Walking the Farm

This is a truly awesome book on a truly awesome campus–Stanford, or as familiarly known locally, The Farm. If you are one of the students or staff on Stanford, Walking The Farm by Tom DeMund is a must for you as well as for for residents in the Bay Area. The book is focusing on thirty-eight walks or hikes, eighteen of which are on campus and twenty more of which are in the neighboring areas. The first section is a nice introduction giving a background and history of the campus (including some historic maps) and the following four sections are detailed descriptions of hikes. The second section is on campus, the third is on foothills (some on campus, some off), and the last section is hikes further from Stanford. DeMund suggests copying the maps before undertaking any of the walks/hikes—some of the loops are tricky without a map. The descriptions are excellent, and you greatly benefit from reading the few pages thoroughly before your walk, learning about buildings, history, and artwork you encounter, including photo illustrations. The maps are also excellent, well labeled, and easy to read and follow. DeMund even gives you where to park and where to eat, listing forty-seven eateries on campus.