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Main Page Death Valley through the back door: Goler Pass The Lippincott Mine Road and the Racetrack First Looks: history of the valley If you go - travel info Review: Death Valley Virtual Guide
Dally Press Gazette
Desert Destinations |
Product Review: Death Valley Virtual Tour Guide Authored by Cliff and Ilene Bandringa Available on CD through their website at www.backroadswest.com Reviewed by Len Wilcox, author, Desert Dancing
It's one of the first of its breed: a guide the user must put on a computer. This allows the use of hundreds of color photos, which the authors used to create photo tours of specific locations and tours. The photo tours are particularly useful, especially with 4-wheeling tours - there's nothing better than seeing the terrain and reviewing a trip report before heading out. It also allows for easy updates through the publisher's website. No matter how you plan to get to Death Valley - or what you want to do when you get there - you'll find this guide invaluable. Rich with history, geology, and natural science, this is as complete a book as you want it to be. And that's the beauty of a 'virtual' guidebook - you set the limits. You can dive deeply into a subject, explore all the nuances and mine all the data, 'Googling' any topic you want to explore even further. Or, you can easily and quickly skim the surface of subjects, looking for the information that serves your immediate needs. That's the powerful difference between a virtual guide and a printed guide book. The ease in getting to the information you need, without wading through pages of unrelated text, is phenomenal. But the depth of the information available is equally phenomenal - extremely well researched information, providing rich detail in a highly readable format. The authors are avid hikers and 4-wheelers, and they share their knowledge throughout the guide. Cliff is a computer programmer, and Ilene is a technical writer; together, the Bandringas are an outstanding team. Their technical expertise shows throughout the guide with tremendous attention to detail. Following one of their photo tours is almost like being there - without the heat and dust. I've been to many of the places in this guide - though not all; this guide covers Death Valley more thoroughly than I did in my travel journal, Desert Dancing - and seeing these places again through someone else's eyes was wonderful. Thanks to the Bandringas, I've spent many an hour now revisiting Death Valley in my home office, my appetite whetted for a return to the glorious Panamints and the empty echoes of Ballarat. I highly recommend this guide - even if you don't have a laptop. The armchair touring is well worth the price. But be warned, you may find yourself making reservations and mapping your next trip to Death Valley long before you intended - and you may find yourself in the market for a laptop so you can take the guide with you! Visit http://www.backroadswest.com for ordering information. The guide is $25, and worth every penny. Note: This review was unsolicited and I gain no profit from it, from clicks on links, sales, or otherwise. |
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This guide is one of the best productions I've ever seen, on any location, in any format. It is extremely well crafted, in every sense of the word: very well researched, extremely well-written, with excellent (and plentiful) photography. It is presented in a well-thought-out, practical, virtually intuitive manner that is very easy to follow and use.