Lizann Dunegan

This guide is organized differently from most. Instead of treating different regions and locales as the main headings, and the various amenities, activities, and attractions as sub-headings, it takes the type of activity or amenity, e.g. camping, restaurants, shopping, as the main headings, and the different locales as the sub-headings. There are a few advantages to this choice, which is the only reason I keep this guide, when I own a number of other more conventionally organized ones for the Oregon Coast. But overall the amount of information on any one topic is not great, and is fairly conventional and predictable, even though the book advertises itself as being written by "insiders", and therefore more reliable, practical, etc. All the maps are in the front, including (a nice touch) street maps of some of the larger, and more popular (with tourists) towns along the coast. Missing, oddly, are Manzanita and Bandon. I wouldn't recommend this as the single guide to buy if you're planning a trip to the coast and aren't familiar with it. Think of it more as a supplement.… (mehr)

This book was a gift to us when we moved to Portland. I've done about half of the 28 hikes listed with my young child. It's a thin volume so the hikes had to be carefully chosen and Dunegan has chosen some good ones.

Each hike entry is not overly detailed but these simple hikes tend to be well-marked and don't need a a lot of specifics. By keeping the text light and no photos, it allows for a book that can be easily carried in a day pack.

The maps are well drawn but I find the driving directions a little hard to follow (...but this my be my own personal issue.) GPS coordinates are not included and would have been helpful for me.… (mehr)