Western Fiction

[ReviewAZON asin="B002L5I6VW"].[/ReviewAZON] Read the rest of this entry »

[ReviewAZON asin="0470537671"]A park lover's must-have, the information provided in this behemoth of a book is almost as impressive as the redwoods that grace its cover. With a focus on helping visitors avoid the crowds, National Parks of the American West provides painstakingly researched details on more than 40 national parks, monuments, seashores, and preserves.

Frommer's explains their intent in the introduction: "Our authors have talked to the rangers, hiked the trails, and taken the tours, all the while asking, 'How can our readers avoid the crowds?' In each of following chapters you'll find a section giving you straightforward, practical advice on just how to do this.... We've searched for secluded trails that can be hiked by the average person, scenic drives where you won't get caught in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and points where, with only a minimum of effort, you'll be afforded spectacular views without feeling as if you're packed into Times Square on New Year's Eve."

There is probably not a question you have that this book doesn't answer: each park listing includes tips from park rangers, ideas especially for kids, excellent maps, entrance fee information, the best driving and walking tours, campground overviews, food and other lodging, contacts for activities and recreation, and interesting sidebars. --Kathryn True[/ReviewAZON]

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[ReviewAZON asin="0847832481"]The American ranch embodies a rich architectural tradition that has been passed down through generations of ranchers. This book presents twenty-five of the most spectacular Western ranches, including important historical structures and those designed for today’s newest ranch owners. With three hundred newly commissioned color photographs of ranches in Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, California, Oregon, New Mexico, and Texas, the book will appeal to ranch dwellers as well as homeowners inspired by this rustic and romantic architectural style. The original ranches included property for livestock and structures that were built to withstand the natural forces of a harsh climate. Today, as in the past, life in the West means long winters and a need for shelter that encloses and protects. House designs and rooflines mimic the forms of the surrounding foothills and mountains, and today’s ranches often feature reclaimed materials—rubble, abandoned artifacts, cut stone, and forged iron—put to new use. Materials, often cut by hand, are basic and echo those used in past: logs, shingles and shakes, branches, fieldstones, sandstones, and flagstones. The prevalence of renowned architects and interior designers working in the West, as well as an increasing number of celebrity owners, demonstrate that ranch living is popular and on the rise.[/ReviewAZON] Read the rest of this entry »

[ReviewAZON asin="B002LMEDG2"]This item is backed by the American West Lifetime Guarantee.[/ReviewAZON] Read the rest of this entry »