Check it out

For anyone lured by the great outdoors, Newport libraries offer scores

of resources for adventures along seashores, bike paths, mountain trails

and waterways.

From nearby Whiting Ranch to the High Sierras, 69 mountain biking

opportunities are outlined in “Mountain Biking Southern California.”

Along with detailed route information and maps for each ride, there are

notes about trail access, tread size, difficulty, hazards, highlights,

fees and services.

A bicycle can be the perfect vehicle for exploring one of the world’s

most scenic coastlines, with help from the new edition of “Bicycling the

Pacific Coast.” The recent update of this classic guide includes details

for 35-day trips from Vancouver, British Columbia, to the Mexican border,

with mileage logs, road directions, points of interest and where to find

food, water and restrooms.

Similar territory is covered in “Field Guide to Mysterious Places of

the Pacific Coast,” featuring such unusual haunts as Hallucinogenic Cave

in Big Sur and petroglyphs near Barstow.

Toss this field guide into the glove compartment of that Jeep or RV

before setting out for mysterious places where tourist buses never

venture.

If you’re headed farther afield in a home on wheels, thumb through

“Great RV Trips” for itineraries in such destinations as Utah’s

Canyonlands, Louisiana’s bayous and Alaska’s glaciers. Along with route

maps, recreational vehicle park listings and sightseeing tips, former RV

caravan tour guide Charles Cadieux provides general information for RV

owners, including factors to consider when buying or winterizing an RV

and for becoming a “full-timer.”

Wanderers who prefer to go by sea or lake will be well-served by

“Adventure Kayaking from the Russian River to Monterey” and “Adventure

Kayaking: Trips from Big Sur to San Diego.” Suggested routes, comments on

winds and tides, trip descriptions and maps make these books fine

resources for beginners to experienced paddlers.

Water sports are among dozens of activities touched on in “The Baja

Adventure Book,” a guide for both newcomers and seasoned travelers headed

south of the border. For anyone interested in venturing outside the

tourist resorts, there are milepost by milepost descriptions of nearly

every cranny of the peninsula and what you can do there, including

fishing, diving, camping and caving.

If you know you want an outdoor vacation, but you’re not sure where to

head, check out “Uncle Sam’s Guide to the Great Outdoors.” This

sourcebook covers nearly all of America’s national parks, forests,

monuments and wildlife refuges. Contact information, including e-mail

addresses and phone numbers, along with brief site descriptions, make

this a good starting point for trips to more than 1,000 scenic meccas.

In addition to books, library videos provide guidance for outings in

natural, historic and exotic destinations around the world. Whether

you’re interested in hands-on thrills or armchair travel, check out

offerings in the seven-day loan collection for actual trip guidance and

virtual adventure.

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* CHECK IT OUT is written by the staff of the Newport Beach Public

Library. This week’s column is by Melissa Adams, in collaboration with

Claudia Peterman.