Getaway Ideas for the Local Traveler Rediscover the simple pleasures of a day trip with this fun and friendly guide. For local travelers seeking new adventures in their own backyards as well as for vacationers looking to experience all the excitement the area has to offer, each Day Trips (R) guide offers hundreds of activities to do, sights to see, and secrets to discover within a two- to three-hour drive and a route map for each itinerary. Complete with full trip-planning information including where to go, what to see, where to eat, where to shop as well as where to stay options for those who want to extend their Day Trip into a weekend. In Spring 2012 we are proud to be publishing six all new guides-The Carolinas, New Jersey, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Tampa and St. Petersburg, and the Twin Cities-as well as an updated edition of Day Trips from Kansas City.

Inveraray, Oban, Kintyre, Glencoe, Loch Awe, Loch Lomond, Appin, Islay - all the glories of Argyll are described in this book. From Dumbarton to Campletown and north to Loch Etive there is a great wealth of beauty unmatched in Scotland. It is a quiet and lonely land, a land still unspoiled, a land of history and legend, a land of unsurpassed glory. Tom Atkinson describes it all, writing with deep insight into the land he loves. There could be no better guide to its beauties and history. Once Atkinson has taken you there, these lands can never feel lonely.

The seventy-mile chain of largely uninhabited islands along the Eastern shore of Virginia is one of the last remaining natural seashore areas of the Atlantic coast. These barrier islands and bordering marshlands exist today pretty much as they must have in pristine times. Because of its wilderness aspect, diversity, and location of the islands, this region has the richest assortment of bird life in the Middle Atlantic states. The Eastern Shore is known for its numerous nesting colonies of terns, skimmers, laughing gulls, herons, egrets, and ibises; large breeding clapper rail populations; large concentrations of migratory birds of various species and for its large segment of the Atlantic brant and greater snow goose populations that winter there. This book deals with the nearly 200 species of shorebirds, seabirds, and marsh birds that have attracted bird-watchers to the area since the late 1800s.

Brother and sister Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn enjoyed a rare bond: they were intimate companions and theirs was one of the most significant musical relationships of the 19th century. They shared and commented on each other's compositions, each highly appreciative of the other but also offering frank, critical advice. Their travels produced some great music - Felix's best loved works, the Hebrides Overture and the Scottish Symphony, were inspired by his 1829 visit to Scotland, whilst Fanny's innovative piano cycle Das Jahr was a musical response to the tour of Italy she made in 1839-40. Combining letters and sketches with an accompanying narrative describing their journeys, this is a wonderful celebration of the two Mendelssohns and a portrait of Scotland and Italy of the time as seen through the eyes of two of the Romantic movement's most acclaimed composers.

Farming – whether domestic crops, forestry, fish or livestock – is one of the pillars of human civilization, dating back to the early settlements of Neolithic times. Today, approximately one billion people work the land, providing food and other products for our ever-increasing human population. Arranged geographically, Farming explores the many types of farm and farming that exist today. See how farmers in Malaysia extract milky latex from the bark of rubber trees, used to make everything from protective gloves to vehicle tires; be amazed at the gorgeous stepped rice fields of Bali, where the traditional subak irrigation system is created around ‘water temples’ and managed by Hindu priests; marvel at the vast corn and soya bean fields of Ontario, much of it used for animal feed to support Canada’s beef industry; learn about nomadic pastoralism in low rainfall areas such as Somalia, where herders move camels, cattle, sheep and goats in search of grazing; explore the wineries and vineyards in Bordeaux, where more than 700 million bottles of wine are produced each year by more than 8,500 châteaux; and see how freshwater prawns are harvested for export in the watery deltas of Bangladesh. Presented in a landscape format and with more than 180 outstanding photographs of farming from every part of the planet, Farming offers a pictorial celebration of mankind’s deep connection with the land that sustains us.

'I fell in love with Porto and I love it still. The city's spectacular bridges, its vertiginous riverbanks, steep with ancient buildings, the old port houses, the wide squares: I was entranced by them all.' J.K. ROWLING One of the oldest cities in Europe, Porto is recognised the world over for its wonderful Port wine. Rising from the steep banks of the Douro (the river of gold) with picturesque pracas, churches and houses with colourfully tiled facades. Its ancient name Portucale forms the origin of the country - Portugal. Today, Porto is a vibrant commercial and cultural centre that is proud of its historic links to the outside world. An essential read from one of the world's foremost writers on Portugal, Porto: Gateway to the World uses the beautiful buildings and landmarks across the city to take the reader on a journey through its rich history, from its origins right up to the modern era.

This book covers 20 of the best easy day hikes within the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve’s 70,000 acres, along with immediately adjacent West Virginia state parks. Though named for the river, recreation at this national park is more than canoeing, rafting and fishing. The cliffs and depths of the gorge avail incredible hiking opportunities, whether you hike the Keenyes Creek Trail, with its trestles, grab a vista on Grandview Rim, or take the Glade Creek Trail to Kates Falls. Hikes in this guide cover the gamut of hiking opportunities at the New River Gorge, including parts of it within Hawks Nest State Park, Babcock State Park and Bluestone State Park. With this book in hand and willing feet you can explore the West Virginia’s wildest and best known canyon. No matter where you go, the trails in this book will enhance your outdoor experience and leave you appreciating the natural splendors of the wild West Virginia.