Pacific

Doug Lorain has done a wonderful job with this book. I've hiked extensively throughout Washington, and still found this book inspirational. All of the trips described in the book are lengthy backpacking trips. A wonderful job was done linking trails together, providing great, detailed, honest assessments of the route/terrain/difficulty of each trip. Best of all, the book is a joy to read (high praise for a guidebook). Even when not planning a trip, you'll enjoy thumbing through it, dreaming of future trips. A must have for anyone who wants to plan a great backpacking trip in Washington - period.

Dougls Lorain has gone out of his way to be sure backcountry travelers make the most of their time. From avoiding the less than scenic parts of the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail), to providing clues for off-trail/cross country opportunities, it will be difficult to go wrong with the candid advice from Lorain. Like Rick Steves has done for adventure minded European travelers, Doug Lorain provides more than most backpacking/trail book authors. An excellent book for GORP eaters who may be ready to enjoy the backcountry thru the backdoor.

As a native Montanan and one who was mandated to memorize Lewis and Clark trivia to get her high school diploma I started the book with trepidation. I was more than surprised to love this book! I have read it twice and bought one for a friend. This book takes details and facts and puts life, love and laughter into them. Read this book- it makes you feel good and brings a bit of nature inside.

Skookum. Backtracking is a skookum adventure. Long explains that in the Chinook language skookum means big or powerful. This account of a trek backtracking the route of the Lewis and Clark expedition is just that. The book is a fascinating blend of history, biology, ecology, and philosophy that took me, a confirmed lover of comfort, along on the trip.

Long and his wife retrace portions of the trail and report on the status of several of the wildlife and plant species that Lewis and Clark described in their original journals. We learn about the black-tailed prairie dog, the grizzly bear, the American bison, the Missouri River beaver, the Westslope cutthroat, the Columbia sharptail grouse, the Whitebark pine and the Clark's nutcracker, the wolf and the coyote, the White sturgeon and the Great Plains cottonwood. We learn why and how these animals and plants matter today.

Long, although his view is clear, does not resort to the adversarial language that pushes opposing forces further apart. He reminds us that, "There is too much at stake for us to give pessimism a chance. There is still too much to be lost."

Grouse dancing at dawn on some remote and windswept lek. After reading this book I want to see for myself.

Definately one of the better books on fishing Baja. Well worth getting!

This is a really good book that describes what places to go and what to use for specific species. Has a nice layout of knots, and gives pointers on the various popular types of fly tackle used there. Could have included more fly patterns, but being a Baja fisherman myself, it wasn't a setback.

Thus book was a labor of love. With years of experience as a lifeguard and surfer, John's curiousity went beyond. He studied oceanography, read all he could, and interviewed all those who knew anything about each beach. The result is the best source of information that will ever be available about Hawaiian beaches.

THE GREATNESS OF KAUAI'S BEACHES.

I used this book when doing research for a web site during our one year stay on Maui. It's awesome! The in-depth info on every beach on the island is up-to-date and insightful, with tid-bits of info only locals know, including history, geography, what's offshore, and more!

Scott Supak supak.com

Being from Hawaii, I found this book to be very true and accurate. It helped me experience beaches I didn't even know about.

While there are several multi-day trips in the guide, this book is targeted at the more serious recreational rider who is looking for day rides of 25 to 60 miles. It covers quite a large area, mostly in Washington State, with general and detailed descriptions of the routes, augmented by line maps. One nice feature is that it details the vertical profile of each ride so you can see what you're getting into when it comes to climbing hills at various milage points in the rides.

I've ridden about 1/3 of the routes and have found the rides well planned and accurately described. There is always a place to stop for a break near mid-way, and often alternatives to shorten or lengthen the trip. A great book to get you in touch with quiet roads or bike trails that you otherwise may never discover.

Good reference of some of the favorite multi-day bicycle tours in the Northwest.

I have taken many of the trails listed in this book and was impressed with the accurate trail maps which include mileage markers, geologic features, and elevations of mountain peaks. Trail descriptions include the distance, estimated time required, start and end elevations, and technical ratings. The book is useful for both mountain bikers and hikers. About fifty pages are devoted solely to trails in the Santa Ana Mountains. Unfortunately, recent development has eliminated some of the trailheads, especially in Aliso & Wood Canyons Park.

I love the book, and refer to it every weekend

This is a wonderful book for people who want to get their kids into hiking. Each hike contains a detailed description of the hike as well as information about age appropriateness, access to food and bathrooms, and points that will interest kids. Since a friend loaned us a copy of this book a couple of months ago, we have done 5 of the hikes with our 6-year-old, all with great success. I also loaned it to my sister when she visited Oregon this summer. She did not hike with children, but still found this to be a good resource for locating interesting hikes. Since we have to return our friend's copy, we are now purchasing a copy for ourselves. I highly recommend this book to anyone in Oregon (or who is visiting Oregon) who likes to hike, but especially to those who are trying to get their kids hooked on it.

I used this book in planning a recent trip to Oregon. Although my wife and I used to be avid hikers, we're not exactly in shape right now, so this book was an excellent guide to pick out a few short hikes in Crater Lake National Park and another near Bend.

Hikes can be located on a numbered map of western and central Oregon, or through the index in back. Each hike is rated by type of hike (day hike or backpack), difficulty, distance, terrain, high point, when it is hikable and contact information. The narrative gives a clear description of the hike, its popularity, what you'll see and how to get there. There is an explanation of the symbols used in the book, and the introduction discusses why you should hike with children, how to use the book, what to take, safety issues, good trail manners and trailhead fees.

So, whether you're a parent looking for some fun hikes for the children, or you're an adult looking to stretch your legs in the Oregon outdoors, this is an excellent guide to help you plan your outing.

We are so disappointed that Ms. Fujii has not updated this book, as we had purchased two editions and used them each time we went to Hawaii! Her suggestions were wonderful, and we were able to plan our trips within our budget and interests. We are now planning another trip after several years have passed, and will use the old edition, with hopes, however, that she will write another!!!

We go to Hawaii 5 times a year, and we love this book. A little outdated for the hotels, but food and stores and sights are awesome. A must have. Jocelyn should write an update to this book, instead of writing for Frommer's.

A companion book to the popular television series of the same name, John Sarich's Best Of Taste: Flavors Of The Pacific Coast showcases more than one hundred creative recipes enhanced with beautiful color photographs, a food and wine pairing chart, and wine recommendations. From Seared Sea Scallops with Wasabi Cream; Quick Mussel Pasta; and Kobe-Style Ribs; to Tuscan Steak; Potato Lasagna; and Raspberry-Lemon Sorbet, Best Of Taste is an elegant and welcome addition to any cookbook collection.

I've followed Best of Taste's cooking show on television and have been a fan for some time. This cook book seems to be a compilation of many of the television recipes plus others that I have never seen before. All of the recipes I have tried so far have been great, and the preparation instructions are all easy to follow, so you don't have to be a master chef to make these tasty dishes. A definite must buy for anybody who likes "Northwest" style food.