Travel Guides

Five-hundred miles await when the author sets out on foot from Roncesvalles - a tiny hamlet in the Pyrenees - to reach the World Heritage City of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Readers join the pilgrimage and soon travel through the wine-growing regions of Rioja and Navarre; across the meseta (plains) described as having "nine months of winter, three months of Hell"; through the Cantabrian Mountains, and into the lush, green region of Galicia.

Combined with the author's account of her pilgrimage are many of the legends and myths of the Camino de Santiago. Vivid descriptions of festivals, the opportunity to savor the food and wine, and introduction to the many cultures of northern Spain make Camino Chronicle a fascinating as well as practical book for the adventurous traveler.

Camino Chronicle: Walking to Santiago was awarded Finalist in the 2007 Benjamin Franklin Awards:
Travel Essay category.

DREAM SLEEPS: CASTLE & PALACE HOTELS OF EUROPE
by Pamela L. Barrus

Who hasn’t dreamed of living the pampered life of a king or queen? DREAM SLEEPS: CASTLE & PALACE HOTELS OF EUROPE provides the information you need to turn your daydream into reality. Want to spend the night in Mary Queen of Scot’s bedchamber? No problem. Or maybe you’d like to call England’s fabulous Hampton Court Palace home. That can be arranged as well. You can even feast in a stone-vaulted great hall once ruled by emperors and kings.

The unique hotels described in DREAM SLEEPS are much more than lodgings. Restored and converted survivors of an often brutal past, they are now living museums.

Descriptions include the intriguing history of each, as well as a description of facilities and services available to present-day guests. Information on activities and excursions in the area, and facilities for children and disabled persons, are also noted, and e-mail and website addresses are listed when available.

DREAM SLEEPS describes 132 castle and palace hotels in ten countries--Austria, England, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Scotland, and Wales. Each was personally inspected, and locator maps help you find those that fit easily into your European itinerary

Weekend Adventures in San Francisco and Northern California
by Carole Terwilliger Meyers

            Weighing in at almost 1 1/2 pounds, WEEKEND ADVENTURES is packed with interesting places to visit:  the Santa Cruz mountains, the coast south to Morro Bay and north to Eureka, the Wine Country, the Russian River area, Sacramento and the Delta, Highway 101 north and south, the national parks, the Gold Rush Country, Lake Tahoe, and the Mt. Shasta area. San Francisco and the Bay Area--including the East Bay, Marin, and the Peninsula--are also detailed. Former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown says, “Ms. Meyers’ love for the City and her familiarity with its abundant charms are evident in each entry.”  

            Each destination includes information on what to do, where to stay, and where to eat.  Helpful extras include the most direct driving route and interesting stops along the way.  Details on family amenities are provided with each listing, and the text is filled with intriguing historical tidbits and unusual facts.  Additional chapters are devoted to ski areas, family camps, houseboats, river and pack trips, and assorted other adventures.

CAMPING EUROPE
by Carol Mickelsen

Author Carol Mickelsen says, "Travel through Europe the same way you travel at home: car-camp.  You'll camp next to friendly, unpretentious Europeans relaxing and having fun." 

Her book, CAMPING EUROPE , is an impressive and user-friendly travel guide that details directions on how to see Europe without depleting your bank account.  Enhanced with more than 250 detailed maps, it provides directions on how to drive to over 850 campgrounds and major sights in 21 countries.  More than just a list of campgrounds, the book suggests fun and interesting things to do for active, adventurous travelers and gives them detailed directions on how to get there.  Carol's love for exploring the unknown is infectious, and anyone reading the book is tempted to follow in her car-tracks.

Here are a couple of examples of what is available throughout all of Europe from Italy to Finland to Crete.  Venice:  Campers arrive in Venice by ferry, by far the most romantic and historic way to approach it.  At Camping Miramare, brilliant sunsets and sunrises are savored at the campground's private beach and it's only a short walk to the ferry landing.  Vienna:  Situated in a cheery colorful caboose, Donaupark Camping's internet cafe is where travelers meet and exchange tips.  The camping area is located in a recreational park, so there are walking/cycling paths, a swimming pool, and tennis courts, and the Vienna Woods, with its congenial wine gardens, is just minutes away. 

Because they cater to Dutch, German, French and British campers, Mickelsen says popular campgrounds must have well-maintained warm showers, clean toilets, common kitchens, laundry facilities, a well-equipped children's playground, grass, shade, and, if close to a city, nearby public transportation.

She details the equipment that will fit into a couple of duffels and explains how comfortable camping abroad has become.  It's easy to set up and pack up.  She includes a host of hints on how to make driving easier, solid advice for expense expectations, and details on how to travel smart and safe.

After car-camping for 25 years she exclaims, "It's time that more Americans woke up to this terrific way to see Europe"

Author Carol Mickelsen resides in Half Moon Bay, California.

Food Fest! Your Complete Guide to Florida's Food Festivals
by Joan Steinbacher

Food Fest! Your Complete Guide to Florida's Food Festivals highlights over 200 delicious Florida food celebrations-a scrumptious, year-round cornucopia! At your fingertips is the key to tantalizing food festivals, cook-offs, and "Taste Of" events! A must for every household and a great gift idea.
www.FoodFestGuide.com.