Pacific Books - Page 23

Out and About with Kids: Seattle: The Ultimate Family Guide for Fun and Learning

Ann Bergman, Virginia Smyth

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Sasquatch Books Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $0.38

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Travel -> Specialty Travel -> Family Travel
Subjects -> Travel -> United States -> Regions -> West -> Pacific
Subjects -> Travel -> United States -> States -> Washington -> General

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

Editorial Review:

Candid and comprehensive, and expanded and updated with all new content, Out and About with Kids Seattle provides plenty of answers to that age-old question: what is there to do? Packed with useful information, this book gives the scoop on where to slide through a giant salmon, find robots that speak, meet Santa's reindeer, discover dinosaur eggs, pick berries, watch sheep get sheared, rent kayaks, ride horses, catch a trout, go rock climbing, watch a movie outside, have a beach fire, and much more. Readers learn when steam trains depart from Wickersham, whales migrate through the San Juans, and decorated boats parade through the Montlake Cut. The best spots to take the family mountain biking, bumper bowling, snow tubing, indoor swimming, rock climbing, and berry picking are included, as well as neighborhood profiles and tips for child-friendly restaurants and out-of-town excursions. Filled with age-specific suggestions for a wide range of fun family activities, this valuable resource leads parents and families to best places for family fun.

Oregon's Dry Side: Exploring East of the Cascade Crest

Alan D. St. John

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Timber Press, Incorporated Amazon Marketplace: 19 new & used starting at $9.91

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> History -> Americas -> United States -> State & Local -> Oregon
Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Ecology -> General AAS
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Professional Science -> Biological Sciences -> Biology -> General

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

Outstanding guidebook 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 8 people found this review helpful.

The varied wonderlands of Oregon East of the Cascades are largely unknown, even to many Oregonians, who think of it as "the desert". This book finally offers glimpse after glimpse of the diversity of scenery, ecosystems, and satisfying landscapes that exist here.
The photography is absolutely outstanding, and the images are accompanied by accurate captions. The choices of human history photographs and quotes are great. The natural history sections are readable, unlike a field guide, and there is an excellent balance of "charismatic species" coverage. As one of those who prefers places to people, I found the balance between obsession with our own species and appreciation for the others to be perfect.
As far as I can tell, it is extraordinarily accurate - and I learned a few things even after Skylar and I have been exploring the subtleties of these places for over 20 years. There are some excellent perspectives; for example, St. John probably wins the prize for the best way to frame the Columbia River dam "controversy" (see page 177). He is unafraid of "deep time" to explain modern ecosystems and weaves the fossil record throughout the text.
My only concern is purely selfish = he describes some of our favorite haunts so eloquently, readers are going to flock to them and the desert solitaire he praises will change. Oh, well. Maybe those readers will be moved to protect these special places as a result. I just hope the editors of Outside never get a copy...
I plan to buy a few dozen as gifts for friends who wonder "Why are you guys living out there in the frontier instead of in _____ (insert city, bay, whatever)?"

This is on the top of my list of "Books that Work".

Ted Fremd
Paleontologist
John Day Basin

Editorial Review:

Come explore the sights, sounds, scents, and stories of Oregon's dry side, the stunning, vast, arid East, which is the state's true West. Here are the volcanic mountains and mysterious fossils, vanilla-scented ponderosa pines, painted desert colors, wild creatures large and small, rugged wildflowers, remote outposts, and rich history reaching back to prehistoric times. Your expert guide is Alan D. St. John, naturalist, photographer, native Oregonian, and lifetime dry-side explorer who shares it all, including - and this is generous indeed - some of his own little-known favorite places. Also a broad field guide to eastern Oregon, this treasure of a book shows the region's flora and fauna and dramatic geology in gorgeous photographs.

Fodor's Kaua'i, 2nd Edition (Full-Color Gold Guides)

Fodor's

Amazon Price: $12.21 List Price: $17.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Fodor's Amazon Marketplace: 35 new & used starting at $10.40

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Travel -> Australia & South Pacific -> General
Subjects -> Travel -> Australia & South Pacific -> General AAS
Subjects -> Travel -> Reference & Tips -> Guidebooks

Editorial Review:

Fodor’s. For Choice Travel Experiences.

Fodor’s helps you unleash the possibilities of travel by providing the insightful tools you need to experience the trips you want. Although you’re at the helm, Fodor’s offers the assurance of our expertise, the guarantee of selectivity, and the choice details that truly define a destination. It’s like having a friend in Kaua’i!

•Your vacation never looked better. This Fodor’s full-color guide paints an unforgettable picture of Kaua’i with vibrant maps, vividly illustrated features, and stunning color photos.

•Updated frequently, Fodor’s Kaua’i, 2nd Edition, provides the most accurate and up-to-date information available in a guidebook.

•Fodor’s Kaua’i, 2nd Edition features options for a variety of budgets, interests, and tastes, so you make the choices to plan your trip of a lifetime.

•If it’s not worth your time, it’s not in this book. Fodor’s discriminating ratings, including our top tier Fodor’s Choice designations, ensure that you’ll know about the most interesting and enjoyable places in Kaua’i.

Experience Kaua’i like a local! Fodor’s Kaua’i, 2nd Edition, includes unique photo-features that impart the island’s culture, covering the Napali Coast, the secluded beaches of the North Shore, the spectacular Waimea Canyon, and much more!

•Indispensable, customized trip planning tools include “Top Reasons to Go,” “Word of Mouth” advice from other travelers, and tips to help save money, bypass lines, and avoid common travel pitfalls.

•Full-color pullout map

Visit Fodors.com for more ideas and information, travel deals, vacation planning tips, reviews and to exchange travel advice with other travelers.

The Unofficial Guide to Las Vegas 2008 (Unofficial Guides)

Bob Sehlinger

Amazon Price: $12.91 List Price: $18.99 In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served. By: Wiley Amazon Marketplace: 47 new & used starting at $1.64

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Travel -> Reference & Tips -> General AAS
Subjects -> Travel -> North America
Subjects -> Travel -> United States -> Regions -> West -> Pacific

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Entertaining and informative guide book. 4 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Like one of the previous reviewers, I bought this book after previously buying their guide to Walt Disney World. The WDW guide was superb, stuffed full of information about everything you could possibly need to know in the planning stages and also during your trip. In fact there is nearly too much info in the WDW book, with the author going as far as giving exact measurements of some of the hotel rooms! As a result, I expected the same high standard from the Las Vegas book and I have to say I was left a little disappointed.

First of all I have to say that I love the way the authors write these books. They have a very amusing turn of phrase and they have an irreverence toward their destinations that I find a refreshing change from a lot of the overly serious travel guides. I have really enjoyed reading this book, I find that their mix of amusing background stories, reader reviews and helpful advice, entertaining as well as informative.

The area where I found this book a little disappointing was the descriptions of the hotels. When I bought this book, I hadn't yet booked my hotel and was hoping for a little guidance. Like the previous reviewer pointed out, there might be two or three pages devoted to a particular hotel, but little or no mention of the actual room quality size or amenities. After all, when you book a hotel, you're paying for a room, so this is surely the main area of interest rather than what the `feel' of the lobby is like. If I were feeling sceptical, I'd nearly think that the authors had not actually been in the rooms of the hotels they were critiquing but merely the public areas and gardens. I'm sure that isn't the case, but that is an impression one might get when faced with the complete lack of mention of rooms in some of the hotel descriptions!

Other than that, I really loved this book. The sections on shopping, restaurants and shows are outstanding and as a first time visitor to Vegas and a non-gambler, I really appreciated the `how to' section on gambling. There is also a comprehensive section on tours outside of Vegas, for those who want to escape the bright lights for a day or two.

Overall, I highly recommend this book, it is way more in depth than a lot of other travel guides that I have looked at. I would especially recommend it to visitors who are staying more than a couple of nights and who want to see more than the usual sights as this book is choc full of info on some of the more `hidden gems'. In fact, one other slight disadvantage to this book, is that it is quite thick and heavy and so may be better for pre trip planning than actually carrying round with you.

Editorial Review:

From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide(r) to Walt Disney World(r)

"A Tourist's Best Friend!"
-Chicago Sun-Times

"Indispensable"
-The New York Times

Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide(r):

* Over 100 hotels and casinos rated and ranked - the most offered by any guidebook - plus proven strategies for getting the best rate
*

Complete detailed descriptions of each casino and casino hotel
*

In-depth critical reviews of Las Vegas' 60 best shows and 30 top nightspots - the most offered by any guidebook
*

Detailed reviews of more than 100 restaurants - a complete dining guide within the guide, plus the best buffets rated and ranked
*

Fifty pages of gambling tips from how to play, recognize sucker games, and cut the house advantage to the bone

Waterfall Lover's Guide Pacific Northwest: Pacific Northwest : Where To Find Hundreds Of Spectacular Waterfalls In Washington, Oregon, And Idaho

Gregory Alan Plumb

Amazon Price: $12.89 List Price: $18.95 Usually ships in 9 to 12 days By: Mountaineers Books Amazon Marketplace: 18 new & used starting at $7.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Travel -> United States -> Regions -> West -> Mountain
Subjects -> Travel -> United States -> Regions -> West -> Pacific
Subjects -> Travel -> United States -> States -> Idaho -> General

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

Editorial Review:

Tracking waterfalls for more than twenty-five years, a true aficionado locates and describes 634 waterfalls in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho (and then lists 777 more in the index!).

*At-a-glance table for selecting waterfalls by scenic rating, form, how to access, best season to go, and defining characteristics *5-star waterfalls are graphically identified *Companion website for additional information and access updates

It's hard to imagine a more complete guide to Pacific Northwest waterfalls than this one. Or a man more devoted to sharing their beauty than Greg Plumb: for his initial inventory, he examined more than 3500 U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps. Since then he has driven and hiked thousands of spray-soaked miles to document waterfalls throughout the region.

To help you select, each waterfall is keyed for accessibility by car, on foot, or by canoe or raft and rated for magnitude and aesthetic value. Are you in the mood for a punchbowl waterfall? Or do you prefer a horsetail, fan, plunge, or tiered form? He notes which falls can be seen right from the road, are viewed from a swinging footbridge, descend from glacial meltwaters, were formed by the eruption of Mount Saint Helens, or have salmon attempting to jump them.

Nature Noir: A Park Ranger's Patrol in the Sierra

Jordan Fisher Smith

Amazon Price: $11.16 List Price: $13.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Mariner Books Amazon Marketplace: 85 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> Memoirs
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> General
Subjects -> Biographies & Memoirs -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 26 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Good book for the plane 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

I don't really have much to say about Nature Noir. I read it on the plane out to Denver. It was recommended to me by a non-fiction writer and I heard part of an interview with the author on the radio. I confess that I have not read a great deal of non-fiction aside from personal essays. "Nature Noir" read much like a long personal essay, interspersed with the customary commentary on landscape necessary in all nature writing. Smith's narrative seeks to dispel the idyllic image of wilderness and the life of the Forest Ranger. And I imagine for many people, particularly people who do not spend much time in the Western backcountry, Smith's reports of meth-labs, poachers, suicides, and predator attacks contrast their image of wilderness. But it's something most people who spend time in the backcournty have know about for some time. Ultimately I found his tales and observations somewhat pedestrian. The reviewer on the inside cover compared the work to Edward Abbey, Gary Snyder, and Aldo Leopold. Such comparisons are far too generous for this particular work.

Editorial Review:

A nature book unlike any other, Jordan Fisher Smith's startling account of fourteen years as a park ranger thoroughly dispels our idealized visions of life in the great outdoors. Instead of scout troops and placid birdwatchers, Smith's beat -- a stretch of land that has been officially condemned to be flooded -- brings him into contact with drug users tweaked out to the point of violence, obsessed miners, and other dangerous creatures. In unflinchingly honest prose, he reveals the unexpectedly dark underbelly of patrolling and protecting public lands.

Rockhounding Nevada

William A. Kappele

Amazon Price: $11.01 List Price: $12.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Falcon Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $4.39

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Professional Science -> Earth Sciences -> Geology
Subjects -> Science -> Earth Sciences -> Geology -> Petrology
Subjects -> Science -> Earth Sciences -> Geology -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Nevada: Rockhounding 5 out of 5 stars.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.

Excellent book! The directions are easy to follow and you find everything the author says you will. I visited 6 sites so far and am looking forward to visiting all of them.

Excellent resource 4 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Kappele has a nice feel for including the information a reader wants. I visited the seven McDermitt sites this summer and I felt like I was in good hands. The maps aren't to scale, but they guide you in pretty well. We also used a BLM map and the Delorme Guide (for Oregon) to feel more secure, plus we used GPS quite a bit, so pinpoint GPS readings would help. McDermitt is an overwhelming place to search.

I had less luck at the trilobite locale near Beatty. I got skunked, but I didn't spend enough time there to really give it a proper test.

The cost of the book would be prohibitive with color pictures; this is a low-cost guide book. A few more pictures would be good, tho. I like the writer's tone; he feels friendly and is probably someone who would be fun to go out and collect with.

Editorial Review:

Rockhounds from novice to expert seeking agate, opal, jasper, and malachite, or searching for petrified wood and fossils, are likely to unearth these treasures in Nevada. Sparsely populated with millions of acres of accessible public lands, Nevada holds geologic wonders. The state's 94 best rockhounding sites are featured in this well-researched guidebook. Includes a list of museums of special geologic interest.

Best Easy Day Hikes Olympic National Park, 2nd (Best Easy Day Hikes Series)

Erik Molvar

Amazon Price: $8.95 List Price: $8.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Falcon Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $4.31

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Hiking & Camping -> Excursion Guides -> General
Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Hiking & Camping -> Excursion Guides -> General AAS
Subjects -> Sports -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Great help for spur-of-the-moment walkers 5 out of 5 stars.
29 of 30 people found this review helpful.

We had little or no time to plan our short trip to the Olympic Peninsula, but we knew that the area is best enjoyed by walking into the forests, the mountains, or the beaches. This book includes descriptions of 29 hikes that do not require overnight stays, organized geographically. While there is no single map pointing out the locations of all the hikes, each geographical section has one, so it is not too difficult to find something nearby. There is also an ordered list of the hikes, from easiest (the .2 mile Madison Creek Falls hike, with minimal elevation gain) to most difficult (the Mount Zion hike, 3.5 miles with a 1340 foot gain).

We took six of the hikes listed and found the descriptions to be accurate. It was well worth the (relatively low) price.

A good guide for 4 out of 5 stars.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.

those starting to hike or who want ideas of where to go. Having done all but 3 of the hikes in this book,I would recomend it. Erik gives clear directions and his rating system of easy to hard is very accurate. The book is pocket size and weighs little, with good refernces on time, maps and seasons. His North Cascade Dayhike book is also helpful to daytrippers.

Editorial Review:

Hikes varying from half-hour strolls to full-day adventures, this guidebook is for everyone, including families.

Hiking Yosemite National Park

Suzanne Swedo

List Price: $14.95 By: Falcon Amazon Marketplace: 19 new & used starting at $0.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Hiking & Camping -> Excursion Guides -> General
Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Hiking & Camping -> Excursion Guides -> General AAS
Subjects -> Outdoors & Nature -> Hiking & Camping -> Walking

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Yosemite National Park, in the heart of John Muir's Range of Light, encompasses almost 1,200 square miles and almost 800 miles of trails through some of the most dramatic and beautiful scenery on earth. From the rolling oak woodlands of the western slope to the jagged mountain crest, Yosemite's amazing diversity helps earn the park's place as one of America's most popular destinations and still offers solitude and a genuine wilderness experience for those willing to seek it. In Hiking Yosemite National Park, journey with veteran outdoor writer Suzanne Swedo through groves of giant sequoias and miles of meadows rich with wildflowers and wildlife. Visit the towering domes, booming waterfalls, and jagged peaks thatt inspired some of the greatest artists and thinkers of our century. Swedo is your personal guide through nature's finest classroom, sharing the region's rich history, useful hiking tips, and accurate, up-to-date information. With stunning photos, detailed maps, and elevation graphs, Hiking Yosemite National Park is a long-awaited companion for the hiker eager to fully experience one of our nation's natural treasures.

Frommer's Seattle 2009 (Frommer's Complete)

Karl Samson

Amazon Price: $12.23 List Price: $17.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Frommers Amazon Marketplace: 27 new & used starting at $11.16

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Travel -> Reference & Tips -> General AAS
Subjects -> Travel -> United States -> Regions -> West -> Pacific
Subjects -> Travel -> United States -> States -> Washington -> General

Editorial Review:

America’s #1 bestselling travel series

Written by more than 175 outspoken travelers around the globe, Frommer’s Complete Guides help travelers experience places the way locals do.

• More annually updated guides than any other series

• 16-page color section and foldout map in all annual guides

• Outspoken opinions, exact prices, and suggested itineraries

• Dozens of detailed maps in an easy-to-read, two-color design