her confident prose stands on its own, deftly pulling both threads into a story that inhabits a unique riparian zone between wilderness tale and personal-redemption memoir. Two months before Wild was published I stood on a Mexican beach at sunset with my family assisting dozens of baby turtles on their stumbling journey across the sand, then watching as they disappeared into the sea. Echoing the ever-popular search for wilderness salvation by Chris McCandless (Back to the Wild, 2011) and every other modern-day disciple of Thoreau, Strayed tells the story of her emotional devastation after the death of her mother and the weeks she spent hiking the 1,100-mile Pacific Crest Trail. As her family, marriage, and sanity go to pieces, Strayed drifts into spontaneous encounters with other men, to the consternation of her confused husband, and eventually hits rock bottom while shooting up heroin with a new boyfriend. Woefully unprepared (she fails to read about the trail, buy boots that fit, or pack practically), she relies on the kindness and assistance of those she meets along the way, much as McCandless did.
Reviews
"I almost didn’t make it past the first 1/3 which is where we meet Cheryl in her most raw and wounded form. Too, she is fine being alone in the wilderness, despite her people skills, and this, along with her descriptions of the land and struggles, make for good reading. While I would never choose to live my life as she has, the fortitude to endure a self-sought and the much needed initiation into adulthood, while walking over a thousand miles, and looking at her psychological processes, earned my respect."
"Such as even a young person out of shape, starting out carrying a pack so heavy it seems nailed to the ground and wearing brand new hiking shoes that blister her feet to the point they break open and yet on and on she walks when the pain or infection should have stopped any mortal person. Sort of like, oh, say, James Frey's embellished "A Million Little Pieces", Monty Roberts, the so-called horse whisperer and now Cheryl Strayed? However, I liked her writing and how strongly she related to us the sincere loss she felt of her mother dying young."
"I actually thought I was going to hate this book."
"Strayed started off so very well, telling us about trying to hike the entire length of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) -- alone and woefully without preparation. Inconsolable over her mother’s death, she got it into her head that this quest of hiking the PCT alone would allow her to heal and save her from self-destruction. The night before she starts her hike, she lays out all the things she’d bought to carry with her. But the one theme she comes back to over and over again is her relationship with her mother and how her mother’s death sent her life into freefall. It’s enough for her to feel that it had been right… So I wonder: why did she spend 300+ pages exposing her physical and emotional turmoil in minute detail while on this quest of self-discovery, only to decide she doesn’t need to know what she learned – and, by extension, doesn’t need to tell us?"
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Best Indiana Travel Guides

60 Hikes Within 60 Miles: Cincinnati: Including Clifton Gorge, Southeast Indiana, and Northern Kentucky
60 Hikes within 60 Miles: Cincinnati covers the best and oftentimes little-known hiking destinations within 60 miles of the greater Cincinnati area. Trails in the guide span Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky, offering incredible views, ample wildlife and wildflowers, and a chance to enjoy the simple pleasure of nature. The guide offers key information like: • Hike time and distance. • Difficulty level and hike configuration. • Average trail traffic. • Completely updated maps, GPS coordinates, and park details. • Categories and an at-a-glance rating system for interests such as kid-friendliness, scenery, waterfalls, wildlife, public transit, and more.
Reviews
"Book's information has thus far been accurate, description of the trails is good and directions to the sites are spot on."
"I got this to give as a Christmas gift for my brother and nephew who live near Cincinnati."
"I love this book!"
"This book has some great suggestions for places to check out but the descriptions and the directions need work. We wound up doing multiple stream crossings (which are tough in January) and walking for 5 hours."
"Very cool book."
"I had no idea there were hiking trails through the woods at Ault Park."
"Excellent resource."
"Great little guide."
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Best Iowa Travel Guides

Oddball Iowa: A Guide to Some Really Strange Places (Oddball series)
Leaving out the traditional scenic trips to the Mississippi River bluffs and the Amana Colonies, this guide will take the adventurous traveler to the future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk, the home of the "Lonely Goat Herder" marionettes from The Sound of Music , and the world's largest Cheeto. — The Daily Nonpareil Jerome Pohlen is the author of the Oddball series and a regular travel commentator for 848 on WBEZ, the Chicago affiliate of National Public Radio.
Reviews
"I bought this book for my recent foray down to Des Moines for a conference. On the way home, I took a cornfield tour guided by Jerome Pohlen's fun book."
"...not enough to actually visit but that really is one of the attractions of the book--you can appreciate the sights without having to experience the hot humid weather, lack of any cuisine expect red meat and bud, etc."
"Interesting read; great condition."
"If we get tired of historical sightseeing, this book will be helpful in guiding us to the World's Largest Cheeto."
"Not quite as good as the other oddball books, but still a fun, quirky read."
"Great book."
"Great book for exploring some unknowns."
"The person I gave this too absolutely loved it!"
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Best Georgia Travel Guides

Under Magnolia: A Southern Memoir
From her years as a spirited, secretive child, through her university studies—a period of exquisite freedom that imbued her with a profound appreciation of friendship and a love of travel—to her escape to a new life in California, Mayes exuberantly recreates the intense relationships of her past, recounting the bitter and sweet stories of her complicated family: her beautiful yet fragile mother, Frankye; her unpredictable father, Garbert; Daddy Jack, whose life Garbert saved; grandmother Mother Mayes; and the family maid, Frances’s confidant Willie Bell. Her “southern memoir” is a tale straight out of Faulkner, rife with episodes of dissipation and disillusion, parents who loved and fought with equally wild abandon, and ancestors with names like Big Mama and Daddy Jack. But she and her husband were sufficiently compelled to relocate from Northern California to North Carolina, settling in a university town with a far enough remove to allow her an objective distance from which to analyze the signature episodes of her childhood. With her trademark skill for capturing the essence of place and time, Mayes candidly reveals a youth riddled with psychological abuse and parental neglect that, nevertheless, ignited a fiery passion for adventure and self-discovery. “With perfect-pitch language, Mayes unblinkingly describes her growing-up years… One can almost taste the mushiness of ‘a pot of once-green beans falling apart in salt pork’; one can almost smell the cloying scent of honeysuckle, gardenias and overripe peaches that infuse the always-too-humid air.”– USAToday.com “Just the right balance of humor, irony and tragedy. “ Under Magnolia is a gorgeous, dreamy remembrance of hot Southern afternoons, mothers in red lipstick and Shalimar, Elvis turned up loud to cover up the family troubles that ran deep. In her new southern memoir, Under Magnolia , Frances Mayes describes the birth of her extraordinary sensibility, the deep-pooled clarity of her writing, her giddy love of nature, and her sharp and satirical eye for those who brought her up to honorable womanhood in the tortured South of her girlhood. “No one could have invented a more combustible, joy-starved pair of glam and oblivious parents or a more incandescent child to dive into the blue ruins, explore the sealed-off passages, blacked-out dreams and neglected outlets by the beams of her own incredulous eyes; then break the surface a smart-mouthed, truth-seeing sensualist, fully in attendance to the vibratory moment. The deft framing, the exacting word picks, apposite references, high speed wit, singled out synecdoches of a life; the cadence, phrasing, and pulse of a muted Georgian accent are all signature to the prose and poetry, stove-tops and passport stamps of Frances Mayes. Frances Mayes, a petite, brainy beauty from what we used to call politely 'a troubled home' has written an unnervingly honest and refreshingly open account of how a child can be neglected even amid privilege and a large family...
Reviews
"The author has painted a word portrait so vivid that the reader feels as if he/she has had an extended visit to the places she describes. Lee Smith makes the reader"know Appalachia while Mayes lets the reader know the South."
"While on a book tour stopover in Oxford, Mississippi (home of the University of Mississippi, William Faulkner, and ground zero for the Southern Gothic literary genre), Ms. Mayes takes a stroll through the grounds of the unoccupied Faulkner home and becomes inspired to leave her Tuscan and California lives behind and return to her roots in the southeastern US. Ms. Mayes grew up in Fitzgerald, GA, which gives her an opportunity to revel in all the typical southern literary conventions."
"If you did read it, now is the time to follow Frances Mayes from California back to the south."
"So that is why this book was interesting to me, as I recognized a lot of the people she mentioned in the book (although she misspelled my aunt's name when she was mentioning the matchbooks!)."
"It's like a trip into my own past, but with the beautiful poetry and prose of Frances Mayes."
"Thinking about it now, I think it's a connection to a simpler time that I feel, the kind of life Mayes describes was the life of America's small towns and incipient suburbs of the 1950s. The main differences that I noted were Mayes' emphases on the outdoor life of a Southern girl, the heady atmosphere of Fitzgerald-- the smells of flowers, bushes, rain and river that permeated Mayes' being."
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Best Florida Travel Guides

Oh, Florida!: How America's Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country
shows, it’s both of these and, more important, it’s a Petri dish, producing trends that end up influencing the rest of the country. Without Florida there would be no NASCAR, no Bettie Page pinups, no Glenn Beck radio rants, no USA Today , no “Stand Your Ground,” . It’s a state where the voters went for Barack Obama twice, yet elected a Tea Party candidate as governor. It attracts 90 million visitors a year, some drawn by its impressive natural beauty, others bewitched by its manmade fantasies. "This entertaining book will amuse and astonish Floridians and anybody interested in the absurdity of the Sunshine State or human nature in general."
Reviews
"Craig Pittman captures the irony, diversity, and bizarre stories of America's bellweather state."
"It is shocking to see how Senator Cruz or Governor Bush, two names n the news now, continue long traditions of folly that began in the Civil War era. Folks who are not really from Florida see little reason to demand and pay for government services like health care, decent prisons or schools."
"Along with plenty of good laughs and oddball facts, the book lives up to its title and explains the many ways Florida has influenced the rest of the nation, right up to Supreme Court decisions."
"If you live in Florida, are thinking of moving to Florida, or simply plan to visit us sometime soon, I highly recommend you read this book."
"Oh, Florida presents the often confounding, perplexing, and sometimes shocking details of the adventure and misadventures of Florida Man and Florida Woman in a vivid and entertaining manner."
"The book is a must read for natives and wannabe natives to appreciate our special state."
"He is an excellent story teller who points out the oddities that take place his beloved state (he clearly loves his subject)."
"Pitttman is a fantastic writer."
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Best West Virginia Travel Guides

Pages of Stone, 2nd Edition
Grand Staircase, Escalante, Vermilion Cliffs, Canyons of the Ancients, Dinosaur, Hovenweep National Monuments, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Staircase of the Vermilion Cliffs, Pink Cliffs in southern Utah, volcanic lavas of Sunset Crater, geologists, dinosaur footprints in and around Arches National Park. ( Sweat magazine ). A wonderful, non-technical introduction to both the geology and history of 24 national parks and monuments. Well-organized chapters…Color and black-and-white photographs help make the scientific terminology more understandable…The book requires a little work by the reader, but the payoff is a richer understanding of the forces of nature and helpful tips on ways to enjoy these beauties. Past users will find an old friend they can appreciate even more...From the beginning of her writing about geology, Chronic has had the knack of making complex things comprehensible...This book has all the necessary paraphanalia...You don't know what cross-bedding is, or the difference between caliche, chert, concretion, and conglomerate? Science can't provide the thrill of a place like Capitol Reef National Park, but geologist Halka Chronic and her geologist daughter Lucy Chronic can provide an explanation that enhances the experience. Growing up the daughter of two Ph.D.s in geology, young LUCY CHRONIC was more likely to hear discussions of plate tectonics than the prospects of the local ball team's chance of winning the pennant.
Reviews
"I am a tremendous fan of the writing of Lucy Chronic and her mother Halka Chronic."
"Great summary for many of the National Parks in Utah and Arizona which we visited in the autumn of 2014."
"I purchased it for a geology field trip course (7 days where we saw features in California, Utah, Arizona and Nevada)."
"Great for geology and southwest aficionados!"
"This book was most helpful as we are 'rockhounds' and our excurions are even more interesting now with using this book."
"Her book, following a general introduction to the geological formation processes of the plateau landscapes, is organized around the numerous national parks and monuments in this remarkable area."
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Best Virginia Travel Guides

Legendary Locals of McLean
The majority of the photographs have been donated by individuals to ensure that history does not lose these significant personalities, past or present, who left an imprint on their community. Carole L. Herrick writes for publications in the Washington, DC, area and has authored seven books, including Images of America: McLean.
Reviews
"Excellent!"
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Best Oklahoma Travel Guides

Oklahoma: A History
The product of two of Oklahoma’s foremost authorities on the history of the 46th state, Oklahoma: A History is the first comprehensive narrative to bring the story of the Sooner State to the threshold of its centennial. "Lively prose, vivid biographical vignettes, and artful synthesis make this book the best brief overview of Oklahoma ever written".
Reviews
"I lived in Oklahoma all my life and thought I knew a lot about it."
"Has a lot of good information and facts."
"I moved to Oklahoma only four years ago."
"I envy students today that are provided textbooks which are actually interesting to read."
"I am planning a 10 day trip to Oklahoma, and this book gave me an excellent overview of the history of the state."
"too many personal stories, too few historical facts."
"This is an interesting book from a premier authourity on the history of Oklahoma, from its Native American tribes and history to the settling of the territory prior to its statehood."
"Oklahoma is one the best hidden gems in USA."
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Best Alaska Travel Guides

Into the Wild
Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, McCandless had roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir. He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and , unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented. Digging deeply, he takes an inherently compelling mystery and unravels the larger riddles it holds: the profound pull of the American wilderness on our imagination; the allure of high-risk activities to young men of a certain cast of mind; the complex, charged bond between fathers and sons. Krakauer brings McCandless's uncompromising pilgrimage out of the shadows, and the peril, adversity , and renunciation sought by this enigmatic young man are illuminated with a rare understanding--and not an ounce of sentimentality. Noted outdoor writer and mountaineer Jon Krakauer tackles that question in his reporting on Chris McCandless, whose emaciated body was found in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness in 1992. After graduating from Emory University in Atlanta in 1992, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandoned his possessions, gave his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhiked to Alaska, where he went to live in the wilderness.
Reviews
"Starving to death must not be a very pleasant experience, I know people who do all sorts of crimes and face dangerous situations, degrade their life, just to avoid having an empty stomach. Aren't we all at times tempted to leave everything and head for the secluded mountains and forests in search for inner peace and to find the answers to those hard questions of life, the truth of why we are living. in early years of 1990's when he was started hitchhiking after his graduation, to find the answers to his inner questions, I too was facing extremely difficult situations and from early childhood the question of finding the ultimate truth of life is the one repeating itself in my mind 24x7."
"I have to admit that the only reason I read this book was due to a request by my daughter who had to read it as part of her 11th reading assignment."
"The premise itself is fascinating- putting together the pieces of a man who disappeared from his upper-middle class home and moved out West with the goal of living off the land in Alaska. McCandless eventually finds his way to Alaska and dies (this is no spoiler, folks) alone in a bus, cause of death likely from starvation (or from consuming moldy seeds). This part really frustrates me; I understand not wanting to form attachment to material goods and to truly get in touch with the land, but unless you're a trained naturalist or a super hardcore Boy Scout it's a mistake. He leaves a family behind that is desperate with worry, including a sister he is especially close to (I found myself getting really angry and upset picturing my younger brother doing something like this)."
"He's taken a sad story and effectively drawn us into the world of Chris McCandless. There's no tidy ending, no clear lessons learned, and we're left with the debate about the scientific causes to a tragic ending."
"I applaud the author for all his hard work and dedication to bring the facts of Chris' life together."
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Best Maine Travel Guides

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit
Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded. Though the ‘stranger’ in the title is Knight, one closes the book with the sense that Knight, like all seers, is the only sane person in a world gone insane—that modern civilization has made us strangers to ourselves." —Jennifer Senior, The New York Times "Michael Finkel has done something magical with this profound book… [His] investigation runs deep, summoning…the human history of our own attempts to find meaning in a noisy world."
Reviews
"Not only is this story of Chris Knight one of the most compelling that I have read in some time, but the lengths that you went to, to research his venture into the woods of Maine, to understand him, to get to know him, clearly better than anyone else has, and to represent him with such dignity, astounds me. While some, especially those whose homes were burgled, might still never understand what would cause a person to want to live in such extreme conditions let alone in solitude, far removed from the ‘regular’ world, after reading the book, while I will never spend a night, let alone an hour in the woods, what drew Knight makes sense to me now. It’s not to say that after reading THE STRANGER IN THE WOODS that every reader will feel compelled to pick up and leave their jobs, families, and the comfort of modern society behind, but it sure does offer food for thought."
"I wanted to read this book as the Maine woods have been a part of my life and I was unfamiliar with this story until I saw this book. I realized from the start that at the core of this story was an important topic I already have been worrying about that I feel American society either is unaware of or is purposefully ignoring: the neuro-atypical person and the challenge of how they will live (not thriving but suffering) in modern America. Knight was content and found peace in living that life until he was caught with the help of sophisticated surveillance equipment while robbing food from a nonprofit camp for disabled children (including kids on the Autism Spectrum). The heartbreaking part of this story is that the suffering that Knight endured was due to square pegs not fitting in the round holes of modern American society, his relief and contendedness was found living in isolation in nature, but this is not really allowed in America, and when possible it's only available to those who are able to financially support themselves due to an inheritance or some income stream that they are lucky to find that meshes with their talents and abilities. But this book provides more food for thought, for me at least, than just Knight's hermit years story. I hope this book is a catalyst for Americans to think about this issue, with the rising rates of Autism and mental illness, we have more people this decade than ever before who are not fitting in with the mandatory American public school system and who are not fitting in to work jobs as adults enough to support themselves independently let alone the issue of if a person is happy or content."
"Many of us dream of secluding from the busyness of modern living—the fast-paced, noisy, cyclical nature in which life has become; yet many of us do not have the courage or tenacity to pursue such a dream, much less achieve this dream for the amount of time that Knight did. On a practical level, Michael Finkel has written this biographical account excellently."
"This was a slow read."
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Best Ohio Travel Guides

The Authentic History of Cincinnati Chili (American Palate)
From its 1922 roots with the Slavic-Macedonian immigrant brothers Kiradjieff in a burlesque theater, Cincinnati chili has become a million-dollar industry supporting 250 chili parlors. Cincinnatian Dann Woellert is a member of the Campbell County Historical Society, Norwood Ohio Historical Society and Taft Museum of Art.
Reviews
"If you like Cincinnati chili and have at least a passing interest in Cincinnati history, then you will find a lot to like about this book. We are provided with details such as what area of Macedonia each chili pioneer's ancestor lived in, where the pioneer lived in Cincinnati in each stage of his career (often down to the specific street address), and other extraneous facts."
"This book is a wonderful read about the many families who started the chili craving in Cincinnati."
"We formerly lived in Cincinnati and, of course, loved Cincinnati Chili."
"Overall a fast and interesting read about one of the things that makes Cincinnati unique."
"This book told the compelling history."
"While I have not tried all of the parlors mentioned, I grew up with the development of Cincinnati Chili starting in 1948 and remember many of the locations included."
"The book is interesting - a lovely tour of the Cincy chili industry."
"Ironic that while stationed in "paradise"- he longs for his own home paradise of a familiar chili parlor."
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Best Utah Travel Guides

Lonely Planet Southwest USA's Best Trips (Travel Guide)
Featuring 32 amazing road trips, from two-day escapes to two-week adventures, you can cruise historic Route 66 or be captivated by red-hued rock formations, all with your trusted travel companion. Lavish color and gorgeous photography throughout Itineraries and planning advice to pick the right tailored routes for your needs and interests Get around easily - 116 easy-to-read, full-color route maps, detailed directions Insider tips to get around like a local, avoid trouble spots and be safe on the road - local driving rules, parking, toll roads Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Useful features - including Stretch Your Legs, Detours, and Link Your Trip Covers Route 66, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Arizona deserts, Phoenix, Santa Fe, New Mexico's Enchanted Circle, Texas Hill Country, Big Bend, Austin, San Antonio, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, Monument Valley, Moab, Utah, Denver and more. Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet, Amy C Balfour, Michael Benanav, Greg Benchwick, Lisa Dunford, Mariella Krause, Carolyn McCarthy and Ryan Ver Berkmoes.
Reviews
"What a great collection of road trip ideas: really well done!"
"Great for my road-trip to the Grand Canyon."
"Perfect purchase!"
"THIS BOOK IS THE BEST."
"This and its companion "Southwest USA" were quite handy in Arizona."
"have travelled all over the world with Lonely Planet Guide Books."
"This book is put together in a way that makes it hard to customize and somewhat unwieldy."
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Best Nevada Travel Guides

Lonely Planet Southwest USA's Best Trips (Travel Guide)
Featuring 32 amazing road trips, from two-day escapes to two-week adventures, you can cruise historic Route 66 or be captivated by red-hued rock formations, all with your trusted travel companion. Lavish color and gorgeous photography throughout Itineraries and planning advice to pick the right tailored routes for your needs and interests Get around easily - 116 easy-to-read, full-color route maps, detailed directions Insider tips to get around like a local, avoid trouble spots and be safe on the road - local driving rules, parking, toll roads Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Useful features - including Stretch Your Legs, Detours, and Link Your Trip Covers Route 66, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Arizona deserts, Phoenix, Santa Fe, New Mexico's Enchanted Circle, Texas Hill Country, Big Bend, Austin, San Antonio, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, Monument Valley, Moab, Utah, Denver and more. Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet, Amy C Balfour, Michael Benanav, Greg Benchwick, Lisa Dunford, Mariella Krause, Carolyn McCarthy and Ryan Ver Berkmoes.
Reviews
"What a great collection of road trip ideas: really well done!"
"Great for my road-trip to the Grand Canyon."
"Perfect purchase!"
"THIS BOOK IS THE BEST."
"This and its companion "Southwest USA" were quite handy in Arizona."
"have travelled all over the world with Lonely Planet Guide Books."
"This book is put together in a way that makes it hard to customize and somewhat unwieldy."
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Best Alabama Travel Guides

Back Home: Journeys through Mobile
There are meditations on downtown Mobile, where Hoffman's grandparents arrived as immigrants a century ago; the waterfront where longshoremen labor and shrimpers work their nets; the back roads leading to obscure but intriguing destinations. As he writes, "When buildings are leveled, when land is developed, when money is spent, when our loved ones pass on, when we take our places a little farther back every year on the historical time-line, what we have still are stories." After 21 years in New York City, Roy Hoffman (Almost Family) returned with his wife and daughter to his hometown of Mobile, Ala. Back Home: Journeys Through Mobile is a collection of his writings feature stories, memoirs, essays about the town, many of which were previously published in the Mobile Register. Hoffman interviews many of Mobile's distinctive characters, like Joseph Langan, a longtime Mobile mayor now in his 80s, who was once vilified as a Communist by whites who thought he was too sympathetic to blacks, and a racist by blacks who didn't agree.
Reviews
"Roy Hoffman writes great books."
"This seemed to be a lovely book."
"I was surprised at the various vignettes that took us from the docks of Mobile Bay to a Nazi WWII death camp and back."
"Very enjoyable and well written."
"I particularly liked the sketches of former mayor Joe Langan (who attempted to steer Mobile through desegregation and angered both blacks and whites), the bar pilots (who help guide large freighters to the docks in Mobile Bay), and Mobile's Mardi Gras. The sketches quickly move from topic to topic and this can be jarring to the reader."
"My mind journey's to Bienville Square, the Saenger Theater, Toolen High School, The Cathedral, the variety of languages that greeted my ears as I walked with my grandmother down Dauphin Street, the Electric Maid Bakery, whose lemon puffs were to die for, and the Gene and Roy movies at the Century on Saturday mornings. The mention of Grand Bay brought thoughts of cousins who lived there and summer visits complete with catching fireflys, wading in cold creeks and eating scuppernongs from the vine. For a few days, I can sit on my couch with his book and travel back to a long-ago time and place that I still call home."
"It is impossible to grow up in Mobile, Alabama without this historic Southern city leaving its indelible mark."
"I wrote a review last week with the above title."
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Best Illinois Travel Guides

Frommer's EasyGuide to Chicago (Easy Guides)
Answering an insistent demand for this guidebook from loyal readers of the Frommer's series, the Chicago residents among our writers have labored hard to capture the unique spirit of this dynamic city that every American must visit at some point of their lives. Before moving to Chicago, she lived in Las Vegas, where she co-authored Pauline Frommer's Guide to Las Vegas and Frommer's Las Vegas Day by Day.
Reviews
"And I know the suggestions are good because 1) the things I've done out of this guide have been really fun and/or tasty, and 2) the recommendations from this list actually overlap the recommendations given to me by local friends. Overall, I'm really happy with this guide, and I'd recommend it to people visiting the city for the first time AND to people who've lived here for a year or two but are interested in seeing more of the city."
"If you are going to visit or stay awhile, all the sights, the centers and flavors are represented in clear concise fashion."
"Informative and helpful in the planning process."
"I've been using Frommer's guides for over 20 years and they never fail to disappoint."
"Good guide to Chicago."
"Very concise and well written, especially as regards architectural sites."
"I looked thru the book before I gave it to her and was happy to see that all the places I would recommend were in here."
"We don't automatically like every Frommer's guide, but we really liked this one for Chicago a lot."
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Best Maryland Travel Guides

Walking Baltimore: An Insider's Guide to 33 Historic Neighborhoods, Waterfront Districts, and Hidden Treasures in Charm City
Walking Baltimore includes Charm City's well-known neighborhoods -- Downtown, the Inner Harbor, Mount Vernon, and Fells Point. With his wife and two daughters, he lives north of downtown Baltimore, in Towson, Maryland--Baltimore County's county seat.
Reviews
"Great Gift."
"Wonderful!!!"
"I never knew Baltimore had so much to offer."
"Loved all the walking tours."
"A good introduction to this interesting and diverse city."
"gave this to my brother as a birthday gift."
"This is a great book for visitors, new residents and those that have lived in Baltimore their whole lives."
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Best Colorado Travel Guides

Lonely Planet Southwest USA's Best Trips (Travel Guide)
Featuring 32 amazing road trips, from two-day escapes to two-week adventures, you can cruise historic Route 66 or be captivated by red-hued rock formations, all with your trusted travel companion. Lavish color and gorgeous photography throughout Itineraries and planning advice to pick the right tailored routes for your needs and interests Get around easily - 116 easy-to-read, full-color route maps, detailed directions Insider tips to get around like a local, avoid trouble spots and be safe on the road - local driving rules, parking, toll roads Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Useful features - including Stretch Your Legs, Detours, and Link Your Trip Covers Route 66, Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Arizona deserts, Phoenix, Santa Fe, New Mexico's Enchanted Circle, Texas Hill Country, Big Bend, Austin, San Antonio, Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks, Monument Valley, Moab, Utah, Denver and more. Authors: Written and researched by Lonely Planet, Amy C Balfour, Michael Benanav, Greg Benchwick, Lisa Dunford, Mariella Krause, Carolyn McCarthy and Ryan Ver Berkmoes.
Reviews
"What a great collection of road trip ideas: really well done!"
"Great for my road-trip to the Grand Canyon."
"Perfect purchase!"
"THIS BOOK IS THE BEST."
"This and its companion "Southwest USA" were quite handy in Arizona."
"have travelled all over the world with Lonely Planet Guide Books."
"This book is put together in a way that makes it hard to customize and somewhat unwieldy."
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Best Idaho Travel Guides

Death in Yellowstone: Accidents and Foolhardiness in the First National Park
In these accounts, written with sensitivity as cautionary tales about what to do and what not to do in one of our wildest national parks, Whittlesey recounts deaths ranging from tragedy to folly—from being caught in a freak avalanche to the goring of a photographer who just got a little too close to a bison. Behind the gripping adventure, drama, and heartbreak of the stories told in this uniquely authoritative book are deep lessons—not only in personal responsibility but in the role of national parks in our society. Lee Whittlesey's compelling study of Yellowstone fatalities wisely reminds us of both the price and the pricelessness of protecting wild nature. While guides may wish to discuss the role of wolves or forest fires in a wilderness ecosystem, their passengers too often just want stories of the misfortune of their fellow travelers—and this is the seminal work on the subject. The sheer weight of new material added to bring this second edition up-to-date is a clear indication that the Yellowstone landscape continues to demand both our awe and our respect.
Reviews
"Covering over 300 deaths since the 1800s, Death in Yellowstone ranges from drownings to bear maulings to burns in hot springs to murders to Native American attacks to poisonous plants to carbon monoxide to runaway coaches."
"By minding the rules, being cautious and using common sense, we can still enjoy these parks and live to tell about it."
"If you have ever been to Yellowstone, this is MUST read!"
"But if you're a fan of Yellowstone, I highly recommend the book for all the stories of deaths that are unique to Yellowstone."
"The author does a great job of explaining the intricacies of each incident when details are available, and uses his great personal knowledge of the park to help the reader understand how and why these incidents occurred."
"This book is so well written and researched."
"There are signs all over the park and lots of reading material the park officials give people so I was interested to see how many people achieved death in the park and by what methods."
"Seen this at Yellowstone this year, wife said she had to have it!"
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Best Nebraska Travel Guides

The 1935 Republican River Flood (Disaster)
On May 31, 1935, a storm system surged along the Republican River, bursting its banks in a matter of minutes with a roar that could be heard miles away. She has spent many years compiling the history of the flood, meeting with survivors and traveling along the river to document this exciting chapter in the Republican River's history.
Reviews
"The flood is fascinating as it happened in a part of the country that is considered a dry climate and the weather pattern that caused the flood is extremely rare. Sure, the river has had high water levels since, but nothing like what caused the flood."
"Ms. Hayden did a superb job of recreating the devastation, destruction and despair of the hardy people who inhabited the Republican River Valley."
"This is an amazing story."
"Great history of an area where I grew up south of Idalia, Colorado."
"Great book if you live in the area.I went to the book signing and got the author to sign it and listened to her talk.My family said it was so interesting I had to order 2 more books."
"Great read for such a tragic event -- well researched and written."
"This is a very interesting and well-researched book."
"my mother was a child during this flood."
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Best Minnesota Travel Guides

Exploring the Boundary Waters: A Trip Planner and Guide to the BWCAW
With more than 200,000 visitors annually, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is among the most alluring wilderness areas in the country, unique because it is most often explored by canoe. Exploring the Boundary Waters is the most comprehensive trip planner to the BWCAW, giving travelers an overview of each entry point into the wilderness area as well as detailed descriptions of more than one hundred specific routes - including a ranking of their difficulty level and maps that feature the major waterways, portages, and the designated campsites.
Reviews
"Its a great book to pair with the Boundary Waters Canoe Camping book (it has pretty pictures and more info on other things you need to know about the boundary waters besides just the portages)."
"I have entered the BWCAW at several different points and as I read the route descriptions for these areas it was very easy to visualize my trips all over again."
"The one drawback that I did find was that, unless you were actually holding a map of the BWCAW right in front of you while reading, it was hard to figure out where the routes and portages were."
"Fully detailed and even helped even though I've been there before."
"Give many options on which lakes to try."
"Well researched, a little older, but information on planning routes is invaluable."
"Shows the specifics for every route in the BW."
"better than beymer as it contains line drawing mas so you can pick a route or create your own, which is the purpose of these books."
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Best Wyoming Travel Guides

Lonely Planet Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks (Travel Guide)
Lonely Planet Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. 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, conservation Over 47 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 Yellowstone National Park area, Mammoth Country, Roosevelt Country, Canyon Country, Lake Country, Norris, Geyser Country, Bechler Region, Grand Teton National Park area, Jackson and more. Lonely Planet covers must-see spots but also enables curious travelers to get off beaten paths to understand more of the culture of the places in which they find themselves. Bradley has lectured on Central Asia to the Royal Geographical Society and recently traveled across Asia in the footsteps of Marco Polo for a five-hour French-German TV documentary.
Reviews
"Good description, a bit more plentiful in suggest hotels and restaurants than the Canadian one."
"Can't go wrong with Lonely Planet books."
"It helped us hit a bunch of areas in Teton and Yellowstone with only 2 days to do it in."
"Outlines and provides good descriptions and synopses of hikes and activities."
"informative but paper was cheap so tore easily."
"Reasonably helpful in planning our trip."
"Just what I needed for a trip next year."
"My husband LOVES this book!"
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Best Oregon Travel Guides

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (Oprah's Book Club 2.0 1)
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. Amazon Best Books of the Month, March 2012: At age 26, following the death of her mother, divorce, and a run of reckless behavior, Cheryl Strayed found herself alone near the foot of the Pacific Crest Trail--inexperienced, over-equipped, and desperate to reclaim her life. While readers looking for adventure or a naturalist's perspective may be distracted by the emotional odyssey at the core of the story, Wild vividly describes the grueling life of the long-distance hiker, the ubiquitous perils of the PCT, and its peculiar community of wanderers. But Strayed doesn't want sympathy, and her confident prose stands on its own, deftly pulling both threads into a story that inhabits a unique riparian zone between wilderness tale and personal-redemption memoir. Two months before Wild was published I stood on a Mexican beach at sunset with my family assisting dozens of baby turtles on their stumbling journey across the sand, then watching as they disappeared into the sea. Echoing the ever-popular search for wilderness salvation by Chris McCandless (Back to the Wild, 2011) and every other modern-day disciple of Thoreau, Strayed tells the story of her emotional devastation after the death of her mother and the weeks she spent hiking the 1,100-mile Pacific Crest Trail. As her family, marriage, and sanity go to pieces, Strayed drifts into spontaneous encounters with other men, to the consternation of her confused husband, and eventually hits rock bottom while shooting up heroin with a new boyfriend. Woefully unprepared (she fails to read about the trail, buy boots that fit, or pack practically), she relies on the kindness and assistance of those she meets along the way, much as McCandless did.
Reviews
"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."
"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."
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