A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World
by Tony Horwitz
from Henry Holt and Co.
The bestselling author of Blue Latitudes takes us on a thrilling and eye-opening voyage to pre-Mayflower America
On a chance visit to Plymouth Rock, Tony Horwitz realizes he’s mislaid more than a century of American history, from Columbus’s sail in 1492 to Jamestown’s founding in 16-oh-something. Did nothing happen in between? Determined to find out, he embarks on a journey of rediscovery, following in the footsteps of the many Europeans who preceded the Pilgrims to America.
An irresistible blend of history, myth, and misadventure, A Voyage Long and Strange captures the wonder and drama of first contact. Vikings, conquistadors, French voyageurs—these and many others roamed an unknown continent in quest of grapes, gold, converts, even a cure for syphilis. Though most failed, their remarkable exploits left an enduring mark on the land and people encountered by late-arriving English settlers.
Tracing this legacy with his own epic trek—from Florida’s Fountain of Youth to Plymouth’s sacred Rock, from desert pueblos to subarctic sweat lodges—Tony Horwitz explores the revealing gap between what we enshrine and what we forget. Displaying his trademark talent for humor, narrative, and historical insight, A Voyage Long and Strange allows us to rediscover the New World for ourselves.
The Milepost 2008 (Milepost)
from Morris Communications Company
Maui Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook (Maui Revealed)
by Andrew Doughty
from Wizard Publications Inc.
USA Today calls it, "An authoritative and in-depth look at all that the island offers." The author is a resident who personally and anonymously reviews every facet of Maui. From restaurants to helicopter companies to scuba to beaches to trails, he sees it all and shows you the best Maui has to offer.
The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook: Kauai Revealed (Ultimate Kauai Guidebook)
by Andrew Doughty
from Wizard Publications Inc.
The finest guidebook ever written for Kauai and the only one written by writers who anonymously review the island. They visit every beach, restaurant, activity and trail on the island. The result is this comprehensive, humorous and easy-to-read full color guide that will lead you to more adventures than any other book. A must for travelers.
Into the Wild
by Jon Krakauer
from Anchor
"God, he was a smart kid..." So why did Christopher McCandless trade a bright future--a college education, material comfort, uncommon ability and charm--for death by starvation in an abandoned bus in the woods of Alaska? This is the question that Jon Krakauer's book tries to answer. While it doesn't—cannot—answer the question with certainty, Into the Wild does shed considerable light along the way. Not only about McCandless's "Alaskan odyssey," but also the forces that drive people to drop out of society and test themselves in other ways. Krakauer quotes Wallace Stegner's writing on a young man who similarly disappeared in the Utah desert in the 1930s: "At 18, in a dream, he saw himself ... wandering through the romantic waste places of the world. No man with any of the juices of boyhood in him has forgotten those dreams." Into the Wild shows that McCandless, while extreme, was hardly unique; the author makes the hermit into one of us, something McCandless himself could never pull off. By book's end, McCandless isn't merely a newspaper clipping, but a sympathetic, oddly magnetic personality. Whether he was "a courageous idealist, or a reckless idiot," you won't soon forget Christopher McCandless.
In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter.  How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.
Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, McCandless had roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir.  In the Mojave Desert he abandoned his car, stripped it of its license plates, and burned all of his  cash.  He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and , unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented.  Craving a blank spot on the map, McCandless simply threw the maps away.  Leaving behind his desperate parents and sister, he vanished into the wild.
Jon Krakauer constructs a clarifying prism through which he reassembles the disquieting facts of McCandless's short life.  Admitting an interst that borders on obsession, he searches for the clues to the dries and desires that propelled McCandless.  Digging deeply, he takes an inherently compelling mystery and unravels the larger riddles it holds: the profound pull of the American wilderness on our imagination; the allure of high-risk activities to young men of a certain cast of mind; the complex, charged bond between fathers and sons.
When McCandless's innocent mistakes turn out to be irreversible and fatal, he becomes the stuff of tabloid headlines and is dismissed for his naiveté, pretensions, and hubris.  He is said  to have had a death wish but wanting to die is a very different thing from being compelled to look over the edge. Krakauer brings McCandless's uncompromising pilgrimage out of the shadows, and the peril, adversity , and renunciation sought by this enigmatic young man are illuminated with a rare understanding--and not an ounce of sentimentality. Mesmerizing, heartbreaking, Into the Wild is a tour de force. The power and luminosity of Jon Krakauer's stoytelling blaze through every page.
Oahu Revealed: The Ultimate Guide to Honolulu, Waikiki & Beyond (Oahu Revisited)
by Andrew Doughty
from Wizard Publications Inc.
The most comprehensive yet easy-to-use guidebook series to Hawaii brings you the second edition of Oahu Revealed. Written by the author of the best-selling guides, Maui Revealed, Hawaii The Big Island Revealed and The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook. He actually hikes all the trails, rides the boats, scuba dives the reefs, dines in the restaurants, reviews all the resorts, snorkels the coastline, explores the hidden waterfalls and shares all the secrets that he finds. Everything is reviewed anonymously. This book and a rental car are all you need to discover what makes Oahu so exciting.
Hawaii The Big Island Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook (Hawaii the Big Island Revealed)
by Andrew Doughty
from Wizard Publications Inc.
The finest guidebook ever written for the Big Island and the only one written by writers who anonymously review the island. They visit every beach, restaurant, activity and trail on the island. The result is this comprehensive, humorous and easy-to-read full color guide that will lead you to more adventures than any other book. A must for travelers.
Frommer's Alaska 2008 (Frommer's Complete)
by Charles P. Wohlforth
from Frommers
Frommer's. The best trips start here.
Experience a place the way the locals do. Enjoy the best it has to offer.
* Insider advice on enjoying the great Alaskan wilderness, from whale-watching and kayaking to fishing for Pacific salmon.
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Outspoken opinions on what's worth your time and what's not.
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Exact prices, so you can plan the perfect trip whatever your budget.
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Off-the-beaten-path experiences and undiscovered gems, plus new takes on top attractions.
The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2008 (Unofficial Guides)
by Bob Sehlinger
from Wiley
From the publishers of The Unofficial Guide® to Walt Disney World®
"A Tourist's Best Friend!"
—Chicago Sun-Times
"Indispensable"
—The New York Times
Five Great Features and Benefits offered ONLY by The Unofficial Guide®:
- Every attraction ranked and rated for each age group, based on interviews and surveys of more than 7,500 families
- When and where to go: the best times of the year and the best days of the week for each park
- All the Disneyland-area hotels ranked and rated for value and quality of rooms
- Field tested itineraries for adults and families with children that can save more than three hours of waiting in line
- Complete coverage of Disney's California Adventure® theme park and Universal Studios Hollywood
Sample Rating
Soarin'
Appeal by age Preschool — Grade school Teens Young adults Over 30 Seniors
What it is Flight simulation ride. Scope and scale Super headliner. When to go First 30 minutes the park is open or use FASTPASS. Special comments Entrance on the lower level of The Land pavilion. May induce motion sickness; 40" minimum-height requirement; switching off available (see pages 266–268). Author's rating Exciting and mellow at the same time; ......5. Not to be missed. Duration of ride 4 minutes. Loading speed Moderate.
Frommer's Alaska Cruises & Ports of Call 2008 (Frommer's Cruises)
by Jerry Brown
from Frommers
Experience the best a place has to offer on the cruise that's right for you. Frommer's. Your trip begins with us.
- Exact prices, including brochure rates, with tips on how to find deep discounts, so you can plan the perfect trip no matter what your budget.
- Extensive descriptions of all the major ships sailing in Alaska, with information on everything from cabins and ship facilities to shore excursions and recreational activities.
- Comprehensive ship ratings that grade the essential elements of a cruise experience (dining, activities, children's programs, public areas, cleanliness, and overall enjoyment) from "poor" to "outstanding."
- Complete coverage of the Inside Passage and Gulf of Alaska, with off-the-beaten-path experiences and new takes on top attractions.
- Bonus wildlife guide in the appendix highlights the animals you're most likely to see-from whales to bald eagles to bears.
+++
Alara West 3 STARS
Disney's Old Key West Resort
Renovated in 2005, this fully air-conditioned hotel comprises 761 rooms spread over a 3-storey main building and 56 annexe blocks. Facilities within the themed hotel include a foyer with a 24-hour reception desk, a currency exchange desk, a cloakroom and lifts. A relaxed family-friendly atmosphere is offered in Olivia's Café. Further facilities include a newspaper stand, a delicatessen, a games room and a laundrette's (fees apply). There is a playground for younger guests and those arriving by c
Holiday Inn West 3 STARS
Ohana Waikiki West 3 STARS
This large, family-friendly hotel comprises 663 rooms spread over 18 floors. Facilities include a foyer with a 24-hour reception desk, a currency exchange desk, a cloakroom, and a lift in addition to a laundry service and a laundrette. Located onsite are a Starbuck's café (open from early until late), Chili's Restaurant (lunch and the evening meal) and a popular Country und Western bar. Charges apply for use of the garage parking.
YMCA West Side - Shared Bathroom 1 STAR
Quality Inn Airport West Mississauga 3 STARS
Holiday Inn Maingate West 4 STARS
This family hotel offers excellent quality and includes a total of 295 rooms spread over 6 floors. It offers its guests a bar, a restaurant, a delicatessen and Internet access. Guests may additionally make use of the laundry service. Parking spaces and a garage are also on offer for those arriving by car.
Delta Toronto Airport West 3 STARS
Amerisuites Miami Airport West 3 STARS
Crowne Plaza Minneapolis Airport West 4 STARS
This hotel underwent renovation work in 2004 and comprises a main building as well as an annexe block each with 6 floors offering a total of 253 rooms. Facilities include a foyer with a 24-hour reception desk, air conditioning, safes and a lift in addition to a cosy cocktail lounge, a bar and an air-conditioned restaurant. The room and laundry services may be taken advantage of and there is car parking as well as a garage for those arriving by car.
