NCW Libraries

From 1784 to 1812, fur trader, surveyor, and mapmaker David Thompson explored western North America. His field journals provide the earliest written accounts of the natural history and indigenous cultures of what is now British Columbia, Alberta, Montana, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. Thompson was the first person to fully chart the Columbia River, and his wilderness expeditions have become legendary. Jack Nisbet tracks the explorer across the continent,...

Pacific Destiny retells the history of what once was Oregon County, and now consists of the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Western Wyoming, and Montana. The story of the Oregon Country is the story of cutthroat competition for control, first between Spain and England, then England and the United States. It is the story of explorers and tycoons, most notably John Jacob Astor, whose effort to establish a fur trading empire on the Columbia River...

"A former Washington State Historical Society director examines the Corps of Discovery's journey after they crossed the Rocky Mountains. He places curious and seemingly inexplicable aspects of the Lewis and Clark Expedition story into a broader historical context, and reveals how earlier explorers and fur traders influenced the American captains"--

A guide to Gorge wildflower species with 744 entries, each with a full-color photo. Includes field trips, glossary, blooming dates, and a foldout, waterproof map.

"Did you know that baby raccoons are smaller than a bar of soap? Or that salmon smell using little pits in the front of their eyes? Curious Kids Nature Guide is filled with full-color illustrations and fun facts about the natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest, encouraging kids to discover and explore nature in their own backyards and beyond. Organized by habitat--forest, beach, fresh water, and backyards and urban parks--this book will teach kids...

"The story of the land in the Northwest flows from the cataclysmic ice-age floods. So it only follows that the stories of the people in this terrain are inextricably linked to the aftereffects of that great deluge. These are the genesis stories of a region. Included are the controversy over the provenance and ownership of a meteor that fell to earth in rural Oregon; the mystery of the aurora borealis as observed by 18th-century explorer David Thompson;...

Whether exploring your own backyard or somewhere new, discover the freedom of the open road with Lonely Planet's Pacific Northwest's Best Trips. Featuring 32 amazing road trips, plus up-to-date advice on the destinations you'll visit along the way, you can cruise the Pacific Coast, the Willamette Valley and the Cascade Mountains - all with your trusted travel companion. Jump in the car, turn up the tunes, and hit the road! Inside Lonely Planet's Pacific...

"From New York Times bestselling author Hampton Sides, an epic account of the most momentous voyage of the Age of Exploration, which culminated in Captain James Cook's death in Hawaii, and left a complex and controversial legacy still debated to this day On July 12th, 1776, Captain James Cook, already lionized as the greatest explorer in British history, set off on his third voyage in his ship the HMS Resolution. Two-and-a-half years later, on a beach...