Road Trip Books

I just wanted to say that I finished the book about a month ago and it was awsome! In the chapter called "My New Best Friend", there was a story about two women who went to the theatre, that was hillarious!! I was reading in bed, while my husband was asleep, and I was trying not to laugh so loud to wake him! You ladies did an awsome job and I can't wait to read the next one!

Dena Dyer and Laurie Barker Copeland have created a laugh-out-loud (and sometimes cry-me-a-river) compilation of groovy stories from a variety of women in varying stages of life. It's the kind of book you can digest in small sittings, but may want to keep reading well into the night. I was especially happy to see my friend Leslie Wilson's piece entitled "No Place Like Home." If you're looking for a lighthearted, funny, and touching gift this Christmas, The Groovy Chicks' Road Trip To Peace may be what you're looking for.

Join the two grooviest chicks Dena and Laurie as they share with you their road to peace and groovi-ness. Every woman will relate to the stories in this book and will feel inspired and motivated. They combine humor and true life adventures that you will relate to and laugh at, and will guide you to find peace in your life, amid all the hectic-ness. If you feel like you need something in your life, or your feeling down, pick up this book and feel better immediately. This book is a great gift for the women in your life, sisters, mothers, or friends.

The Groovy Chicks' Road Trip to Peace by Dena Dyer and Laurie Baker Copeland is one of those books I keep on the top of my pile so I can reach for it whenever I have a minute or two and need a little boost. The stories are written by real women in real circumstances whom I can relate to. Whenever I have read a passage, I've come away with something encouraging. The content is often amusing, sometimes poignant, but always thought-provoking. Maybe it's because I grew up in the "Flower Power" era, or maybe it's just because I am a woman, like the writers, who is seeking to know more of God's peace and sometimes has a hard time finding the way. Whatever the reason, I have found that this book touches my heart and gives me insights that are truly "groovy" to me!

Wow! What a great time I had reading Groovy Chicks Road Trip to Peace with Laurie Copeland and Dena Dyer. I was afraid that the book would prove to be a tad lame because of the funny title, but I was pleasantly surprised. I found it packed with personal stories by some great--or should I say "groovy?"--writers: Nancy C. Anderson, Tonya Ruiz, Lilly Allison, Tracy Rasmussen, Susan Myers, Joanne Brokaw, Heather Enright, Shae Cook, Kathy Carlton Willis, Sandra Felton, Kay Flowers, Martha Bolton, Allison Bottke, Ellie Kay and many more.

The stories in this book are personal accounts of how the women found peace with God, peace with others, and peace with themselves. They are a wonderful potpourri of funny, tear-jerking, and heart-touching stories.

At the end of each story the reader finds smile markers (quotations worth remembering); GPS's God's Positioning System (Bible verses); How's Your Inner State? (thought-provoking study questions); Off Ramps (groovy places to visit across the USA); and Pit Stops (activities to entertain and to grow by).

I recommend this book to women who enjoy a good laugh while learning and growing. If you want to read true stories about how women journeyed to find peace in Jesus, this is a book you should not miss. - Elece Hollis, Christian Book Previews.com

Old Bug recently won the 2008 Benjamin Franklin Award for Best New Voice: Nonfiction and the IPPY (Independent Publishers Award) Bronze Medal for Best Spiritual/Inspirational Book of 2008.

I loved this book! This is quite a journey to the inner thoughts and outward conversations of two men (in opposite worlds) on a middle-aged roadtrip. You won't be able to put the book down.

Dan's spiritual quest drives you with him across country on every turn of the page. The fact that he's trapped in an old VW Bug with no comforts and an old school chum who's lost in the 60s, is hysterical. This really needs to be a movie. Give this book to every man in your life. It will take them on a journey they will never forget.

I've passed it on to my 90 year old mother who could be heard laughing on every page turned.

Old Bug: The Spiritual Quest of an Ex-Believer on a Road Across America with a Long Lost Friend in a Beat-Up Beetle lives up to its title and then some. Recounting a cross-country road trip between the author and a friend who have barely seen each other in thirty years, Old Bug is as much about a lingering question in the soul as it is about the journey, namely, "If I don't believe in traditional religion, then what do I believe in?" Pondering God, morality, mortality, meaning, and the mysteries of life itself, Old Bug recounts confronting inner demons long buried even as it mirthfully recounts the hassle of struggling to keep a '69 VW Beetle running smoothly in the twenty-first century. A gentle, thoughtful read of discovery and larger-than-life quandaries.

"This is a book with questions of importance to every living person. It is written with humor and insight and a feeling of respect for the human spirit. I'm certain that I will come away with new realizations each time I reread it. And it is a book that one will want to enjoy over and over. It brings comfort to my bookshelf."

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (2/08)

When Dan Jackson gets a phone call from his old high-school buddy Richard, he has no clue about how much his life is about to change. Richard is calling to ask Dan to leave California and join up with him in Oregon to begin a five-day journey back to New Jersey, where they grew up thirty years before. Richard is going back to see his family whom he has been estranged from for years. An impromptu high-school reunion also develops as a result of their trip. Richard tells Dan that he just bought a car for this mission. He doesn't tell him that it is a 1969 Volkswagen Bug. Dan discovers this on his own shortly after he arrives at Richard's home in Portland. He has no idea how they are going to make it in that car.

When Dan decided to do this trip with Richard, he wanted to make it a spiritual journey. The hardships encountered along the way made it very difficult for him to stay on track with this goal. There were many times that he was angry and ready to give up. An epiphany snaps him out of this mode and helps him to realize that he is actually gaining a tremendous amount of growth from this trip. Dan really takes the time to do a lot of soul searching. He also discovers the importance of allowing himself to fully experience the journey.

Amazing things happen to them along the way. When the bug starts having problems, Dan finds himself getting annoyed with Richard and his inability to accept that there is more going wrong with the car than vapor lock. He has to learn to work past these feelings. When they need help with getting a part or a repair, the right people pop into the picture to help them.

I really enjoyed reading "Old Bug." It showed me the things that I miss when I choose to fly across the country. It also brought back memories of my own personal journey when I drove a Pinto from New Jersey to California in 1986. I had all of my worldly possessions with me. Looking back, I wish that they had CD's back then instead of albums, because mine took up my whole back seat. My trip was pretty uneventful except for the muffler falling off in Pennsylvania. I won enough money in Las Vegas to replace it. I also had to drive the whole way with the heat on so that the car wouldn't overheat. I was fortunate that it didn't blow up, as Pintos are prone to do, until a couple of years later. Anyway, "Old Bug" reminded me of those moments when I was passing through the country taking mental snapshots of places that I have never been and will probably never be again. I wish that I could have read this book first, because I was more focused upon my goal of getting to the other side of the United States than I was to enjoy my journey across.

Mr. Jackson teaches us the importance of taking time to stop and smell the flowers. I found his story to be very inspiring and enjoyed reading about his observations and philosophies. About an hour after I finished reading "Old Bug," I was talking to my boss, at a wedding reception, about work issues. He told me to make sure that I take the time to enjoy the journey because that is what life is about. I told him that I knew of the perfect book for him to read.

Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz was and still a source of inspiration to me, to my family and to my friends.
Do not look upon him as simply a Jewish scholar, because he is much much more than that. He is a man for all seasons; a man of goodness, intelligence, knowledge, and wisdom. A philosopher, a teacher, a mentor and a pillar of our civilized world.

His wisdom, and his teachings enriched our hearts and minds. This book reveals the multiple aspects and facets of this great man. It is a heart felt book rich with stories that come directly from the heart and a brilliant mind.

I loved it. What a treasure!!

Arthur Kurzweil has been a leading figure in Jewish publishing in America for more than 20 years. In this delightful book, he shares the wisdom and humanity of his spiritual teacher, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz, with readers. The author is honest, straightforward, and enlightening in this thought-provoking book. Highly recommended.
Edward Hoffman, Ph.D., author
THE WAY OF SPLENDOR: JEWISH MYSTICISM AND MODERN PSYCHOLOGY

This is a wonderful collection of anecdotes by Mr. Kurzweil, a wonderful teacher in his own right. However he just doesn't quite communicate what he finds so inspiring about his own teacher, Rabbi Steinsaltz. The book left me a bit frustrated and wanting more examples of those teachings.

Anyone who reads this book will find him or herself to be very fortunate indeed to go along for the ride. I have read numerous books, but never one so powerful. It evokes such a wide range of emotions with a turn of a page. You'll find yourself laughing out loud, with tears in your eyes, perplexed or contemplative. Once you finish, you'll want to read it again. Don't be surprised if you find yourself quoting this book to family and friends. I highly recommend it!

We are instructed by 'Pirke Avot' to get ourselves a Rabbi, a teacher, a spiritual guide. Arthur Kurzweil took this teaching seriously and has for many years questioned, dialogued with and learned with his own chosen teacher. In this very rich and instructive intellectual and spiritual adventure story Kurzweil tells of his meetings and talks with his revered teacher, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz.
Kurzweil also tells his own story of return to Judaism, and something of Rabbi Steinsaltz's story. Rabbi Steinsaltz whose father was a kibbutznik himself returned to religious Judaism at the age of seventeen. The fact that he went on to became the great 'talmid chacham',maker and presenter to the Jewish world of a remarkable new translation of the Talmud , and is today considered one of the greatest of all Jewish spiritual leaders is devotedly described in this book.
Arthur Kurzweil in searching for a teacher volunteered to be of any kind of help he could to the Steinsaltz organization. He was given the task of meeting Rabbi Steinsaltz at the airport and chauffering him during his visits to New York. For twenty- five years Kurzweil has chauffered and gained valuable hours of discussion with Rabbi Steinsaltz.
However even before meeting Steinsaltz , Kurzweil was on a path of returning to traditional Judaism. His genealogical researches which are pioneering and central were first undertaken before his meeting with Rabbi Steinsaltz. And this though Rabbi Steinsaltz subsequently greatly encouraged him in these researches, insisting upon the spiritual importance of each person knowing their own roots. Out of this knowledge Rabbi Steinsaltz feels there will certainly come deeper religious obligation.
Arthur Kurzweil in this book is constant in his praise of his teacher. This focusing on his teacher in a way leads him to underplay his own great contributions to the 'Jewish world' As editor he has helped bring to the public many outstanding works of Judaica including works of extremely great spiritual value , such as Yitzhak Buxbaum's 'Jewish Spiritual Practices' Nachum Amsel's work on Jewish Morality and Ethics and Seth Kaddish's work on Jewish Prayer.
Kurzweil describes Rabbi Steinsaltz's meetings with Jewish intellectuals and writers in New York upon the appearance in English of two volumes of his Talmud translation. In citing Steinsaltz's answers to some of these writers' questions he in a sense clarifies a good part of the meaning of the Steinsaltz enterprise. Rabbi Steinsaltz sees the Jewish people , or the greatest share of them as having lost a vital part of their body and soul. They do not know their own religious tradition. In a sense his translation of the Talmud is meant to help them restore that soul.
In other words Steinsaltz is not simply a rabbi for individuals but for the Jewish people as a whole. Here Kurzweil too chronicles Steinsaltz's connection with Habad ( His wife comes from a Habad family) and the whole outreach effort in the Jewish world. But Kurzweil makes it clear that Steinsaltz does not put himself under the rubric of any particular Jewish group but rather works for the Jewish people as a whole.
Kurzweil is not simply a student. He is a vivid and active admirer. He has helped publish much of Rabbi Steinsaltz's work in English. Kurzweil in searching for guidance and wisdom in raising his children also turned to Rabbi Steinsaltz and was helped. The Rabbi advised him among other things that teaching of children need not be confined to what they literally understand.
While it is impossible to question Kurzweil's admiration and devotion to his teacher it is possible to ask whether he is not a bit too uncritical. Even Moshe Reibenu is after all seen in the Jewish tradition as having his faults. And it might even be said that there is something 'non- Jewish' in the kind of total worship various Hasidic groups have displayed towards their 'tzaddikim'.
Yet it must be said that Kurzweil is a devoted student, a person of great intelligence who in his dialogue with Rabbi Steinsaltz also provides knowledge and insight. There may not be equality between student and teacher yet what is felt here is a great mutual respect. And my sense is that Rabbi Steinsaltz has a great appreciation of Arthur Kurzweil as more than simply chauffeur and student, but as true friend and 'mensch'.
I loved reading this book and I think that all those who care about Jewish learning and life, will also do so.

I started reading this book on vacation and found it hard to put down. It was fun, informative, helpful, and a really great read. I just had to know how it all worked out for Soli and Kenn (the two primary characters in the book). The structure of the book - narrative supported by deepening exercises all tied together by the story of their journey - was excellent. If you want an introduction to modern-day shamanism that is also entertaining, this is your book!

From the very beginning, this book drew me. Utilizing an intriquing manner, the author describes the modern day role of a Shaman and connections to deeper levels of our selves. This is a must read for anyone who is interested in learning who we really are and the potential of spirtual journeys.

The brilliance of this book is in its readability--Kenn Day provides a wonderful introduction to shamanism in a very down-to-earth format. He uses the structure of a travel narrative in very clever ways--while the major story follows two characters as they travel in Europe, it also contains the stories of the deeper journeys these two characters experience along the way. I appreciated both the candour and vividness with which it was written.

Wow, what a trip! From the first page to the last, this book drew me along in a journey that, on one level, was purely entertaining, but on a deeper level, profoundly touched the other realms in which we all dwell - whether consciously or not. The information and exercises in the aptly named "Deepenings" are easily accessible to novices, as well as holding valuable information for the more advanced student. A brilliant new primer for the modern shaman.

I had the pleasure of attending a book review and signing with the author, when I purchased my copy. The story is a vivid telling of a journey through the Celtic lands. Interspered with Shamistic, meditative excercised designed to enhance one's own mental and spiritual journey as well as inclusion in the story. This is a highly reccommended read.

I am an avid Ghosthunters fan (TAPS on SciFi). I purchased this book hoping it would give me specifics about paranormal investigations/haunted locations in Illinois. The book is interesting in that it provides several locations that are reputed to be haunted. However, it is more disappointing in that the book offers no evidence of any investigations or "hunts". In every site story that I have read so far, I see a lot of the word "maybe" and or "perhaps". The author has clearly visited the sites, but has not had any personal experiences himself to build on -- he merely repeats stories he has heard from locals.

I would like to have seen something more from this book -- but it does still make me curious.

I decided to try this book, as I seem to have almost every other book written about ghosts in the Chicagoland area. What I most enjoyed about this book, is that John lives in Ohio. So he was a visitor to our state, while researching stories for his book. It was very well written, with pictures he provided. I enjoyed his writing so much, that his book on Ohio ghosts is in my wish list and I purchased his recommendation on the Indiana ghosts. I also appreciated that he contacted other ghost hunters and referenced them in his book.

This is a fine book about ghosts. What is most important about the author's book is its straight-ahead, honest approach to the topic. His comments and thoughts on ghosts, and their locale, is refreshingly enjoyable. The writing is concise and entertaining. This is an excellent reference on Illinois ghosts. John Kachuba is a first rate writer with a keen sense of the macabre, and he knows how to write about the paranormal!

John Kachuba is really good at telling

the places that he visited. Each story is

fasinating and he gives some interesting history

on the haunted places


~SkUrVy

I decided to purchase this book on a whim and I was pleasantly surprised. Most paranormal location books offer little more than brief historical overviews of each location and then the associated ghost story. In "Ghosthunting Illinois," Kachuba takes a more hands-on approach in that he's visited the locations personally. His book offers some historical information, the associated ghost stories, and interviews with people associated with the location (owners, tenants, parishoners, etc.). Beyond that, he also describes his trek through these locations by expressing how he felt, what he saw, etc. An even more compelling reason to purchase this book is the fact that it's very well written which stands to reason considering the author is a "creative writing" professor. Additionally, the book holds your interest and the chapters are short so it's a great "quick chapter before bed" type of book.

Brian Butko has done it again! His insights and knowledge of this subject will make you feel like you are travelling with him as he goes from state to state, exploring all the different paths and alignments that were designated as the Lincoln Highway over the years. Pointing out sights, roadside attractions and businesses along the way. I personally have travelled some of the eastern portion of this historic road without knowing it at the time.

This book is an excellent reference for the entire Lincoln Highway. Some of the state-specific books may have more detail, but none are easier to follow. It is very well written- flows easily, lots of good pictures. I wish we had this one when we traveled part of it.

Ever wonder what it would have been like to have driven across the country in the early part of the 20th Century, before roads were regularly paved or well-marked? You can get a glimpse of what early travelers faced on the first transcontinental highway by reading Greetings From The Lincoln Highway by Brian Butko.

The book starts off by telling the history of the Lincoln Highway, from its inception and promotion by Carl Fisher and Henry Joy to its eventual replacement by numbered Federal highways. Most of the remainder of the book describes the route of the old highway going west from New York City to its end in San Francisco. The route is described in great detail, enough for one to use it in driving it today. Throughout the text, there are excerpts from the journals and letters of early travelers of the highway. We drivers of today can be glad we don't have to put up with the conditions they faced.

If you are a fan of the historic roadways; if you want ideas for future vacations; if you want to experience life off of the Interstates -- this book is for you.

Think Route 66 is America's oldest or first coast-to-coast road? Well, it gets more publicity, but Route 66 wasn't the first: the Lincoln Highway predates it by a dozen years, runs a third longer, and travels coast to coast. Greetings From The Lincoln Highway: America's First Coast-to-Coast Road provides a lively highway history, packing in the maps which depict the original highway and its changes from state to state, the color photos of local color and highway scenery, and of course the all-important history of the highway's past. From vintage posters and ads to restored old stations and services, Butko' Greetings From The Lincoln Highway follows the highway across the country and provides a very colorful, compelling story in the process.

Here it is. If you're looking for a terrific guide to places and people along the Lincoln Highway, past and present, you can't find a better guide than this book. Plenty of images, maps, postcards, and other memorabilia place this resource among the very best of roadside guides. Use it for historical research. Use it for trip planning. Use it for armchair tourism. Either way, you'll be glad you bought this book.

"Bookstore Tourism" is a very interesting read that makes a strong case in support of indie booksellers. It addresses the competition between small, independent bookshops and the larger chain stores and internet merchants. It also gives numerous examples of how to organize bookstore trips with friends or with an organization or school. It's a great way to meet other book-lovers and to spend a day shopping at excellent bookshops that you might not be familiar with in another town. Mr. Portzline does a great job of spelling out how to organize such trips and why they benefit independent bookstores. It's a fantastic idea and a lot of fun! The book is enjoyable to read as well. If you love books, you can't go wrong with something like this.

Kirkus Discoveries Review:

A college instructor shares his plan to help independent bookstores survive: shopping trips specially designed foróand marketed toótourist readers.

Portzline conceived the idea for bookstore tourism after hearing a fellow community college instructor explain restaurant adventures he led in New York City. Wanting to own a bookstore himself, Portzline figured he could learn about the business by leading tourists on buying trips, beef up the bottom lines of independent retailers, earn money for himself and encourage reading.

As of last August, Portzline had organized and led six bookstore tourism groups -- five to Greenwich Village in New York City and one to the Georgetown and Dupont Circle neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. Portzline's whim eventually evolved into a self-styled grassroots campaign -- he launched a Web site (BookstoreTourism.com), actively sought media attention and penned his guide to organizing journeys to independent retailers.

The handy how-to section covers many common questions: Do you have to be some kind of expert to do this?; Who should consider planning a bookstore road trip?; What's the main purpose of your trip?; Will it cost anything to get started?; Who are you inviting?; How will you handle reservations?; Where do you want to go?; How long do you want the trip to be?; What day will you go?; etc.

Even for those who don't take action with groups of their own, Portzline's guide is engaging reading because of the specific independent stores he mentions. They're not necessarily the most famous bookstores in the nation, nor does Portzline attempt to provide a comprehensive list. But each retailer has its own story to tell, and most will hold the interest of any book enthusiast.

A slim but invigorating guide to an appealing and promising concept.

Bookstore Tourism Creates Travel Niche for Booklovers, Helps Indie Bookstores

"Bookstore Tourism" is an innovative grassroots effort started by Harrisburg, PA writer Larry Portzline to promote and support independent bookstores by marketing them as a tourist destination and creating a new travel niche for booklovers. The primary goal is to encourage booklovers around the country to organize day-trips and other kinds of literary outings to cities and towns with interesting, fun and unique bookstores that people in their own communities may not be able to visit regularly.

Between July 2003 and June 2004, Portzline led six sold-out "bookstore adventures" to New York City and Washington, D.C. for two colleges in central Pennsylvania. Since launching the project, he's received countless inquiries and expressions of support from people in the bookselling, publishing and travel industries, from educators, libraries and colleges, from book festival and "One Book" organizers, and from booklovers everywhere who are eager to get involved.

"Bookstore Tourism" covers the basics of planning and promoting a bookstore road trip, including how to do the necessary research, arrange transportation, publicize the event, etc. It includes numerous tips and step-by-step suggestions, as well as advice based on Portzline's experiences leading his own bookstore adventures. Other features include a primer on the bookselling industry, examples of great bookstore towns, suggestions for ways to partner with other organizations and agencies, and an appendix with numerous resources for anyone planning a trip.

The Chicago Tribune said, "This little volume might be just the thing to get people not only reading again but visiting their local independents. Spread the word." The Boston Globe said, "Larry Portzline has taken a novel idea on the road." The Dallas Morning News said, "Bookstore lovers now have their own guidebook." USA Today called the idea "a charming alternative" when it selected Portzline's website, BookstoreTourism.com, as a "hot site" in May 2004. Publishers Weekly said it "might be the beginning of a new concept in bookselling."

Bookstore Tourism: The Book Addict's Guide To Planning & Promoting Bookstore Road Trips For Bibliophiles & Other Bookshop Junkies by author and bibliophile Larry Portzlne is a combination tour guide, planner, and celebration of the independent bookstore. The result of the author's campaign of innovative grassroot efforts to promote and support independent bookstores through identifying them as a tourist destination and crating a new travel niche specifically designed for booklovers, Bookstore Tourism is as much fun as it is informational and is a superbly conceived and executed tool for the promotion of reading, literacy, travel, tourism, independent bookstores, and a shared love of books. There is also a very special serendipity with respect to Bookstore Tourism. It is an ideal reference and resource for authors and small press publishers seeking to create their own book tours, establish bookstore events within the community of independent bookstores across the nation. Of special note and value are the appendices providing contact information for national bookseller associations; regional bookseller associations; American literary and book festivals; a listing of books about books, bookstores, and reading groups; and state-by-state resource listings for agencies and bureaus dealing with the arts, economic development, history, libraries, and tourism. One of the most inexpensive and useful book oriented resources, the 104-page Bookstore Tourism is enthusiastically recommended for bibliophiles, authors, publishers, and booklovers everywhere.

"Bookstore Tourism" is a great little book and an even better idea. The book delves into why it's so important to support indie bookstores, and how they're fighting for their lives against the large retail chains, not just B&N and Borders but WalMart and basically any other major conglomerate that sells books. The ideas in the book are great and very helpful, telling people how to go about planning road trips with friends and other groups to towns with excellent independent bookstores. It's an interesting, enjoyable read and I highly recommend it. My only criticism is that it's too short and the author should expand it and do even more with the idea. When is Bookstore Tourism Part 2 coming out like the author hinted?

When I began work on my own book on ghosthunting in Virginia and the District of Columbia, this was one of the resources I picked up for inspiration, and I have to say that it more than met my expectations. This handbook contains firsthand accounts by the author of his visits to a wide variety of haunted public sites -- including hotels, restaurants, and cemeteries -- and is well written, nicely detailed, and often amusing.

On a more personal level, I was pleasantly surprised by a number of things. One was all the ways my own travels and writing endeavors intersected with the author's adventures in this book, including my stay at the clearly-haunted Hilton Netherlands Plaza hotel in Cincinnati. Another was with what a similar approach Kachuba and I had taken in our respective works and how, with much less tweaking than I would have assumed, almost any of the chapters in my most recent book, Shipwrecks and Lost Treasures: Great Lakes, could have been spun as ghost stories.

It is also nice when an author continues to do what he does best, so I was pleased to see that Kachuba had also written a Ghosthunting Illinois (The Haunted Heartland), and will have to check it out next.

Review by Lee Prosser - leep@ghostvillage.com
Ghostvillage.com review

A fascinating look at ghosts and hauntings in Ohio, this is one book not to be missed. In fact, I found I had read it twice before I reviewed it simply because of the interest it generated within me as a reader! This book will grab your interest and hold it, and thanks to the concise and clear writing talents of John B. Kachuba, this is one book about ghosts you will savor re-reading many times over.

In addition there is a travel guide to ghosthunting, a section on visiting haunted places, and a ghostly resources entry. A brisk and entertaining introduction sets the pace to this well-crafted book. Ohio is covered by sections.

With over thirty ghostly sites to read about, there is something for everybody in this book. Among the numerous interesting entries, check out Fort Meigs, Main Street Cafe, The Lofts Hotel, Taffy's Main Street Coffee, Woodland Cemetery, The Castle, and the Inn at Cedar Falls. An enjoyable afterword concludes this fine ghosthunting book.

If you like reading about ghosthunting and stories of hauntings as much as I do, then this book will give you many repeated hours of reading enjoyment. I highly recommend this book to anybody seriously interested in the lore of ghosts. Excellent reading!

Simply put, I loved this book. John Kachuba has a gift of description. I felt like I was in these locations with John while he was telling all of these stories. As a ghosthunter, I love reading about other paranormally active locations. Now I'll have to include all of these locations to my list. John is a brilliant writer and I'm already anticipating his next book. If you ever have the opportunity to listen to John tell some of his "ghost stories", I urge you to do so as you will be missing out if you don't.

Ohio resident John Kachuba has documented 31 tales from every corner of that beautiful state. I only wish this book had been available during the years I drove there frequently to visit my daughter attending college in Ohio's heartland. I had no idea I was passing by so many fascinating and creepy places.

In addition to the great writing (Kachuba teaches writing at the college level), what really makes his book stand out among the ghost books I have read is its inclusion of only haunts that are open to the public. You can visit every one of these places. In fact, you could use this book as a guide to the state and spend a very intriguing week or two investigating each site - staying in the haunted hotels, eating in the spooky restaurants and taverns, and touring a variety of ghost-filled historic buildings featured in this collection, if you dare!

To ensure you have no excuse to wimp out on an Ohio ghost excursion, Kachuba includes regional maps and clear directions to each site. To make sure you know when you're at the front door, he adds very nice photos of each building. Then, just as you may have pumped up your courage to venture forth, he scares you good in a warning from his "Afterword," written by notable paranormal researchers and demonologists, Ed and Lorraine Warren. Maybe armchair traveling is the best kind, after all.

Georgiana Kotarski,
author of Ghosts of the Southern Tennessee Valley

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not only is John's writing style captivating, it is extremely descriptive. I felt as though I was able to almost picture myself at each of the locations. There was much history in the book, and John described each location with exciting detail, and dignity.
I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Kachuba at Ghostock 4 in Savannah, Georgia in February, and he has a warm, friendly personality.I look forward to meeting him again, and I can't wait to read one of his other books.
Cindy

We met Lulu and Lolly in pawson at our groomer's yesterday. They are super cute and friendly in person as is their mom. We hope their calendar for 2009 (which she says is going to print right now) is a big HIT! Congratulations on the Lady's Home Journal interview. We'll be ordering one soon. Good luck Cynthia!

My niece (age 9) loves this calendar and has asked me to get her another one for school! The dogs are super cute, but the story and characters make this a hit with the kids. It is so different than the other calendars that only have nice pictures of dogs.
Can't wait for 2008!!!!

Scott Storey

Not only is the imagery fantastic but the story is intriguing. As a mystery/adventure writer of a FULL-COLOR novel, "ME&YOUTOO: CATALYST", I can truly say this is as inventive as any narrative and beautifully illustrated. Can't wait to 2008 and the next adventure even though my pets are not Maltese. This is a work of art and a great concept for anyone at any age.

This thing is funny -- not just comic to look at. There are funny inscriptions and days dedicated to animals in every month. If you've never read a vacation postcard sent home by a Maltese dog, this calendar will give you twelve of them -- all pretty funny, and the pictures are a delight. This is a lot more than a calendar -- it's a story too.

I absolutely love Lolly and Lulu! This calendar is adorable. This is perfect for the Maltese lover in your life. Check out the Lulu and Lolly website for more about these two precious Maltese. Keep the Lulu and Lolly merchadise coming--I want it all!

Millions of people participated in the recent commemoration of the bicentennial (2003-2006) of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The lucky ones had the opportunity to travel along the route followed by the Corps of Discovery and to read excerpts of the journals kept by the two captains, the sergeants, and even some of the enlisted men. For those planning a trip along the trail, or even just a visit to a single site along the way, by far the best way to prepare for the voyage and to make the most of it is to have a copy of Kira Gale's Lewis and Clark Road Trips: Exploring the Trail Across America. It is one of the series entitled Great American Road Trips, and I cannot think of a better such road trip or a better guide to the Trail.

Gale's book covers every place that Lewis and Clark visited, from Charlottesville, VA and Philadelphia, PA all the way to the Pacific Ocean and back (their route eastward was slightly different from their trek west). This guide has it all: maps, photographs, descriptions of hundreds of sites from roadside markers to major museums (with operating hours, admission prices, phone numbers, and web addresses). Gale includes concise summaries of important events of the Expedition and numerous references so that the curious reader can find more books on the subject. There is even a list of the locations of all the campsites (and forts) used by the Expedition, with keys to the book's maps. There is also a very useful checklist of all sites organized by small region (i.e., Three Rivers Valley of Montana) and an extensive index.

This book is very carefully researched, engagingly written, and beautifully produced. Anyone who wants to travel the path taken by this most important exploring expedition in the history of the United States should have a copy of this guide, the best of its kind.

An excellent book for those Lewis & Clark enthusiasts to keep in their library - very comprehensive.

As a Lewis and Clark author myself, I have bought a lot of guidebooks about traveling their trail. Some have great pictures ... some have journal excerpts ... some list the sights to see. But none of them bring together all of these things, plus more, the way that Kira Gale's "Lewis and Clark Road Trips" does.

I bought this book to plan an elaborate driving trip through Montana and Idaho, and boy did it deliver. For each region of the country, you get an overview of the Lewis and Clark significance of the area, a reliable general map, and then detailed maps of individual driving tours. The sights to visit are numbered on the map, described, and have detailed directions. These include both Lewis and Clark sights that might be difficult to find on your own, and then other points of interest in the area that you might want to see and enjoy during your visit.

This book really helped us prioritize what we wanted to see and plan an interesting, safe, and realistic itinerary. I loved "Lewis and Clark Road Trips" and look forward to using it to plan future trips on the Lewis and Clark trail.

Let's face it. Most of us who dream about one day traveling the route blazed by Lewis and Clark won't do it. There are just too many things that get in the way, not the least of which is the necessity to earn a living. Nearly none of us have the time or the resources (or the stamina, for that matter!) to do the entire trip at one swoop.

Kira Gale of Omaha did do the entire trip, beginning in Washington DC, where Jefferson first commissioned Lewis, all the way to Fort Clopstock on the Oregon Coast, and circling back to wind up in Tennessee. She reckons that she was lost about 20% of the time, even after spending a full five years pouring over the Journals no fewer than three times. So she decided to put her personal experience to good use by writing this road trip guidebook for the rest of us. It's ideal for exploring the Lewis and Clark trail in small chunks--the only way most of us can.

Gale's guide divides the trail up into 10 regions, beginning east of the Alleghenies and winding up, on the return, to the Natchez Trace, the Tennessee trail Meriwether Lewis traveled before killing himself at that lonely roadside inn. Summer vacationers with minimal time can easily choose one or two of the regions to explore, depending (for instance) on which part of the Lewis and Clark Journals especially appeals to them.

The chapters devoted to the ten regions each include an historical introduction, topographical maps, road maps, a few photographs of select sites, extremely helpful descriptions of attractions (complete, in most cases, with phone numbers and/or web addresses), and a bibliography. At the end of the book is a region-by-region guide to all the expedition's campsites (in and of itself, a remarkable resource), a very convenient region-by-region checklist of destinations, and a very good general bibliography. One of my favorite features is on the inside back cover: a timeline, culled from the Journals, which parallels with the ten regions. This makes for easy chronological as well as geographical orientation. Finally--and thankfully!--the entire guide has a pretty good index.

This is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to travel the in one grand journey or--more likely--who wants to do the trail bit or bit or only a portion or two of it. Highly recommended.

Lewis and Clark Road Trips is an absolutely gorgeous compendium of information, maps and sidebars on the explorers' routes and what to see on the way.

Author Kira Gale and her husband traveled more than 8,000 miles on the Lewis and Clark Trail in preparation for this oversize, full-color book, and the result is an incredibly detailed look at every mile of the Trail. The book is divided into regions, including (1) East of the Alleghenies (2) Pittsburgh to Cincinnati (3) Louisville to Wood River Camp (4) St Louis to Kansas City (5) Nebraska and Iowa (6) South Dakota and North Dakota (7) Montana to the Rockies (8) Western Montana and Idaho (9) Washington and Oregon (10) and New Orleans andthe Natchez Trace. The author has also set up a Web site with a companion Trip Planner with individual maps, a newsletter and a blog on the Trail.

This lovely book will inspire many a trip through time and history and will intrigue American history buffs, modern-day explorers and especially RVers in search of a theme for this summer's vacation.