In 1845, Benjamin Davis Wilson'the future first mayor of Los Angeles and the grandfather of Gen. George S. Patton'led a 20-man posse into the San Bernardino Mountains in search of Native American raiding parties that had been attacking Riverside ranches. But what they found in a particular high-altitude valley were, instead, large and furry. Wilson's men soon roped 11 bears, bringing the creatures into camp, and the valley the Serrano Indians knew as Yuhaviat, or 'Pine Place,' received a n...

For centuries, the mountains and valleys that became the Running Springs area have swelled with natural resources, supplying the hunting and gathering needs of Native Americans who harvested acorns and herbs and hunted deer and other wildlife to sustain themselves through the winters in the valleys below. Nineteenthcentury gold prospectors passed through the Running Springs vicinity on their way to the Holcomb Valley. Lumbermen came to harvest the virgin timber, supplying the construction ...

* Includes stories of such greats as Royal Robbins, Yvon Chouinard, Allen Steck, and Warren Harding* Captures the raucous, outrageous, innovative spirit of climbing in Yosemie during this period* Portrays the advances in equipment and style that revolutionized big-wall climbingIn the 1960's, California's Yosemite Valley was the center of the rock-climbing universe. Young nonconformists -- many of them the finest rock climbers in the world -- channeled their energy tow...

On his personal quest to check off the best of his home country, travel writer and host Robin Esrock catalogues must-sees, including nature, food, culture, history, adrenaline rushes, and quirky Canadiana. After spending years crafting the definitive Canadian Bucket List, he’s packed in enough for a lifetime, at least. In this special excerpt, Esrock takes us to the one of the largest, emptiest, most beautiful places in the world: the arctic plains of the Northwest Territories. Experiences...

A celebration of America's most historic highway, in words and pictures.Winding through the rugged heartland of the American West, Route 66 has resonated for generations in hardscrabble tales of hopeful seekers of new homes and new lives. It also inspired Alan and Claudia Heller, longtime residents of Duarte, a California town along Route 66, to hitch their trailer to a retirement dream and travel the road again, journeying through their home state and back to Chic...

New Mexico is �The Land of Enchantment,� offering a fascinating blend of Native American, Spanish Colonial, and Western American cultures. The travelers from the East knew they had arrived in the great Southwest when they entered New Mexico�the towns along Route 66 were ablaze in neon, and the motels lured travelers with Western themes, Pueblo Revival architecture, and Native American trading posts. An adventure still awaits the traveler today who takes the time to exit I-40 and leave the ...

This book is part of a series of 50 quick facts about each of the United States of America. This book covers the state of Colorado. Facts about the major cities, the history of the state, famous people linked to Colorado and many more subjects. This book contains all you will ever need to know about the Centennial state.

There is no better way to see America than on foot. And there is no better way to appreciate what you are looking at than with a walking tour. Whether you are preparing for a road trip or just out to look at your own town in a new way, a downloadable walking tour is ready to explore when you are.Each walking tour describes historical and architectural landmarks and provides pictures to help out when those pesky street addresses are missing. Every tour also includes a quick primer o...

This travel guide with historic and modern photos offers maps as well as notable and picturesque route suggestions, perfect for American history buffs.With its ancient pueblos and dinosaur bones, its gold mines and railroads, and its pioneering place in the westward push of the American frontier, Colorado is a state alive with history. This illustrated adventure through historical Colorado takes readers by scenic backroads from the towering Rocky Mountains to the va...

Big Bear is known throughout the southland of California as an outdoor recreational destination. Located high atop the San Bernardino Mountains, the area was once home to the Yuhaviatam Indians, the 'People of the Pines.' In 1845, a party lead by Benjamin Davis Wilson, the grandfather of Gen. George S. Patton, entered the valley and discovered the area alive with grizzly bears, giving the valley its name. A dam, completed in 1884, created Big Bear Lake, which provided water to citrus growe...

Southern California�s hidden treasure lies in the San Jacinto Mountains. Capped by the last 10,000-foot peaks on the way to Mexico, these mountains have enriched human lives for centuries. Discovered by loggers in 1876, partially stripped of their trees during California�s first population boom in the 1880s, then protected by federal edict in 1897, these mountains attracted a special breed of settler. The uncommon village of Idyllwild was created by common people who were enchanted by the ...

The Washoe Indians called it Tah-ve, an unfathomable liquid sapphire set in a 500 square-mile watershed of alpine snow and ice. Too deep and vast to freeze, Lake Tahoe�s waters have, over time, reflected pristine forests, barren hillsides littered with slash and sawdust, managed restoration, and the glow of neon casino marquees. Its spectacular natural landscape, shared by both California and Nevada, is more designed than people realize. Humans transformed most of the old trees into mine s...