California Healthy: A Decent Walking Guide to SoCal
California Healthy
The book is broken into sections by county, and each includes restaurant listings, wineries, walks and local festivals. By far the best part of this guide are the walks, taking you to beautiful and scenic places, and listing dog parks for healthy fun with Rover. The local events section, although not complete, lists seasonal festivals throughout the region and is a useful tool and one of the book’s strengths.
The restaurant listings are on the other hand are weak at best. Granted, some of my favorite joints are listed, but the descriptions are limited, leaving the reader with little idea of why they should go. Most disappointing is that the list is nowhere near comprehensive. There are thousands of restaurants in SoCal, and the organic and local food movement is thriving, yet California Healthy names only of a handful of the good places out there, and gives the reader no sense of what they have in store.
The book is supplemented with recipes and a cooking guide from Chef Biron of Stanford fame. His additions are thoughtful and delicious, and but slightly out of place. Despite its attempt to be more, California Healthy is a walking book, not a health book. Absent are yoga and pilates studios, bike, skate, and surf rentals, a comprehensive listing of restaurants, holistic health practitioners, masseuses and environmentally friendly spa services, among other truly valuable health information.
Tags: book, Book Reviews, Books, California, events, Features, guide, Outdoors, restaurants, review, Reviews, walking, wine
- Uncategorized
September 3rd, 2007 at 4:48 pm
“I believe we should find health in the pursuit of pleasure, and pleasure in the pursuit of health. Well, the authors of ‘California Healthy’ have turned that philosophy into a “how-to” book! Loaded with practical, detailed, and wonderfully intimate information on how to eat well, be active, and enjoy the rich offerings of numerous locales, the book is one part health guide, one part travel guide. What a wonderful resource! I live in Connecticut…can you help me out, too? in the meantime, I certainly know what book I’m packing whenever I visit California!”
~ David L. Katz, MD, MPH, FACPM, FACP
Director, Prevention Research Center, Yale University School of Medicine
“Where else can you find a book that is not only invigorating, but is a complete guide to wining, dining, cooking, and more, including maps, restaurants, vineyards, grocery stores, farmer’s markets, beaches, festivals, and walks? This really is a wonderful book that says it all, and keeps you healthy as well.”
~ Hans L., Carmel, California
“I found this book a delight when I first browsed through it. It is chock full of great finds tucked away in the Golden State. My big dread whenever I travel is to find good places to eat healthy and be able to find them on the road easily. This guide does all of that. The price guide is super, too! The recipes in the back are a special bonus for those of us always looking for another recipe that is easy to follow and tastes good, too.
The high quality pictures make it a travel guide we all should have. I will keep my copy in the car for sure! I have lived my whole life in California and Patricia found the treasures I never knew existed. I hope she will write her guide for Northern California, too.”
~ Geneva R. “Rod Fan”
“I like everything I can see about the book [California Healthy] from sustainable foods to agricultural tourism.”
~ Hunter Vogel, Winemaker, Kit Fox Vineyards
“Californians have always been known to be innovators and forerunners of trends. Now, Patricia Hamilton, a California native, has a pulse on the future direction of travel guidebooks. California Healthy is for conscious, sustainable living aware individuals. Whether you live in California or are planning a holiday in this state, which is like a country unto itself, you will find plenty to set any healthy adventurer’s heart a flutter. Enjoy a meal from quick foods to elegant organic restaurants. Or find a recipe in the book and shop for all of the natural ingredients at one of the plethora of statewide farmer’s markets, and prepare it yourself. Afterwards, find a great place for a walk. Whether your interests lean towards something historical, nature wild, or artsy, you can keep your body and senses moving and top it off with a great place to stop for a coffee, tea, or something sweet! Listed by month, you will also find a great reference guide of the annual events in each town. Every community’s healthful treasures are unveiled in this fabulous Southern California Edition; we will also look forward to the Central and Northern California Editions to complete the country known as the state of CALIFORNIA!”.
~ Ixchel Leigh, author, aromatherapist, natural perfumer, named a leading Complementary Therapist by British Vogue, and California native! http://www.vibrational.com
see more at http://www.CaliforniaHealthy.com and http://www.AtHomeonTheRoad.com