Moon Washington (Moon Handbooks) Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently purchased the Moon Handbook Washington, 8th edition.
Previously I have used the 6th edition by Don Pitcher. Even though the older edition is outdated regarding lodging, restaurants, etc, I found it to me much more helpful and better organized.
Specifically, I appreciated all the local area maps in the older edition (112), versus only 44 maps in the 8th edition. Also, the index in the older edition was much handier, with the separate boxes for individual topics such as fairs, ferry service, hiking and lighthouses.

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Award-winning writer and Washington native Ericka Chickowski provides an insider's view of the Evergreen State, from Seattle's arts, culture, and snow-capped peaks to the fire and ice of the state's most venerable volcanoes. Chickowski offers itineraries such as Volunteer Vacations, Quintessential Washington Eats, and Great Drives in Washington. Packed with information on dining in almost every major and minor city, along with transportation and accommodations, Moon Washington has many options for a range of travel budgets. Every Moon guidebook includes recommendations for must-see sights and many regional, area, and city-centered maps. Complete with details on Climbing Mt. Rainier, night skiing, and sleeping in a train car near Elbe, Moon Washington gives travelers the tools they need to create a more personal and memorable experience.

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Lonely Planet Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest (Lonely Planet Travel Guides) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is another outstanding travel guide from our friends at Lonely Planet. This book is primarily aimed at budget travelers, and contains a host of practical information on places, lodgings, climate, and things to do. Many consider the Pacific Northwest to be the most appealing part of the USA, and this guide provides excellent information on its prime attractions. First, readers will learn about the area's two large cities (Seattle, Portland), both of which are worth a major look. There is also a host of information on superb outdoor sights and activities, including Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, and Olympia National Park in Washington, the Columbia River Gorge (forming the border of the two states), plus Oregon's Mount Hood and Crater Lake. As the book suggests, hikers, campers, and outdoor types should enjoy the enticing landscape but exercise normal caution on potential hazards from weather, terrain, animals, etc. The book also covers a nearby slice of British Columbia, Canada (including Vancouver), and those wishing to visit should bring their passport. If this guide has a downside, it's relative compactness means imperfect maps and a lack of complete coverage on several interesting locations. Still, this is an excellent overall guide to a very attractive destination.

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Catch a breath of sea air as you watch orcas leap and splash off shore at Lime Kiln PointFind yourself sleeping in a classroom after drinking in the Kennedy School's Detention BarNavigate the Cascades' jagged ridges by eco-friendly llamaBrush off your snowboots and snuggle up by a 92ft fireplaceIn This Guide:Local authors, 217 days of research, 76 detailed maps, five rock concertsYou asked for it, we checked it out - everything you need to know about microbreweries, island-hopping and offbeat locales

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Frommer's Vancouver and Victoria 2011 Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great concise little book with incredible information regarding your visit to Vancouver or Victoria Island, BC. It's very accurate and timely. I would highly recommend it. The downside - no pictures, it's all text. And it talks about the Wine Tours in Victoria - they are ALL closed except during Season. We went to 12 of them and they were all "closed" (March 2011). But we had a nice ride anyway!

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Completely updated every year, Frommer's Vancouver & Victoria also includes coverage of Whistler and the Pacific Rim National Park.
All of the post 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games attraction updates, including new legacy installations and SkyTrain information.
Our author shows you all the highlights -- from the Museum of Anthropology and Granville Island in Vancouver, to Butchart Gardens and the Fairmont Empress in Victoria -- and takes you outdoors to explore the area's parks, mountains, beaches, and wildlife.
You'll get authoritative and candid hotel and restaurant reviews to help map out the choices that best suit your tastes and budget.
Plus, you'll have shopping and nightlife, detailed walking tours, accurate neighborhood maps, public transportation information, and coverage of Whistler and the Pacfic Rim National Park, and more all at your fingertips.
Frommer's Vancouver & Victoria also includes gorgeous color photos of the sights and experiences that await you and a color fold-out map of Vancouver.

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The Good Rain: Across Time and Terrain in the Pacific Northwest (Vintage Departures) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is not a history of the Pacific Northwest, nor even a comprehensive contemporary profile of this region. It is one man's often very personal view of his home, the place where he grew up, and the political, social and economic issues that underlie everyday life there. Egan makes no attempt at cold objectivity; he is writing about something he loves, and this comes through in the text. He also makes abundantly clear what he doesn't like. Thus, this book is controversial and thought-provoking. Although "The Good Rain" is ostensibly about the Pacific Northwest, an area that at its widest extent includes Washington, Oregon, most of British Columbia in Canada and even the northern parts of California, Egan focuses mostly on parts of Washington, which is good, because this is what he knows best (even though the chapter on the Siskiyou forests of Oregon is very well written and informative). The book is well organized, and Egan selected the main topics for his chapters well; they cover the principal socio-economic and political concerns of the region: timber and loggers, salmon, fruit-growing, urban development, the local Native Americans, the Columbia River, etc. He also did a good deal of research on the region's history upon settlement (or conquest) by the Americans and the British, and his writing makes these often dry facts come to life. Probably the main theme of Egan's argument here is that as the Pacific Northwest makes its transition into a vital part of the Pacific Rim, it needs to discard the central resource extraction element of its economy which marked its early years of development (after the Indians were pushed aside). The author here makes no secret of his distaste for the rapacious timber industry (even though he is not anti-logger or opposed to sustainable use of forests) and the Army Corps of Engineers (which is still intent on damming up the last untouched parts of the Columbia and destroying the remaining significant salmon runs). Although it was written ten years ago, "The Good Rain" has lost none of its freshness and relevance. Perhaps my only criticisms would be a) Egan often omitted citing dates even when dealing with specific events (so that there is reference to e.g. something taking place "in Seattle tonight") and b) he relies too much and sometimes depends excessively on a book by Theodore Winthrop, a New Englander who traveled through the region in 1853. Nevertheless, this book is well worth reading.

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The Great Book of Seattle Sports Lists (Great Book of Sports Lists) Review

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(More customer reviews)A very quick and entertaining read that recaps some great memories from the Seattle sports scene. Some I'd heard before and enjoyed reading again - some were totally new. The guest authors also make this a fun way to see events from a different view.
I read and passed along to my brothers/Dad who also went through it quickly and enjoyed it. Thanks to the Tacoma News Tribune who mentioned this in one of their sports columns.


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With loyal fans supporting their major sports teams in the Seahawks (NFL), Mariners (MLB)-plus a rabid fan base for University of Washington jocks-Seattle is a great place for a sports debate. Local sports-radio talker Mike Gastineau teams up with longtime sportswriters Steve Rudman and Art Thiel to bring Seattle sports history to life with this provocative and enjoyable-not to mention debatable-book of lists. They also enlist list contributions by famous players, coaches, and Seattle celebrities including Mike Holmgren, Matt Hasselbeck, Ichiro Suzuki, George Karl, Pearl Jam, Kevin Calabro, Sir Mix-a-Lot, and more.

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