A fascinating portrait of icon Woody Guthrie, the Pacific Northwest, and folk music--all set against the backdrop of a tumultuous moment in American history   In 1941, Woody Guthrie wrote 26 songs in 30 days--including classics like "Roll On Columbia" and "Pastures of Plenty"--when he was hired by the Bonneville Power Administration to promote the benefits of cheap hydroelectric power, irrigation, and the Grand Coulee Dam. Now, KEXP DJ Greg Vandy takes readers inside the unusual partnership between one of America's great folk artists and the federal government, and shows how the American folk revival was a response to hard times. 26 Songs In 30 Days plunges deeply into the historical context of the time and the progressive politics that embraced Social Democracy during an era in which the United States had been severely suffering from The Great Depression. And though this is a musical history of a vibrant American musical icon and a specific part of the country, it couldn't be a better reminder of how timeless and expansive such topics are in today's political discourse.

In the tradition of The Lost City of Z and Skeletons in the Zahara, Astoria is the thrilling, true-adventure tale of the 1810 Astor Expedition, an epic, now forgotten, three-year journey to forge an American empire on the Pacific Coast. Peter Stark offers a harrowing saga in which a band of explorers battled nature, starvation, and madness to establish the first American settlement in the Pacific Northwest and opened up what would become the Oregon trail, permanently altering the nation's landscape and its global standing. Six years after Lewis and Clark's began their journey to the Pacific Northwest, two of the Eastern establishment's leading figures, John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson, turned their sights to founding a colony akin to Jamestown on the West Coast and transforming the nation into a Pacific trading power. Author and correspondent for Outside magazine Peter Stark recreates this pivotal moment in American history for the first time for modern readers, drawing on original source material to tell the amazing true story of the Astor Expedition. Unfolding over the course of three years, from 1810 to 1813, Astoria is a tale of high adventure and incredible hardship in the wilderness and at sea. Of the more than one hundred-forty members of the two advance parties that reached the West Coast--one crossing the Rockies, the other rounding Cape Horn--nearly half perished by violence. Others went mad. Within one year, the expedition successfully established Fort Astoria, a trading post on the Columbia River. Though the colony would be short-lived, it opened provincial American eyes to the potential of the Western coast and its founders helped blaze the Oregon Trail.

A Pacific Northwest Bookseller Association Bestseller! The new and updated second edition of the Pacific Northwest's bestselling guide to hikes and breweries.  Beer lovers and hiking enthusiasts, these 52 Pacific Northwest hikes are for you! Each carefully-selected hike leads you through stunning scenery, and ends near a brewery or a brewpub--where a local craft beer awaits! This full-color guidebook features the best one to six-hour beer hikes in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. Each trail description includes details on access, difficulty, duration, points of interest, and also, at trail's end, a recommended beer: its appearance and taste, as well as an inside look behind the brewing.

Chinookan peoples have lived on the Lower Columbia River for millennia. Today they are one of the most significant Native groups in the Pacific Northwest, although the Chinook Tribe is still unrecognized by the United States government. In Chinookan Peoples of the Lower Columbia River, scholars provide a deep and wide-ranging picture of the landscape and resources of the Chinookan homeland and the history and culture of a people over time, from 10,000 years ago to the present. They draw on research by archaeologists, ethnologists, scientists, and historians, inspired in part by the discovery of several Chinookan village sites, particularly Cathlapotle, a village on the Columbia River floodplain near the Portland-Vancouver metropolitan area. Their accumulated scholarship, along with contributions by members of the Chinook and related tribes, provides an introduction to Chinookan culture and research and is a foundation for future work.

Imagine hiking along a wooded trail in Washington and stumbling upon the stone foundation of a crumbled building or rusted railroad ties from an abandoned Northern Pacific Railway line. Hiking through History Washington profiles 40 hikes (all trails, of varying degrees of difficulty), will go beyond simply stating miles and directions and GPS coordinates for each hike to include rich descriptions of the history underfoot. This book is the perfect companion for any hiker with an interest in history, complete with rich photos, detailed maps, and sidebars detailing enough historical information to satisfy every curiosity along the way. 

Moses Lake stands out as the "boomtown" of Grant County. A period of exponential growth began in the 1940s as the result of water and air power. Moses Lake sits at the heart of the Columbia Basin Project, a monumental irrigation system controlled by Grand Coulee Dam supplying water to over half a million acres. Activation of the Moses Lake Army Air Base (later Larson Air Force Base) during World War II added to the population boom of more than 3,600 percent by 1960. Originally barriers to the success of early agriculture, warm summer temperatures and low annual rainfall make Moses Lake an attractive recreational destination for water sports, fishing, and hunting. From the pioneering days of gasoline-powered pump irrigation to the phenomenal success of modern irrigated farms, water has played the pivotal role in Moses Lake's Cinderella story of agricultural empire in an otherwise arid desert.

Entertaining, educational and highly giftable, Northwest Know-How- Beaches showcases the majestic, quirky, and unique beaches of the Washington and Oregon coastline through facts, history, legend, and lovely illustrations. There are few things more treasured in the Pacific Northwest than its beaches. This celebratory guide features more than 30 favorite coastal and island beaches in Washington and Oregon, providing tips for visiting, fun facts, natural history, and native lore. Charming illustrations will capture the roar of the surf, the call of the wildlife, and the beauty of our beaches. Sure to delight the avid beachcomber and curious visitor alike, this makes the perfect gift and guide for PNW beach-lovers and nature enthusiasts.

Entertaining, educational and highly giftable, Northwest Know-How- Haunts showcases the haunted hotspots, cemeteries and graveyards, ghost towns, and curiosities in Oregon and Washington. True crime and the supernatural are more popular than ever and Northwest Know-How- Haunts explores the ghosts, legends, and haunted spots of the Pacific Northwest. From the many haunted spots of Seattle's Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market to Oregon's many haunted hotels, lighthouses, and theaters, this book uncovers the events that inspired the hauntings as well as the reports of the hauntings themselves. Read about the ghost of Simon Benson, a teetotaling spirit who has been known to knock over drinks at his namesake Benson Hotel in Portland. And discover why it might be prudent to steer clear of the honeymoon suite at the Columbia Gorge Hotel. Spectral sightings extend to the water as well- a ghost ship appears off Seattle's Pier 70...and reputedly foretells doom. Haunts will be a must-have for anyone who likes their history with a side of spooky.

An entertaining and educational guide, Northwest Know-How- Trees introduces 54 of the Pacific Northwest's most engaging and impressive varieties, providing key identification features, statistics, facts, and beautiful line-art renderings of the awe-inspiring sentinels that dot our landscape. Trees in the Pacific Northwest are as varied as they are majestic. This celebratory guide features 54 of the most intriguing varieties in the region, providing identification tips, statistics, and fun facts for each. In addition, each profile will be paired with beautiful illustrations showing the full silhouette along with finer details such as a flower or leaf. Delighting both the curious observer and experienced arborist alike, this collection makes a perfect gift for the tree lover in your life.

"An incredibly thorough guide for identifying, harvesting, and utilizing medicinal plants." --Dr. Deborah Frances RN, ND Naturopathic physician, herbalist, author, and lecturer In Pacific Northwest Medicinal Plants, Scott Kloos is your trusted guide to finding, identifying, harvesting, and using 120 of the region's most powerful wild plants. You'll learn how to safely and ethically forage, and how to use wild plants in herbal medicines including teas, tinctures, and salves. Plant profiles include clear, color photographs, identification tips, medicinal uses and herbal preparations, and harvesting suggestions. Lists of what to forage for each season makes the guide useful year-round. Thorough, comprehensive, and safe, this is a must-have for foragers, naturalists, and herbalists in Oregon, Washington, Alaska, and northern California.