No comments about Rand McNally Easy to Read Pennsylvania.

2 comments about Hiking the Allegheny National Forest: Exploring the Wilderness of Northwestern Pennsylvania.

1. a wilderness roadmap
   book review by Chris Lareau
   
   For the million hikers who come to our woods every year, choosing a trail might be a burdensome process, even if you grew up here like I did. Instead of wandering around in the forest, readers of Jeff Mitchell's new book can easily pick and choose at their leisure, ahead of time.
   Camera buffs can find out which trails have the best views. Biologists can ponder over the four trails with the most wildlife. Like waterfalls? If you have read Hiking the Allegheny National Forest, Exploring the Wilderness of Northwestern Pennsylvania, you'd know there are five different spots that have waterfalls or cascades. (And I thought we only had a single waterfall! I'm such a dope.)
   Mitchell, an attorney from Tankhannock, breaks down 201 miles of hiking trails for those of all interests: for people who want to see old-growth forests (we have some of the oldest in the East), for parents with kids, even for hikers interested in caves, rock outcrops, and large boulders or rock cities. Mitchell even gives his opinion on which places have the most to see.
   In spite of its title, Hiking the ANF also includes important descriptions of trails in contiguous state parks (including Cook Forest, the Akeley Swamp, and Chapman State Park. For the first time, someone has finally put all this in one book. The state parks are a tremendous asset and so far they have been grossly overlooked. (A longer version of this review appears at [...])



2. As a native of the Allegheny National Forest region and a lifelong lover of the area's recreational opportunities, I'm stoked that someone has finally created an authoritative and informative guide to hiking throughout this incredible outdoor resource. Pennsylvania hiking expert Jeff Mitchell is just the man to do it. "Industrialized" Pennsylvania offers a multitude of outdoor recreation and natural beauty that is often a surprise to non-residents, and even to the natives. The northwestern portion of the state is fortunate to contain one of the few National Forests east of the Mississippi, and Mitchell proves that the area features fun for all ages and levels of ability. In addition to Mitchell's gift for natural detail, and the book's usable maps, Mitchell has included many hiking opportunities that are perfect for beginners, or those looking for an easy and peaceful ramble in the woods. There are also many hikes that incorporate the unique natural features or important ecosystems present in the Allegheny National Forest, while a few more challenging backpacking trips make the book a resource for the serious hiker as well. So obtain this book, then explore and enjoy this very valuable and enjoyable national forest. [~doomsdayer520~]

5 comments about Hikes in the Mid-Atlantic States: Maryland Pennsylvania New Jersey New York (Exploring the Appalachian Trail).

1. There are many books about the AT, but this one is superb for it's detail and attention to partial sections for hiking. Can be used for thru hiking as well. Gives day and overnight parking details, profile of terrain, degree of difficulty, recommended direction, water and shelter locations, topo maps, mileage etc. Everything that a hiker needs!! Excellent.



2. It is clear that these authors were not kidding when they stated that they have a love affair with the Appalachian Trail. The descriptions not only cover all you need to know to be prepared to hike a certain section, but there's lots of history and local color as well.

   I've used this book successfully to plan hikes for a youth group. I must admit I disregarded the advice that a certain section (Knife's Edge) was not for those suffering from vertigo and sure enough, the group of kids I took on this section included one who suffered severely from fear of heights. But the kids worked together to get through that section and all was very well in the end.

   This book is by no means dry. Sprinkled here and there are humorous passages, like the classification of vampire rocks versus jumping rocks. A pollution-damaged section is described as "shaved clean."

   An experienced hiker who has decided to hike section-hike or day-hike the trail between Harper's Ferry and the New York / Connecticut state line needs no other guide. I also recommend this book for the library of every youth group, particularly scouts, in this geographic area that would (or should) plan hiking outings as part of their yearly plans.




3. PLEASE NOTE: THERE are NOT 170 hikes in the book. The whole series must contain that many.
   
   I own 3 books in this series. The Southern Appalachian, the Virginias, and the Mid-Atlantic States guide. I have found these books to be a great aid in planning hikes, especially 2-3 day backpacking trips. Since most of these hikes are either one-way or round trip (as opposed to circuit hikes) you either need to have two cars or plan on seeing the same sites twice. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but other books have better circuit hikes.
   
   This series IS very informative, not only with regards to the actually hike, but also the history both natural and otherwise of the area you are hiking in.
   
   I have only done a few of the hikes in the Mid-Atlantic Guide, all of which have been out and back day hikes, and this book has been very informative during these hikes. The maps could be a little better, as they are topographocal maps with a green line for the trail.. They are adequate, but I've seen better.
   
   All 41 hikes come with a description, a map, an elevation profile, and an itinerary, as well as various other information.
   
   When planning for a hike I do tend to use this book in conjunction with other books, but I usually take this book (or copies of the pages) on the actual hike itself. The fact that the pages are so small allows for easier handling and storage of the laminated pages during the trip.
   
   So if you enjoy hiking and are near the AT while in PA, you may want to take a look at this book. It is well worth the money.



4. I have 2 books in this series, and have frequently used photocopied pages from them on my AT section hikes. I never needed to buy the AMC versions of the maps since comprehensive maps are provided within this book, along with mileage charts for road crossings, springs, campsites, landmarks, etc. for every section of the Trail.
   
   Although this book is obviously geared for the day-hiker or overnighter, it has also come in handy on my longer hikes. And the writers have narrowed down every section into either 1- or 2-day hikes, along with directions to the trailheads (even in the remote 100-Mile Wilderness section in Maine!), proving that the AT can be enjoyed by casual hikers as well as hardcore mile-crunchers.
   
   Cons: This book, and the others in the series, is seriously due for an updated edition. Lots has changed along the trail even in 8 years. (carrying up-to-date pages from the ALDHA Thru-Hikers' Companion is necessary to have the full info). Also, the maps are two-color, making certain features hard to read, i.e. roads are the same color as elevation markings.



5. This was a good buy has excellent material for hiking any of the areas along the AT. in Mid Atlantic.

2 comments about 50 Hikes in Eastern Pennsylvania: From the Mason-Dixon Line to the Poconos and North Mountain, Fourth Edition.

1. Not a bad book for hikes to eastern PA. The one thing I would have liked to have seen was some sort of rating scale for the hikes listed in terms of photographic opportunities or "must see" places.



2. My wife and I got a copy of this book when we moved to Philadelphia a few years back. Being new to the area, we had all of our weekends to ourselves and spent a great deal of time getting to know our new local forested areas. This book played a key role in doing so.
   
   Over the last few years, we have hiked 23 (probably more) of the 50 hikes and have enjoyed them all. Some are clearly more remarkable than others (it's hard to beat The Pinnacle and The Pulpit) but there just weren't any groaners that we have encountered. Every hike delivers what outdoor enthusiasts crave to some extent.
   
   We have been using the book to take our own notes over the years and have noticed a few things about the book that, if there were a second printing, we would like to see included. The first is a change to miles rather than kilometers. Maybe it's the American in me, but I tend to think in miles. At the very least maybe both should be included. It got a little old dividing by 1.6 all the time when calculating how far we needed to go until the next turn in the trail. The next inclusion we would like to see is a little more information on trail conditions. We've essentially broken the hikes we've been on into "boots" or "shoes." For example, you would either need to be a glutton for foot pain or have some amazing tendon strength in your feet if you were to tiptoe across the rocky traverse of Peters Mountain (now one of our favorite hikes!). Stiff boots is a must for this one. Such a warning would be really nice to see. The author does actually warn the reader about the necessity for boots on this hike, but it seemed incidental. We'd like to see this more obviously stated. Also, difficulty level isn't really stated. There's a distance to time ratio that you can apply your own reasoning to, so there's at least a little to go by. Next, some of the trail directions do not make mention of which trails are blazed, so a direction may be to take a left 2.3 kilometers (grrr!) down the trail onto the unmarked x-country ski trail, when really all you need to do is to follow the white blazes.
   
   Getting back to praise for the book, the maps are easy to use, the directions are 97% useful (one or two were a little misleading, but nothing catastrophic) and the information included about each hike is very interesting. Include is such information as historical notes about the area, notes on wildlife oddities and even local places to camp. The trail notes are also very accurate and useful. After you get a hang of the author's narrative style, you can almost see the trail before you hike it just by his brief description.
   
   Oh, one last complaint. The picture on the cover is of New Jersey (from the PA side of the Delaware Water Gap). Come on!!! = )

5 comments about Backpacking Pennsylvania: 37 Great Hikes.

1. Jeff Mitchell's dusty boots had already covered new ground when he wrote "Hiking the Endless Mountains" - the first hiking book to explore the beautiful forests and creeks of Pennsylvania's Endless Mountains. Written by the Pennsylvania native, "Backpacking Pennsylvania, 37 Great Hikes" has now established Mitchell's books as the most current and definitive guide series for hiking and backpacking throughout Pennsylvania. In "Backpacking Pennsylvania", Jeff travels beyond the Allegheny Plateaus to provide concise and well-written trail descriptions. Just enough information is provided for each trail system and Mitchell leaves it to the reader to put his book down and to just start hiking!
   
   Jeff Mitchell's Preface in "Backpacking Pennsylvania" is a righteous testamony to those special places which are rapidly disappearing in the 21st Century. "By respectfully visiting and experiencing these places, we can appreciate and protect them" and "Backpacking reintroduces people not only to nature, but also to each other".



2. Backpacking Pennsylvania does exactly the job the title leads you to believe it will do. 37 major trails are described and made accessible to the the Pennsylvania Backpacker.
   
   Each trail narrative is preceded by a chart summarizing 13 "want-to-know" items for the trail: its length, approximate time needed for the trip, a difficulty rating, typical terrain and trail conditions, blazes, water supply, area vegetation, trail highlights, maintaining organizations, sources of maps/guides/contact information, and trailhead directions.
   
   The trails are divided into seven geographical regions, with a map for each region showing the counties and general layouts and locations of the trails there. For each of the 37 trails, another map shows the local roads, towns, creeks, parks, and potential campsites and vistas. The narratives are sufficiently detailed that backpacker armed with this book would be able to save the purchase of many individual trail guides and maps, though these would offer more in-depth information on the history, geology, or other particulars.
   
   This book is a great guide for planning backpacking ventures of appropirate duration, difficulty, and location in the Keystone state. I most recently backpacked the Bucktail Path and found Jeff's summary to be quite on-target. It should be in every Pennsylvania backpacker's library.



3. I did not know that PA had so many trails that can be day hiked or for weeks on end. This is a good place to start if you want to see if you can handle it before trying to hike th AT all the way.



4. I used this book to guide me through my first 2-day hiking trail in PA. It was useful for the fact that I do't know much about Pennsylvania trails. It gives you a breakdown of the whole state, telling you everything about what you see on each trail down to the kind of plantlife you can expect to see. There's also helpful ratings about each trail so you can pick one that is suitable for your level of experience. Each description of the trails also have a rough sketch of what the trail is like...marking campgrounds and bodies of water. However, the trail description on the one that I chose said that there would be a park office where we could get a topographic map of the park. I might have missed it, but we never encountered such an office. I highly recommend just using this as a guide and buying your own topographic map on your destination.
   Other than that, I am planning to buy his guides on some other states. It was very helpful.



5. This is a very useful guide for people interested in backpacking in PA. I don't use this book as my sole guide for hiking individual trails -- the book does not include topo maps or anything like that, so you'll want to get a map as part of your planning process. I think that this book is intended more as an aid in planning a trip than as a trail guide, although it is pretty accurate in its mile-by-mile descriptions of the trails I've hiked so far.
   
   The book is organized geographically, which is useful. Unfortunately, there is no index of trails by park area, so it makes it a bit annoying if you want to look for a trail in a specific state park or forest area -- you have to look through each trail's entry and see if anything goes through the place you're interested in. (This is bad for me because I hike with my dog, and I can only set up camp with him in a state forest, not a state park.) A lot of the information you will want to know is summarized in bullet points at the front of each chapter (trail length, difficulty, trail condition, availability of water, etc.), which is nice because you don't have to read through a whole entry to figure out that a trail is too easy or hard for what you want.
   
   All in all, this book is a great asset in planning a backpacking trip and useful enough as a trail guide to be worth carrying around on shorter trips. It has information on trails that you aren't likely to find in many other books; however, if you're planning on hiking a more established trail, or in an area that's got a lot of trails, you might be able to find a more specific/detailed guide.

1 comments about Pennsylvania Hiking Trails: Keystone Trails Association.

1. As an amateur hiker in Pennsylvania I found this book extremely helpful. I was unaware of all the marvelous hiking trails in our state. If you are not from PA then this is also the book for you. Informative, colorfully written with a great picture section. I hope everyone will purchase this book and come to PA to discover our many beautiful hiking trails.

4 comments about The Best in Tent Camping: Pennsylvania: A Guide for Car Campers Who Hate RVs, Concrete Slabs, and Loud Portable Stereos (Best in Tent Camping - Menasha Ridge).

1. This is the book to have if you are interested in Pa state campground camping w/o a trailer or RV.
   
   This entire series (The Best in Tent Camping....) is excellent.



2. Especially liked the information on which campgrounds are dog friendly.
   Would hate to get to a campground and find out Rover wasn't welcome.



3. This is a great book for someone looking to get into camping and looking for good spots to go. Very useful information that I found accurate and helpful.



4. Excellent resource for folks looking for great tent camping spots in the Keystone State. The title really says it all - this book recommends the quiet and off the beaten path organized camping sites. My favorite thing about this book is that the author describes the individual sites available for camping and makes recommendations based on specific site amenities -- close to running water, in the shade, privacy/screening from other campsites, out of the path to the restrooms for the rest of the camp site, etc. This makes it much less of a roll of the dice when reserving specific sites, especially through the Pennsylvania State Park system.

5 comments about Moon Philadelphia (Moon Handbooks).

1. This book makes me love Philadelphia even more - and I live here! Gavin makes me want to skip work and jump a double decker bus to tour this fine city and experience the pages of her book personally. What a fine Xmas gift this will make for the entire family!



2. i really enjoyed this book! as a philadelphia native and fan of my city, i didn't think i needed someone to tell me what to do. this book is full of great tips on things to do, places to see and i use it often for restaurant ideas. thanks to gavin, i am enjoying my city in new ways.



3. This guidebook to Philadelphia is the most well organized one I've found. It's really easy to find exactly what you're looking for -- whether it's a great restaurant, or the story behind a particular neighborhood. It even has great maps. I liked it because it struck a balance -- including history and flavor without letting the stories get in the way of the usefulness. A great choice for getting to know Philly.



4. I purchased this guide in preparation for a six-day trip to Philadelphia. The information is up-to-date and presently clearly. It is a useful trip planner and provides accurate descriptions for most tourist destinations. In the area of restaurants the listings were very limited and omitted some of the best dining choices for lunch and dinner. I found much more useful dining information on ZAGAT. Philadelphia is a great city for food lovers and there a dozens of great restaurants this guide omitted.
   I also found the descriptions of hotels lacking a lot of detail. The author should have provided more detail on the rooms, the views, the location, level of service, etc.
   Overall a decent guide that is OK but could have been a lot more useful if it included more information on restaurants and hotels.



5. I got this as a gift when I moved to Philly to attend Penn and it has been extremely helpful as I get to know the city. The maps and public transit info are easy to use and the background information and neighborhood descriptions are really accurate from what I have seen. The book was written by a local and the personality of the neighborhoods and people really comes through in the writing. The restaurant section offers a diverse sampling of some of the best spots in every price range and the nightlife listings are great. I have taken the time to see many of Philly's historic attractions, which I might not have bothered to do, because they sound so interesting in the book. I have convinced many friends to see not just the Liberty Bell, but places like Eastern State Penitentiary and the Masonic Temple, that most of my them have never even heard about. I regularly consult the book when picking a restaurant or bar or looking for something new to do on weekends. It's great when family or friends come to visit and I know all the best places to show them. My parents always borrow it while they are here and they too have found it really helpful. I'd recommend this it to anyone moving here or just visiting Philadelphia.

5 comments about Streetwise Philadelphia Map - Laminated City Center Street Map of Philadelphia, PA - Folding pocket size travel map with Septa metro map, bus map.

1. This has everything you need. I used every map on it - city, historic area, subways, busses and general area. It is plastic laminated and folds to a convenient size. This is a must for seeing Philadelphia.



2. I am living abroad and will be moving the Philadelphia in a few months. I'm currently looking for both jobs and apartments as well as trying to get a feel for the city before my wife and I arrive. This map looked like a great choice. Unfortunately, it was not.
   The map has several parts, including a very large scale highway map, but what I was looking for was a "streets of Philly" map, and judging from the name of this map, that's what I thought I was getting. However, according to this map, Philadelphia consists only of what's between South Street and Fairmont Ave, between UPenn campus and the river. Forget West Philly or North Philly, forget Germantown/Mt. Airy (an area where I am specifically interested in living), forget Temple University or Fishtown/Northern Liberties/Kensington, forget Queen Village/Bella Vista/Passyunk Square - these major areas of the city are either completely missing or cut off after a few streets. I mean, there's an arrow mark on the map that says "Italian Market, 2 Blocks South"! The Italian Market is a fixture of South Philly, and it's not even on this map!
   If I lived in the US now I'd be sending this map back. As it is, it would cost me as much in postage as I paid for it, so instead I'm using it as a bookmark for Anderson's "The Code of the Street" (btw, Germantown Avenue, which figures largely in Anderson's book, is also missing from this map). After that... maybe I'll iron the map into an interesting placemat. I mean, it is well laminated. (And that's about the best I can say for this waste of $7.00 plus shipping to Japan.)
   Rather than take a chance on another sight-unseen map, I'm just printing off Google's map pages and taping them together. If you are looking for a map of Philadelphia and thinking about this one, look elsewhere.



3. While the laminate is great, the map is not of Philadelphia but a small part of the city. Not what I wanted.



4. The map of Philadelphia is perfect for visitors who want to see the important sights. It's clearly written and I love that it's laminated so that it doesn't tear. It's easy to carry in a purse - not bulky. I know it's going to come in very handy on my trip to Philly next month.



5. As other reviewers pointed out, this is only "city center". When I used it, I did end up going just off the map's borders a few times but I was all-right and found my way back home. The map is well made, laminated, has major points of interest noted. I'd recommend it. Definitely nicer than those huge maps at the gas stations or cheap freebies. After using a Knopf mapguide, I must say though that they are my favorite maps by far, but their selection is very limited and doesn't include Philly. For a nice Philly map, your other option besides this would be to get the Moleskine, which is more like a map/journal, but has full map and transportation coverage and certainly has more detail and more coverage area than this Streetwise.

5 comments about THE COMPLETE GETTYSBURG GUIDE: Walking and Driving Tours of the Battlefield, Town, Cemeteries, Field Hospital Sites, and other Topics of Historical Interest.

1. Calling a book complete in most instances will open you up to complaints that it is not "really" complete and reviewers, bloggers, and complainers will pick it apart. The Complete Gettysburg Guide however is not one of those type books. It really is complete and then some. Not only is it complete it is a treat to look at and also to read.
   
   J. David Petruzzi runs the blog Hoofbeats and Cold Steel in addition to his day job. He is the co-author of several other books and is considered an expert on the Battle of Gettysburg. Steven Stanley is a well known cartographer whose work is known by anyone who is a member of the Civil War Preservation Trust. These gentlemen are well qualified to write such a book.
   
   For the average tourist the $40 price tag isn't going to sit well. But this is not just a travel guide in the conventional sense and you aren't going to find paid advertisements, diamond ratings, shopping sites, where to stay or eat in this guide. What you are going to find is an experts look at the city of Gettysburg and it's surroundings. If you are only looking for the other stuff stay away this isn't for you. If you are serious about learning what is at Gettysburg you can't do any better than this.
   
   The first thing you will notice about the book is the physical quality. This is a heavy book printed on quality paper. This is meant to stand up to a good amount of usage. When you open the book you can't help but be impressed with the overall quality. The printing, photos, and maps are all top notch. Did I mention maps? You'll get one just about every 3-4 pages. The maps are bright, large, and easy to follow. The book is also filled with beautiful contemporary photos as well as period pieces that really help tell the story. Each chapter also includes an excellent "additional reading" section which leads readers who want more information to further sources.
   
   The book starts out with an excellent overview of the Gettysburg campaign and battle. Petruzzi gets us off on the right foot even if you know little about the battle. From there we move to various driving and walking tours. If you follow along you will get to see many places that most visitors never get to see while still not missing the highlights. Petruzzi gives excellent driving directions and urges caution in areas that are congested or dangerous. He is also correct to point out and remind us that many of the areas are on private property and he cautions us to use courtesy and pay respect to property owners. Just good common sense but an excellent reminder none the less.
   
   To me the strong point of the book is the lesser known areas. The National Cemetery and Evergreen Cemetery tours are highlights in my opinion. There is also an excellent tour of historical sites in the city of Gettysburg including the David Wills House, where it is believed Abraham Lincoln put the finishing touches on his Gettysburg Address, the Jeannie Wade House, amongst others. If you are interested in rock carvings there is a great tour here that will take you to all the currently known locations. Some are from the war and many are from after but this is an interesting tour idea in my view. If Civil War medicine is your bag there is a great tour that outlines the known locations of Union and Confederate field hospitals. There are also tours dealing with skirmishes on the outskirts of the main fields of battle.
   
   If you are really interested in learning about Gettysburg and getting the most out of a trip there you will do no better than picking up a copy of this book. This book is highly recommended for anybody who is interested in Gettysburg. No matter your level of knowledge there is much to be gained from this book. This will be the book against which all others will be judged. Guides like this are needed for other battlefields and this should be the standard that authors and publishers use when comparing their work.



2. I purchased The Complete Gettysburg Guide ,by J.D. Petruzzi, back in July when the book first became available. I had the chance to visit Gettysburg over Thanksgiving, so I was able to put the book to the test. I was able to visit areas of the battlefield that I have missed over the years, including the scene of the brickyard fight at Coster Avenue and the Slyder Farm. First off, the book gives a wonderful description of what happened at each tour stop and gives very specific directions on how to get to each stop. For example, Coster Avenue is a tiny section that contains several monuments. This area is almost hidden within the town itself, but the directions given in the book got me right where I needed to go.
   
   The book also has wonderful chapters on the National Cemetery and Evergreen Cemetery, as well as a unique chapters on rock carvings. For each rock carving there is a section titled "Let's Find It". This provides a great description on how to find each carving. I searched for several rock carvings and had success in finding each one based on the directions.
   
   There is so much in this book that it would be impossible to cover it all in one visit to Gettysburg. I am already using the book to plan my next visit. Overall, this is one book that belongs on the shelf of anyone with an interest in the battle of Gettysburg. J.D. explains the events so that it is understandable to someone just getting interested in the battle as well as someone who has made repeated visits. The maps and photography of Steven Stanley are outstanding and really help in understanding the various parts of the battlefield. My only wish is that this book was available when I first visited Gettysburg back in 1994.
   
   Scott Stemler



3. 
   
   If you plan on visiting Gettysburg or have been to Gettysburg and want to enhance your experience, this book is a must!!!



4. This book is beautifully laid out. It has excellent maps and thorough and informative information about the battle sites, historical figures and of the events. I also like the tour of the town. It was easy to follow and didn't have to be done in any particular order. I highly recommend this book. For a different look at Gettysburg and its surrounding area, check out the historical novel The Gettysburg Conspiracy



5. J. David Patruzzi has put together a wonderful book for Gettysburg historians and newbies alike. This work is not just a field guide but a terrific history too. The maps by Steven Stanley are some of the best in any Gettysburg book and are easily read and understood, while they show multiple positions for each unit. J.D. Patruzzi put in old photgraphs I have not seen before and they help show the terrain as the soldiers saw it. The hard back book is the highest quality and the pages are slick high stock paper. Now if all you Gettysburg historians buy this book, then maybe later we can get the Spiral paper back version to take in the field. This one is too nice to leave my library.