Lonely Planet Blue List Review

by Erik Olsen on

I
got my hands on a copy of another book out from Lonely Planet, the guidebook
publisher who has lately been churning out all manner of new titles related to travel. Now, I have to say up front that
I am biased. I LOVE Lonely Planet. I love everything about the company (well, except for Tony Wheeler’s Web
site), and was gleeful about my own fortune in doing a podcast months ago with Don
George, one of my travel writer heroes. 

Well, one of the newest titles out from LP is a kind of
encyclopedia of opportunity, a sprawling tome of life-experiences that will make your head whirl and will have you
reaching for your credit card to book the next flight out of dodge.

The idea behind Bluelist is simple, and certainly well-known
to anyone who has been on the road for a while. As LP puts it, “to Bluelist something is the travel equivalent of
‘you should see my guy, he’s the best’. It’s the act of recommending a travel experience. Any travel experience.”
In this case, these experiences and places are suggested for you by the editors and writers at LP…who should
know.

And so the book is loaded with page after elegant page of tips, suggestions and recommendations from
nooks and cities all over the world. It’s good, and the kind of book you’d keep on your coffee table and
thumb through while half-watching a football game or something.

Now, if I have anything negative to say
it’s that some of the entries are sparse and much of the book lacks depth…at least the kind of depth you
expect from Lonely Planet. Now that may be the point, but when you read about a great trip like Overland Track in
Tasmania, you want o know more. I suppose they
expect that you will go to the (impressive) Bluelist Web site, or will Google the place on your own. Anyway,
that’s my gripe. Otherwise ,it’s a nice addition to the LP oeuvre.

Zinn and the Art of Fixing Bikes

by Erik Olsen on

An old friend of
mine from Seattle used to head into the mountains outside the city to go on epic bike rides that would last for many
hours. He’d load up his bike, pack a bit of food and water, and then, conspicuously, he’d always have a
copy of Zinn
and the Art of Mountain Bike Maintenance.

The book is something of a bible among the hard-core fat-tire
set. It is written by long-time VeloNews writer Lennard Zinn, who recently updated the utilitarian time for 2006. The
2006 edition contains more of all the info you came to expect from its predecessors including all-new fixes,
adjustments, installations and overhauls for your bike. Zinn’s book is one of the most comprehensive amateur
bicycle repair and maintenance tutorials available, and this new addition is getting a big thumbs up from fat fire fans
everywhere. And keep in mind if you’re a road biker, that there is an edition for you as well called Zinn and the Art of
Road Bike Maintenance.

Crank Brothers' Pump

by Erik Olsen on

I’ve been stuck just a couple of times in my lifetime with flat tires on the trail, but each time, I was
grateful that I packed along a pump. Or that the guy I was riding with did. Still, the pump I have, while serving its
purpose nicely, is not that great.  I think I bought it way back when in Seattle for, like, $30 or something. And
to be honest, I kind of dread using it because it’s a pain and makes me feel like I’m doing a workout just
to get my tires firmed up.

So with that said, let me introduce you to the Crank Brothers’ new Power
Pump Ultra. Just 5 and a half inches long, this compact pump is an impressive leap ahead in pump technology. An
innovative dial setting at the base lets you switch among high-volume and high-pressure systems, and so the easier
setting will help reduce arm weariness.

Sadly, it seems the pump comes sans frame mount, but it’s small and light enough to fit into a pocket or your
pack. And the price is right. The Crank Bros pump runs just $30. Nice gift for that very very last minute need.

 

 

Times’ BIking Guide

by Erik Olsen on

Haven’t posted too much about biking lately, and while I dug around a lot and found some good links, I did just want to alert folks to the New York Times’ biking guide. Now, you may not think that the Times is exactly the kind of news source that’s gonna have a lot to say about biking. You’re probably right. But bear with me for a moment, and take a look at an article like this one, by Jeffrey Gettleman, who biked his way around Tanzania earlier this year. Now, that’s good biking journalism. Another piece takes you to Sedona, where the fat tire opps are prodigious. So you see. Good stuff for you.

Sloan Canyon

by Erik Olsen on

If you’re into petroglyphs, you will be way into
Sloan Canyon, a sacred Indian site
that is not only beautiful, but it is also home to more than 1,700 petroglyphs. Reaching the canyon can be tough. It
was designated a National Conservation Area last year, which is one of the Park Service’s higher listings. But as
I say, to get there you have to take all sorts of side roads and backtracks, and it is easy to get lost. So here are
some directions. As you can see from the photo, not
only are petrolyphs available to see, but so are fleet of foot mountain goats. Pretty cool. After a day of exploring,
head to Boulder City’s Boulder Dam Hotel where you can then gaze over the magnificent Hoover Dam.