Insight Guide Pacific Northwest

by Insight Guides and J. Freeburg

Book Overview

.Expert evaluations on the sights really worth seeing.Special features spotlighting particular topics of interest.A comprehensive Travel Tips section with listings of the best restaurants, hotels, and... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1585731501
• ISBN13: 9781585731503
• Release Date: January 2002
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Length: 334 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

Pacific NorthWest

I used this when I planned my first trip to Washington State. I think if you get a few of the guide books, it makes the trip a lot easier for a first timer. I love the pictures this book has and once you are in Washington State, it seems to make you feel more at home to have already seen some of the sites from the book. I would always buy Insight Guides when available.

Great Overview Of Washington And Oregon

INSIGHT PACIFIC NORTHWEST is a great overview of Washington and Oregon. This book has both pictures and text, which is why it's better than the LONELY PLANET series, while its intricate descriptions of recreation, dining, nightlife, shopping, and the habits of the locals make it as good as the FODOR'S, NEWCOMER'S HANDBOOK, and INSIDERS' GUIDE books on Portland and Seattle. The only problem with this book is that it has no information on shopping centers in the smaller cities in either Washington or Oregon. An added bonus is that the binding is plastic (also known as "turtleback"), so you can take it in your backpack. This book is a must-own for anyone interested in travel and/or in different regions.

Take this book with you on your vacation!

Recently we attended a wedding in Portland, Oregon and decided to see some things while we were there. This book was extremely helpful as we were deciding what to see and do. This book is colorful and so pleasing to the eye. There are lots of pictures and the maps are excellent. It gives a general overview of the area, and you learn a bit about the history too. We narrowed down what we could do in the time we had available and we took in the Columbia River Gorge area including Multnomah Falls, Portland (definitely go to Powell's Bookstore - one of the largest bookstores in the world), and then part of the Oregon coast. We stayed in Seaside, but Cannon Beach is less touristy and a nicer town. Make sure to visit Haystack Rock during low tide to see the sea stars and sea anemones in the tidal pools. Enjoy your trip!

An overview of the region

Each travel series (Insight, Frommer, Lonely Planet, etc.) has its own emphasis and style. The strength of the Insight guides is its overview of a particular region, in this case the Pacific Northwest area of the United States. You won't find extensive lists of hotels and restaurants in this book; instead, you'll be given a written and photographic tour through Washington and Oregon, from Seattle to Portland, from Mount St. Helens to Mount Hood, along the coast, into the mountains, and across the Columbia Basin. The guide supplies a short history of the area (short, but more comprehensive than most guides) as well as the "personalities" of contemporary cities. You'll find a section on the wine-making regions and one on the John Day Fossil Beds. National and state parks are covered as well. The color photographs, included on almost every page, shows the varied landscapes in with a true eye for aesthetics. An extremely small section at the back addresses much of what the bulk of the guide lacks: festivals, hotels and restaurants (no descriptions, just addresses and phone numbers),how to get there, major attractions, and other brief travel tips. I recommend this book for travelers as a preparation for a trip to the Pacific Northwest or for those who have not yet decided if this region is for them. You'll need a more nuts-and-bolts guidebook to accompany it for more practical considerations such as detailed entries about lodging, maps, places to shop, and restaurants.