I live in this part of the country, I didn't know there was no much great places to stay here! Thank you! I know lots of places to get away! I just need that special someone! :)

My husband and I spent a wonderful two days in July 2000 staying in "The Cabin." at the Guest House Cottages on Whidbey Island. We found this romantic spot in this book. There are so many wonderful places in this book, so I will tell you about the place we stayed to give you an idea of the quality of the listings presented in this great resource.

We stayed in the cutest log cabin you have ever seen, pictures at my site. A complimentary continental breakfast was set up for us on arrival. We loved having our own kitchen and a grocery store nearby so we could pick up needed supplies for a picnic at the beach. There was a beautiful pool where you could lay out in the sun. In the winter you would be sipping hot chocolate by one of the beautiful fireplaces in your cabin. The cabins were off the road in the woods and have queen or king-size featherbeds. The floors, walls and ceilings were all wood. They have river-rock fireplaces or wood-burning stoves, skylights and antique furnishings. The one we stayed in had beautiful stained-glass windows. They really went out of their way to make our stay as romantic as possible. Once you have your key, the cabin is all yours. It is your own private getaway. If you are running late they even offer to leave the key out for you when you arrive.

There was a private deck complete with barbecue and two chairs so you could sit and look out over the pond inhabited by African geese. The surroundings were lush and green and we saw lots of the cutest bunnies.

We also visited a lavender field and brought home a little lavender plant. If you do visit these same cottages, don't forget to visit Deception Pass. In fact, plan to stay at least two days, there are plenty of activities, including hiking and sailing.

I can truly say that without this book, we would most likely have never known about this secret hideaway. So, between you and me....don't tell too many people! This is a great place. Only tell your best friends or buy them this book. I also recommend this book as a wedding present.

The pages are filled with pictures of each getaway and the general prices are also listed for your convenience. I believe there is a new book with updated information, but this is the one I have.

"Weekends for Two in the Pacific Northwest" is a perfect resource for couples looking to have some away-time in a special place. From Ashland to Seattle, the beautiful photographs and detailed explainations are very helpful in planning your gettaway. Prices and aspects of dozens of hotels, lodges, B&Bs, etc. are explored and the authors even give personal oppinons, and suggestions on which rooms are more romantic. I would recommend this book to anyone with a heart for romance. It's a favorite in my household!

This is a well written book that expertly envisions the story of Apple's early years. Rose provides an in-depth look at the people involved and draws out the fascinating stories that surround Apple's early existence. This is by far the most accessible and enjoyable account of Apple's founding. The only problem is that it was written in the early '90's and doesn't reach the amazingly entertaining last few years the company has gone through. If only Rose would write a sequel...

Incredibly fascinating book that takes you on an intense and vivid tour of how Apple was started and what went on behind the scenes. Highly readable and very tough to put down.

West of Eden reads like a novel which makes me wonder if it's all true. After having it gather dust on my shelves for years I finally decided to read it and it's fascinating. I had a hard time tearing myself away in order to get my final progamming assignment done. Whether it's all fact or not one thing's for sure: now that Steve Jobs has been back at Apple for a while I hope Mr. Rose writes a followup!

This is a marvelous book. Readers in other states will come away from it with new or changed views of West Virginia and its history. Author Fawn Valentine recognizes quilts as historic documents and is most persuasive in explaining and using material culture methodology to prove this. Yes, West Virginia quilters live primarily in rural areas, and many needed quilts as warm bedcovers. However, they also produced elegant silk quilts as examples of fine, decorative needlework.

As a quilt researcher in the adjacent state of Ohio I am fascinated by the similarities and differences between quilts in our two states, and Valentine's convincing explanations for them. Most of the quilts documented by the West Virginia Heritage Quilt Search-even the oldest ones-were found near the places where they were made. The reason, she explains, is that West Virginians didn't move around much; they love place and family. They also had a strong desire to maintain traditional skills, which are "family ways."

Some quilt patterns were found only in discrete regions of West Virginia. Others (crazy quilts, for instance) continued to be made much later than was true in other states. Through extensive interviews with quiltmakers, the WVHQS learned of quilt pattern names and quilt-related language not found elsewhere. Through their oral interviews they also learned of a system of "barter economy" West Virginia quiltmakers used.

Most intriguing is Valentine's discovery of different quilting style, aesthetics, and designs associated with the quiltmakers' ethnic backgrounds: German-American, British, Scotch-Irish and Welsh. She presents this information early in the book, preparing the reader to recognize and identify the ethnicity of quiltmakers whose work is included later.

A series of appendices, including a summary of data and an extremely important timeline are helpful, as are the state maps included with almost every quilt, clearly identifying the counties where the quilts were made. As we discovered in the Ohio Quilt Research Project, Ohio is also a county-conscious state, so I felt right at home in West Virginia!

This book provides a wonderful history of quilting and quiltmakers and is also inspirational for quilt design ideas. It is well-written and engaging, making a quilt documentation project very interesting to others. I highly recommend this book and it makes a perfect gift for any quilters.

The quilt scholar as well as the passionate amateur quilt historian will not be disappointed in this new release. Destined to be a classic reference for the future on the same scale as other books related to state quilt documentation projects. The information gathered and documented in "West Virginia Quilts and Quiltmakers" is extremely well documented and thoroughly covered. I have to say I am partial to applique quilts and this book did not disappoint! Some new patterns I have never seen in previously published books. I actually found a clue to a dead-end puzzle I had been researching! To sum it up...By far the best book published in recent years from a state quilt documentation project. Well worth the investment!

There are as many books to buy as there are pebbles on a beach. But once a while you find a gem. My wife and I took turns reading "West! Sail West, Man!" You inhale the book! It gets worn in your hands! When Irving Johnson, one of the most famous U.S. sailors, admires Hein and Siggi for their courage, it beats any "Gold Medal". A ships carpenter, who walked the deck of the Coast Guard's "Eagle" before she became a war prize, graduating to circumnavigator in team with his beloved Siggi. A book for your library next to Joshua Slocum.

Just imagine you are a healthy, workaholic, lumberjack, "Hein", with a passion for woodworking and an impossible dream . . . to sail around the world. You are extremely limited since you have little money and a girlfriend, "Siggi", whom you do not wish to leave behind. So, what to do? You cut down a tree and marry the girl, of course. You construct a 20½ foot sailboat and trundle it a few thousand miles to California where you wet the keel. Never having sailed before, you quickly learn what works and what doesn't, and with confidence of a renaissance man you start on a voyage of 32000 miles. This all happens before Loran and GPS, so Siggi in no uncertain terms insists that Hein learn Celestial Navigation before sailing from Panama to the Galapagos. The admonition? "Like hell we will! Another Siggiism? "If you keep cursing, we'll NEVER see land again!" What happens between these pages is the amazing story of how Hein and Siggi succeeded, and the adventure they had which rival "The Perils of Pauline." Only the iron will of the two protagonists enable them to complete the circumnavigation scarred but alive. What I particularly like about "West! Sail West, Man! Is that having read the book, TWICE, I now feel that I actually know these two characters.

Years ago I came across an article in the Flying Fish (the official publication of the Ocean Cruising Club) where Hein Zenker elaborated on the couple's circumnavigation. A reviewer remarked--and which is my observation as well--"Luck must be on the side of those who reach out to achieve the seemingly impossible and survive". I done my share of ocean sailing (albeit in a much larger vessel and with a big crew), now, that I read their book I firmly believe that the couple's remarkable stamina and the gift to improvise saved them from total destruction. Hein has every reason to be thankful for having a partner like Siggi who (as my wife pointed out) must have suffered a lot to satisfy her man's ambitions. The book quite vividly describes the inner feelings of pleasure found: "away from the dictates of society" or the mental anguish of an approaching storm when: "for the x-time I pondered why apparently sane people venture into this mess repeatedly". What impressed me most is the generous hospitality they found wherever they landed; may it been some primitive island in the South Pacific or sophisticated countries like New Zealand or South Africa. This may well be attributed to the couple's obvious modesty in every respect. The book is fascinating reading, not necessarily for those brave women and men who are about to venture into unknown territory.

Without doubt, the best "Colored" pictures and information one could ask for!!

After moving to the Tahoe National Forest in California, we knew we needed a book to identify the wildlife, flora, trees and insects.This is simply the most perfect book. Clearly written, beautiful photos and well organized. We use it all of the time!Karyn Lepley

this guide, as well as the others in this series, are an excellent first book or primary reference for those living or travelling in the areas they cover.

one of best points is that they are not exhaustive in their coverage. instead they focus on the most commonly seen species. so instead of flipping through endless pages of references to rare or seldom seen species, one can quickly find the specific plant or animal they encounter.

if one becomes more focused in study of a given type of plant or animal one can turn to more exhaustive and detailed texts -- such as audobon's own guides to birds, trees, mammals, etc.

i have found that this series is an excellent gift for those who are not specifically focused on nature studies. my parents enjoyed their gift copy -- as it enabled them to identify the trees and animals in their own back yard.

the specific entries are informative and interesting. the production values (photos, indexes) are excellent. and the opening essays are a special treat; they well written and well worth reading. they can inspire one to pay a bit more attention to the natural landscape even if all they do is drive through it.

"This book has everything: action, adventure, superb characterization, vivid dialogue, a strong sense of place, and a plot that will seize your heart and not let it go until the last page. Patrick Dearen has written an instant classic that deserves a place on anyone's list of Best Western Novels." -- D. R. Meredith, Roundup Magazine of Western Writers of America.

"Admirable . . . a powerful novel reminiscent of Edward Abbey's `The Brave Cowboy' . . . . Excellent." -- Dallas Morning News.

"The tale of . . . a cowboy born a century too late . . . . Bright and poignant . . . . A sharply drawn and memorable novel." -- Dale Walker, Rocky Mountain News.

"Departs intriguingly from classic western form . . . . A tale of a cowboy born 100 years too late and of his desperate run from the law." -- Publishers Weekly.

"A spellbinding tale of the modern world against the last cowboy." -- San Angelo Standard-Times.

"Pits one man's nineteenth century dreams against another man's twentieth century reality." -- Books of the Southwest.

"The last cowboy in our modern world decides to risk his life by stealing a horse and escaping to the Colorado Divide where he can live as cowboys did a hundred years ago . . . . Inspired by an actual horseback-helicopter manhunt in Texas . . . . Presumably a `western,' this novel surprising grows into mainstream fiction." -- Review of Texas Books.

"Takes a keen look at the mythology . . . of the Western cowboy, a free, independent loner who savors his life on the range." -- West Texas Historical Association Yearbook.

"Justifies the resurgence of interest in fiction about the American West . . . . [Dearen's] skills . . . argue for the survival of America's most fascinating and probably only authentic myth." -- Texas Books in Review.

"A modern chase novel that pits cutting-edge technology against a lone cowboy. It sounds like a complete mismatch--and it is, though not in exactly the way one might think." -- recommended reading list, What Do I Read Next?, 1995 edition.

"The story of a modern-day cowboy who is determined to live or die by the cowboy code . . . . The reader can almost hear the serenades of the crickets, cicadas, and coyotes. You will want to read this book even if you don't normally read westerns." -- Austin American-Statesman.

"Patrick Dearen . . . is of the [Elmer] Kelton School . . . . The story gains color and character from [Dearen's] incredible 74 interviews with men who took up cowboying between 1899 and 1931." -- Kent Biffle, Dallas Morning-News.

"If you're a western fan and have only $20 to spend in the bookstore this year, spend it on `When Cowboys Die.' And when you close the book, step outside and look toward the west and whisper, `Keep on riding, Charlie--for all of us.'" -- Amarillo Sunday Globe-News.

"This book has everything: action, adventure, superb characterization, vivid dialogue, a strong sense of place, and a plot that will seize your heart and not let it go until the last page. Patrick Dearen has written an instant classic that deserves a place on anyone's list of Best Western Novels." -- D. R. Meredith, Roundup Magazine of Western Writers of America.

"Admirable . . . a powerful novel reminiscent of Edward Abbey's `The Brave Cowboy' . . . Excellent." -- Dallas Morning News.

"The tale of . . . a cowboy born a century too late . . . . Bright and poignant . . . . A sharply drawn and memorable novel." -- Dale Walker, Rocky Mountain News.

"Departs intriguingly from classic western form . . . . A tale of a cowboy born 100 years too late and of his desperate run from the law." -- Publishers Weekly, July 18, 1994.

"A spellbinding tale of the modern world against the last cowboy." -- San Angelo Standard-Times.

"Pits one man's nineteenth century dreams against another man's twentieth century reality." -- Books of the Southwest.

"The last cowboy in our modern world decides to risk his life by stealing a horse and escaping to the Colorado Divide where he can live as cowboys did a hundred years ago. . . . Inspired by an actual horseback-helicopter manhunt in Texas. . . . Presumably a `Western,' this novel surprisingly grows into mainstream fiction." -- Review of Texas Books.

"Takes a keen look at the mythology . . . of the Western cowboy, a free, independent loner who savors his life on the range." West Texas Historical Association Yearbook.

"Justifies the resurgence of interest in fiction about the American West . . . . [Dearen's] skills . . . argue for the survival of America's most fascinating and probably only authentic myth." -- Texas Books in Review.

"The story of a modern-day cowboy who is determined to live or die by the cowboy code . . . . The reader can almost hear the serenades of the crickets, cicadas, and coyotes. You will want to read this book even if you don't normally read westerns." -- Austin American-Statesman.

"Patrick Dearen . . . is of the [Elmer] Kelton School. . . . The story gains color and character from [Dearen's] incredible 74 interviews with men who took up cowboying between 1899 and 1931." -- Kent Biffle, Dallas Morning News.

"If you're a western fan and have only [$] to spend in the bookstore this year, spend it on `When Cowboys Die.' And when you close the book, step outside and look toward the west and whisper, `Keep on riding, Charlie--for all of us.'" -- Amarillo Sunday Globe-News.

This book has everything: action, adventure, superb characterization, vivid dialogue, a strong sense of place, and a plot that will seize your heart and not let it go until the last page. Patrick Dearen has written an instant classic that deserves a place on anyone's lists of Best Western Novels. -- D. R. Meredith, Roundup Magazine of Western Writers of America.

Admirable . . . a powerful novel reminiscent of Edward Abbey's "The Brave Cowboy" . . . Excellent. -- Dallas Morning News.

Departs intriguingly from classic western form . . . . A tale of a cowboy born 100 years too late and of his desperate run from the law. -- Publishers Weekly, July 18, 1994.

The tale of . . . a cowboy born a century too late . . . . Bright and poignant . . . . A sharply drawn and memorable novel. -- Dale Walker, Rocky Mountain News.

A spellbinding tale of the modern world against the last cowboy. -- San Angelo (Texas) Standard-Times.

Pits one man's nineteenth century dreams against another man's twentieth century reality. -- Books of the Southwest.

The last cowboy in our modern world decides to risk his life by stealing a horse and escaping to the Colorado Divide where he can live as cowboys did a hundred years ago. . . . Inspired by an actual horseback-helicopter manhunt in Texas. -- Review of Texas Books.

Takes a keen look at the mythology . . . of the Western cowboy, a free, independent loner who savors his life on the range. -- West Texas Historical Association Yearbook.

The story gains color and character from [Dearen's] incredible 74 interviews with men who took up cowboying between 1899 and 1931. -- Kent Biffle, Dallas Morning News.

Justifies the resurgence of interest in fiction about the American West . . . . [Dearen's] skills . . . argue for the survival of America's most fascinating and probably only authentic myth. -- Texas Books in Review.

The story of a modern-day cowboy who is determined to live or die by the cowboy code . . . . The reader can almost hear the serenades of the crickets, cicadas, and coyotes. You will want to read this book even if you don't normally read westerns. -- Austin American-Statesman.

If you're a western fan and have only [a little money] to spend in the bookstore this year, spend it on `When Cowboys Die.' And when you close the book, step outside and look toward the west and whisper, "Keep on riding, Charlie--for all of us." -- Amarillo Sunday Globe-News.

While I had to use this book for a class I particularly wasn't interested in - Western and Cowboy Art - with this book, I have actually began to appreciate its contents for what they are. The book has some amazing paintings and sculptures included as well as details about the artists and information about the art included within the book as well as some other art by the artists. It has a good sampling of Western art from George Caleb Bingham to Frederick Remington and has a wide variety each artists work so the reader can get a good idea of how the artist worked and what sorts of pictures they favored. I only gave it 4 stars because of the subject matter, but all in all, a very good book.

As of this writing (Aug. 2002) this fine book is out of print, and shouldn't be. It is an informative and well illustrated survey covering almost 200 years of pictorial representations of the American frontier.

Because of my interest in the mythology that developed around the cowboy, I found the chapters on Frederic Remington, Charley Russell, and Buffalo Bill Cody especially absorbing. Magazine illustrators who further developed imagery of the "wild west" are represented here in discussions of N. C. Wyeth and Maynard Dixon.

On a parallel track, the authors give a chapter to the early silent Westerns, highlighting the careers and contributions of Tom Mix and William S. Hart (a precursor of Clint Eastwood). Another chapter is devoted to the Hollywood Western during the sound era noting similarities between Remington's imagery and that of director John Ford. There's also a discussion of the evolution of western movie themes from "The Virginian" (1929) to "The Ballad of Cable Hogue" (1969).

This book is a rewarding study of the American West as its visual artists inspired the imaginations of people around the world. Definitely worth having.

An outstanding work by an outstanding scholar. I too am a former student of Dr. Goetzmann -- twenty years or so ago. His work really changed the way I look at America -- American history and American landscape. Try to rent or buy the PBS television show this book went with....

I noticed that the writing on the front flap of the book jacket claimed that the images are large format panographs. After taking a close look at the first few images on pages 1-10, I came to the conclusion that these are panographs taken in 135 format not the medium format of the 120 or 220 types. Everton's notes of camera and film on page 7 confirmed my assessment. It is interesting that he departed from the usual practice of his peers by choosing the colour negative film Fuji NHG II rather than its sibling, the transparency film, Fuji Velvia 50. Though it does not have the punchy colours and high contrast of Velvia, NHG II gives softer colours in highlights and more shadow details. With negative films, mastery in controlling exposure is only half of the accomplishment, mastery in making prints is essential for bringing the final image to the masses. Everton said he developed his prints in a rental lab. If so, his craft is well done. The contrast control of each image is good with no lost of colour saturation and shadow details, even for heavily overcast landscape such as the one on Lemhi Pass (p56). About half of the images was taken at a time when a storm was approaching. Some even have a clearly visible rain curtain (p33,49,62). The panograph of the Great Sand Dune Monument (p62) is a real visual treat. The land and sky were connected by a rain pillar over the sand dune on the right, illuminated by the emerging light. The highlighted strip of the desert floor formed the visual anchor for the reader, guiding my eyes to start the journey from the lower left-hand side of the image then wander into the distant storm-covered horizon. The smoothness of the dunes form a visual contrast to the roughness of the storm clouds above. It is rare to see a rainstorm in a sandy desert let alone under such magical lighting. Capturing fleeing moments like this calls for great patience and skill on the photographer's part. The panograph of Lower Geyser Basin is my second favourite (p49). The steam pillar jetted out of the geyser is the force within the deep earth whereas the heaven is owned by the menacing storm dumping torrents of rain from above. I couldn't stop asking if this image was taken on Planet Earth or near Mount Doom of Middle Earth in Tokkien's fantasy. My other favourite is the panograph of the Lower Calf Creek Falls (p72). Here stillness and transquility was interrupted by the gushing waterfall. The branches of the two trees at the foreground formed a perfect arch that frames the waterfall. This is a stage built by Nature where we are invited to sit in front and be immersed in the sound of moving waters.
The map next to Everton's preface showed not only the places where the images were taken but confirmed the warning that American wilderness is an endangered specie. The rest of the writings is simply an eloquent elaboration of this urgent issue. This book is another quality publication from Abrams Inc. I give it four out of five stars.

This book deserves more than five stars for the unmatched color panoramas of the most picturesque horizons in the western United States.

You could visit these sites for twenty years and not see actual scenes as luscious as these. Whether you know the West or think you would like to, I suggest that you start with this remarkable book. This is the West as you've never seen it . . . but could. The wonderful photography is nicely complemented by the essays that provide geological and historical perspectives on the scenes portrayed here.

The photography is all done in 148 or 150 degree large format color panoramas. This perspective approximates what the human eyes can see, including peripheral vision. As a result, these images give you a remarkable sense of being present that is almost impossible to obtain in a book.

The reproduction quality is amazingly good, and the lighting and tones vary wonderfully from one outstanding photograph to the next. Almost all are displayed over an entire wide panorama-sized page, and many extend over parts of two such pages.

The feeling is so ethereal that it evokes the same sense of natural wonder that looking at paintings by the Hudson River School creates. There are in fact some parallels, as a few scenes include tiny people or animals in the foreground.

The book is divided into sections showing the Great Plains, the Rocky Mountains, the Colorado Plateau, the Cascade range, the Pacific Northwest, and California. Although I have traveled extensively in the West for over 40 years, more than half of these scenes were new to me. I can see that I have many wonderful trips ahead of me to visit these locales, now that I know how gorgeous they are.

Here is a list of the sites:

Sand Hills, Nebraska

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

Montana Prairie

Breaks of the Missouri

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Waterton/Glacier International Peace Park, Montana

Lemhi Pass, Montana

Mores Creek, Idaho

Aspen, Colorado

Great Sand Dunes National Monument, Colorado

Grand Canyon, Arizona

Grand Staircase -- Escalante National Monument, Utah

Ghost Ranch, New Mexico

Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Monument Valley Tribal Park, Arizona/Utah

Wupatki National National Monument, Arizona

Mount St. Helens

Crater Lake, Oregon

Mount Shasta, California

Oregon Coast

Big Sur, California

Santa Catalina, California

Yosemite, California

Mono Lake, California

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Death Valley, California

The text connects these boundless images to "a West of unlimited horizons" and the work of Turner in developing his frontier theory of the role of the West in stimulating American imagination and initiative. Even today, the book argues that the "unconstrained Western horizon" is important to our sense of taking on the new challenges of modern society.

Everyone who sees these photographs will agree that it would be horrible if these sights were ever to be spoiled. We are fortunate that government policy began to preserve these lands beginning in the 19th century. With today's challenges of pollution and visitors, perhaps even more will have to be done.

Reading and looking at this book is a spiritual journey, not unlike a peaceful meditation. If your spirit is troubled at all, I suggest this book as a balm that you can always use to ease your discomfort.

Live with beauty!

Wow. What a wonderful book that amazes me, everytime I open the cover. Everton seems to have complete control over the dynamics range in all of his photographs. Dark clouds yield to lighter, fluffy clouds, down to a light horizon, and a rich, dark lower 1/3 of these exposures. Add to this control his use of a tool that has limitations, at Noblex 150 panoramic camera.

Everton also captures locations that have already been widely photographed before, but with his own signature. He adds a new face to Calf Creek Falls in Utah. A must have book for your table.

The synopsis of this book does not do it justice. I will admit that I was a bit hesitant about buying this book based on the synopsis, but I am so glad I have now disovered Sandra West Prowell and Phoebe Siegel! They have brought me many enojoyable hours and my only regrete is that I did not find Ms. Prowell sooner!

Not only is this a good mystery, but Ms. Prowell adds enough detail of the people, surroundings, and action to make the story come alive.

This is one of the best books that I've read in a year. It raises the bar for mystery writers. Although you will have to read about four or five chapters before the suspense takes off, the writing is good enough to pull you through the beginning. The characters are three-dimensional, description is rich, and the plot takes you decades into an established, fleshed out past. "When Wallflowers Die" is not to be missed.

Sandra West Prowell's Montana mysteries are rooted in Montana's unique culture. With wit and verve, she writes these very readable mysteries that have endeared Prowell and her engaging sleuth, Phoebe Siegel, to many people nationwide.

She makes a valuable contribution to the mystery scene, using unique Montana settings.