Good book of common species. A Few photo's blurry and information on all species not consistent. Such as, not all species have a photo of the catapillar stage nor does it indicate at what time of year each species is most common. Not a complete guide, but a guide of 100 of the common species of the PNW.

I have the 5th Edition of this book, but, this can only be better I hope.

It is a very personal review of the states and what they have to offer and as opposed to other books that are just boring and incomprehensible listings of attractions and dining and lodging .
I actually went to some of the dining and hidden attraction recommendations from this book and it didn't fail me. All those places were certainly what the book said they would be or maybe more than that.

The only drawback i can see is that there wasnt any mention of good campgrounds that car-campers could easily refer to. But for that, you can look up "the best in tent camping".

Good Luck with your trips. I know mine was a great success.

The hikes described in this book cover a lot of territory. From the deserts of southeastern Oregon to the near-rainforest areas of the Oregon coast. This is appreciated, as most books tend to overlook anything east of the Cascade mountain range.

A good book for beginning or intermediate hikers, the guide includes basic hiking tips and reminders to care for the areas that the guide will take you. It also sticks to describing trails that fall into the same skill level (nothing too hairy here). The trails described in the book are all pretty well-established, and are marked and monitored by the forest service (or other agency in charge of the trail). Also, the hikes are all short hikes (most are 1/2 day, but ranges from 20 min to the occasional overnighter).

If you are fairly new to hiking or just passing through and looking to spend some time in the beautiful Oregon wilderness, this is a pretty good book. It won't get you to the "secret" parts of Oregon, but it will take you to some beautiful places. The drawbacks: The maps lack detail (although for the hikes described, its not really necessary) and it needs an index of landmarks, so if you are looking to go someplace in particular, you have to read through the descriptions of the hikes.

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.

Shelves of books exist about whitetails, but very little is in print concerning blacktailed deer. Terkla fills a real need. I am an amatuer naturalist and a hunter, and I found his book to be very well researched. He cites from numerous studies found only in college archives and wildlife department file cabinets: information that is inexcessible to the general public. It compares favorably to the text on blacktails published in the 1950s by the Washington Department of Game (now the Department of Fish and Wildlife). Details include the seasonal movement and diet of blacktails, their favored habitat, and the best methods to observe and hunt these shy creatures. Forget about trying to translate what you read about whitetails or mule deer to the blacktailed deer. This book will deals with them specifically.

This book is simply that; forty-nine (including the front cover) very beautiful photographs of Oregon State vistas and views. It includes mountains, ocean, city and fields.

Each page holds its own image, most of them filling the page. The pictures are accompanied by short, tasteful captions that don't detract from the beauty of the page.

As the Contributing Editor for the Oregon topic at Suite101.com, I am always looking for books to inspire articles that interest my readers, and the photos in this book help me evoke memories of places I've been to and anticipation of places I have yet to visit.

One thing that would have made this book perfect would have been the inclusion of a map of Oregon with indicators of where each photo was taken. The state is very large and the terrain diverse and this would aid in planning future forays into its beautiful wonders.

Each travel series (Insight, Frommer, Lonely Planet, etc.) has its own emphasis and style. The strength of the Insight guides is its overview of a particular region, in this case the Pacific Northwest area of the United States. You won't find extensive lists of hotels and restaurants in this book; instead, you'll be given a written and photographic tour through Washington and Oregon, from Seattle to Portland, from Mount St. Helens to Mount Hood, along the coast, into the mountains, and across the Columbia Basin. The guide supplies a short history of the area (short, but more comprehensive than most guides) as well as the "personalities" of contemporary cities. You'll find a section on the wine-making regions and one on the John Day Fossil Beds. National and state parks are covered as well. The color photographs, included on almost every page, shows the varied landscapes in with a true eye for aesthetics. An extremely small section at the back addresses much of what the bulk of the guide lacks: festivals, hotels and restaurants (no descriptions, just addresses and phone numbers),how to get there, major attractions, and other brief travel tips.

I recommend this book for travelers as a preparation for a trip to the Pacific Northwest or for those who have not yet decided if this region is for them. You'll need a more nuts-and-bolts guidebook to accompany it for more practical considerations such as detailed entries about lodging, maps, places to shop, and restaurants.

The story of Vancouver's voyage to the Pacific North West is one of much hardship, persistance and determination. John Naish tells the story of the voyage by cross referencing the journals and diaries of four of the key players in this expedition. Taken individualy the journals are a great read themselves but when used to collaborate or just to fill in blanks it results in a very pleasant read. It takes the reader into the world of 1791-1795 in such a way that we can forget, briefly, what we have today and imagine the world during the times of the French Revolution and the emergence of America as a nation.

This book in the form of a diary was foremostly a handbook by and for an emigrant on the Oregon Trail. Palmer took the Trail in 1845, within 5 years of the first practical wagon crossing of it and had published his book within 2 years. It contained practical advice on the composition of the train,the ill-defined route, chosing nightly camp sites and the daily problems facing the pioneers. With wonderful practical advice on the choice of wagons, animals, supplies and proposed progress. His observations of the land crossed, native people encountered and perilous problems facing the pioneers, particularly of the desperate forcing of a road around Mount Hood in appalling conditions, are made with the eye of a seasoned traveler. Although the prose retains the flavour of having been written contemporaneously, it is easily assimilated by the modern reader. However, armchair pioneers will benefit greatly from access to a topographical map of the route which will supplement the somewhat limited sketches from the original documents.

The stories around the two families traveling in covered wagons across the country are touching and have a feeling of being your next door neighbors. Very real. The stories made us laugh and they made us cry, but my kids came away with a feeling that these things might have really happened rather than reading a "history book". There was a sense that these were real people. I would highly recommend it to kids studying this period of history as well as just fun reading.