BOOK 



MARKET 



tucks into the inside of the elbow of 

 Cape Lookout. It is likely that a fair 

 number of people discover it by 

 mistake ... ." 



The most entertaining writing in 

 the book is found in the 27 feature 

 essays peppered throughout. In them, 

 Morris provides updates on coastal bird 

 species ("The Plight of the Piping 

 Plover"), explains natural forces 

 ("The Shapes of Islands") and 

 reveals a bit of history ("U.S. 17, 

 the King's Highway"). 



Morris doesn't ignore the 

 essentials. In appendices, he pulls 

 together information on parks, 

 reserves and other attractions; 

 festivals and events; and saltwa- 

 ter fishing tournaments. The 

 maps in this guide are the most 

 detailed and easiest to understand 

 of the books reviewed in this 

 column. And the black-and-white 

 photographs — which depict the 

 natural places, man-made 

 landmarks and critters of the 

 coast — add interesting views of 

 the places Morris takes you. 



• Cruising Guide to 

 Coastal North Carolina by 

 Claiborne S. Young. 4th edition. 

 1997. John F. Blair, Publisher, 

 1406 Plaza Dr., Winston-Salem, NC 

 27103. 364 pages. Paperback, $24.95. 

 ISBN 0-89587-204-8. 



While most people tour the coast by 

 its highways and back roads, those with 

 sea legs know that the view from the 

 water is just as beautiful and revealing. 

 Young, who has penned cruising guides 

 for other southeastern states, offers 

 careful, expert advice on navigating 

 North Carolina's waters and enjoying 

 the attractions along the way. 



The book is organized to take 

 boaters from the Albemarle Sound in the 

 north down the coast to Calabash Creek. 

 The reader cruises the major waterways 

 — the Croatan, Roanoke and Pamlico 

 sounds; the Pamlico and Neuse rivers; 



Core Sound; Bogue Inlet; and the Cape 

 Fear River — and takes side trips into 

 smaller creeks, bays and inlets. For each 

 major course, Young lists the National 

 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra- 

 tion charts necessary to negotiate the 

 waters. 



Though Young provides detailed 

 directions for getting through the 

 waterways, he does not intend for the 



book to teach novices how to boat. "I 

 am assuming that you have a working 

 knowledge of piloting and coastal 

 navigation," he writes. "If you don't, 

 you should acquire these skills before 

 tackling North Carolina's coastal waters." 



And from Young's descriptions of 

 sights along the way, tackling the waters 

 is worthwhile. With this book in hand, 

 boaters will discover many interesting 

 shoreside attractions and satisfying 

 restaurants close by the docks. Young 

 also includes legends and folktales to 

 enliven the cruise. 



The book's many maps are crisp 

 and easy to understand, but most of the 

 black-and-white photographs are small 

 and provide only dim views of their 



subjects. Checklists of services offered 

 at various marinas are helpful, as are 

 sidebars with very specific directions on 

 navigating water bodies such as Core 

 Sound and the upper Cape Fear River. 



• Touring the Backroads of 

 North Carolina's Lower Coast by 

 Daniel W. Barefoot. 1995. 363 pages. 

 Paperback, $15.95. ISBN 0-89587-126- 

 2; and Touring the Backroads 

 of North Carolina's Upper 

 Coast by Daniel W. Barefoot. 

 1995. 365 pages. Paperback, 

 $15.95. ISBN 0-89587-125-4. 

 Both published by John F. Blair, 

 Publisher, 1406 Plaza Dr., 

 Winston-Salem, NC 27103. 



If your taste in guidebooks 

 runs to a text that reads like a 

 novel, then these back roads 

 books will suit you. Easily read 

 from beginning to end, Touring 

 the Backroads of North 

 Carolina 's Lower Coast and 

 Touring the Backroads of North 

 Carolina 's Upper Coast are 

 packed with useful information 

 on all manner of places in the 

 eastern part of the state. In each 

 tour, Barefoot takes you literally 

 street by street through cities and 

 towns and along coastal water- 

 ways. His style alternates between 

 directions that are simple and direct — 

 "Turn south on N.C. 172 and drive 1 

 mile, then turn east onto N.C. 210" — 

 to storytelling that holds your attention 

 for pages. 



Between the two books, Barefoot 

 outlines 24 coastal excursions. His 1 1 

 upper coast tours include the Great 

 Dismal Swamp, Roanoke Island and the 

 Pamlico Sound. Some of the many 

 entertaining stories in that volume 

 include the account of how Oriental got 

 its name, the history of the Whalehead 

 Club on Currituck Sound and the eerie 

 tale of James B. Gaskill's death in 

 World War II. 



The 13 lower coast tours take you 



28 HIGH SEASON 1998 



