"National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States,"
Third Edition
December 27, 2001
I remember an archaeology professor in college remarking that over time, roads tend to remain in the same place. He was talking about the Athenian Agora in the 5th century B.C., but I was struck by exactly this idea looking at maps of the Oregon Trail: Routes used by approximately 300,000 pioneers and 75,000 wagons between 1841-60 often closely parallel modern highways and interstates.
December 20, 2001
It's a good thing this book's back cover labels it
humor. Otherwise, I would have had difficulty determining its intent. Co-authors Eiden and Hollomon, who published a hiking book and a cycling book together previously, have recycled information on these subjects, adding more topics that give "sound advice, pretty sound advice, and even some advice that's a bit tongue-in-cheek."
The small-format, nicely-illustrated result, however, is a disappointing muddle. If it's a joke book, shouldn't it be witty? If it's a survival guide, shouldn't it useful?
December 6, 2001
"You do not need a telescope to take up stargazing," Ian Ridpath writes in the introduction to his comprehensive yet compact new guide.
"Use the charts in this book to find your way among the stars first with your own eyes, and then with the aid of binoculars, which bring the stars more readily into view."
November 8, 2001
When Jennifer Hahn set out to kayak from Ketchikan to her hometown, Bellingham, in 1992, the Alaska ferry captain dropping her off was surprised.
"Don't you know," he asked, "the dominant winds in Alaska blow out of the south?"
Embarrassed, Hahn felt "too foolish to admit this grave oversight," so she confessed wishing only "to paddle toward home." And in the course of two springs, two summers and more than 700 miles, her solo voyage was indeed a homecoming, both literal and spiritual.
September 27, 2001
There are Golden guides for everything from bats, birds and butterflies to weeds, whales and wildflowers. At about 4½ x 8 inches, all are compact, comprehensive and convenient to carry outdoors. I bought a Golden Field Guide to birds in 1972 for $3.95, and its pages are only now beginning to fall out, requiring the rubber-band remedy.
June 28, 2001
Sometimes the old saying really is true: A picture is worth 1,000 words. For when Jon Bowermaster describes the many misadventures, horrendous weather and breathtaking beauty of his 25-day kayak trip in Alaska's Islands of the Four Mountains, his vivid travelogue snaps into even clearer focus with the accompaniment of Barry Tessman's compelling color photographs.
May 10, 2001
Most Washingtonians love Oregon's beaches, which are often warmer and drier than our own rocky shores. In fact, even though Oregon's coastline has "the highest rainfall in the entire state," its average 80 inches yearly is far short of our Olympic rain forest's precipitation. And, if you head far south to Brookings in Oregon's "banana belt," the average is closer to 10 inches.
Weather is just one of many topics covered in the useful new "Insiders' Guide: Oregon Coast."
April 12, 2001
Mount Everest was first successfully climbed in 1952. The Himalayas remained mysterious, however, intriguing three British women climbers: Monica Jackson, Elizabeth Stark and Evelyn Camrass.
July 6, 2000
Seattle Outdoors is an odd title for a book listing more than 800 trips throughout Washington. But there's a method in this Seattle-centric madness, since one of the author's aims is to encourage hikers and bikers to leave their cars home, opting instead for bus transportation.
June 22, 2000
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