Golden Country: Touring Scenic California

by Susan M. Neider

California is a land of beautiful contrasting landscapes. In Golden Country, author and photographer Susan Neider has assembled a visually stunning and richly informative guide to the premier outdoor destinations in California. Highlights include the waterfalls and granite domes of Yosemite National Park; the tall redwood groves of Redwood National and State Parks; the surreal sand landscapes of Death Valley National Park; the rocky and sandy...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0762743034
• ISBN13: 9780762743032
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Falcon Press Publishing
• Length: 128 Pages
• Weight: 1.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 8.5" x 11.0"

Customer Reviews

The Ideal Blend

The Ideal Blend For anyone looking for the ideal blend of landscape photography and information to express the essence of a place, Golden Country: Touring Scenic California does it perfectly. Susan Neider has proven once again that this is her great talent, and has made another valuable and unique contribution to the guidebook offerings. In my opinion, the portfolio of 120+ photographs is her best yet; even the most complex landscapes are captured in gorgeous, rich color with superior skill and honesty. It would not be an overstatement to say that her photographic eye is one of the best at work today. The accompanying text adds for the reader the explanations needed to understand further California's complicated and diverse geology. Her descriptive narrative is excellent -- always clean, direct, and easy to follow. As usual, Neider is able to control the flow of information masterfully so as not to exhaust the reader. Simply put, it is a pleasure to read. Maps are plentiful in Golden Country, and these are maps that can easily be used when traveling. They are beautiful, thorough and particularly helpful as they contain little camera icons that show exactly where Neider has found her photographs. It's a wonderful touch and a great idea to guide the reader who also carries a camera in hand. For a superb overview of California that also contains the necessary detail and organization to make a terrific guidebook, Golden Country is the ideal blend.

Superb Landscape Photography

Susan Neider is as gifted a photographer of the Point Reyes Peninsula as that enchanted place has ever had. Her work is tack sharp, wonderfully composed, and perfectly catches California light. A superb collection of photographs. Jim Cohee Senior Editor Sierra Club Books San Francisco, California

WOW - Great Photos!

These pictures are beautiful and render the California landscape in a way rarely seen by casual travelers. It is a must for anyone who likes landscape beauty of our glorious west.

Breathtaking

"A beautiful book." I guarantee those will be the first words out of the mouth of anyone who picks up Golden Country. I became aware of Neider's elegant work several years ago when I bought Color Country, a tour guide to the Colorado Plateau. In many ways, California must have presented far more of a challenge to an author preparing sophisticated yet introductory tour guides. California is not only huge, it is diverse, topographically, geographically, geologically. Coastal environments, major mountain ranges, vast desert regions, gigantic trees, fog, sun, rain, snow, all of this is California. It is not easy to sum up this state. I should have known that if anyone could, it would be Neider. Her photographs capture the range of California experiences from dramatic Yosemite or Big Sur landscapes to upfront-and-personal textures of the desert floor and rock walls. Her words summarize the essence, not only of this "complicated" state, but of each park she features. Do you want to know why you would detour from your route to visit Pinnacles National Monument, for example? Because it "offers a solitude and deep quiet not often found in the parks of California." There will be much readers need to discover on their own. What Neider does so well is to usher them to the right places, and then sets them free.

Upper Echelon of the Photographic Arts

Susan Neider has done it again! Her latest book, GOLDEN COUNTY, is wonderful. What a great journey I got to experience from the comfort of my living room. As usual, Ms. Neider is successful in sharing her passion, insights and awareness of Mother Nature's treasures in the Western U.S. Without question, the tremendous artistic sensitity of her camera eye lifts the spirit and engages the imagination of the reader. I love the clarity and flow of her writing and the quality of the maps. All in all, this is a 'must have' book. Now that my collection of Susan Neider books has reached three---I can't wait for number four!