How can it be that there is no Hall of Fame for dogs? There is a Pinball Hall of Fame, a Mascot Hall of Fame, a Hot Dog Hall of Fame. There is a Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. There is a Robot Hall of Fame. There is a Burlesque Hall of Fame. There are an estimated 3,000 halls of fame. And no Hall of Fame for dogs. A "hall of fame" is a Bavarian idea, hatched by King Ludwig I to display portraits of 36 of his country's most breathtaking Frauleins. In 1853 he built a classical Greek temple in Munich and lined the walls behind the Doric colonnade with busts of historical figures who had brought glory to the kingdom of Bavaria and the Germanic peoples. He called his creation the Ruhmeshalle - the Hall of Fame.But it was really the Americans who took the Hall of Fame ball and ran with it. On New York University in 1901 Henry Mitchell MacCracken launched the Hall of Fame For Great Americans. The first 29 inductees received busts placed in an actual "hall" designed by the esteemed architect, Stanford White. There was no consensus on who was truly a "great American" - only George Washington was inducted unanimously by a board of electors assiduously assembled by MacCracken. No dog was ever included in the Hall of Fame For Great Americans.And so it began. Now quilters are honored, polka dancers are honored, tow truck drivers are honored, stickball players are honored, toys are honored, kites are honored...but not our best friends. Until now. So let's get started and meet the inductees into the World Dog Hall of Fame.But before we get going, a word. Some of the stories you are about to encounter may seem the stuff of fantasy to the jaded 21st century eye. But lay down your cynical stick before trying to beat every last kernel of truth from the tales. After all, historians are not united in believing all the stories from Babe Ruth's life, the greatest of all American sports heroes. It is possible to be famous and not have every scrap of your fame verified. And this is a book that celebrates fame.It's time to meet...Seaman...frontier explorer, Barry...mountain rescuer, Greyfriars Bobby...loyal dog, Sallie Ann Jarrett...war dog, Old Drum...hunting dog, Bob...railway dog, Nipper...spokesdog, Owney...postal dog, Jean...movie actor, Warren Remedy...show dog, Togo...sled dog, Stubby...war dog, Strongheart...movie actor, Rags...war dog, Rin Tin Tin...movie actor, Hachiko...loyal dog, Mick the Miller...dog racer, Buddy...guide dog, Patsy Ann...town dog, Shep...loyal dog, Skippy...movie actor, Terry/Toto...movie actor, Sinbad...war dog, Brownie...town dog, Chips...war dog, Fala...Presidential dog, Pal...movie actor, Bing...war dog, Smoky...war dog, King Buck...field dog, Laika...space dog, Higgins...movie actor, Count & Dingo...space dogs, Westy Whizzer...dog racer, Ashley Whippet...sport dog, Ballyregan Bob...dog racer, Endal...service dog, Uggie...movie actor, Chaser...smart dog

CLICK HERE to download the difficult hike in New Hampshire up "Smarts Mountain" and the easy hike in Vermont around "Abbey Pond" from Best Hikes with Dogs New Hampshire & Vermont * New Hamshire and Vermont trails rated 1-4 paws to show difficulty for dog owners and their four-legged friends * Terrain that's hazard free and easy on the dog paws * On most trails, no leashes required and no large crowds Lisa Densmore hiked more than 300 miles in New Hampshire and Vermont mostly with her faithful trail companion Bravo, a Chesapeake Bay retriever, but also with other dogs, while researching this book. In Best Hikes with Dogs new Hampshire and Vermontshe shares her favorite trails of easy day hikes to overnight backpacking trips, presented through canine-centric eyes. This guidebook will delight both you and your pet with directions to panoramic views, long ridge walks, lush forests, and pristine lakes. Advice is given on topics such as proper trail etiquette for dogs, wildlife encounters, and weather concerns. Additional features include what to pack for your pooch, including the Ten Canine Essentials, a doggy first aid kit, and a Trail Finder chart that lists hikes by length, terrain, difficulty for dogs, and more.

Have you ever considered how far you walk with your dog? If you walk just 15 minutes a day you will have walked far enough in your dog's lifetime to cross the United States. With all that walking ahead of you, aren't you ready for a new place to take a hike with your dog? Doug Gelbert, author of 26 books on hiking with your dog, has brought his pack to the Orlando area to sniff out the area's best tail-friendly parks and trails for the new book, DOGGIN' ORLANDO: THE 31 BEST PLACES TO HIKE WITH YOUR DOG IN Central Florida. Orlando can be a great place to hike with your dog. Within a short drive your canine adventurer can be climbing ancient dunes that leave him panting, trotting through paw-friendly pine flatlands, exploring heritage cattle ranches or circling lakes for miles and never lose sight of the water. DOGGIN' ORLANDO explores the region's top trails with your best friend in mind... Where can your dog hike down the historic brick Pershing Highway, constructed in 1917? (page 61) Where can your dog see Indian shell middens 2,000 years old? (page 27) Where can your dog hike through largest phosphate deposits in the world?(page 50) No Dogs! Is there any more dispiriting day for a dog owner than driving to a new park and encountering the dreaded "NO DOGS" sign? DOGGIN' ORLANDO tells you the parks that don't welcome dogs. Also packed inside these 90 pages are... ...tips on getting your dog ready to hike ...tips on outfitting your dog for a hike ...tips on practicing low impact hiking with your dog ...and much more What makes a great place to take your dog hiking? Well, how about a paw-friendly surface to trot on? Grass and sandy soil are a lot more appealing than asphalt and rocks. A variety of hikes is always good - long ones for athletic dogs and short ones for the less adventurous canine. Dogs always enjoy a refreshing place to swim as well. For dog-friendly parks our guides describe the trail options for your dog, evaluate park traffic from other users, tell you whether you will need a guide dog to find your way around and, of course, tell you how to get to the park. While walking the dog around Orlando, author Doug Gelbert also brings along generous helpings of local history, botany, geology, architecture and more. So what are you waiting for? Your dog will want to hike where Queenie, "The World's Only Water-Skiing Elephant" started her performing career (page 53), see the only bird native only to Florida (page 63), hike through 100-year old orange groves (page 57)...

Dogs and parks. Wed two of our favorite things together and you have the makings of a perfect day, right? Except at America's national parks. Save for a few exceptions, dogs are never allowed on national park trails and rarely permitted beyond a campground or picnic area. There is an old saying that goes, "Start explaining and you've lost the argument." The National Park Service goes to great lengths to explain their reasons for banning dogs outside of vehicles. Dogs endanger wildlife. Dogs interfere with people's enjoyment of the park. Dogs ruin the pristine environment. Dogs can introduce diseases that could decimate wild populations. Some parks cite the fact that just the scent of dogs will make prey animals frantic (at least that will keep the jittery critters out of campgrounds and picnics where apparently their wellbeing is not as big a concern). Some park officials go so far as to imply that they are doing dog owners a favor by keeping dogs out of the woods since they may become prey themselves. One park's regulations read thusly: "There is a strong possibility that your pet could become prey for a bear, coyote, owl, or other predator." What is a "strong possibility?" Better than 50%? 20%? Really? Any talk of the probability of a leashed dog on a trail being eaten by a wild animal that goes beyond "vanishingly small probability" is absurd. Tellingly, the national parks in Canada - which also receive millions of visitors each year and also protect wildlife - allow dogs on their trails almost without exception. And in the United States the prohibition against dogs on national park trails is not a universal edict. Individual parks are allowed to make their own rules regarding dogs. A handful have decided to allow dogs on the trails, the chance of man's best friend becoming some other animal's dinner be damned. Some have even become more lenient in recent years. Petrified Forest National Park used to allow dogs only on a few nature trails. Now the park declares: "Petrified Forest is a very pet friendly national park! Please take your furry friends on trails, even backpacking in the wilderness area." This is not a book about whether rules regarding dogs in national parks are right or wrong. It is about how dog owners - given the current restrictive playing field - can experience our national parks, take along their best trail companions, and still have their dream vacation. For each park, if dogs are not allowed on the trails, a nearby substitute is identified and described (dogs are usually welcome in national forests, for example. The burden on people and wildlife caused by dogs and a patronizing concern for a dog's well-being apparently cause less government worry in those woods). Only those national parks which can be reached by automobile are included. So with that in mind - grab a leash and hit the trail!

Massachusetts can be a great place to hike with your dog. Within a short drive your canine adventurer can be climbing mountains that leave him panting, trotting through impossibly green ravines, exploring the estates of America's wealthiest families, circling lakes for miles and never lose sight of the water, or running down a sandy ocean beach. Doggin' Massachusetts selects the 100 best places to take your dog for an outing and ranks them according to such criteria as the variety of hikes available, opportunities for canine swimming and pleasure of the walks. The rankings include a mix of parks that feature long walks and parks that contain short walks. Doggin' Massachusetts tells you the parks that don't welcome dogs. Also packed inside these 152 pages are...outifitting your dog for a hike...what to expect on the trail...tips on practicing low impact hiking with your dog...and much more.

Elle.com described this debut novel as “an alternately hilarious and poignant look at the unsettled state of one woman trying to make it outside the socially sanctioned college-office-marriage trajectory.” Karla, 22, is thrilled to be hired as an entertainer on the Sound of Music cruise ship—where the rum punch is 80 percent Kool-Aid, the ice sculptures are plastic, and her "fake it till you make it" M.O. seems adventuresome. Karla is less thrilled when new beau Jack suggests they form a singing duo on land, but by now false enthusiasm has become second nature. They embark on a not-as-glamorous-as-it-should-be career performing in the luxury hotel bars of the Middle East and China. After a thousand and one nights on the road, Karla and Jack find themselves struggling to keep their act—both personal and professional—together. “Both an off-kilter take on the conventional coming-of-age tale and a sly commentary on the underbelly of celebrity culture, this truly original book is basically uncategorizable—blissfully so.” - Elle.com