Back Roads California

Join fine-art photographer David Skernick as he explores the rambling back roads of Northern California. This timeless tribute to the natural landscape captures the sublime beauty of settings such as Shasta Trinity National Forest, Napa Valley vineyards, Redwoods National Park, Route 1 and the Pacific Coast, and Yosemite. Skernick, who leads photography workshops nationwide, lets us in on his strategies with an appendix listing exposure, equipment, and panorama statistics for each image--enough to satisfy even the most technology-minded photographer.

Earl Thollander leads adventurers or armchair travelers to sights and pleasures off the beaten track, offering bits of local history, anecdotes, and scenic routes throughout the state. Featuring charming illustrations and hand-drawn maps. Also available are Back Roads of Washington and Back Roads of Oregon.

The perfect guide for day-trippers looking for unusual destinations, "Backroads of Southern California" also pays tribute to the area for those exploring these backroads from their armchairs. Covering nearly all of California's superlative natural locations, a local expert leads readers on 30 drives to the most scenic natural areas and sites that capture the region's colorful history. 140 photos, 120 in full color.

Glorious photographs and detailed descriptions offer journeys through exquisite coastal landscapes, from sleepy fishing villages to historic landmarks, fabulous fishing streams to pristine beaches.

Hailed as a masterpiece of American travel writing, Blue Highways is an unforgettable journey along our nation's backroads. William Least Heat-Moon set out with little more than the need to put home behind him and a sense of curiosity about "those little towns that get on the map -- if they get on at all -- only because some cartographer has a blank space to fill: Remote, Oregon; Simplicity, Virginia; New Freedom, Pennsylvania; New Hope, Tennessee; Why, Arizona; Whynot, Mississippi." His adventures, his discoveries, and his recollections of the extraordinary people he encountered along the way amount to a revelation of the true American experience.