Melissa DeVaughn

I have this fantasy that one day my husband and I will be able to recreate this amazing trip to Alaska my parents took where they bought a used florist van, rigged two fold down beds in back, and drove to Alaska (from Louisiana) sleeping on the side of the road, and then camped and fished for two months. That was the primary motivation for requesting this from ER. Everywhere should have a guide like this. In addition to sections devoted to regions, they breakdown chapters by activity. I loved that. I hate having to wade through things in which I have no interest in traditional guidebooks.… (meer)

At first glance this new guidebook seemed to be a bit awkward with its pages lined in black border. From the review below, I better understand that this may in fact be ingenious as it keeps the edges from being muddied by dirty hands. For those seeking adventure, this book seems to pack in all of the myriad of activities that are popular today. From what I can understand this book seems to fill a much needed purpose to collate the resources that are in Alaska into one readable guidebook. The maps are very well done. The book also gives lots of great advice, which is probably very helpful for new travelers to the great state.… (meer)

I've been to Alaska twice, so I was eager to see how yet another travel author chose to organize and present travel information.

Got to say right at the beginning that I really appreciate the "look" of this travel guide. You can't tell from the cover, but each page has about a 1/4" black border on the top, bottom and unbound edge. This gives the book a sort of sophisticated appearance, and is practical in that slightly dirty hands (from hiking, etc., OR a quick makeup touch-up ;-) is not going to soil the page edges.

In regards to content, I enjoyed the practical opening chapters, entitled "Understanding Alaska", "Planning Your Trip" and "Getting Around". The first chapter is really important and if you do nothing else, study the Mileage Chart. Alaska is just SO huge, and knowing how long it takes to get from place to place is essential for successful trip planning.

The following chapters are organized alphabetically into eight activities, then into geographic regions. Choosing Day Hiking as my activity, I see that this chapter (and all the other activity chapters) start with a "Checklist for Success", entailing equipment, safety into (words on bear safety, in this case) and practical, common sense advise. The chapter continues by detailing hikes in various regions, including difficulty, time required, suitability for children, points of interest, etc.

The region-specific chapters provide further info with maps, lodging (including camping and RV options) and dining suggestions and thoughts on other things to do besides adventure activities. There is information on State Parks in each region.

If you day hike, backpack, kayak, or even "adventure cruise", I'd highly recommend this guide. Though we aren't the most physically adventurous couple, my husband and I would have benefited on our visits from all of the wonderful information in this book.… (meer)