Oregon Books

This book is a MUST-HAVE for any dog owner(s) that takes the pooch with em when they go! It has a GREAT rating system and also highlights "people-interests" as well as places to dine, places to stay and of course detailed "dog-places". I say, "Buy one for yourself and one for the dog-lover in your life." Awesome book!

For those of us who like to include our dogs in our adventures, this book is a great guide. It covers western WA & OR, as well as the southwestern corner of BC, Canada. Each of these areas is subdivided into regions such as the Kitsap Peninsula or the San Juan Islands. Within that region dog friendly locations are rated and described. You get the scoop on the good and bad of each location, which helps when you're trying to decide if it's worth visiting. You can also tell which locations allow your dog to be off leash. Places to eat and stay the night are also noted and described.

One thing I didn't like about this book is that it only covers Western WA. I had hoped it would cover Eastern as well.

Found the book to be very informative and accurate, even down to "where the road may seem to end but look to the right and you'll see the sign for" ... etc. Very helpful guide. Loved the advice of the Wonder Weiners!

For its coverage area, I'd give this book a five, but absent is information from mountain wetlands and those from the east side of the Cascades (although the author makes no pretenses about this). Although I understand the absence of east-side plants, given the number on montane wetlands on the west-side, the lack of coverage plants in these habitats is problematic. Another negative is the presence of photographic plates rather than photographs accompanying plant descriptions. In this day and age of computer publishing technology, there is no excuse for this. That said, the line drawings are excellent and the absence of accompanying photgraphs doesn't detract much. The information presented on each species is tremendous and extremely thorough. Contrary to many other regional wetland guides with which I am familiar, submersed aquatic plants are given appropriate coverage. Maps are crisp and clear and leave little to the imagination. Simply put, if you want to know nearly everything there is to know about a plant that could be found in a lowland west-side wetland, this book will tell you about it. Anyone with interest in wetlands in the coastal Northwest should get this book.

This is a must for anyone working with wetlands. It has descriptions, drawings and photos of most wetland plants.

I am a wetland scientist and environmental planner. I use Sarah Cooke's book on a regular basis for the identification of wetlands. This book is awesome! The CLEAR pictures, plant keys, and plant descriptions are exteremely useful. The plant field indicator status is a help for the wetland delineator. Sarah's book is a MUST for any outdoor's enthusiast, developer, wetland scientist, or environmental planner!

It was like a window into life in a logging camp in the 30's during the Tillamook burn. It was interesting to see how much society has changed in the last 6 decades. I would recommend this book to any one!

I thought it was confusing, but I liked it. I however didn't like the accent, they do not talk like that in Oregon. I live in Washington, she could of done it here (we have more evergreens).

The book Fire on the Wind by Linda Crew is a great book and very hard to put down. It has many thrilling and gripping scenes. No one could have written better historical-fiction about the real Tillamook Burn in Oregon in 1933 that burned over 200 acres of forest. It almost seems as if the characters are real. While reading, I almost feel like I'm actually there, like I'm part of the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a good well-written historical-fiction book.

This is the ultimate botanical sourcebook for Steens and surrounding areas of Oregon, Idaho, and Nevada. Finally a single book covering this area, which as the author points out, contains plants at their geographic limit from several different floristic regions of the West. I was pleased to see a key included. So many popular field guides have forgone keys and only include select species. This key includes every species known from Steens and adjacent areas. If you have ever found yourself frustrated because the plant at hand isn't in your book, this is for you.

For the most part, the organization of the book is good. I was disappointed to see monocots and dicots lumped together in one alphabetic section. The author's intent was to make use easier for the amateur, but I found it frustrating. The black and white illustrations are well done. I found the color plates disappointing. Because of the quality of the paper, the ink has soaked in, obscuring detail and toning down contrast. However, it is easy to overlook this short-coming because of the wealth of information in one convenient source.

This is a great guide to the plants of Steens mountains, very detailed. If you are only casually interested in the plants of this area, be forewarned that this is not a picture book, but rather a key with excellent descriptions.

This is the most comprehensive field guide of any sort that I have ever seen! It's perfectly designed to help one identify any unknown plant in the Steens. Having been to the Steens Mountains I've witnessed the great diversity of the flora and the detail put into this guide for each individual specimen is most impressive!

In 1990, Daniel MacMillan of MAC Productions, published the First Edition of "Golfing in Oregon" and from what I can see, he's mastered the course! From the first tee (the beautiful cover photo of Bandon Dunes Golf Course) to the 19th hole (the numerous indexes of courses in Oregon) this book hits a hole in one.

MacMillan shows where the courses are by map, geographical index, alphabetic index, and regional index. Each of the course descriptions includes a graphical layout of each hole with yardage information, driving directions, address and contact information, fees, rating/slope, cart and trail information, reservation policy, dress code, winter conditions, and amenities available.

All courses, whether resort, public or private are listed. 9-hole, 18-hole, and additionally, it lists driving ranges and golf specialty shops. MacMillan even included courses that are yet to be completed in 2001.

Macmillin includes personal notes about each of the courses, which is a reassuring touch. He's actually been to each of the courses and shares his personal comments both pro and con.

The book is sized to easily fit in a golf bag and for my money this is a perfect companion for any golf trip to Oregon. It would be a great addition for any golfer living in Oregon or coming for a visit.

This is a great book for golfers interested in a comprehesive list of all the golf facilities in Oregon. It has a full list of all courses, driving ranges, and other facilities. There is a state map, listings by course names and by city names. Each listing has a map to the course, a map of the hole layout for the course, a review of the course and it conditions, and other very usefull information. This will be my third copy of this must have book. I lost my first one and the edition I bought in 97 is about worn out. That's about the only negative comment I have, or is that positive because I use it so much. I also own the Washington and Idaho / Montana copies. Good books all.

I have used this book many times to plan golf outings or trips in Oregon. The author frequently releases updated editions with new courses and course changes. Since my goal is to play all courses in Oregon, this book has been my bible.

From directions to the course to course descriptions, almost all that you need to know is contained within.

Got to Go Now: An Oregon Gi Writes Home During World War II
by Edsel V. Colvin, Paul Colvin (Editor)takes you back to a time when people knew what it meant to be an American. It also revealed the emotions, motivations and situations created by war. I have had the honor of knowing many veterans and have noticed in listening to them that war is a very personal ordeal. Large nations having rather monumental disagreements are most often settled by individuals making sacrifices; time, limbs and sometimes lives.

The book paints a vivid picture with words. The heat of California can be felt as well as the cold of the German winter. I enjoyed the prelude to the war about the summers spent at the lookouts and the backroom at Frank's store. It gives you an insight into the soul of a man. Of the things that really matter and are important - family, the close friends you remember for a lifetime and taking a stand for the good.

The simple things matter most - living to see the next day, a hot meal and dry socks. Read the book.

Edsel Colvin's letters and commentary will appeal to anyone who has fought in a war, particularly WW 2. Edsel was an unofficial war correspondent when his Dad submitted his letters from overseas to the local weekly paper. His letters brought some of the difficulties of soldiering to the home folks. Edsel was careful to not detail all of the gory details as he did not want his Dad to worry too much.

Edsel story begins with his life as a fire lookout following high school graduation in 1941, his brief time in college before being drafted, and then his experiences as a scout in an infantry squad of the 103rd (Cactus)Division. His style of writing is easy to read and makes the reader feel a part of the story.

Edsel returned to Gold Beach after the war, attended the University of Oregon, married and started a family and taught at Gold Beach High School where he had graduated in 1941. His abilities were soon apparent and he was named Principal of the Union High School and then Superintendent of the school district. His influence made the school district one of the best in the state and he was respected and admired by both faculty and students.

I've known Edsel for over 35 years and our three sons were privileged to attend Gold Beach High School while he was the superintendent.

I'm sure you will enjoy reading his book, "Got to Go Now"

By not telling the story with a standard narrative and just doing an occasional splicing comment or paragraph in the flow of letters, I had the feeling I was living through the descriptions in the time frame experienced.

Those weeks on fire watch in the mountains wondering about a future path, the busy-busy days at a small college trying to keep schoolwork, job, family and friends all juggled, the hardness of basic training followed by the double course load at Oklahoma, a picking up of pace as the time for overseas draws nearer, the time in the line and all the changes that happen from heavy combat to trying to survive the winter to being in the hospital to finding the little comforts one can to the sadness of the death of the Russian in the Wehrmacht, the winding down of the war, the wait to go home and the final obstacle in San Francisco with the loss of the personal effects.

It all seemed to play out in real time as I read those letters and since there were so many unexpected turns both good and tough, it had a ring of reality that the movies never seem to capture.

The book is as true a snapshot of real life's twists and turns as could be. The fact that the main character in the story came out a good man for all the events he had been through is a story of the innate goodness of a man holding true despite life's vicissitudes and in the telling it offers a ray of hope for all who read and see that despite the struggles they may have in life, that they too can keep the essential decency and soul in their own lives.

I bought both of the Grants getaway books.My husband retires next year and we would like to see more of our beautiful state of Oregon.But even if you are not an Oregonian,these books give great easy directions to every place
detailed in these books.They are a great help for the lifetime Oregonian like us or the vacationing out of stater. Great buy, you won't regret it!Faira

The information in the book is presented in an interesting and insiteful manner. You can sense the authors feelings for the interesting areas of Oregon he has visited and his sometimes infectious descriptions that coax you to make the same excursions.

I bought this book the first day it came out! Terrill's pictures ALONE are a great reason to have this gem. But Grant's description of the various "getaways" are delightful as well. He makes me want to get out there and explore! I didn't even know half of these places existed!

I am VERY satisfied with this book and recommend it highly.

I have several of Blackwell's wildflower guidebooks, and I have found them very useful in helping me identify flowers.

The only complaint I have about this book is that the printing seems a bit dark and muddy.

Having worked at Great Basin National Park without access to a flower guide solely for the Great Basin, this book provides a much needed resource. Prior to the guide book's release, one had to rely on guides from the Rockies and the Sierras. While there was overlap from both, there were also many gaps. Great Basin Wildflowers fills those gaps, and it does so with an easy to use approach. Flowers are grouped by color, making it easy to find what you're looking for, and the pictures are detailed enough to make confirmation of the plant. I only wish I had this guide a year ago.

This book provides outstanding coverage of plants of the Great Basin. My interest is primarily the Death Valley area and this book is very relevant to the parts of Death Valley above 4000 feet in altitude which is actually a very large portion of Death Valley National Park. This book fills in the missing plants that aren't covered in other books about Death Valley plants and Mojave Desert plants. For instance, a plant I found on Telescope Peak (elevation 11,027) a few weeks ago was not listed in nine other plant books covering the area, but it was covered in this book! (The plant was Heuchera rubescens.) So, if you're into Death Valley plants and you want a book to help out with those high altitude specimens that get overlooked in other books, then this book is just what you need!

If you love hiking and live in the Columbia Gorge area (or plan to pass through) this is a nice guide to have. I learned of hiking trails I didn't know existed and the Gorge seems to have plenty of them. Each hike is listed with a general description, the distance of the trail, how much traffic of people to expect there, the best season to go, the elevation gain and maximum elevation. A map is shown and directions to the hike are given along with detailed description of the hike. Many black and white photographs show views from the various hikes. My one disappointment with this book is that the Deschutes River trail that is branched off directly from the Columbia River Gorge is not mentioned in this book, because it is east of The Dalles; this book only mentions the trails from Portland to The Dalles.

My, then girlfriend now wife, and I spent 2 days in the Columbia Gorge this was one of two books that we had on the area and this was the one that we used the most. I just wish it would tell you what the waterfall on the cover was.

There are few places on earth as majestic as the Columbia River Gorge, and fewer still with its wide variety of climate zones. At the west end one finds temperate mid-latitude forests of ancient fir, while at the east end high desert with scrub oak predominate. There are few places in the world where the weather varies as dramatically over such a short distance.

It's not just beautiful; it's also one of the great places in the Northwest for hiking and recreation. Kayaking, wind surfing, and fishing are among the recreational activities afforded by the gorge. And hiking; lots and lots of hiking.

Schneider's book describes all the well-traveled trails in the gorge, and many of the less-traveled ones as well. He describes the trails on the Oregon side of the river first, where most of the waterfalls are found. In his descriptions he moves from sites near the west end of the gorge to those nearer the east end. Then he takes us across the gorge to the Washington side, following the reverse direction from east to west.

Schneider describes the trails by name, and gives numerical descriptions as well as directions to the trail heads and points of interest along the way. He also provides a rough estimate of the difficulty, along with altitude and distance. I've hiked about half the trails he describes, and generally find his descriptions to be accurate, though there are a few instances in which he over estimates the trail's difficulty.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to become more intimate with this rugged and majestic landscape. It's useful for both the beginner and more advanced hiker. There are lots of similar books on the market, but I think Russ's is one of the best.

The hikes cover some of the best hiking over a large area.

it encompasses the hikes that every avid hiker must do before or during death.

I have the first edition of this book and it has been an invaluable guide to the incredible hiking in the Northwest. Living in the east and only getting to the west when business or a vacation take me there (for relatively short periods of time) I've always tried to make the most of the time I did have to hike. I have done about 1/3 of the hikes in the book and have yet to be disappointed. I have other, more detailed, hiking books for these areas but I rely on this one for selecting my hikes. I just wish this type of book were available for other areas of the country.