Mountain West Books

This little travel book is well written and totally worth the money. The easy, conversational style is accessible and compelling. The thing that sets this guide apart from others is the attention to smaller details about what is unique to Colorado travel. For instance the Durango Rail Camp entry.

Buy this book and you won't be dissapointed.

The Fodor Compass America Guide on Arizona was excellent. The book was uniquely organized with the first three chapters devoted to the dramatic Arizona landscape of deserts, mountains, and canyons. There are two chapters on the history of Arizona, honoring the early people who inhabited the area as well as recogizing the Hispanic missionaries, priests, and settlers. Because vast parts of Arizona belong to the Navajos, Apaches , Yavapais, Hopis, and smaller tribes, the book includes plenty of information about the native American people in this state. The book then covers the two large inhabited areas, Phoenix and Tucson. I found the book to be full of useful tips and practical information. The maps were very good, showing the deserts, the grand canyon, the Spanish Colonial settlements, the Native American reservations, and the larger cities. Also included was a section on the desert plants. The sections on the Grand Canyon were very helpful. We decided to hike to the bottom of the Canyon on the Bright Angel trail. We spent the night at the Phantom Ranch (which had hot showers). The following morning we hiked back up the Kaibab trail. This was an amazing experience. The book was very helpful as we explored Frank Lloyd Wright's home and architectural school/business in Scottsdale. This compound of buildings hugging the desert floor is worth a visit. Hold onto the steering wheel of your car on the twisting roads in the copper mining towns like Bisbee and Tombstone. I bought superb copper ore specimens - beautiful greens and blues. The Mexican atmosphere of Nogales, a border town, is nice. Nogales means "walnut" in Spanish but unfortunately the old walnut groves have long been chopped down. A special city is my opinion is the the wonderful multi-ethnic college town of Tucson. You might be surprised at the dramatic differences between Phoenix and Tuscon. It is hard not to fall in love with Tuscon with its mixture of cultures and peoples in a relaxed atmosphere. Whereas in Phoenix you see sprinklers trying to water struggling lawns, in Tucson the inhabitants are more likely to have desert gardens which waste far less water. I found the Fodor guide to be excellent and would strongly recommend it.

The Compass American Guide series is excellent and I found the guide on New Mexico to be a great resource. New Mexico has a rich history of native peoples and Spanish exploration and colonization. The guide offers a brief but useful history of the area, including the chaotic period of struggle between Mexican and Anglos before statehood.

The book has a separate section on Albuquerque and the surrounding environs; a section on Santa Fe and Taos and then the rest of the book is divided into 5 large geographic areas. This was especially useful on our trip where we spent 3 days in Albuquerque, 3 in Santa Fe/Taos and then spent the rest of the time going to more remote sites to explore this beautiful state.

Albuquerque is a mixture of old and new and the guide helped us navigate in Old Town as well as find our way in the suburbs that move from downtown to the bottom of the Sandia Mountains. Old Town is a shopping delight, especially if you are shopping for Native American jewelry, weavings, masks, and pottery. I found the lay-out of the central square to be very pleasing and central park allowed a place to sit and watch.

We visited the Rio Grande Nature Center which offers shady walks along the river. We also visited the Petroglyph National Monument, which lays on the edge of town, and is a great hike with interesting rock drawings etched into the mountain.

There are two ways to reach the top of the Sandia Crest; either in a gondola lifting you high above the city, or you can drive around the mountain and take the twisty mountain road up through the evergreen forrest to the top. We selected to take our car and the drive around the base of the mountain and through the forrest was wonderful. The views from the top are spectacular, especially at sunset.

We drove the back roads between Albuquerque and Santa Fe which was very interesting. Santa Fe has a tremendous art market and there are 50 or more art galleries that represent nationally known artists. The downtown museum was informative regarding the history of New Mexico. There is a museum complex on the edge of the city however that should not be missed. First there is a museum of colonial Spanish history with beautiful furniture, carvings of saints, weapons, costumes, decorative arts, and paintings. The museum is elegant and serene in design. Second is a museum of folk art collections from around the world. This museum is a must see. There were collections of African American artists, Asian, South American, etc. The collection was extensive with thousands and thousands of items on display (I am not kidding - in one large display room with dolls from every country, there were over 10,000 items all on display). Third is a museum of the Native Americans of New Mexico. The museum was obviously designed and maintained by Native people, the displays were very respectful and educating. The restaurants in Santa Fe are superb.

We moved on to Taos where we visted the homes and studios of many of the artists who moved to New Mexico after World War I. The home of Oscar Blumenschien was built 250 years ago and the home contains many of his works. The Fechen museum was incredible containing many of his paintings and displaying the amazing home he built himself, carving doors throughout the home.

We took a side trip to Abiquiu to go to Ghost Ranch. The terrain gradually becomes more and more red as you drive from Santa Fe to Abiquiu. When we arrived at Ghost Ranch, a very polite lady told us that the vast area had been donated to the Presbyterians. When we asked to see Georgia O'Keefe's home,she told us that someone lived there and they did not give directions so as to preserve this person's privacy. She offered us maps to around 15 hiking trails. We hiked the Chimney Rock trial high above the Ghost Ranch valley. The view from atop the mountains was spectacular and worth the drive from Santa Fe.

We drove to the Jemez Muntains and Bandelier National Monument. This is another highlight of New Mexico. One trail in the park will allow you to see the cave dwellings of the early native people. The climb up the long wooden ladders into the shallow caves was great fun. We then decided to take a second hike after lunch and went down to the Rio Grande river, another enjoyable afternoon!

The Fodor guide was excellent, we did not have to buy other guides or books because so much of New Mexico was detailed in the guide. There are many maps, photographs, essays, and travel ideas.

This is a smart and fun packed book with lots of full-coloured photos, maps, history, tips, and tidbits. It reveals the culture and character of may places in Utah that I find amazingly beautiful.
Zion National Park
St. George
Bryce Canyon NP
Capitol Reef NP
Moab-outragous mountain biking
Arches NP
Canyonlands NP

It also talks about Utah's geology, the first Utahns, the early explorers,
the mormon pioneers, Salt lake City, Mountains and Dinosaurs, the Great Basin, Southern Utah, and practical information for Utah like food and lodging, Public lands, useful websites and much more.

I hadn't yet red tha' thar book, but that timmi he's e' cutie-pie...

coops is da nice place......

Former reporter and current professor of the University of Montana School of Journalism Dennis L. Swibold presents Copper Chorus: Mining, Politics, and the Montana Press, 1889-1959, a straightforward look at newspapers owned or controlled by the Anaconda Copper Mining Company over the course of seven decades, and their profound influence on state politics. A cautionary tale for free citizens in today's world of increasing media consolidation, Copper Chorus examines the notoriety and abuse of power observed in the industrial press during times of war and peace. Extensively researched and illustrated with a smattering of black-and-white photographs, Copper Chorus is an engaging slice of little-known American history that deserves to be studied, lest it be repeated.

Written by history teacher David Beesley, who served as an associate of the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project and presented part of its report to Congress, Crow's Range: A Environmental History of the Sierra Nevada is an amazing chronicle of the Sierra Nevada mountain range that stretches across four hundred miles of California and Nevada. Chapters discuss the impact that native people, the gold rush, conservation efforts, and modern ecosystem politics have had upon these majestic mountains throughout history, especially during the mid-1800's to the modern day. An extensively researched history, sporting a wealth of notes, a thorough bibliography, and an index, Crow's Range is an enthusiastically recommended historical resource for lay readers and environmentalists alike.

Even residents of New Mexico may not realize all the gourmet events happening around the state, nor the culinary trends taking place: that's why professional food writer Sally Moore's Culinary New Mexico: The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide will prove eye-opening to so many. From restaurants and bakeries to food festivals, cooking stores and even wineries, Culinary New Mexico outlines all food oriented destinations, from handmade chocolate makers to breweries and cafes. The recipes scattered throughout also assure many dishes will be reproduced outside the state; but the meat of Culinary New Mexico lies in its destination-oriented tips travelers and residents will appreciate!

I am a fan of this author, and love this book. Boye De Mente, an acknowledged expert on different cultures, continues to provide us with books that enhance our understanding of ourselves and others, and are current with the needs of the human spirit in this space and time. By plumbing the depths of the anient Navajo culture and its multi-dimensional language, he deciphers key code words that reveal the heart, history, wisdom and traditional customs of the Navajo people. In the process we are led once again to the eternal wisdom of seeking to be in harmony with each other and the world around us. A must read and definitely a book to own.

Of all the books written about the Lost Dutchman's mine, this book offers a believable tale to the possibilities of the existance of Jacob's gold mine in the Superstition Mountains.