Touring the Sierra Nevada

Tahoe, Yosemite National Park, and Las Vegas mingle with lesser-known locales like Malakoff Diggins, Wawona, and Knapsack Pass in this delightful book by Koehler, who has walked the 400-plus miles of the Sierra Nevada range of eastern California. Koehler offers readers ten different driving trips ranging in length from a day to a week, each of which highlights the flora, fauna, geology, human history, and incredible beauty of this region. A food editor for several publications, Koehler also includes enticing recipes that introduce readers to local delicacies such as Basque Sheepherder's Bread. Her chapters end with "Practical Information," such as suggestions on the best times to experience trouble-free driving, places to explore off the main highways, addresses and web sites of visitor centers, camping sites, recommended restaurants, and more. At times, her prose reads like poetry, but she remains practical and realistic. The Sierra Nevada-offering gambling opportunities, spectacular national parks, and vestiges of California's chaotic gold rush-is a top tourist attraction, and this outstanding guide is essential for public libraries throughout the country.-Joseph L. Carlson, Allan Hancock Coll., Lompoc, CA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.