A hike for every interest and ability! This brand-new entry in the popular Explorer's 50 Hikes series covers the most interesting hiking trails in Orange County, California, providing diverse hikes in a variety of wilderness environments: from a short walk along a concrete channel to see endangered green sea turtles to more challenging hikes to find tide pools, waterfalls, and the treasures of the county’s private nature preserves. Each hike provides detailed directions and maps and offers a unique perspective on its environs—whether hot springs, earthquake faults, or vibrant wildflower displays—giving as close an experience as possible to hiking with a live guide. Several area hikes are available only in this book, making it a must-have for your California sojourn.

Find the perfect spot for your beach blanket as you follow Trish to spectacular sun-splashed locations the crowds have yet to discover. With this guide, travel planning Florida's Gold Coast is a breeze. This is the ultimate guide for discriminating travelers who desire authentic experiences rather than canned entertainment—the natural beauty and rhythms of destinations instead of carbon-copy hotels with commonplace restaurants. Organized from Palm Beach south to Key West, this updated edition looks beyond the obvious and shares the unique, off-beat side of Florida. It even includes eco-friendly tips and environmental information about the region. Author Trish Riley has scoured the area for legendary chefs and local harvests, historic downtown districts, cozy inns, and sizzling beaches. Whether you enjoy camping out or savoring fine linen sheets, bird-watching or deep-sea fishing, here you will find the most up-to-date advice to make your trip unforgettable. Find out why the Explorer's Great Destinations series is “consistently rated the best guides to the regions covered. Readable, tasteful, appealingly designed. Strong on dining, lodging, culture, and history.”—National Geographic Traveler

A comprehensive guide to the Adirondacks and beyond Completely updated, now in full color, this guide provides details of Adirondack Park’s history and geography as well as the cultural, lodging, dining, shopping, and recreational opportunities that abound here and in its gateway cities (including Saratoga Springs and Glens Falls). Full of unbiased critical opinions and candid reviews from an author who is immersed in the region; up-to-date, detailed maps; and gorgeous photos throughout—this is an invaluable guide for your next trip.

This completely revised second edition of the definitive South Florida guidebook offers coverage of Tampa, the Gulf Coast, South Beach, Miami, and the Keys. In diverse, exciting South Florida you might catch a glimpse of an endangered Florida panther in a nature preserve in the morning and visit a four-star restaurant and world-class nightclub that evening. This rich destination welcomes visitors from all over the world with its vibrant arts communities and multicultural historic sites, luxurious seaside resorts and lush forests, and some of the best fishing and diving in the United States. With cattle ranches and citrus groves all the way down to the mighty swamps of the Everglades and Big Cypress there are endless opportunities for exploration and discovery for singles, couples, and families. From eco-friendly establishments and environmental information about the region to its trendy nightlife, out-of-the-way attractions, and best beach hotels, Explorer’s Guide South Florida is a thorough introduction to an alluring place that tourists as well as locals simply shouldn’t miss. Detailed maps, an index, an alphabetical “What’s Where” subject guide, and helpful icons that highlight places that offer special value, are pet-, gay-, and family-friendly, and are wheelchair accessible round out this incredible resource, your perfect travel companion.

“Adkins’s insightful assessments are right on the mark . . . The historical references and insider’s tips made me want to pack my luggage immediately.”—Connie Yingling, Maryland Office of Tourism Development Maryland offers an abundance of natural and cultural riches. Limitless exploration and entertainment opportunities await travelers and residents alike, and this thoroughly revised edition of Explorer’s Guide Maryland is the perfect companion for every excursion. The best restaurants, places to stay, and activities for every budget and interest are laid out in an easy-to-navigate guide as useful on the bookshelf as it is in the glove compartment. Descriptions and listings cover the whole state, including the quiet Eastern Shore; picturesque, historic Annapolis; the heart of downtown Baltimore; the many historical sites dotting the southern region; and the scenic northwestern mountains. Detailed maps and a “What’s Where” subject guide will aid in travel planning. Author Leonard Adkins spent months traveling to research hundreds of inns, B&Bs, vacation cottages, museums, historic sites, special shops, fishing areas, and much more. Want to know where to find the quintessential crab feast? The finest five-star restaurant? All the Maryland reviews and recommendations you’ll ever need are right here. Features include: hundreds of dining and lodging reviews, from soft-shell crabs to four-star cuisine; opinionated listings of inns, B&Bs, hotels, and vacation cottages; up-to-date regional and downtown maps; an alphabetical "what's where" guide for trip planning; handy icons pointing out places that offer best value, cater to families, welcome pets, and provide handicapped access; calendar guides to annual events and celebrations.

First published in 1938, Explorer’s Wife is a heartfelt autobiography by Emma Wotton De Long, widow to arctic explorer George Washington De Long, lost to the disastrous Jeannette Expedition, 1879-1881. This endearing and detailed account recalls the lives of Emma and George during their young courtship, the preparations of the Jeannette Expedition, through to its voyage and ultimate demise. Written from a woman’s perspective, her story chronicles the departure and loss of her husband through letters exchanged between the two, along with documents and anecdotes from the time. The Jeannette Expedition was captained by George Washington De Long, a US naval officer, and set sail for the arctic in 1879. Along with many of his men, De Long perished when their expedition ran into problems in the Bering Sea. Of the 33 crew members that departed on the voyage, only 13 arrived safely back on US soil. In this compelling account, Emma Wotton De Long provides a refreshing perspective on the naval catastrophe from a widow’s point of view. Explorer’s Wife is an excellent read for any interested in tragic maritime history and those looking to learn more about the arctic explorations of the past.

“Danger was all that thrilled him,” Dick Byrd’s mother once remarked, and from his first pioneering aviation adventures in Greenland in 1925, through his daring flights to the top and bottom of the world and across the Atlantic, Richard E. Byrd dominated the American consciousness during the tumultuous decades between the world wars. He was revered more than Charles Lindbergh, deliberately exploiting the public’s hunger for vicarious adventure. Yet some suspected him of being a poseur, and a handful reviled him as a charlatan who claimed great deeds he never really accomplished. Then he overreached himself, foolishly choosing to endure a blizzard-lashed six-month polar night alone at an advance weather observation post more than one hundred long miles down a massive Antarctic ice shelf. His ordeal proved soul-shattering, his rescue one of the great epics of polar history. As his star began to wane, enemies grew bolder, and he struggled to maintain his popularity and political influence, while polar exploration became progressively bureaucratized and militarized. Yet he chose to return again and again to the beautiful, hateful, haunted secret land at the bottom of the earth, claiming, not without justification, that he was “Mayor of this place.” Lisle A. Rose has delved into Byrd’s recently available papers together with those of his supporters and detractors to present the first complete, balanced biography of one of recent history’s most dynamic figures. Explorer covers the breadth of Byrd’s astonishing life, from the early days of naval aviation through his years of political activism to his final efforts to dominate Washington’s growing interest in Antarctica. Rose recounts with particular care Byrd’s two privately mounted South Polar expeditions, bringing to bear new research that adds considerable depth to what we already know. He offers views of Byrd’s adventures that challenge earlier criticism of him—including the controversy over his claim to being the first to have flown over the North Pole in 1926—and shows that the critics’ arguments do not always mesh with historical evidence. Throughout this compelling narrative, Rose offers a balanced view of an ambitious individual who was willing to exaggerate but always adhered to his principles—a man with a vision of himself and the world that inspired others, who cultivated the rich and famous, and who used his notoriety to espouse causes such as world peace. Explorer paints a vivid picture of a brilliant but flawed egoist, offering the definitive biography of the man and armchair adventure of the highest order.