Book excerpt: A complete guide to kayaking one of the world’s great paddling destinations. Whether you are planning a day’s paddle or a two-week excursion, Kayak Routes of the Pacific Northwest Coast has everything you need to know. This newly updated and expanded book explores eighteen regions from Oregon to British Columbia. Explore the glacier-carved cliffs of the vast Lower Columbia River or travel through Puget Sound and the intricate islets and reefs of Washington State’s San Juan Islands. Discover the Lower Mainland’s Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, home to such diverse wildlife as orca whales, seals and bald eagles, or head to the haunting archipelagos of Queen Charlotte Islands/Haida Gwaii and British Columbia’s far northern coast. New for this edition are sections on the historic Lower Columbia River and rugged Queen Charlotte Strait. Not sure where to start? Detailed overviews summarize the more than 30 kayak routes described in this book, including suggestions on the required skill level, the duration of the trip, the foreseeable hazards, and the charts and tide tables to buy—features which make planning a cinch. Easy-to-read maps let you see the trip at a glance, and provide practical information about how to get to the launch spot.