Pacific Books - Page 12

Looking for Alaska

Peter Jenkins

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Subjects -> Travel -> United States -> Regions -> West -> Pacific
Subjects -> Travel -> United States -> States -> Alaska -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 104 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

In 1999, Peter Jenkins and his family left their farm in Tennessee to live in Alaska for a few seasons, eventually renting a house in Seward, Alaska (pop. 2,830) on the Kenai Peninsula. The principal aim of the trip was for Jenkins to write a travelogue, but he also saw it as an opportunity to end a period of personal stagnation. It appears to have worked, for Looking for Alaska is filled with a vibrancy that can only come from one with a fully charged battery. Recognizing that "This giant place is filled with people determined to live as free as possible of others' intervention," he employed the same low-key approach to research that made his bestselling book A Walk Across America (1979) so engaging--he made friends wherever he went and allowed people to share their stories in their own way and in their own time. Part of Jenkins's charm is that he never pretends that he's figured the place out; he readily cops to his outsider status and invites readers to experience his sense of awe and surprise with him. During his 18-month stay in the Last Frontier, Jenkins spent time with wildlife rangers, recreation guides, native whalers, fishermen, and dogsled mushers, all of whom showed Jenkins and his family glimpses of their own private Alaska. (They also shared their bear stories; it seems nearly everyone in the state has had at least one run-in with the giant predator). "No one is ever the same after coming back from Alaska," he writes and after reading his book, it's easy to believe him. --Shawn Carkonen

Backroads of the California Wine Country: Your Guide to the Wine Country's Most Scenic Backroad Adventures (Backroads of ...)

Karen Misuraca

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Wine Grapes have been cultivated in California’s verdant valleys since the days of the Spanish missions in the eighteenth century. Since the 1970s, the California wine country has been among the world’s premier wine-growing regions, and California wines hold their own against the best of Europe and elsewhere. Beyond the well-known vintners of the Sonoma and Napa valleys, the Golden State is home to quality wine producers from Mendocino to Santa Barbara. The temperate climate and lush landscapes that make this state an ideal locale for wine production also offer spectacular scenery for leisurely drives and backroads adventures. A tour through the wine country is a tour through the history of California, a journey back to the Old West, a wilderness adventure, an encounter with American literary icons, and much more. The mystique and history of California’s wine regions are captured in full glory in Backroads of the California Wine Country. From the misty northern appellations of Mendocino County to the hot, dry flatlands of Paso Robles, in the wilds of the Santa Cruz Mountains and along the placid Russian River, writer Karen Misuraca and photographer Gary Crabbe lead you on an informative and colorful tour of the most spectacular landscapes of California, offering myriad excursions for wine-lovers and weekend adventurers alike.

Backcountry Adventures Northern California: The Ultimate Guide to the Backcountry for Anyone with a Sport Utility Vehicle (Backcountry Adventures)

Peter Massey, Jeanne Wilson

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Automotive -> Sport Utility Vehicles
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Fantastic book 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This is the top dog for off road books. I've driven several of these courses in my stock Chevrolet truck with zero problems. Beautiful lay-out, great descriptions and GPS coordinates. Get this book!

Editorial Review:

Backcountry Adventures Northern California navigates 2,717 miles of back roads from the rugged peaks of the Sierra Nevada, through volcanic regions of the Modoc Plateau, to majestic coastal redwood trees. Trail history comes to life through accounts of outlaws like Black Bart, explorers like Ewing Young and James Beckwourth, and the biggest mass migration in America's history-- the Gold Rush. Like the other guides in the Backcountry Adventures series, Backcountry Adventures Northern California provides a helpful, concise chart with each trail description, listing starting and finishing point, mileage, driving time, and elevation. Backcountry Adventures Northern California is the most comprehensive book of its kind and is indispensable for planning any kind of outdoor adventure in the Golden State. It will appeal to everyone who loves the backcountry: campers, anglers, four-wheelers, hikers, mountain bikers, snowmobilers, amateur prospectors, sightseers, and more...

Moleskine City Notebook Los Angeles (Moleskine City Notebook)

Moleskine

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Features:

• Los Angeles Guide Book
• Genuine Moleskine
• Complete with Shrink Wrapping
• Handy Pocket Size
• Hard Black Cover

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Subjects -> Reference -> General
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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Long Awaited, For Good Cause ... 4 out of 5 stars.
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.

I've been waiting for this one for a long time, and I am pleased with what they've done. I won't be using this moleskine as a tourist, but instead as a resident of the LA area, writing down things I need to remember (and sometimes avoid) about this great area. I have so many LA-notes in my head that I've been wanting to get down on paper, and this is the paper I've been waiting for.

That fact creates for me the only drawback to this little dude. It does not include all areas of the sprawling City of Los Angeles in its detailed sectional map. As a result, important places like Crenshaw, The Foothills, San Pedro and Chatsworth, which are within the city limits of the City of Los Angeles, do not have their own detailed section maps, unlike places like Westwood and Silver Lake which do have their own detailed section maps. Important for my own purposes, it does not include detailed section maps for places like that part of Pico between the 405 and Rancho Park, or North Hollywood, or Culver City. I can barely make out on the big map where the Museum of Jurassic Technology would be, but there is not detailed section map to show me where it actually is. And that's just within the city limits of the City of Los Angeles. While its big map covers areas outside of the City of Los Angeles like Malibu, Pamona, Long Beach, and most of Orange County, it does not provide detailed maps for those regions either.

But, had moleskine put detailed maps of all those areas into this City Guide, it would no longer be pocket-sized. Had they included detailed maps for all of those areas, it would probably weigh fifteen pounds. Such is the sprawl of this city.

Thankfully the publishers did the only thing they could reasonably do. Instead of increasing the weight to fifteen pounds by including maps for all of these areas, they have included blank pages so that I can do it myself. I shall go to AAA and get my free maps (free with membership) and cut up the detailed sections that I want and glue them onto blank pages as needed. For each little map I glue in, I'll go to the big map and make a note on it, indicating that there is a detailed section map corresponding to that area later in the City Guide.

When its all done (it'll never be all done), I will loan it to my friends who come in from out of town, so they'll know where I think they should go, and what I suggest they do. And until LA drops off into the Pacific, or burns to the ground in some riot, I'll have my favorite guide to LA-the one I wrote wrote.

Editorial Review:

3½ x 5½ inches. Metro map & Station Index. 52 pages of zone maps & street index. 26 blank pages. 96 tabbed pages for your city file. 32 detachable sheets. 228 pages, acid-free paper with expandable inner pocket.

Bicycling The Pacific Coast: A Complete Route Guide, Canada To Mexico

Vicky Spring, Tom Kirkendall

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

More than a meticulously detailed route, this is an adventure highlighting what to see and explore along the way.

*Bike the coast in one trip or four separate adventures *Road directions, points of interest, and available restrooms and provisions all built into daily mileage logs *Elevation profiles and new Table of Essentials overview for each day's ride *More than 50,000 copies sold in previous editions

From Vancouver, B.C. to the Mexican border, Tom Kirkendall and Vicky Spring guide you turn by turn along the length of Pacific Coast Bicycle Route-all 1816.5 miles. These forty-two suggested daily itineraries (averaging 53 miles each) begin and end at campsites.

Everything you need to know about each day's ride is included: from tunnel- riding strategies to where to buy a new derailer, from one-of-a-kind museums along the way to side trips to lonely lighthouses and towering sand dunes. New to this edition is a quick-glance Table of Essentials for each daily itinerary, listing availability of bike shops, beach access, hiking trails, youth hostels, and activities.

The Dog Lover's Companion to the Pacific Northwest: The Inside Scoop on Where to Take Your Dog

Val Mallinson

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Animal Care & Pets -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Dog Lover's Companion is the Best! 5 out of 5 stars.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Found the book to be very informative and accurate, even down to "where the road may seem to end but look to the right and you'll see the sign for" ... etc. Very helpful guide. Loved the advice of the Wonder Weiners!

Useful if you live in Western Washington 4 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

For those of us who like to include our dogs in our adventures, this book is a great guide. It covers western WA & OR, as well as the southwestern corner of BC, Canada. Each of these areas is subdivided into regions such as the Kitsap Peninsula or the San Juan Islands. Within that region dog friendly locations are rated and described. You get the scoop on the good and bad of each location, which helps when you're trying to decide if it's worth visiting. You can also tell which locations allow your dog to be off leash. Places to eat and stay the night are also noted and described.

One thing I didn't like about this book is that it only covers Western WA. I had hoped it would cover Eastern as well.

Editorial Review:

The Dog Lover's Companion to the Pacific Northwest has the inside scoop on the best parks, restaurants, accommodations, recreation spots, and pet-friendly businesses in the entire region. Local author Val Mallinson and her trusty companions Cooper and Isis have dug up many surprising resources available to dogs in the Pacific Northwest, such as pet parades, humane society benefits, boutiques, and off-leash areas. Packed with illustrations by celebrated cartoonist Phil Frank, as well as helpful maps, up-to-date leash laws, and a useful "paw" ranking system for all locations in the book, The Dog Lover's Companion to the Pacific Northwest is truly a pet's best friend.

Washington Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide

Paul Gregutt

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

During the thirty-five years wine critic and writer Paul Gregutt has lived in the state of Washington, its wine industry has ballooned from a mere half dozen wineries to nearly five hundred. Washington Wines and Wineries offers a comprehensive, critical, and accessible account of the nation's second largest wine-producing region. Gregutt, who has covered Washington wine in books, newspapers, and magazines since the mid-1980s, enthusiastically dispenses information along with his editorial opinion, displaying the depth of his knowledge of the area, the players, the regions, and the wines. He points out the best vineyards, the most accomplished winemakers, the must-have wines, and the newcomers to watch. He rates wineries--not wines--with a unique and detailed 100-point scale, providing an insider's view of the best that Washington state has to offer. As the global wine industry reinvents itself for twenty-first-century palates, Washington is poised to become as important and influential as California on the world stage. Washington Wines and Wineries is the definitive reference book on the subject.

Spectacular Wineries of the Napa Valley: A Captivating Tour of Established, Estate and Boutique Wineries (Spectacular Wineries series)

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Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Nature & Wildlife
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Subjects -> Cooking, Food & Wine -> Drinks & Beverages -> Wine -> Wine & Winemaking

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Spectacular photos of spectacular wineries 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Having visited many of these wineries I can say that this book truly captures the best of Napa Valley. The book is an excellent guide of the "must see" wineries of California. I sent a dozen copies to my friends.

Editorial Review:

From high-end, cult wineries—whose interiors have rarely been seen—to smaller, more accessible vineyards, this series surveys the legends and lore of various locales. Large-scale photographic essays are complemented by a narrative chronicling various aspects of the wineries including their architecture, art, cuisine, gardens, and history of the sites and what makes each of them unique. Terrific keepsakes for wine aficionados, these guides are also useful in trip planning and as a reference for those who want to become knowledgeable about wine making particular regions.

Clos Pegase, Consentino, Mondavi, and St. Supéry are just a few of the stops in this magnificent tour of some of Napa Valley’s most exclusive vineyards.

Best Hikes With Dogs: Bay Area & Beyond (Best Hikes With Dogs)

Thom Gabrukiewicz

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Animal Care & Pets -> Dogs -> General
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Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Hiking & Camping -> Excursion Guides -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 3 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Where to hike with Fido in Northern California: all trails recommended as dog-friendly and dog-fun!

*Terrain that's canine hazard-free and easy on the paws *No leashes required on most trails and rarely a crowd to dodge *75 trails accessible from Redding, Sacramento, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Monterey County

When Thom Gabrukiewicz's canine companion, Scully, cut her pads on rough terrain, he was forced to carry her out on top of his pack-eight miles with an extra 50 pounds on his back. Scully recovered, but Gabrukiewicz started looking at trails from a dog's point of view. They have since hiked more than 2,000 miles together, joined by sidekick Trinity.

These trails do not require leashes (except in parks as noted). More than two-thirds of the hikes are on lesser known trails where travel is light and where you're unlikely to meet horses, bicycles, or motorized vehicles. They avoid steep, rocky terrain and offer lakes or streams as a reward. Additional features include what to pack for your pooch (The Ten Canine Essentials), and a Trail Finder chart that lists hikes by terrain, difficulty for dogs, leash regulations, and more.

Frommer's San Francisco with Kids (Frommer's With Kids)

Noelle Salmi

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Good book for travel with children 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

We used only parts of this book for two full days in SF, and found those parts very helpful. We liked the suggested itineraries and the neighborhood walking tours. Would have liked to see more, and larger scaled, maps of the neighborhoods. Highly recommended.

Editorial Review:

Let Frommer's show you where your kids can:

• Visit the sea lions, the city's most famous residents
• Test their pitching arms
• Lear what life was like on "The Rock"
• Play the latest video games
• Cross the Golden Gate Bridge on a fire truck
• Conduct amazing experiments at a hands-on science museum
• Climb around on a giant Coca-Cola bottle
• Get on an Australian walkabout, complete with kangaroos
• Join the grownups at an all-ages music club
• Live out their favorite nursery rhymes

Plus invaluable travel tips on:

• Age ranges for each sight and activity
• Hotels that offer cribs and rollaway beds
• A complete rundown on restaurants with kids' menus
• Shopping for everything from baby booties to import CDs
• A San Francisco parent's words of wisdom on safety in the city