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Once upon a time, the Conejo Valley was primarily home to the Chumash Indians, oak trees, and animals. Eventually, ranches took over, cowboys made the valley their home, and the area served as a country retreat for the adventurous people of Los Angeles. The producers of numerous movies and television shows took advantage of the natural beauty that could not be duplicated on a soundstage. Hollywood stars found privacy. Soon, word spread about the tranquility and wonderful opportunities of the Conejo Valley, and the growth began. Thousand Oaks received a name and boundaries and became a city, Lake Sherwood expanded, Hidden Valley was no longer so hidden, and the birth of Westlake Village brought the city to the country.

Known to the Ute Indians as Thigunawat (Home of the Departed Spirits), the Grand Mesa has been a beacon for adventurous souls for hundreds of years. In 1776, the Dominguez-Escalante Expedition crossed through the area while searching for a route that would become the Old Spanish Trail. In 1881, with the removal of the Ute Indians to reservation lands, homesteaders arrived and began settling in Plateau Valley. Nestled along the Grand Mesa, the valley is home to the communities of Collbran, Plateau City, Mesa, and Molina. Many of the historic buildings are still in use, and the Community Church Building has been designated a historic landmark. Recreational opportunities abound, both within the valley and nearby on the Grand Mesa. Camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, skiing, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing are among the favorites.

Nestled in Sonoita Valley along the banks of Sonoita Creek, just 15 miles north of Mexico, Circle Z Guest Ranch welcomes vacationers to experience a taste of the Old West, with the comfortable pleasures of a traditional family-style ranch but without the risks. Horseback riding, relaxation, and cowboy cookouts have been the ranch's main attractions for the past 90 years, earning Circle Z the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating guest ranch in Arizona. It evolved from a four-room adobe homestead to a working cattle ranch before becoming a highly profitable sheepherding operation. In 1924, brothers Carl and Lee Zinsmeister arrived in Patagonia with a vision of developing a dude ranch with a resort feel. They purchased 5,000 acres of the San José de Sonoita land grant, which included the Sanford estate. Circle Z opened in 1926 and quickly became one of the finest guest ranches in the state. Today, the Nash family operates this memorable ranch famous for its well-trained horses and miles of scenic trails.

The town of North Castle in Westchester County is about 35 miles north of New York City and includes Armonk, Banksville and the Eastern District, and North White Plains. Home to half of the 2,145-acre Kensico Reservoir and Dam (primarily built by Italian stone masons using locally quarried stone), North Castle protects New York City's water supply, which inundates the lost Kensico Village. During the early 1920s, Route 22 became the "Gateway to the Berkshires," bringing prosperity to farm stands, restaurants, dance halls, bars, and hotels. During the late 1920s and through the 1930s, hundreds were treated to barnstorming, weekend rides, stunt flying, and parachuting at the Armonk airport. Lavish country estates at the turn of the 20th century became country clubs, housing subdivisions, and corporate parks by the beginning of the 21st century. Today, international corporations IBM and Swiss Re headquarter in town. More than 200 photographs in this book celebrate the remarkable people, places, and events that helped shape North Castle into the exceptional community it is today.

From summer getaway to historic landmark, this history of Bloomfield Hills is a perfect visual history for Detroit and Michigan enthusiasts.

Bloomfield Hills is an affluent suburban city located 20 miles north of downtown Detroit. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, much of the area's rolling farmland was purchased by wealthy Detroit residents who had first discovered The Hills when they went touring northward in their new horseless carriages. Seeking refuge from Detroit's summer heat and crowds, the newcomers built weekend homes that ranged from elaborate farmhouses to large manor estates. Philanthropists George Gough Booth and his wife, Ellen Scripps Booth, envisioned more than a manor house for themselves, however, and built what is now a National Historic Landmark, the Cranbrook Educational Community. In 1932, Bloomfield Hills incorporated as a city. The city retains its mystique as an enclave of elegant living and exceptional schools, but its history also includes instances of poverty and mayhem.

Bloomfield Hills, written by historian, journalist, and local resident Christine Blackwell, takes a look at a city with a very vibrant history.

This book offers an inside look at the beginnings and story of Caumsett State Park, from great English estate to nationally protected land.

Marshall Field III was 28 years of age and one of the richest people in the world when he came upon the idea of replicating the environment in which he had spent his youth. Raised and educated in England, Field sought the life of an English gentleman here in the United States. In 1921, Field purchased almost 2,000 acres of waterfront property on Long Island's North Shore, which would become Caumsett. Forty years later, Field's third wife, Ruth, opened bids for the right to purchase Caumsett and all that it had become. The highest bid, in excess of $5 million, came from a builder who planned to subdivide the estate and construct 700 homes. A second bid, from Robert Moses, then parks commissioner of New York State, was more than $1 million less. Ruth reflected on her life and what her late husband would have wanted. She turned to trusted adviser and confidant Adlai Stevenson and stated that she wanted to accept the lower bid. Fourteen months later, Caumsett State Park was born.

This lighthearted read-aloud book describes a trip to the animal shelter to find a just-right family pet. Young readers will learn what to consider when choosing a dog as well as the benefits of rescuing an animal. Sidebars and back matter detail dangerous foods and necessary supplies.

"How It Feels To Be Colored Me" by Florida native Zora Neale Hurston was originally published in The World Tomorrow in May 1928. In this autobiographical piece about her own color, Hurston reflects on her early childhood in an all-black Florida town and her first experiences in life feeling "different." In this beautiful piece, Hurston largely focuses on the similarities we all share and on her own self-identity in the face of difference. "Through it all, I remain myself." This short work is part of Applewood's "American Roots" series, tactile mementos of American passions by some of America's most famous writers and thinkers.

The 23rd Headquarters Special Troops was a force of only 1,000 men who, with skilled deceptions, often masqueraded as 34,000.

It's a dark and spooky night down in the Louisiana swamps and the Rougarou is out on the prowl, ready for a meal and to let out a howl! Who is the Rougarou, you ask? I'll tell you the story; I'm up to the task. He's a scary monster with glowing red eyes. Be careful or he'll sneak up and catch you by surprise! Can you nab him and turn him into Rougarou Stew? Hurry, do it quickly, or he'll make a stew out of you! If you're wondering what Rougarou Stew is, you'll have to read and find out. All the answers are in this book, have no doubt! Beware the Rougarou in the swamps at night. He'll try to trick you and give you a fright. Learn from the kids in the story, and if you see the Rougarou, don't you worry!

Journey to the new world with a privateer! Christopher Newport made history when he founded the first British colony in America. This biography takes young readers through Newport's exciting adventures on the high seas as a privateer-full of sword fights, pirates, exotic foods, and shipwrecks-to his landing in Jamestown.

Broomsticks, cauldrons, and wands-oh my! Join Mama Witch and the Picky Little Witch as they travel to Witches R' Us for "Back to Ghoul" supplies. The choosy daughter and practical mother find it difficult to agree on capes, shoes, brooms, and more. Charming wordplay, bewitching rhymes, and spirited illustrations make this humorous story about compromise fun for all.

According to legend handed down for many generations, either directly from French settlers to Louisiana or from the French Canadian immigrants, the Rougarou (Cajun werewolf), cannot count to 13. So when parents on the bayou scare their children with the creature, they also tell them that if thirteen stones are placed across a doorway he won't enter until he can count them. Since he only has ten fingers and toes how will he count that high? In this charming board book for little ones, Cajun artist and author Alexis Braud uses her unique style to befuddle the hapless Rougarou as she helps children learn to count better than that werewolf can!

It's the night before Halloween, and these witches still have many last-minute things to do! In this spooky parody of Clement C. Moore's famous Christmas poem, the witches are up to their elbows in cobwebs and slime, trying to make sure their witchlings are well prepared for their first Halloween broomstick ride. Featuring witches like Mad-Maud and Snaggle-Tooth-Ruth and plenty of ghouls, zombies, monsters, skeletons, and moldy cellars that will satisfy all Halloween lovers, this good-natured book about these wickedly fun witches will have kids more amused than frightened.