No comments about Michigan Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Species (State Nature Guides).

2 comments about Animal Tracks of the Great Lakes States: Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Wisconsin.

1. Again, the pictures in the book are easy enough to use for my 3 year old. The information contained in the book is useful. We enjoy using this book and look forward to the spring and summer when we can travel further than our backyard.



2. Very basic book that misses the mark. The drawings of animal tracks are poor in quality and clarity. In a book illustrating animal tracks I would expect a photo of the animal that made the tracks. This is a great book for a youth.

No comments about Maps, Charts, Graphs & Diagrams.

3 comments about University of Michigan & Ann Arbor Streets (Professor Pathfinder's Campus Maps).

1. I don't often rave about maps (in fact, I never rave about maps), but this is one I've grown to love. It's a perfect size and scale and was incredibly easy to read, even as I drove along new streets in my new city. Particularly useful was that large grocery and retail stores are marked on the map. This made it easy to figure out the closest Target, Best Buy, or grocery store from my new apartment, and the stores ended up serving as landmarks as well as new places to shop. Also, when you're on the phone, trying to locate a smaller store, they can say, "We're located across the street from the Whole Foods Market," or "We're at the north end of the such-and-such mall," and you know just how to find them. The map even shows you what block you're on -- helpful when searching for a specific address. I'm one of those people who gets lost going around the block, but this map got me where I had to go every time.
   
   Also included is a very detailed and clear map of campus.
   
   I bought two maps of Ann Arbor but never used the second one. This map did it all. Highly recommended.



2. this is an impressive map that has different zooms of the Ann Arbor area. I took it with me when apartment hunting and it was very helpful. in the interest of full disclosure, there are free downtown maps available here and there (i saw some in the Maynerd parking entrance), but people who saw my map said it was much better.



3. I gave this as a high school graduation present to someone who is going to U. of Michigan in the fall. Great idea.

5 comments about A Gardener's Journal: For a Lifetime of Recording - Use As a Garden Journal, Garden Diary, Blank Journal, Gift for Gardener, Mother, Father - Featured in Michigan's Grand Rapids Press Home & Garden Section.

1. Buy This! You absolutely WILL NOT be disappointed. I bought this for my fiance as a Fathers Day/Anniversary Gift for us to record a lifetime of gardening together. It was very special and when we both looked inside to see the pages, we were so impressed to see that anything and everything that we would ever want to record is already included in these pages- from climate records to receipts! I HIGHLY recommend this journal to anyone! I would also like to note that I had some questions for the seller and as a result, I experienced the finest customer service I have ever had in my history of shopping online. She went above and beyond my expectations, from her product to her service. You've got a great thing going here HoJo! :-)



2. Thanks so much for taking time to send me your ideas on how you use the Journal. Now, I am ready to take it and head to the garden! This really is a great journal. For years, I have puzzled over how to record and store gardening information that is important to me. This is just the ticket! I can tell there was a seasoned gardener behind the planning.



3. Thanks so much for taking the time to send me your ideas on how you use the Journal. Now, I am ready to take it and head to the garden! This really is a great journal. For years, I have puzzled over how to record and store gardening information that is important to me. This is just the ticket! I can tell there was a seasoned gardener behind the planning.



4. I am pleased with the garden planner I recently purchased. One could argue that a trip to Staples, Walmart, etc., and you could come up with something similar. However, categories, dividers, and other organizational tools are already there. All you have to do is sit down a few minutes to place the materials in the notebook and you are ready to go. It is set up to where you can easily add your own categories as needed. There is plenty of room in the large spiral, zippered notebook for it to "grow" year after year.



5. Received this item in VERY short order....it is quite detailed, all I had to do was place it in a 3-ring binder. Can hardly wait until spring!!

3 comments about Backpacking in Michigan.

1. This concise, authoritative guide by seasoned travel author and backpacker Jim DuFresne offers everything you should know about backpacking Michigan's trails, footpaths, state forests and back country areas. It's an easy read, interspersed with interesting photos and tips ("when I'm 64" and "hiking with kids"), and in addition to maps to complement the text, provides info on exactly where to get the best topo/detail maps for each area. The "trails at a glance" offers a quick overview of each trail by area, including distance, number of days to hike, difficulty, nearest town and highlights along the way. It's easily-packed and a great take-with guide for any foray into Michigan's trails or back woods!



2. This book is a great resource. I really like the way the trails are broken down (by location, mileage, length in days, difficulty, etc.)and the descriptions are fantastic.



3. Thus far, I have yet to try out some of the interesting hikes as described by Jim. Those places I've explored that he has written about are accurate. I can't wait to try the hikes that are closer to home than I realized. I like that they are graded by level so I can trek on my own on the more difficult ones, leaving the easier jaunts to explore with my husband - which will keep him open to trying more. :) I like the style of writing, too. I wish I could have written a similar book documenting my own travels...

No comments about Isle Royale National Park, MI - Trails Illustrated Map #240 (National Geographic Maps: Trails Illustrated).

4 comments about 50 Hikes in Michigan: The Best Walks, Hikes, and Backpacks in the Lower Peninsula.

1. If you are new to Michigan or new to hiking, hiking guru Jim Dufresne's "50 Hikes in Michigan" is required reading.

   From the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore to the Ohio state line, "50 hikes" lists the wildest but easiest to find, easiest to hike trails.

   "Wild" usually discourages the novice, however, rest assured these are all well traversed trails and usually well marked.

   This is my second copy, and I bring it with me in the field. Having hiked nearly all of the trails in his book (including all of the North Country Trail segments, and all the others not in the book), I have learned to take this book with me on my hike.

   A tip: keep it in a zip lock bag. Those of you who are familiar with Michigan's weather know--it may be sunny, but wait a few minutes, it could rain!




2. I recently had a friend of my wife comment on how I knew all the good and "secret" places to go in Michigan. This is not true, but I do often wonder at how people know of some of the truly great places to go in my home state.

   Any knowledge that I might have comes from owning several books written by Jim Dufresne. Dufresne is among a handful of what I consider the best writers out there when it comes to the outdoors/travel. Happily, he lives in and writes about my home state.

   I not only own this 50 hikes book, but I have books written by Dufresne on hiking with children in Michigan, Michigan's State Parks, the Porcupine Mountains, and the best campgrounds in Michigan. With the exception of the Porcupine Mountains book (which is of a narrower interest) all of these books are indispensable.

   50 hikes in Michigan (there are actually 60 hikes listed) really does contain most of the best hikes in the lower peninsula of Michigan. From this book I learned of the Algonquin trail in beautiful and semi-remote Negwegon State Park (you won't find any brown signs on the main roads leading you there). This hike alone is worth the price of the book.

   But why stop there?

   You can also explore such places as the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, the Manistee River Trail and the plethora of shorter trails in Waterloo State Recreation area. These hikes and the others listed in this well-written and engaging book are some of the best to be found anywhere. I only wish there were an Upper Peninsula edition.

   Jim Dufresne himself, though not homegrown, is one of Michigan's great treasures. I recommend this book and others by him.

   Get a copy today.




3. This is a very good guide to some of the most scenic hikes in Michigan. If you want to find some good advice about finding beatiful places to hike, but don't need a huge atlas that lists every trail, this book is for you. It is a managable size and has good directions, and the trails are really well-selected. You won't be disappointed by any of them. The book is quite inexpensive. If you want a huge book that gives you every trail in Michigan, choose "Michigan Trail Atlas" by Hansen instead, but it is very big and kind of costly.



4. It is a little outdated as the trails have changed slightly but still good for knowing where they all are. It has very detailed descriptions of the trails and what is at each location. I wish it had more maps but it will do just fine.

5 comments about Isle Royale National Park: Foot Trails & Water Routes (3rd edition).

1. I am planning a trip to Isle Royale and couldn't find much information searching the web. My friend and I are debating whether to make the trip a hiking trip, a canoe trip, or a packraft trip. Whatever we choose, this book provides enough information to make any of these trips will be successful. One thing is for sure, the book inspires you to plan multiple trips.



2. A must have for everyone going to Isle Royale. Of course, it is the best book until I write one.



3. This was a very useful guidebook to read before arriving on Isle Royale. It helped me decide what parts of the island I wanted to visit in my limited time there, and it gave me a good sense of what to expect at campgrounds, etc. I strongly recommend also purchasing the National Geographic map of the park, available from the ferry companies and at the camp store at Rock Harbor. The maps in the book tend to be a little small and not very detailed.



4. This seems to be the only guide for IRNP. It will be great for my trip next summer.



5. this book is everything i was hopeing for when i bought it. im using it to plan a trip there soon, i guess we will see when i get there

5 comments about Michigan Atlas & Gazetteer.

1. I am very pleased with the Michigan DeLorme Atlas. It arrived on time and in great condition. I would purchase it again.



2. Very detailed and very helpful series of maps of the interior of Michigan. Covers many of the backroads, and trails. Beware though, due to the climate of the state some of these back sand roads may prove immpassable for family vehicles, even four-wheel drives, and especially two-wheel drives. Great map book for the explorer, or the easy cruiser.



3. Comes in handy for all the major and back roads, but could use a little more detail for small city roads.



4. The Michigan Atlas & Gazetteer that I just received is a new redesigned style, and it is too busy to read, and minor roads-- the very reason that I bought this-- are not labeled clearly. Up to this point, I have always been happy with the gazetteers, we have several, and rely on them when on vacation to go places that are not on other maps. I will try to locate a used one that is in the "old" format, and that I have been very happy with.



5. As expected the delorme arlases always deliver. Accurate travel information with details any outdoorsman needs to find the hidden out-of-the-way spots.