Roadside Geology of Washington

Some things let the time pass easier on those long boring trips from point A to point B. You can listen to an audio book, play music or listen to a podcast. But were you ever just a little bit curious about your surroundings as you drove through a mountain pass, stopped at a rest stop to stretch your legs or stared at the sheer cliffs of the Columbia River at Vantage Washington and asked yourself, " Whats with this endless miles of boring brown rock? And how did a massive river end up here, in the middle of the desert?" Or, why is it taking so long for the Department of Transportation to cut a new and improved highway through here? Or there? Well, you don't need to be a student of geology to find some fun facts to look at the next time you find yourself on a road trip and need to pull over to walk the dog or stretch your legs. The Roadside Geology series is the best guide books to looking at the rocks and hills and mountains around you if you are just passing the time in a car full of restless kids, a traveling companion in the next seat or you're a avid outdoors person looking for interesting places to explore. The Earth is ancient and not always as it appears today... fossils in the mountains, lava rock in the desert where ther are no volcanos for hundreds of miles, river rocks where there hasn't been water in millions of years... every place has a ancient story to tell whether you're just passing by or deliberately looking for them.

Compared to the first edition, this Roadside Geology of Washington is greatly improved. By basing this version on geology that you can easily find along the interstate highways (using highway markers) and near other physical attractions (Grand Coulee Dam and parks, etc.) this version is much easier to use. The use of numerous and color photographs makes this a very helpful for even us non-geologists. I just came back from a road trip along I-90 and Hwy 2, and even the geologist in the car was impressed by the content of this book. The book also covers some of the local geological features that I already knew about in Kitsap County and around Hurricane Ridge (Olympic National Park). Highly recommended for family road trips and for anyone who wonders about some of the "rocks" along Washington highways.

These guides are a must if you like knowing about the geology when you are traveling on a car trip. They are very easy to understand and not too technical, yet give you the essential information to have an understanding of the geology around you. I have them for all the states out west.

If you have ever wondered about the views out of your vehicle window, this is the book for you.

I'm an avid watcher of Nick Zentner's YouTube channel and he has been doing educational videos from his home since the Spring. He works as a Geology professor at CWU in Washington state and started doing his 'Nick From Home' series when the University shut down in the Spring. This fall he's doing a series of videos on Exotic Terranes in Washington and he recommended this book to help follow along with the series. SO of course I ordered it. Got to me faster than expected and it is a beautiful book. I want to visit Washington some day and this will be handy to have for that occasion. Pictures are excellent, content is educational but not too advanced to be enjoyable. Love it!

The 2nd edition of Roadside Geology of Washington is such a HUGE upgrade from the 1st, I don't think calling it a 2nd edition does it justice. This book is essentially a total re-write; the only thing left from the original seems to be the title. While the original was somewhat sparsely-illustrated with two-color diagrams and black & white photos, this edition is lavishly illustrated with beautiful color photos, diagrams, and geologic maps. The maps, in particular, are incredibly helpful, with annotations on field stops along various highways. The introductory chapter gives a brief background into the rocks, history and regional tectonic context of Washington. While this is quite succinct and straightforward for the lay-person, those of us with some geologic background will probably find ourselves wishing for a little more. Other than that small nit-pick, this is a fantastic book that will stay in the glove compartment of my car for ready reference.

I've read both editions of the old books and these new versions for Oregon & Washington present new findings and updated understandings of technical info in a way that I found interesting and informative. I'm only an armchair geo enthusiast, but this author really enlightens and yet doesn't go too deep for general readers. The color pictures are a welcome illustrative tool, and make me want to re&visit many of these sites, now with a much deeper understanding. The references to written history of the state give context to the geological info. My only request would be to include a quick "16-14MYO" notation for those of us who don't remember all the epochs in sequence.

This is definitely a book for citizens of Washington state. Ever wonder what that white band of rocks are, or why Yakima has rock folds, or Why when you drive to Spokane there are random Boulders in Farmer's Fields.Well this book with tell you were to find these oddities and why they occurred. Even for non-geeks there are many interesting facts. The book is well developed and you can easily locate the different areas of WA state you may want to research. The book is written in an easy to read style, enough information to whet your appetite but not so much you fall asleep. Well worth the price for Rock hounds, Budding Geologist, or anyone who drives the highways and byways of Washington.

No one can ask for better version of the recent Roadside episode, covering Washinton state.I had the original version, in all colors of black, red and grey, with barely visible pictures.This version simply shines, and it can read as a geology treaty: detailed, pertinent and opening up recent discoveries, such as the Ice Floods (a recently accepted discovery), Plate Techtonics (a tad older, but new in the original version), and a few 'better' organizations of how the complexity of the state geology can be done.Worth reading as a Road Trip Planner, as a layman treaty or, simply as a book to awake your scientific curiosity.I strongly encourage those owners of the original edition to UPGRADE. You will enjoy pages and pages of colorful pictures and diagrams.