Eighteen self-guided walking tours down city streets that will take you back in time, with colorful stories about the buildings along the way and the people associated with them. Brimming with insight and the odd fact, laced with humor and drama, this unique guidebook sheds new light on the history of one of America's renowned cities. Easy-to-follow maps, and dozens of historic photographs.

For centuries, California's environment has nurtured remarkable people. Ohlone Lope Inigo found a way to protect his family in troubled times on the shores of San Francisco Bay. Pioneer Juana Briones made a fortune from her rancho yet took the time to care for those in need. Innovator Thomas Foon Chew discovered a climate for success, in spite of the obstacles. Around the region that became Silicon Valley, filmmaker Charlie Chaplin found inspiration, poet Robert Louis Stevenson uncovered adventure and Sarah Winchester built a house that would intrigue people long after she was gone. Author Robin Chapman shares fascinating tales of those who exemplify the enterprising spirit of the Golden State.

Exploring religious and spiritual intentional communities active in the world today, Spiritual and Visionary Communities provides a balanced introduction to a diverse range of communities worldwide. Breaking new ground with its focus on communities which have had little previous academic or public attention, the authors explore a part of contemporary society which is rarely understood. Communities studied include: Israeli kibbutzim, Mandarom, the Twelve Tribes, ‘The Farm’ and the Camphill movement. Written from a range of perspectives, this collection includes contributions from members of the groups themselves, former members, and academic observers, and as such will offer a unique and invaluable discussion of religious and spiritual communities in the U.S., Europe, and beyond.

“PROLOGUE THE SEARCH FOR GOOD WATER On November 7, 1829, a New Mexican trader named Antonio Armijo led a 60-man party on the first leg of what became a historic deviation from the Great Spanish Trail route to Los Angeles. That deviation resulted in the discovery of Las Vegas. By Christmas Day, Armijo’s caravan had crossed southern Utah and moved into the northwest corner of Arizona. The caravan camped near what is now Littlefield — a sleepy hamlet about 100 miles northeast of present Las Vegas. Armijo dispatched a reconnaissance party to look for a possible shortcut west, and to look for water. A member of the party was a young Mexican scout named Rafael Rivera. He decided to break away from the main party and head due west alone over unexplored desert.” Excerpt From: Ralph J. Roske. “Las Vegas: A Desert Paradise.” iBooks.