Great Escapes: Southern California author Donna Wares chats with LAist to offer her recommendations for the best short getaways for those sticking around SoCal this holiday season. You’ll find the full interview at LAist.com and some of her top recommendations after the jump. Read more »

Posted: November 27th, 2008 under Great Escapes, Travel.
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Sheryl Kayne’s recommendations for her top 10 volunteer vacations appeared in USA Today over the weekend. Her first book with Countryman, Immersion Travel USA came out this fall, and her new book Volunteer Vacations Across America is due out in Spring 2009. Her top ten includes:

Heifer Ranch, Perryville, Ark
Fur Seal Rookery, St. George Island, AK, Earthwatch
The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, Ashford, CT
Navajo Nation, Tuba City, AZ, Amizade
Continental Divide Trail, CO
Big Dipper Eco Farm, Kingsley, Michigan, WWOOF USA
Restoring Shotgun Houses, Cairo, Illinois, Heritage Conservation Network
The Elephant Sanctuary, Hohenwald, TN
Heron Lake State Park’s Osprey Festival
Louisiana Children’s Museum’s Learning is Playing, New Orleans, Relief Spark.Org

You can check out the full piece here.

Posted: November 25th, 2008 under Travel.
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We’d like to offer our congratulations to Sally Moore, whose Backroads & Byways of New Mexico (2007, The Countryman Press) won a 2008 New Mexico Book Award in the Travel category. For more information on the ceremony and the other winners, visit the site here. For more information on the book and Sally’s other projects, you can visit her website at www.sallymoore.com.

Posted: November 24th, 2008 under Travel.
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Two events are scheduled in support of John Villani’s Art Towns California in SoCal this next week. Learn more about the book and California’s unique arts communities at:

Laguna Beach Books, Sunday November 23rd @ 3pm

Carmel Art Association, Wednesday November 26th 11am-2pm

There will also be a book release party for Michele Bigley’s Kauai: Great Destinations Hawaii in December. Michele will present on the book and show slides from her travels. Wine and snacks will be provided.

Red Hill Books, San Francisco, CA Friday December 5th @ 7pm

Posted: November 20th, 2008 under Travel.
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Tim Matson is presenting on The Book of Non-Electric Lighting at the Latham Library next week, and will be discussing alternative heat and light sources just in time for winter outages and blackouts.

Event time: Wednesday November 19th, 6:30PM

Location: Latham Library, Thetford Hill, Vermont

For more information, visit the Latham Library website.

Posted: November 14th, 2008 under Sustainable Living.
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Our congratulations go out to Christopher Baker, the author of Palm Springs & Desert Resorts: Great Destinations (November 2008, The Countryman Press). Baker was named Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year in 2008 by the Society of American Travel Writers. More on this prestigious award here.

Posted: November 7th, 2008 under Great Destinations, Travel.
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Tune in this Sunday morning from 6-7am to Weekend Today in New York on NBC to catch a cooking segment from EatingWell’s own Jessie Price. Jessie will talk about the new book, EatingWell Comfort Foods Made Healthy (November 2008) and makeover a delectable green bean casserole, just in time for the holiday season. Find the recipe after the jump.

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Posted: November 7th, 2008 under Cooking, EatingWell.
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