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The White Masai
by Corinne HofmannCorinne Hofmann falls in love with a Masai warrior while on holiday with her boyfriend in Kenya. After overcoming all sorts of obstacles, she moves into a tiny shack with him and his mother in his village, and spends four years in Kenya. Slowly but surely the dream starts to crumble until she flees back home with her baby daughter born out of the seemingly indestructible love between a white European woman and a Masai. This is a major feature film to be released in the UK 2006.
The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland
by Hugh ThomsonOne man goes in search of the lost cities of the Amazon in the Inca heartland.The lost cities of South America have always exercised a powerful hold on the popular imagination. The ruins of the Incas and other pre-Colombian civilisations are scattered over thousands of miles of still largely uncharted territory, particularly in the Eastern Andes, where the mountains fall away towards the Amazon. Twenty-five years ago, Hugh Thomson set off into the cloud-forest on foot to find a ruin that had been carelessly lost again after its initial discovery. Into his history of the Inca Empire he weaves the story of his adventures as he travelled to the most remote Inca cities. It is also the story of the great explorers in whose footsteps he followed, such as Hiram Bingham and Gene Savoy.
The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland
by Hugh ThomsonOne man goes in search of the lost cities of the Amazon in the Inca heartland.The lost cities of South America have always exercised a powerful hold on the popular imagination. The ruins of the Incas and other pre-Colombian civilisations are scattered over thousands of miles of still largely uncharted territory, particularly in the Eastern Andes, where the mountains fall away towards the Amazon. Twenty-five years ago, Hugh Thomson set off into the cloud-forest on foot to find a ruin that had been carelessly lost again after its initial discovery. Into his history of the Inca Empire he weaves the story of his adventures as he travelled to the most remote Inca cities. It is also the story of the great explorers in whose footsteps he followed, such as Hiram Bingham and Gene Savoy.
The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland
by Hugh ThomsonAn explorer searches the Peruvian Andes for a lost ruin in “a gem of a book [that] transcends the travel writing genre” with fascinating Inca history (Los Angeles Times).A New York Times Notable BookWith the backdrop of the ever-intriguing Andes mountains, Hugh Thomson explores the intoxicating history of the Inca people and their heartland. The author, an acclaimed documentary filmmaker and explorer, expertly weaves accounts of his own discoveries and brushes with danger with the history of those who preceded him—including the explorer Hiram Bingham, who discovered Machu Picchu; the twentieth century South American photographer, Martín Chambi; the poet Pablo Neruda; and the Spanish conquistadores who destroyed the Inca civilization—and the eccentric characters he meets on his travels.Following in the footsteps of the explorers Gene Savoy and Hiram Bingham, Thomson set off into the jungle to find the lost city of Llactapat. This is the story of his journey to discover it via the interconnecting paths the Incas laid across the Andes.
The Whole Fromage: Adventures in the Delectable World of French Cheese
by Kathe LisonThe French, sans doute, love their fromages. And there's much to love: hundreds of gloriously pungent varieties--crumbly, creamy, buttery, even shot through with bottle-green mold. So many varieties, in fact, that the aspiring gourmand may wonder: How does one make sense of it all? In The Whole Fromage, Kathe Lison sets out to learn what makes French cheese so remarkable--why France is the "Cheese Mother Ship," in the words of one American expert. Her journey takes her to cheese caves tucked within the craggy volcanic rock of Auvergne, to a centuries-old monastery in the French Alps, and to the farmlands that keep cheesemaking traditions alive. She meets the dairy scientists, shepherds, and affineurs who make up the world of modern French cheese, and whose lifestyles and philosophies are as varied and flavorful as the delicacies they produce. Most delicious of all, she meets the cheeses themselves--from spruce-wrapped Mont d'Or, so gooey it's best eaten with a spoon; to luminous Beaufort, redolent of Alpine grasses and wildflowers, a single round of which can weigh as much as a Saint Bernard; to Camembert, invented in Normandy but beloved and imitated across the world. With writing as piquant and rich as a well-aged Roquefort, as charming as a tender springtime chèvre, and yet as unsentimental as a stinky Maroilles, The Whole Fromage is a tasty exploration of one of the great culinary treasures of France.From the Trade Paperback edition.
The Wild Gardens of Acadia (Images of Modern America)
by Anne M. Kozak Susan S. LeiterFounded in 1961 at Sieur de Monts Spring in Maine's Acadia National Park, the Wild Gardens of Acadia display, preserve, propagate, and label native plants in areas simulating natural plant communities. The gardens, which originated from a competition in growing native plants sponsored by the Bar Harbor Garden Club, continue to be developed and maintained by volunteers in partnership with Friends of Acadia and Acadia National Park. Each of the gardens' 13 habitats, ranging from mountain to beach to bog to deciduous and coniferous woods, displays plants native to the park. Since the founding, countless park visitors have come to the gardens to identify plants they have seen on walks or hikes or to learn more about cultivating native plants. Many of the images in this book are drawn from the extensive photograph collection of the Wild Gardens of Acadia.
The Wild Mississippi: A State-by-State Guide to the River's Natural Wonders
by Dean KlinkenbergDiscover the amazing flora and fauna of the Mississippi River—and the best ways to explore it, state by state! Did you know that one-quarter of all North American fish species are native to the Mississippi? Or that it shelters 300 species of birds during seasonal migrations? The Mississippi River runs through the heart of the nation, shaping its history and identity. But few of us understand its essences. It&’s a life-giving force that sustains thriving ecosystems across wetlands, prairies, and bluffs. In The Wild Mississippi, Dean Klinkenberg not only shares the wonders of the river, but he also shows you where to experience them firsthand. Pick up this must-read guide and get ready to experience the river wild! You&’ll discover: Hiking, biking, and paddling spots More than 160 parks, forests, and wildlife refuges Natural history museums and aquariums Excursions from Minneapolis, St. Louis, Memphis, New Orleans, and more
The Wild Muir
by Lee StetsonHere is an entertaining collection of John Muir's most exciting adventures, representing some of his finest writing. From the famous avalanche ride off the rim of Yosemite Valley to his night spent weathering a windstorm at the top of a tree to death-defying falls on Alaskan glaciers, the renowned outdoorsman's exploits are related in passages that are by turns exhilarating, unnerving, dizzying, and outrageous.
The Wild Places
by Robert MacfarlaneAre there any genuinely wild places left in Britain and Ireland? Or have we tarmacked, farmed and built ourselves out of wildness? In The Wild Places, Macfarlane embarks on a series of journeys in search of the wildness that remains in these islands. His journeys take him through some of the most remarkable landscapes of our archipelago. He climbs, walks and swims through these places in rainstorm, sunlight and blizzard, by darkness and by day, and in all seasons. He spends nights sleeping out on cliff-tops and remote beaches, deep in snowy woods, on pilgrim islands, mountain summits, and ancient meadows. He bathes in phosphorescent seas, walks frozen rivers at night, and watches a red sun rise over an Arctic England. In the course of his journeys, Macfarlane's own understanding of wildness undergoes a transformation.
The Wild Places
by Robert Macfarlane?An eloquent (and compulsively readable) reminder that, though we?re laying waste the world, nature still holds sway over much of the earth?s surface.? ?Bill McKibben Are there any genuinely wild places left in Britain and Ireland? That is the question that Robert Macfarlane poses to himself as he embarks on a series of breathtaking journeys through some of the archipelago?s most remarkable landscapes. He climbs, walks, and swims by day and spends his nights sleeping on cliff-tops and in ancient meadows and wildwoods. With elegance and passion he entwines history, memory, and landscape in a bewitching evocation of wildness and its vital importance. A unique travelogue that will intrigue readers of natural history and adventure, The Wild Places solidifies Macfarlane?s reputation as a young writer to watch.
The Wild Silence: A Memoir
by Raynor WinnAN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLERThe incredible follow-up to the international bestseller The Salt Path, a story of finding your way back home.Nature holds the answers for Raynor and her husband Moth. After walking 630 homeless miles along The Salt Path, living on the windswept and wild English coastline; the cliffs, the sky and the chalky earth now feel like their home. Moth has a terminal diagnosis, but together on the wild coastal path, with their feet firmly rooted outdoors, they discover that anything is possible.Now, life beyond The Salt Path awaits and they come back to four walls, but the sense of home is illusive and returning to normality is proving difficult - until an incredible gesture by someone who reads their story changes everything. A chance to breathe life back into a beautiful farmhouse nestled deep in the Cornish hills; rewilding the land and returning nature to its hedgerows becomes their saving grace and their new path to follow. The Wild Silence is a story of hope triumphing over despair, of lifelong love prevailing over everything. It is a luminous account of the human spirit's connection to nature, and how vital it is for us all.
The Wilderness Family
by Kobie KrugerWhen Kobie Krüger, her game-ranger husband and their three young daughters moved to one of the most isolated corners of the world - a remote ranger station in the Mahlangeni region of South Africa's vast Kruger National Park - she might have worried that she would become engulfed with loneliness and boredom. Yet, for Kobie and her family, the seventeen years spent in this spectacularly beautiful park proved to be the most magical - and occasionally the most hair-raising - of their lives.Kobie recounts their enchanting adventures and extraordinary experiences in this vast reserve - a place where, bathed in golden sunlight, hippos basked in the glittering waters of the Letaba River, storks and herons perched along the shoreline, and fruit bats hung in the sausage trees.But as the Krugers settled in, they discovered that not all was peace and harmony. They soon became accustomed to living with the unexpected: the sneaky hyenas who stole blankets and cooking pots, the sinister-looking pythons that slithered into the house, and the usually placid elephants who grew foul-tempered in the violent heat of the summer. And one terrible day, a lion attacked Kobus in the bush and nearly killed him.Yet nothing prepared the Krugers for their greatest adventure of all, the raising of an orphaned prince, a lion cub who, when they found him, was only a few days old and on the verge of death. Reared on a cocktail of love and bottles of fat-enriched milk, Leo soon became an affectionate, rambunctious and adored member of the fmaily. It is the rearing of this young king, and the hilarious endeavours to teach him to become a 'real' lion who could survive with his own kind in the wild, that lie at the heart of this endearing memoir. It is a memoir of a magical place and time that can never be recaptured.
The Wilderness Journeys: My Boyhood And Youth - First Summer In The Sierra - 1000 Mile Walk - Stickeen - Travels In Alaska (Canongate Classics #Vol. 67)
by John MuirFive works by the naturalist considered the father of the modern conservation movement, documenting the unspoiled beauty of nineteenth-century America. When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe. —John Muir, My First Summer in the Sierra The name of John Muir has come to stand for the protection of wild land and wilderness in both America and Britain. Born in Scotland in 1838, Muir is famed as the father of American conservation and the founder of the Sierra Club. This collection, including the rarely seen Stickeen, presents the finest of Muir&’s writings, painting a portrait of a man whose generosity, passion, and vision are an inspiration to this day. Combining acute observation, amusing anecdotes, and a sense of inner discovery, Muir&’s writings of his travels though some of the greatest landscapes on Earth, including the Carolinas, Florida, Alaska, and those lands that were to become the great National Parks of Yosemite and the Sierra Valley, raise an awareness of nature to a spiritual dimension. Includes an introduction by Graham White
The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest
by Mark MackenzieIn 1924, George Mallory and Sandy Irvine disappeared into the clouds encircling the peak of Everest. Whether they were the first men to reach the top of the Earth's highest mountain remains a mystery. They never returned from their ill-fated expedition. Seventy-five years later, the then-unknown mountaineer Conrad Anker made an extraordinary discovery. He spotted 'a patch of white' standing out against the rock; it was Mallory's frozen body. Mallory's treacherous route on Everest's northern slopes remains one of the most demanding challenges in mountaineering. So, is it possible that Mallory and Irvine -- exhausted, confused and oxygen-starved -- could have made the ascent all those years ago without artificial aid? Last year, Anker returned to Everest to find out. His partner was Leo Houlding, a freakishly talented young British climber with an appetite for death-defying ascents but untested at extreme altitude. Houlding, the lightning-fast, wild child of climbing, stands poles apart from Anker, a soft-spoken altruist and environmentalist. Kitted out in replica clothing and with a film crew recording their every move, they set off to solve Everest's oldest mystery.What they found was a story which explores the very nature of modern adventure. Against a backdrop of conflicting personal goals, commercial pressures, and a thirst for answers, they pushed themselves to the limit. Haunted by the memory of Mallory and Irvine, they were all too conscious that here, in the most dangerous place on the planet, they risked their lives with every step.
The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Tourism (Wiley Blackwell Companions to Geography)
by C. Michael Hall Allan M. Williams Alan A. LewThe Wiley Blackwell Companion to Tourism presents a collection of readings that represent an essential and authoritative reference on the state-of-the-art of the interdisciplinary field of tourism studies. Presents a comprehensive and critical overview of tourism studies across the social sciences Introduces emerging topics and reassesses key themes in tourism studies in the light of recent developments Includes 50 newly commissioned essays by leading experts in the social sciences from around the world Contains cutting-edge perspectives on topics that include tourism’s role in globalization, sustainable tourism, and the state’s role in tourism development Sets an agenda for future tourism research and includes a wealth of bibliographic references
The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Tourism (Wiley Blackwell Companions to Geography)
by C. Michael HallThe first authoritative overview of tourism studies published post-COVID-19 The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Tourism remains a definitive reference in this interdisciplinary field. Edited and authored by leading scholars from around the world, this state-of-the-art volume provides a comprehensive critical overview of tourism studies across the social sciences. In-depth yet accessible chapters combine established theories and cutting-edge developments and analysis, addressing a wide range of current and emerging topics, issues, debates, and themes. The second edition of the Companion reflects the complexity of the changing field, incorporating new developments, diverse theories, core themes, and fresh perspectives throughout. New and revised chapters explore the organization and practice of tourism, pressing health, economic, social, and environmental challenges, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism and the tourist industry, empowerment, placemaking, mindfulness and wellbeing, resident attitudes towards tourism, Chinese outbound tourism, public transport, long-distance walking, and more. Covers the full spectrum of tourism studies, including its connections to geography, sociology, urban studies, sustainability, marketing, management, globalization, and policy Outlines exciting new and emerging approaches, theoretical foundations, and major developments in tourism studies Offers perspectives on major topics including the role of tourism in the Anthropocene, global and local change, resilience, innovation, and consumer and business behavior Sets an agenda for future tourism research and reviews significant issues in theory, method, and practice Features new contributions from an international panel of younger scholars and established researchers With a wealth of up-to-date bibliographic references and extensive coverage of the tourism-related literature, The Wiley Blackwell Companion to Tourism, Second Edition, is required reading for undergraduate students, postgraduate researchers, lecturers, and academic scholars in tourism studies, tourism management, tourism geography, tourism theory, sociology, urban studies, and globalization, as well as professionals working in tourism and hospitality management worldwide.
The Wind In My Wheels: Travel Tales from the Saddle
by Josie DewAs a young girl, Josie Dew developed an overpowering urge to travel. She also fell out of a fast-moving vehicle and, rather inconveniently, developed a lifelong aversion to cars. Along came her first bicycle, and she has never looked back. Four continents, thirty-six countries and eighty thousand miles worth of astounding adventures, eccentric characters, varied cultures and ever-enduring optimism are the result of her travels.From Saharan locust invasions to tree-climbing goats, and a customs official who wouldn't let her leave India because 'You are making me a very fine wife', her encounters are described with honesty, wit and perception. Strange incidents and bizarre circumstances punctuate her journeys: in Nepal she met a team of Frenchmen running from Paris to China, and a cyclist on his way from one Olympic Games to the next. In Udaipur she was greeted by everyone with the refrain 'Hello Mr. Jamie Bond Octopussy filmed here', whilst her view of post-Ceausescu Romania, a nation suffering and starving, affected her both physically and mentally.THE WIND IN MY WHEELS is informative, illuminating, and ceaselessly amusing.
The Wind In My Wheels: Travel Tales from the Saddle
by Josie DewAs a young girl, Josie Dew developed an overpowering urge to travel. She also fell out of a fast-moving vehicle and, rather inconveniently, developed a lifelong aversion to cars. Along came her first bicycle, and she has never looked back. Four continents, thirty-six countries and eighty thousand miles worth of astounding adventures, eccentric characters, varied cultures and ever-enduring optimism are the result of her travels.From Saharan locust invasions to tree-climbing goats, and a customs official who wouldn't let her leave India because 'You are making me a very fine wife', her encounters are described with honesty, wit and perception. Strange incidents and bizarre circumstances punctuate her journeys: in Nepal she met a team of Frenchmen running from Paris to China, and a cyclist on his way from one Olympic Games to the next. In Udaipur she was greeted by everyone with the refrain 'Hello Mr. Jamie Bond Octopussy filmed here', whilst her view of post-Ceausescu Romania, a nation suffering and starving, affected her both physically and mentally.THE WIND IN MY WHEELS is informative, illuminating, and ceaselessly amusing.
The Wind Off the Island: Voyage To The Playground Of The Gods
by Ernle BradfordThe bestselling author of The Journeying Moon explores the history and culture of Sicily in this colorful travel memoir. In his memoir The Journeying Moon, historian Ernle Bradford recounts the call to adventure that brought him and his wife, Janet, to a life on the sea. Continuing their adventures aboard the Mother Goose, Bradford and Janet now voyage around the island of Sicily, where the couple explores the land and learns its captivating history. Home to ancient temple ruins, charming villages, and Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, Sicily provides the perfect backdrop for this tale of exploration and wonder. In a model travel narrative, Bradford captures the sights, sounds, and flavors of Sicily in his lively portrayal of an excursion across an ancient and extraordinary island, a part of Italy and yet a world unto itself.
The Windows of Brimnes: An American in Iceland
by Bill HolmA Midwesterner contemplates the view of America from a remote Icelandic village: “A pleasure to read and ponder.” —Booklist (starred review)A Minnesotan of Icelandic ancestry, Bill Holm had traveled all over the world, gathering material for a number of rich and memorable books. Then he decided to journey to the land his family had long ago left behind for the United States, and moved into a town with one general store in a nation of a few hundred thousand people. This book recounts his time at Brimnes, his fisherman’s cottage on the shore of a creek in northern Iceland. There, he embarks on a very different life in a very different world, and from thousands of miles away, considers the fate of America—“my home, my citizenship, my burden”—in these provocative, compelling essays.“A master storyteller.” —Los Angeles Times“Bill Holm’s life in [this] place of spare beauty will make readers wish they had a Brimnes where they could restore their souls.” —Pioneer Press (St. Paul)
The Windward Shore: A Winter on the Great Lakes
by Jerry Dennis"Our country is lucky to have Jerry Dennis. A conservationist with the soul of a poet whose beat is Wild Michigan, Dennis is a kindred spirit of Aldo Leopold and Sigurd Olson. The Windward Shore---his newest effort---is a beautifully written and elegiac memoir of outdoor discovery. Highly recommended!" ---Douglas Brinkley, author of The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America "Come for a journey; stay for an awakening. Jerry Dennis loves the Great Lakes, the swell of every wave, the curve of every rock. He wants you to love them too before our collective trashing of them wipes out all traces of their original character. Through his eyes, you will treasure the hidden secrets that reveal themselves only to those who linger and long. Elegant and sad at the same time, The Windward Shore is a love song for the Great Lakes and a gentle call to action to save them. " ---Maude Barlow, author of Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Coming Battle for the Right to Water "In prose as clear as the lines in a Dürer etching, Jerry Dennis maps his home ground, which ranges outward from the back door of his farmhouse to encompass the region of vast inland seas at the heart of our continent. Along the way, inspired by the company of water in all its guises---ice, snow, frost, clouds, rain, shore-lapping waves---he meditates on the ancient questions about mind and matter, time and attention, wildness and wonder. As in the best American nature writing---a tradition that Dennis knows well---here the place and the explorer come together in brilliant conversation. " ---Scott Russell Sanders, author of A Conservationist Manifesto If you have been enchanted by Jerry Dennis’s earlier work on sailing the Great Lakes, canoeing, angling, and the natural wonders of water and sky—or you have not yet been lucky enough to enjoy his engaging prose—you will want to immerse yourself in his powerful and insightful new book on winter in Great Lakes country. Grounded by a knee injury, Dennis learns to live at a slower pace while staying in houses ranging from a log cabin on Lake Superior’s Keweenaw Peninsula to a $20 million mansion on the northern shore of Lake Michigan. While walking on beaches and exploring nearby woods and villages, he muses on the nature of time, weather, waves, agates, books, words for snow and ice, our complex relationship with nature, and much more. From the introduction: “I wanted to present a true picture of a complex region, part of my continuing project to learn at least one place on earth reasonably well, and trusted that it would appear gradually and accumulatively—and not as a conventional portrait, but as a mosaic that included the sounds and scents and textures of the place and some of the plants, animals, and its inhabitants. Bolstered by the notion that a book is a journey that author and reader walk together, I would search for promising trails and follow them as far as my reconstructed knee would allow. ”
The Wine Bible
by Karen MacNeilAnnouncing the completely revised and updated edition of The Wine Bible, the perennial bestselling wine book praised as “The most informative and entertaining book I’ve ever seen on the subject” (Danny Meyer), “A guide that has all the answers” (Bobby Flay), “Astounding” (Thomas Keller), and “A magnificent masterpiece of wine writing” (Kevin Zraly). Like a lively course from an expert teacher, The Wine Bible grounds the reader deeply in the fundamentals while layering on informative asides, tips, amusing anecdotes, definitions, glossaries, photos (all new for this edition), maps, labels, and recommended bottles. Karen MacNeil’s information comes directly through primary research; for this second edition she has tasted more than 10,000 wines and visited dozens of wine regions around the world. New to the book are wines of China, Japan, Mexico, and Slovenia. And through it all the reader becomes ever more informed—and, because of the author’s unique voice, always entertained: “In great years Pétrus is ravishing, elegant, and rich—Ingrid Bergman in red satin.” Or, describing a Riesling: “A laser beam. A sheet of ice. A great crackling bolt of lightning.”
The Wine Bible, 3rd Edition
by Karen MacNeilIt&’s America&’s bestselling wine book, now fully revised, updated, and in color! Beloved and trusted by everyone, from newcomers starting their wine journey to oenophiles, sommeliers, restaurateurs, and industry insiders, The Wine Bible is comprehensive, entertaining, authoritative, beautifully written, and endlessly interesting. Page after page grounds the reader deeply in the fundamentals—vineyards and varietals, climate and terroir—while layering on passionate asides, tips, anecdotes, definitions, illustrations, maps, labels, and over 400 photographs in full-color. Plus this completely updated 3rd edition offers: New chapters on Great Britain, Croatia, Israel. A new section called In the Beginning… Wine in the Ancient World. New fully revised Great Wines section with recommended bottles to try for each country and region. Expanded chapters on France, Italy, Australia, South America, and the U.S. A deeper grape glossary including 400-plus varieties, and an expanded Mastering Wine Section incorporating latest science on taste and smell.
The Wine Lover Cooks Italian: Pairing Great Recipes with the Perfect Glass of Wine
by Brian St. Pierre“A noted wine writer . . . uses simple, engaging language to describe the many wines of Italy,” paired with delectable recipes from its various regions (Publishers Weekly).Glass in one hand, fork in the other, Brian St. Pierre explores the regional wines and cuisines of Italy in this dream of a cookbook. As you’d expect from the author of A Perfect Glass of Wine, St. Pierre brings to the table fabulous recipes and inspired wine pairings. Whether it’s a hearty barolo from Piedmont in the northwest that complements a pan-roasted veal tenderloin, a refreshing pinot grigio from the shores of the Adriatic paired with succulent risotto di frutti di mare, or a glass of easy-going Apulia primitivo from the southern reaches to enjoy with the rosemary and oregano notes of slow-baked lamb, each wine suggestion is designed to enhance the flavor of the recipe. The sweeter side of the wine spectrum is also represented with such treats as zuppa inglese with strawberries served alongside a glass of sparkling proseccoa. With a glossary of wine terms and gorgeous photographs of both the wine and the food, this stylish cookbook is as beautiful as it is informative.
The Wine Seeker's Guide to Livermore Valley
by Thomas C. WilmerThe Wine Seekers' Guide to the Livermore Valley is the first exclusive guide to this little-known wine region, introducing adventurous wine lovers to more than forty wineries, the owners and winemakers, and their superb wines.The Wine Seekers' guides lead you to delight-filled locales where exceptional but perhaps unheralded wines are produced with old-world quality by families eager to share not only their award-winning products but also their harmonious lifestyle and welcoming communities with you.In addition to the in-depth chapters showcasing the wineries, we have included a selection of enticing things to do and see and places to stay while exploring the region, such as a ride on the historic Niles Canyon Wine Train, a memorable dinner at Wente's award-winning restaurant, hiking, biking, visiting the museums and galleries, savoring the concerts and festivals and enjoying the enchanting town and village experiences in Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Danville. Ask any Livermore Valley winery owner to succinctly state their reason for being in the profession, and I can guarantee you the word "fun" will strategically show up somewhere in their reply.In some ways the Livermore Valley wine industry is not really about wine--it's all about families working side by side, not only growing and nurturing grapes and wine, but along the way strengthening and tightening the bonds of culture and family, and ultimately their sense of community. The largest and oldest continuously operating, family-owned winery in America is Wente, and it is incredible how many younger winery owners sing the praises of the Wente family, and how they went out of their way to help them get established.The Wine Seekers' Guide to the Livermore Valley provides directions, operating hours, and contact information for each winery, a map of the region, recommendations for where to stay, and a detailed restaurant guide.