One for the Road: Moon Spain Handbook

by Kelly Amabile on

One flip through the first few pages of the Moon Spain Handbook and I’m itching to get back there. The intro to this new book begins with a colorful overview of a country bursting with life — the Plaza Mayor, Costa Brava, La Rioja, Galicia. A smart color-coded map marks Spain’s regions in a rainbow, an appropriate way to introduce the diversity that exists throughout this Iberian gem.

The guide starts with a short summary of each region, followed by a few suggested itineraries. It then gets meaty, beginning with the very heart of Spain. After dissecting nightlife, shopping, accommodations, sports, cultural offerings and food (of course!) for Madrid, the guide moves on to do the same for Castilla-La Mancha, Cataluna (including an expanded chapter on Barcelona), Aragon, Valencia, Andalucia, the Islas Baleares and other regions. The 900-page handbook wraps up with a section of county background information – logistics, cultural tidbits, history and popular festivals. It’s comprehensive, but still lightweight enough to accompany you on a visit to any or all of these areas.

Moon’s Spain handbook is one of three European guides that were released recently — a first for the popular guidebook series. Ireland and London were also published this spring.

One for the Road: Take a Hike New York City

by Kelly Amabile on

Of all the books I’ve mentioned during this week’s I Love New York series, this is the one I’ve enjoyed using the most, but not nearly as much as I’d like to. There’s really no good excuse, but I’ll blame it on winter weather.

All the suggested hikes featured in Moon’s Take a Hike New York City are located within two hours of Manhattan by bus, train or car. Skip Card has gathered a great selection of hiking options that stretch out in all directions: Fire Island’s Otis Pike Wilderness, the Staten Island Blue Trail, the Shawangunks in Ulster County, and thirteen sections of the New York Appalachian Trail. There are also 15 New Jersey hikes and suggested walks in Central Park, the Botanical Garden’s Native Forest and Jamaica Bay’s Wildlife Refuge.

The handy cross-reference section highlights the best hikes for kids and those with interests like bird-watching, geology and history. I used this book to navigate four hikes last fall — two near Ringwood in western New Jersey, and two in the western Hudson region. I agree with Card’s pick of the Norvin Green Crest Loop as one of the best for variety and high peaks. His description of the Ringwood Manor Loop provides a nice overview of the estate’s history. And all the other entries offer more of the same, including clear directions for finding trail heads and those all-important hints for picking the best lunchtime pit-stops.

One for the Road (04/08/07)

by Kelly Amabile on

The remote island of Rapa Nui is known as Easter Island thanks to Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen, who christened the name when he came upon the secluded spot in the South Pacific on Easter Sunday in 1722.

Many travel guides simply include a section on the island (and its famous mysterious moai statues) in their books that cover Chile. One of the more recently updated guides containing information on Easter Island is the Moon Guide to Chile. The second edition of this book was released in January 2007 and is written by Wayne Bernhardson, who has been traveling to Chile since 1979.

Whatever resources you use to research a visit, be sure to thumb through several Chile guides to compare their Easter Island sections. A good starting point right on the web is the Easter Island Foundation, a handy and well-organized online guide to the history, culture and people of Easter Island. Their Ideal Easter Island Bookshelf is an excellent place to look for additional book resources.