Reviews (46)

Maui - the adventure guide
I definitely recommend this guide for anyone visiting for the first time, especially for those who want to do as much as they can and don't have very long to do it. They've produced an honest, informative book which greatly enhanced our experience.If you're looking for a planning guide, buy this one first.The "Best Of" callouts on pages 17 through 20 were so handy; start there first.

owning the series
They fit our comfort zone and after two trips to Maui we still haven't exhausted all the hiking possibilities.The fact that they're heavy on sports and leave out the hype is what makes them click for us.They haven't left out family outings and provide a complete rundown of where it's safe to swim and snorkel.For beach days, we still find Maui our #1 choice and for stand alone guidebooks, the Maui Trailblazer fills the bill.
the good life
We've found a good guidebook is worth its weight in gold and the Maui Trailblazer by the Sprouts got a thorough testing as we explored the island -- sublime listing after listing.Mandatory for preplanning.We reserved our Haleakala primitive cabin weeks ahead.For getting around in the jungleworld and waterworld, it bulges with all the good stuff. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Hiking    2. Sports & Recreation / Hiking    3. Travel    4. Travel - United States    5. Travel Guides - U.S.    6. United States - Pacific - Hawaii    7. United States - West - Pacific (General)    8. Water Sports    9. Maui    10. Maui (Hawaii)    11. Outdoor recreation    12. Sports & Recreation    13. Surfing   

Reviews (48)

Kauai on a shoestring
If you're curious about what Kauai is like and what there is to do there, Kauai Trailblazer is your guide. Practical info is as good as you can get and their style is lively and positive.We counted on it day by day to get us to the highs. The locals even gave it the two thumbs up. We stayed in the plantation cottages they recommended and never looked back. Our getaway turned out to be not that expensive. We're going back for more at Christmas.

Prime guide
HIGHLY recommended.We designed our own itinerary weeks ahead looking at all the photos in the book.A virtual Kauai. Another good feature is their layout.The hikes and snorkeling spots are grouped according to place.As we circled around we knew exactly what there was to do in each town. In the front of the book, before the list of hikes is the authors "Best" list.Start there. If this is your first visit, this is the book to have.

Puuokila Hiking
If you are lucky enough to vacation on Kauai you should take the hike on page 170.It follows the highest rim along the top of the Kalalau Valley.The view down is an everchanging dreamscape.We followed the trail all the way to the Alakai Swamp, an all dayer, and when we returned around five the valley view took on a whole other personality with swirling clouds that were pink and orange.We made a poster of the photo we took at sunset. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Guidebooks    3. Hawaii    4. Kauai    5. Kauai (Hawaii)    6. Outdoor recreation    7. Special Interest - Adventure    8. Sports & Recreation / Hiking    9. Sports & Recreation / Outdoor Skills    10. Travel    11. Travel - United States    12. United States - Pacific - Hawaii    13. United States - West - Pacific (General)    14. Hiking   

Reviews (1)

Get Off Your Couch!
Armchair movie aficionados beware! Leave your remote control behind and visit hundreds of famous movie locations in person! This one-of-a-kind travel guide (very few authors can claim that) is the result of exhaustive research covering hundreds of film shooting sites and is a must have for anyone who loves movies and the great outdoors. I liked this book so much, I bought TWO copies - one to keep clean and one whose margins are already filling up with notes as I visit the places featured. Get this book and go touch Hollywood history in person! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. California, Southern    2. Guidebooks    3. Motion picture locations    4. Television program locations    5. Travel    6. Travel - United States    7. United States - Pacific - California    8. United States - West - Pacific (General)    9. Walking    10. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)   

Subjects:  1. Charleston    2. Charleston (S.C.)    3. Guidebooks    4. Historic buildings    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History - U.S.    8. History: American    9. Pictorial works    10. South Carolina    11. Tours    12. United States - General    13. United States - State & Local - General    14. United States - State & Local - South    15. Walking    16. History / United States / General   

Editorial Review

It's rare to find a travel guide and a memoir joined neatly together in a single, highly readable 176-page volume. But Chuck Palahniuk (Read more

Reviews (32)

Interesting, offbeat
This collection is an idiosyncratic and appealing mix of off-the-beaten-path sights for the visitor to Portland, personal anecdotes of the author, and brief essays about the history of Portland and its defining vibes. Entertaining and enjoyable.

Doesn't make you want to visit
Palahniuk puts you right into his world of an overgrown small town with its carnival attractions.
a puking bore
As he writes in his epilogue, "This is not Portland, Oregon." Just scads of non-site-specific deegradation written in clipped New Yorker prose. Elliptical descriptions of perversion after perversion, spilling over the pages to become one big bore. And on top of all this, there's no index to the places he touches on, so even if you wanted to go there, you'd be hardput. Self-indulgent yet simultaneously unrevealing, as uninteresting a discovery of spirit of place as one can get. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternative lifestyles    2. Curiosities and wonders    3. Essays & Travelogues    4. Guidebooks    5. Oregon    6. Portland    7. Portland (Or.)    8. Tours    9. Travel    10. Travel - United States    11. United States - Pacific - Oregon    12. United States - State & Local - General    13. Walking    14. Travel / Essays & Travelogues   

Reviews (11)

Great for cross state travel
While the book does not cover every trail in every area, it is a good resource for traveling around the state to many different areas. There are more detailed books for a certain area, but if you need a book that covers the state, this is a great resource. We traveled all over N Cal. with kids in the summer with some unexpected changes in route. We seemed to always find a nice hike in this book and a good campground in its companion book (Campgrounds of California?).

The ONE BOOK you need to hike, backpack, or walk California (at any skill level)
Even in the age of the Internet, these is no other resource as comprehensive and user-friendly as the Foghorn Outdoors California Hiking guide. In fact, this resource transcends the paper-and-ink category by incorporating indexes and cross-references that beat hyper-links any day. The book is prefaced with a California state map broken out into grids. Chapters of the book correspond to grid locations, and each chapter opens with an expanded map of the grid at hand. If, for example, you were looking at the Lancaster/Palmdale area in Chapter/Grid, and you noted that your area of interest was just north of this particular map, you follow the North arrow out of the map, which points the reader to page 596. If you want general areas for perusal, you can turn to the sections that comprise Northern California, Central California, or Southern California areas. If you know your geographic region of interest, it is a snap to locate it on the main state map and find the corresponding chapter. For those following the Pacific Crest Trail, a special index and symbol tracks the hikes which make up the overall trail, and guidance is provided about the general direction (south to north) that the trail is hiked.
Own it, Own others. Don' t buy it. Here's why.
I ordered this book, used it, and I had to return it. Imagine you work for big guidebook company (Foghorn Outdoors) and your boss gives you, say 3 months, to write an 800 page book with a stupid gimmick like it has "1000 Hikes of California"
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Subjects:  1. Hiking    2. Special Interest - Ecotourism    3. Travel    4. Travel - United States    5. Travel Guides - U.S.    6. United States - West - Pacific (General)    7. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)   

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Hiking    3. Mountaineering    4. Nevada    5. Red Rock Canyon National Conse    6. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area    7. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area (Nev.)    8. Rock climbing    9. Sports    10. Sports & Recreation    11. United States - Pacific - Nevada   

Reviews (2)

Almost as fun as the hikes themselves!
This is a wonderful book that goes into great deatil about the many trails in and around the South Bay.It breaks down the area by specific parks and then suggested hikes, including mileage, elevation loss or gain, and time.It even has a neat little appendix outlining hikes by category (ie., short hikes, hikes to see spring flowers, etc.)The text is detailed, explaining what you will find around every bend, and the historical information on the parks is very interesting.I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to get out and away from the hustle and bustle of Silicon Valley.

A good book made better
I just replaced my battered copy of the first edition with the latest, third one, and it's a real winner! These authors' books are always educational, interesting and complete. And best of all they lead one into many fine hiking adventures around the bay. I've spent many a fine summer day following their instructions. It's about time they put out a new edition, because of all the new parks and trails they had to cover. Recommended! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. California    2. Guidebooks    3. Hiking    4. Parks    5. Santa Clara Valley (Santa Clar    6. Santa Clara Valley (Santa Clara County)    7. Santa Clara Valley (Santa Clara County, Calif.)    8. Travel    9. Travel - United States    10. United States - Pacific - California    11. United States - State & Local - General    12. United States - West - Mountain (General)   

Reviews (20)

Short book but many interesting stories
McPherson does a great job setting the scene of the events that took place at Gettyburg. It's obvious he knows his stuff. My recommendation is to read this before going to the battlefield and then read it after. You can even take the tour he suggests throughout. I didn't have the time to take his tour--I used an audio CD--but it's worth it either way. He has good side-stories that make the scenes come alive. This is highly recommended.

Packed with info and insight
This is a great little book...the title says it all, it is exactly what you get but with personality.I have only been to Gettysburg once, and only for a couple hours.While there I had wished for some additional info to be available, to better understand the event that place there over 100 years ago.That battle helped shape and define our country, but the facts would be lost if not for writers like James Mcpherson.The book literally walks you thru each battlefront and adds personal touches to make it more than a history book.If you have never been to Gettysburg, this book will surely inspire you to visit the site.If you have been there, like me, it can only enhance your memories and provide detail that is easily overlooked.And, it has inspired me make plans to return to Gettysburg, but with book in hand.

Great book before you visit the battlefield
I got this book in the mail from Amazon the week I was leaving for Gettysburg - good thing it was so short and to the point.It took 2 nights to read, but it was very well written and did a great job of explaining the things to look for on the battlefield while also giving a pretty good overview of the different aspects of the battle itself.
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Subjects:  1. Essays & Travelogues    2. Gettysburg National Military P    3. Gettysburg National Military Park    4. Gettysburg, Battle of, Gettysb    5. Gettysburg, Battle of, Gettysburg, Pa., 1863    6. Guidebooks    7. Pennsylvania    8. Tours    9. Travel    10. Travel - United States    11. United States - Civil War    12. United States - Mid Atlantic - Pennsylvania    13. Walking    14. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    15. Battles & campaigns    16. Literary studies: general    17. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    18. Travel / Essays & Travelogues    19. USA    20. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (1)

Great book for getting you started in hiking California
I hiked 5 trails from this book so far, and all of them have been spectacular. The rating and description of the trails are very accurate. I'm currently in the process of planning more hikes from this book. My only complaint is that the map of all the hikes does not contain and road information, so it was a bit of a pain to try to place where exactly the hike is. We were in Yosemite this past weekend, and had to cross reference the trail map to our road map to determine if the trail was nearby yosemite or inside. Other than that, the hikes were great (in the bay area and the sierra nevada). I'm thinking about buying a couple of falcon guide specific to certain places. If you just getting into hiking, I would definitely recommend this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. California    2. Guidebooks    3. Hiking    4. Sports    5. Sports & Recreation    6. Travel - United States    7. United States - Pacific - California    8. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)   

Reviews (1)

Lose Weight by Walking: Tour Your City on Foot
This book could only be improved by more photos of the georgeous landscaping in and around Portland, Oregon. The cover shows four beautiful photos which the Amazon cover shot misses (you can hardly make them out), which is more than enough to whet the appetite.
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Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Hiking    3. Oregon    4. Portland    5. Portland (Or.)    6. Travel    7. Travel - United States    8. United States - Pacific - Oregon    9. United States - West - Pacific (General)    10. Walking    11. Travel / United States / West / Pacific (AK, CA, HI, NV, OR, WA)   

Subjects:  1. Blue Ridge Parkway (N.C. and V    2. Blue Ridge Parkway (N.C. and Va.)    3. Guidebooks    4. Hiking    5. Trails    6. Travel    7. Travel - United States    8. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    9. United States - South Atlantic - Virginia    10. Virginia    11. Waterfalls    12. Travel / United States / South / South Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)   

Reviews (1)

Indispensable guide
If you ever travel to the Adirondacks for hiking in the High Peaks, this little guide book, complete with fold-out map, is an absolute must. It's the 2004, 13th edition of the guide first put out in the 1930s.
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Subjects:  1. Adirondack Park    2. Adirondack Park (N.Y.)    3. Guidebooks    4. Hiking    5. New York (State)    6. Trails    7. United States - Mid Atlantic - New York   

Reviews (4)

100 Classic Hikes In Colorado
Anticipation to take these hikes.A little disappointed in the directions on how to get to the trails, but with a little research I have been able to locate them

Not bad at all ...
This book does exactly what the other reviews say it does -- it gives overviews of some great Colorado hikes and good descriptions of the terrain. If you plan on hiking in Colorado often, this is an excellent place to start.

The pictures are breathtaking
The color photographs alone make this a "must have" guidebook if you enjoy hiking in Colorado. Each hike is described in some detail with a ranking of how strenuous each trek is considered. The text is concise and to the point, but gives an adequate feel of each hike. There is at least one color photo for each journey and the photos are simply superb. Many such photos were the sole reason I decided to hike some of these mountains and I was never disappointed. You can literally spend hours just pouring over the incredible photos.Read more

Subjects:  1. Backpacking    2. Colorado    3. Guidebooks    4. Hiking    5. Sports    6. Sports & Recreation    7. Trails    8. Travel - United States    9. United States - Mountain - Colorado   

Reviews (8)

Old Reliable
In 1981 I took the first edition of this book on a traditional north/south thru hike of the JMT and found it generally accurate and, most importantly, reassuring about the day(s) ahead.In preparation for a 25th anniversary reprise (this time south to north) I got the latest addition.About the only real difference is that the format is a little larger and the small inset maps are a little easier to read.
Mediocre Guidebook
A disclaimer: I have not used this book to hike the JMT.
WORST GUIDEBOOK EVER WRITTEN-DANGEROUS!
DO NOT EVEN LOOK AT THIS VILE,PESTILENT BOOK!IT WILL GET YOU LOST IN THE WILDERNESS!The author may be a very fine fellow, and is probably a better backpacker than I am, but he can NOT tell anyone how to get from point A to point B.I wasted days getting lost from this awful book, as he yakked endlessly about flora, fauna, and geology.Meanwhile, you the sucker stand there at unmarked trail intersections getting no help.Do NOT follow the author's dangerous contention that you don't need maps if you buy this book-its maps don't show you the OTHER trails, and get you lost. The Tuolomne and Devil's Postpile sections just may constitute the worst writing of all time. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Backpacking    2. California    3. Guidebooks    4. Hiking    5. John Muir Trail    6. Reference    7. Travel    8. Travel - United States    9. United States - Pacific - California    10. United States - West - Pacific (General)    11. Travel & holiday guides    12. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Reviews (1)

Dog-Friendly Hiking
I had been looking forward to this book's publication since a New Hampshire bookseller told me this summer it was coming soon.I live in Vermont 7 months of the year, and New Hampshire the remaining 5. I own a 4-year-old shepherd/black lab mix, Diamond, who loves to go hiking with me. So this book is perfect for us to plan new adventures.
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Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Hiking    3. Hiking with dogs    4. New Hampshire    5. Special Interest - Pets    6. Trails    7. Travel    8. Travel - United States    9. United States - New England - New Hampshire    10. United States - New England - Vermont    11. United States - Northeast - New England (General)    12. Vermont   

Reviews (2)

This book is fantastic!
Canyonlands is a wild and wonderful place to explore.I would have been lost without this book.I was able to decide ahead of time what areas of the park I wanted to spend the most time in by reading the detailed descriptions of jeep roads and trails.The beautiful color photographs helped me make decisions as well.I found the maps to be extremely helpful and the estimated travel times to be very accurate.David Day knows his stuff!

Something new in Hiking Books
This is a Great book for hikers and outdoor enthusiasts.By including a focus on the jeep roads of the Canyonlands area David Day has provided the hiker with information necessary for access to its fantastic hiking trails. The format is similar to his other hiking books. The maps and trail descriptions and commentary are not only helpful but very interesting.The photography is great.I particularly enjoyed the section of color photos I like his trail overview which includes a rating of his enjoyment of the trail.
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Subjects:  1. Sports & Recreation / Hiking    2. Travel / United States / West / Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, UT, WY)    3. Canyonlands National Park (Uta    4. Four-wheel driving    5. Guidebooks    6. Hiking    7. Outdoor recreation    8. Parks & Campgrounds    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Trails    11. Travel    12. United States - West - Mountain    13. Utah   

Reviews (4)

Great guide
This guide leads hikers on some of the best trails along the Parkway.As a summer resident of the area I have been hiking the area for several years and I still learned from this guide.As a biologist, I particularly liked the coverage of plants and animals of the area.

"Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway" takes you to the top!
As an avid hiker, I struggle to find detailed maps and descriptions of hikes. My time is limited, so I love to find out exactly what to expect on a hike before I begin. "Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway" has become my primary reference to discovering new hikes that are easy to find. It is very evident that Mr. Johnson has hiked all of the trails because of the great details such as "don't get sucked down the old trail... bear right to reach the junction with two signs."
"Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway" is an excellent guide
As a child, I first hiked trails along the Blue Ridge Parkway with my father more than 40 years ago, and over the decades I've continued to return with a sense of awe at the area's spectacular beauty and rich seasonal variety. But what has been lacking for all of that time is a trail guide that mixes knowledgeable commentary and accurate descriptions with good topographical maps and photos. "Hiking the Blue Ridge Parkway," which I picked up just last week on the way to the mountains, now fills that void in exemplary fashion.Read more

Subjects:  1. Blue Ridge Parkway (N.C. and V    2. Blue Ridge Parkway (N.C. and Va.)    3. Guidebooks    4. Hiking    5. Travel    6. Travel - United States    7. United States - South - South Atlantic (General)    8. United States - South Atlantic - Virginia    9. Travel / United States / South / South Atlantic (DC, DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)   

Reviews (5)

Dawson Makes You Get Off Your Duff...
... and get out to the mountains he loves. The peakbagger's best friend
Having climbed Colorado 14ers for more than 30 years, I've used all available guidebooks.First rule, remember that the info in the book is often wrong -- unless you're willing to think for yourself, avoiding mountains is the best bet. After that, to me Dawson is the best guidebook ever.Roach is good too -- it's good to have both.But in spite of the price difference, Dawson's 2 volumes are well worth it.And please, tread lightly!

Year Round Guide is Tops
I've read seemingly every 14er guide available.Much of the information overlaps as one can imagine.However, what really sets this (and the companion volume as well) one apart is the truly four season information that it provides.Louis gives you ratings for summer and snow climbs as well as ski descents.None of the other 14er guides I've read give you that.These volumes are often compared to Gerry Roach's books which are excellent in their own right.However, in my mind the information in Louis Dawson's guides is better as many of us climb in seasons other than summer! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Mountaineering    2. Skiing - Alpine    3. Travel - United States    4. United States - Mountain - Colorado    5. Colorado    6. Guidebooks    7. Hiking    8. Mountains    9. Sports & Recreation   

Reviews (22)

Contents decent, book is falling apart.
The book seems pretty definitive regarding the 14ers. The author discusses different routes for each. Gives you tips on where the snags are, lets you know what to expect. Very good in all that.
THE authority for Colorado's mountains.
This book is the absolute tops, every person I've met on Colorado's fourteeners knows Gerry Roach's name as a result of this book. It details nearly every route available for every fourteener in the state and offers great advice on things to watch for along the way (both scenery and challenging spots). If you're thinking about doing all the fourteeners or even just a couple, this book is more than worth the investment. It could cost $80 and people would still buy it as it is absolutely loaded with essential information.

Well-done
Very thorough and well-written. Necessary if you want to climb any of the fourteeners in Colorado. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Backpacking    2. Colorado    3. Guidebooks    4. Hiking    5. Mountaineering    6. Parks & Campgrounds    7. Travel    8. Travel - United States    9. United States - Mountain - Colorado