Book review: Cycling the Islands, A Guide to Scenic Routes on the San Juan and Gulf Islands
Definitely stuff this guidebook in your handlebar bag.
Cycling the Islands: A Guide to Scenic Routes on the San Juan and Gulf Islands
| written by John Crouch |
| published by Rocky Mountain Books |
While John Crouch knows about big rides—his 2014 book Six Highways to Home chronicles his ride from Whitehorse to Victoria, which he rode to celebrate his 70th birthday—his latest work focuses on distances you can do in a morning or an afternoon. The routes in Cycling the Islands: A Guide to Scenic Routes on the San Juan and Gulf Islands are for riders who want to explore and take it all in. The longest ride is 81.5 km, but most average 35 km. Some are perfect for parents hauling little ones in trailers.
The book covers four San Juan Islands in the U.S., south of Vancouver: San Juan itself, Orcas, Lopez and Shaw. On the Canadian, Gulf Island side, Crouch covers all the southern islands (Salt Spring, Gabriola, Pender, Saturna and Mayne) and two northern islands (Denman and Hornby).
Crouch provides information about ferries for getting to the islands and tips for accommodation when you’re there. As for the routes, he walks the line of giving you the right amount of information to pique your interest, but leaves enough out so you can make your own discoveries. Definitely stuff this guidebook in your handlebar bag.
