Readers would be advised to buy a map of Oregon and explore campsites on their own rather than buy this overpriced book.

The author at times tries for a latter day version of Travels with Charley, but doesn't pull it off. The editors of this guide allowed too many pictures which are either irrelevent to the reader or are unfocussed.

After purchasing our travel trailer, we purchase several camping books for Oregon. This was the best of the bunch, easy to follow by region, 'tree' rating, and a good description of what you'll actually experience at the campground. A great reference; and a must for anyone wanting to explore Oregon's campgrounds.

This book is informative and entertaining. Unfortunately, it is poorly written (many non-sentences and incorrect grammar). That and the numerous typos are distracting.

I really enjoyed this book because, though I don't "believe" in ghosts, I enjoy ghost stories. I enjoy folk tales as well. Further, I am interested in the history of the area I live in. This book has all three: ghost stories, folk tales, and history of the area I live in. So I find it a lot of fun. I didn't find the typos or occasionally poor sentence structure to be much of a distraction.

I also enjoyed the bibliography in back of the book that lists internet sites pertaining to ghosts and the paranormal. The Table of Contents is as follows:

Introduction
I. Native American and Sacred Places
II. The Portland Basin
III. Western Oregon
IV. Western Washington and Puget Sound
V. The Northwest Coast
VI. The Columbia River Gorge
VII. Eastern Washington
VIII. Strange Critters
IX. Thoughts on Ghost Hunting
Index

Trust me, this book is a lot of fun if you live in the Northwest and are interested in ghosts and other folklore, such as Bigfoot. It might even be fun for someone who doesn't live in the region.

This story of the Oregon was very enlightening for me. As an amateur naval history buff, I had heard little of the Oregon. This history is nice in giving a short concise history of the life of the Oregon. It does dwell a little to long on the launching but the Spanish-American War episode is educational and in basic layman terms. More people should be aware of the contribution of the USS Oregon and it deserves a place with the Arizona and Missouri in American History.

This is a very readable, if somewhat choppy, history of a fascinating warship. Most people are probably unfamiliar with the story of the Oregon's gallant cruise from San Francisco to Havana in order to particpate in one of the two decisive naval battles which helped bring the U.S. a relatively quick and easy victory in the Spanish-American War of 1898. Because of the length of the voyage, American leaders realized the necessity of a two-ocean navy as well as the urgent need for the building of a canal across the isthmus of Panama. Sternlicht's story seems to dwell somewhat on insignificant details (such as the hullabaloo surrounding the Oregon's launching) while glossing over some other important areas, such as the experiences of the crewmen on board. But overall it's a very readable, interesting history of a warship that was instrumental in defining the direction of growth and ultimate destiny of the American Navy during the 20th century.

As general reading this book is OK but I felt that it really missed the mark in its attempt to be a guide to Oregon. There seem to be a lot of holes in it. Also items that are listed in the index are not where they are supposed to be.

This guide offers Moon's usual comprehensive treatment of local histories and sightseeing details. Despite some awkward English, it is generally reliable and reasonably complete.

After some perusing it becomes clear what is a major interest, even passion, of the authors and apparently a subject of extensive research by them - food. In every town, ample attention is given to restaurants, listing appetizers, main courses, desserts, even ingredients. . . three pages on Bend are devoted to eating, as are 11 pages in the Portland section. There are also two pages of reviews of golf courses that are replacing mountain meadows in the Bend area.

Unfortunately, the space devoted to food reduces what can be covered regarding another Moon staple - nature. In the Bend area, there's no detail on where to go hiking in the Three Sisters Wilderness. On Crater Lake, there's no park map and only two of a dozen trails are described.

The detail on what to see in many localities makes this book a worthwhile purchase for anybody planning a visit. But if you are as into nature as many readers of Moon guidebooks, expect to supplement the book with National Forest maps and a good local hiking guide.

I thought I was buying a guide book to Eastern Oregon's wild country. Instead, I received a book filled with "green propaganda", superficial information, misguided objectivety, and a warped perspective into what the "Eco Terrorists" agenda truly is for Eastern Oregon.

Having the privelege and good fortune to live in the northwest part of the country, I submit that in total, the Oregon High Desert may well be the most spectacular of all, in a region of superlative land and seascapes. It's certainly the most remote and unknown to the general public, in any case.

Andy Kerr has done a thorough job with this book. First, even natives of the region (well, the west side of the Cascades, anyway), know virtually nothing about the High Desert country of Eastern and Central Oregon. Or of Idaho, either, for that matter. It helps to have an expert describe a new place for you first, and Kerr does a great job in this regard. He helps the neophyte and the veteran desert rat alike in describing how to get to where you want to go, and possibly most important, what map (US Geo quad) to use. When one gets remote -- and in this country you can get seriously remote -- one needs a good map. This is country where it's highly likely that your cellphone won't work, where off pavement, dragon tooth rocks are ready to flatten your tires, and where gas stations are a long way apart.

Kerr breaks the book down into several sections, which include the Basics, natural and unnatural history, political happenings (a big deal! politics about land use in this part of the West is very contentious), descriptions of the various ecoregions covered, appendices, a reading list and plenty of maps, tables and pictures. The photos in the book are by Sandy Lonsdale. My only complaint here is that the photography didn't include some color shots. The Basics covers alot of ground, talking about everything from maps and getting around to things to be aware of like heatstroke, lightning, bugs, etc. There's even a table detailing services available in the local communities that are in the region. If you like your coffee just plain and in a cup, or are an "expresso" diletante, Kerr tells you where you can find what you need. Ditto for beer and eats as well. My personal favorite is at the cafe at Fields, a tiny hamlet in far SE Oregon. The milkshakes there after a long day in the field are a spiritual experience and the cheeseburgers ain't half bad, either. It's a great place to hear the local banter, too. Some of it's just local gossip and some of it's damned informative. For example, the owner of the Fields gas station/cafe (it was for sale last year), will open up after hours if you need gas. The locals (neighbors), gossip about the same things city folks gossip with their neighbors about. Often, though, they live many miles apart, and many of them have to travel more than two hundred miles round-trip, just to go to the grocery store, so you get an idea of how remote this place really is. Speaking of interacting with the locals, it's just fine to shoot the breeze, but it'd be smart to avoid politics, unless you find out that you're on the same political wavelength.....

This is a very concise book about a part of the United States that will stun you with it's remoteness and rugged beauty. As I stated early on, this country is virtually unknown, even to many Northwest natives, but is worth every mile you drive to get to your chosen hike/backpack adventure. Having been fortunate enough to have explored a fair sampling of the territory Kerr writes about, I must say that this is an region that will blow away the first time visitor and veteran alike. I make three or four trips there every year, and every time, I'm awed by the sheer vastness and silence of the high desert. It's big, empty and just plain magnificent. Let's face it, there are few places left that one can truly find solitude, and you'll find many such places to be found in this book. So buy the guide, read it, gather your gear, gas up your car (put that SUV to work besides commuting!)and pick a hike. And don't forget your copy of the book to read on the trip, either.

Having made a trip and discovered what I'm talking about, join a grassroots organization, like the Oregon Natural Desert Association, The Sierra Club (they have a High Desert Committee in the Portland office), or one of many other groups that help to protect this great, vast, natural landscape that we love.

One more thing: Reading the other "review" about this book, I had to laugh at the ignorance of the writer. Did I say land use issues in the Great Basin are contentious? Organizations such as Oregon Natural Desert Association, the High Desert Committee of the Sierra Club and the Oregon Natural Resources Council, along with Kerr and thousands of other "desert rats" are committed to keeping this great landscape wild and free -- as it should be. And ending welfare ranching is a damned good start.
Try reading Lynn Jacobs "Waste of the West" or George Wuerthner's "Welfare Ranching," and you'll see what I'm talking about and why I feel so strongly about this place.

The main thing, though, is to pick a hike in Andy Kerr's book, get your gear together and go find out for yourself!

An extremely amateur publication, quite poorly written. Samples: "Bald eagles ply azure skies, and trumpeter swans arch their necks gracefully in local lakes, singing a beautiful tune. Rattlesnakes slither and coil, horned lizards burrow in the sand, spiny armor discouraging hungry predators. And if that isn't enough, pronghorn still play, stretching out across sagebrush plains." And, "while many would-be homesteaders tried to scrape out a living and failed, others struggled and survived with several ranches being owned and operated by the same family for many generations." Of course, if you find nothing wrong with those sentences, you may be able to read the whole guide. I couldn't.

Includes decently-sized black & white photos.

This guidebook provides the road traveler with a wealth of information for a very unique area of Oregon, its southeastern area. Six tours are offered in the guidebook; Hart Mountain, Steens Mountain Loop, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Jordan Valley Area, Alvord Desert Loop, and Sheldon National Wildlife Refuge. When I think of Oregon, I think of the coast and the wet climate. Oregon's southeast is a drier climate and most of the tour areas described in the book are located inside of the Great Basin. The book has route maps, detailed mileage markers, offers side trips information and hiking suggestions. Whether you are looking for hot springs, scenic vistas, historical sites, quaint towns and animal and plant life, I think you should pick up a copy of the guidebook, get in your motor vehicle, and check out this ecologically diverse side of Oregon.

Not one of my favorite books, but still worth reading .. .If you want to read a book that goes straight to your heart, read Stolen Moments by Barbara Jeanne Fisher. . .It is a beautiful story of unrequited love. . .for certain the love story of the nineties. I intended to give the book a quick read, but I got so caught up in the story that I couldn't put the book down. From the very beginning, I was fully caught up in the heart-wrenching account of Julie Hunter's battle with lupus and her growing love for Don Lipton. This love, in the face of Julie's impending death, makes for a story that covers the range of human emotions. The touches of humor are great, too, they add some nice contrast and lighten things a bit when emotions are running high. I've never read a book more deserving of being published. It has rare depth. Julie's story will remind your readers that life and love are precious and not to be taken for granted. It has had an impact on me, and for that I'm grateful. Stolen Moments is written with so much sensitivity that it made me want to cry. It is a spellbinder. What terrific writing. Barbara does have an exceptional gift! This book was edited by Lupus specialist Dr. Matt Morrow too, and has the latest information on that disease. ..A perfect gift for someone who started college late in life, fell in love too late in life, is living with any illness, or trying to understand a loved one who is. . .A gift to be cherished forever.

This book is a great resource for finding facts of fallen northwestern shortlines and predecessor railroads. I have found the facts to be mostly accurate, though they do not always match to some of the more well-read books about the larger railroads in the region. The biggest complaint is that it is visually unappealing, and could be a little more 'polished': no color pictures, and fairly few black and white pictures. Still, it is packed with charts, graphs and valuable company stats and info.

Although an essential volume as a reference, this book is plagued by a few things. It is not organized in a particularly helpful way, it takes on a highfalutin' scholarly tone that verges on the humorous, and it is now a little dated. There have also been claims against the accuracy of its "facts", but even with all that, it is a sometimes entertaining book in a field (Portland architecture) that could use some more research.

This book provides good, solid reviews of the major public gardens complete with driving instructions, hours, amenities and "best times to view". Oregon, Washington and Vancouver are covered. It would be quite useful for a gardening enthusiast new to the area or to someone new to gardening. Unfortunately, most gardens covered are already familiar to gardeners who have lived here for a few years.