Customer comments on this selection.
 Great book for motorcycle riding
One of the few books dedicated to motorcyclists. Great pictures, and insightful content.
The organization of the book makes it a little confusing or difficult to find something you are looking for. But once you find the content, the information is great.
I just came back last week from riding in California, Oregon, and Washington, and I read this book just before leaving. I tried portions of the rides suggested and was very pleased. Most of the rides are loop oriented, meaning they bring you back to where you started from, while we were riding through those States. But I just picked interesting legs of his trips and included them in our path.
A Storybook Travel Through Washington State
Bruce Hansen has written a great travel guide for the motorcycle enthusiast. It doesn't have as much about the roads as it does the places to see and visit. My wife and I have read it cover to cover and Bruce's writing style is easy to read and entertaining. I recommend it for anyone looking to find some out of the way places to visit in our fine state.
If you're looking for the best and most challenging roads for motorcycles in Washington, look no further than "Destination Highways Washington: A Motorcycle Enthusiast's Guide to the Best 346 Roads in Washington State". This is a very comprehensive collection of the curviest, most scenic, and best engineered roads, and has the best road specific details available.
Between these two books, you can't go wrong. Both are well worth reading.
 Good book - new roads with great photography
I am impressed with the book - lots of new roads to discover, many of which I would not tend to take on my own. Good book, worth the cost - also check out Destination Highways Washington (expensive but excellent)
Pac Norwest Review
This is a great resource for anyone new to the area, new riders or for anyone just looking for some new rides. Most of the pages are devoted to major attraction, there are many great rides that are not mentioned, but there are only so many pages in a book. A great job of covering the Northwest area. Directions, distance and travel times have been pretty accurate. Accomidations mentioned are fairly current and up to date. I have used this book for inspiration on many occasions and have never been disapointed.
If you are from outside the area and planning a scooter trip thru the great northwest, this book is a must! If you are from the area and just looking for some new ideas, this book probably isn't it, but it is still worth the read. Bruce has obviously put in a lot of miles on his bike in this area.
 Curious distractions abound..
For a book so full of excellent detail on cities, roads, scenery, plus excellent photography, the reader's focus is systematically derailed due to chapter after chapter of oddly applied analogies.
If only the author had stayed on task, (in writing a tour guide) and tossed out the truly weak references to area rides that he says: are like smorgasbords-don't go straight for the beef; national parks are like big fair rides-ferris wheels; touring roads that are like the rooms of a house; likening historic homes in coastal towns to homely sisters, and a host of other remarks that make the reader go, "Huh?". Can't tell you how many times it forced a re-read to see what 'must' have been missed. Every time, it turned out it was just plain goofy.
One example? Pg. 94., 3rd para. the author talks of a river gorge and water cutting through it. "You can look at the dramatic torrent of water- a flow twice that of Niagara Falls-and wonder how a blind cow ever made it through alive."
Huh?
If there is a historical, regional, mythological, or folklore "cow" tale that the average reader might be too young, sheltered, or untraveled to know of, it behooves (not behoofs) the author to go the extra mile and explain. Otherwise it's goofy.
It would have been a considerably better offering without the introduction of the numerous and curious distractions. And probably easier to write (although shorter). The effort would have garnered a strong four, perhaps more, but for the wasted ink. But due to goofy asides, and the dozen or more candy coated uses of: I love it, you'll love it, bikers will love, love this road/this ride; the multiple uses of romantic/romance, picnic, ice cream, and my honey, your honey..
I can tell you Honey, a 3.5 is a fair (if not generous) call.
It's a book about the Pacific NW motorcycle rides. The reader should not be distracted by the presence of the author. Not unless he's a whole lot funnier.
|
