Arizona Handbook advises readers undertaking canyon adventures off the beaten path, suggests outings in town, and provides numerous Internet contacts. From bargain campgrounds to deluxe resorts, from down-home southwestern diners to upscale ethnic restaurants, Weir demonstrates that Arizona offers something for every taste and budget.
Back in school, Bill Weir always figured he'd settle down to a career job and live happily ever after. Then he discovered traveling. After graduating with a B.A. in physics from Berea College in 1972, Bill found employment with corporate America, but the very short vacation breaks just didn't provide enough time for the trips he dreamed of.
So in 1976 he took off on his trusty bicycle, Bessie, riding across the United States from Virginia to Oregon with Bikecentennial '76. The following year he took off on an even longer bicycle trip--from Alaska to Baja California. Then came the ultimate journey--a bicycle cruise around the world. Bill pedaled the globe from 1980 to 1984, spending most of his time in the South Pacific and Asia, getting as far west as India's Thar Desert. Naturally he used Moon's excellent South Pacific Handbook and Indonesia Handbook. Correspondence with the authors led to the idea of writing a guidebook of his own. Bill returned to his home base of Flagstaff, Arizona, and set to work researching and writing Arizona Handbook.
As soon as he'd finished that book, Bill headed north to the Beehive State to create Moon Handbooks: Utah. Back in Arizona, he plunged into yet another comprehensive guide, Moon Handbooks: Grand Canyon, centered on the wonders of the colorful chasm. Bill has also written the text for National Geographic Traveler Arizona, which describes the state's highlights accompanied by beautiful photography.
In 1991, while exploring the Buddhist meditation traditions in Thailand, he updated a little guidebook, A Guide to Buddhist Monasteries and Meditation Centres in Thailand, published by the World Fellowship of Buddhists in Bangkok. Another author, Pataraporn Sirikanchana, updated and expanded the book in 2004. Copies are available in Bangkok at the World Fellowship of Buddhists (south side of Benjasiri Park) and a bookstore north across the street from Wat Bovornives. You can also find online versions by doing a search with the book title.
Bill continues to explore Arizona and beyond, always discovering new places and learning more about the old. He completed his round-the-world bicycle ride with ol' "Bessie the Bicycle" in 1995 and has since ridden extensively in Europe and Asia with his new "Bessie Too the Bicycle." See what he has been up to lately at www.arizonahandbook.com/Bills_travels.htm
Bill no longer writes for the Moon Handbook series, but you can read his Arizona travel guide online at www.arizonahandbook.com
--Bill Weir
Travels in the world and in the mind add to life's richness of experiences!
