Event - #Travel #Texas - #Amarillo - Texas Route 66 Festival - June 4-13, 2026

Amarillo, Texas - Texas Route 66 Festival
June 4-13, 2026
Amarillo Route 66 Historic District
This year is the 100th anniversary of Route 66 and all along the route cities are hosting different festivals and events.
Amarillo was a big stop along the Texas' portion of that route and they are hosting 10 days of fun events starting June 4th.
June 4th is the kickoff to the festivities with several activities during the day and the big Coors Ranch Rodeo from 7-10pm (purchase tickets via website).
June 5th through 7th features the Route 66 Grand Prix in nearby Panhandle, Texas (purchase tickets via website).
June 5th at 7pm you can enjoy fireworks at Hodgetown (715 S. Buchanan)
June 6ht enjoy a Cattle Drive and Parade starting at 10am at the Tri-State Fairgrounds (1000 S. Polk St.).
Be sure to come for the Festival Finale on June 13th throughout the historic district. There will be free shuttles going around if you need them. Check the website for all the events and times.

Address: Southwest Sixth Avenue and Route 66 (Historic District)
Hours: Varies
Fees: Varies

For more information, click here: https://texasroute66festival.com/

Event - #Travel #Texas - #Houston - Juneteenth Houston - June 1-20, 2026

Houston, Texas - Juneteeth Houston
June 1-20, 2026
Emancipation Park
Juneteenth events will take place over 19 days starting with the season opener on June 1st at Mo Brunch + Brews (1201 Southmore) from 6pm-7pm. Events are open to anyone.

The big event is the Annual Celebrate Freedom Festival on June 6th from 1pm-7pm at the Emancipation Park.

Also on June 6th are the Historic House Tours and enjoying Tea Cakes at The Heritage Society (1100 Bagby St.). Verify times on their website. The tour will include three historic houses that are designated by UNESCO as Sites of Memory for their “Routes of Enslaved Peoples’ Project” - 1847 Kellum-Noble House; 1866 Fourth Ward Cottage; and 1870 Yates House.

Enjoy some music on June 12th at 415 Gray with the "Sounds of Midtown: Roots to Rhythm" from 5pm-10pm.

The next day features Acres Home Juneteenth Parade. It starts at the Acres Homes Multi-Service Center (6719 W Montgomery Rd) at 10am.
Check the website below for the many, many other events available.

Address: 3018 Emancipation Ave, Houston, Texas
Hours: Varies by event
Fees: Varies by event

For more information, click here: https://texaspinball.com/

Book Review - Lonely Planet - The Best Place To Be Today by Sarah Baxter

If you are looking for inspiration for your travel plans - I highly recommend this book. You will find an event or location to visit on each day of the year for a total of 365 suggestions.

Some of the activities highlighted for a specific date actually take place over a range of dates, such as "Admire red-crowned cranes" in Hokkaido, Japan for January 20th can be enjoyed from January through February.

Or an event might take place over a weekend such as January 29th's "Hay Festival" in Colombia which starts the last weekend of January. In 2026 it fell on January 29th. Next year it will take place January 28th.

Events that must be celebrated on a single day include St. Valentine, Italy's "Valentine's Day" on Feburary 14th of every year. It's actually a celebration of Saint Valentine who is enshrined in the Basilica di San Valentino.

There are a few activities which I would lean toward "unrealistic" such as June 2nd's "Climb the 100 Mountains" in Japan unless you are really enjoy scaling mountains. The 100 refer to the 100 Famous mountain peaks in the country including Mt. Fuji.

Another less likely activity includes July 6th's "Swim the English Channel" ranging from June through September. Not only do they challenge you to swim the English Channel but without a wetsuit (the water is about 59 degrees Fahrenheit).

This book is a keeper and makes a great conversational piece on any coffee table.

Title: The Best Place to be Today: 365 Things to do and the Perfect Day to do Them
Author: Sarah Baxter
ISBN: 978-1743601655
Pages: 272

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Book Review - Go Lightly : How To Travel Without Hurting The Planet by Nina Karnikowski

When I first ordered this book, I thought it was about packing light. Well, there was a chapter called "Pack Lightly" which was useful.

This book is about traveling while minimizing your impact on the planet. Even if you don't strictly follow sustainable travel practices, this book points out some really easy things we can all do without any big effort or cost.

What I really liked about this book were the "Conscious Travel Hero" interviews with experts. Many of them offer tips on lightly travelling and their favorite locations. Reading from actual people is enjoyable.

We all know that flying is toxic for the environment, but check the "Fly smarter" section of the "Move Lightly" chapter which offers a few practical tips. Have time to explore or are going to train-friendly countries, travel via a train and live the Swedish concept of "train bragging" or "tagskryt". Further in the chapter are useful tips on travelling by train including staying safe.

Some other chapters include "Eat Lightly", "Stay Lightly", and "Wild Lightly" (about wildlife).

I liked the "Shop Carefully" page because I also like to search out actual local crafts (and not items just purchased online from China).

The very end of the book features a nice Packing List with things we don't normally consider but should.

Overall, it's a good read. Try to find it at your local library or through inter-library loan.

Title: Go Lightly: How To Travel Without Hurting The Planet
Author: Nina Karnikowski
ISBN: 978-1399613569
Pages: 139

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Book Review - Disney World at 50: The Stories of How Walt's Kingdom Became Magic in Orlando by Orlando Sentinel

If you're a Disney fan, you definitely will want to get this book. It details the history of how Disney World in Florida came to being with historical photographs as told from the perspective of the Orlando Sentinel news outlet.

Chapter names include "The Big Mystery in Florida" (or the worst-kept secret in entertainment history), "Building the Magic Kingdom", "Meet the People of the Theme Park", "Disney World: Today and Tomorrow".

The photographs throughout this book will feel really nostalgic. Grand Prix Raceway? Submarine Voyage? Polynesian Luau?

For me, as a Disney fan, I really enjoyed reading through this book. It will have a permanent place on my coffee table for guests right next to my Figment popcorn bucket and my Orange Bird sipper cup.

If you're not a collector, try to find a copy in your local library or through inter-loan from your library.

Title: Disney World at 50: The Stories of How Walt's Kingdom Became Magic in Orlando
Author: Orlando Sentinel
ISBN: 978-1629379821
Pages: 176

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Book Review - The Essential Guide to Driving in Europe by Julian Parish

If you have any plans to ever drive in Europe, I highly recommend reading this book. It's a small guide - easy to tuck into your backpack or purse.

The book starts with a "The first time" chapter for those who have never driven in a foreign country. Page 11 contains a really nifty checklist of what to bring with you (such as an evidence of driving record).

Skip over to page 14 or the "What to Take" chapter which contains more useful information on what you need to legally drive in Europe. Some of them should be provided by the car owner or the rental company but make sure you know how to obtain it in an emergency or police situation.

Be sure to read through the "Insurance and Breakdown Cover" chapter to understand the basic coverages and whether you might want to get extra coverage.

"Crossing the Chanel" chapter, a really short chapter, provides a useful overview for those who need to utilize crossings (such as the Western Channel between France and Spain or the Channel between France and the UK.

The next chapter explains the process of fueling your vehicle (if it requires petrol or diesel). There are QR codes which take you to websites that explain in more detail the different types of energy.

"The other side of the road" is a good explanation of driving on the left side of the road (like in the UK and Ireland).

The tiny chapter "Traffice offences in Europe" gives a quick "beward" type message on being aware of avoiding traffic tickets.

This is followed by three very short chapters - "Disabled travellers", "Travelling with children" and "Travelling with pets"

A more useful chapter is "Driving in cities". There are some good tips here. For better planning, I'd do a quick search in youtube or the web for specific cities you plan to visit to see any gotchas or must-knows.

There is a nice section on winter driving. Earlier in the book there was a brief mention on weather and road conditions.

If anything, be sure to read the "What to do: accidents and car crime" so that you are prepared and ready in an emergency situation as well as the following chapter, "What to do: breakdowns". Being prepared is smart.

The rest of the book is divided into regions then further divided into specific countries. Look for the locations you plan to visit. Each location contains roads, rules, tolls, speed limits, and other useful information.

In summary, try to find this book in your local library to get a good overview on preparing for your trip. Keep in mind, even though this is labeled as a New Edition, it was published in 2016. So be sure to verify all the information ahead of your trip.

Title: The Essential Guide to Driving in Europe
Author: Julian Parish
ISBN: 978-1787113039
Pages: 144

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Book Review - Action Park by Andy Mulvihill

As an amusement park buff, I completely flipped out when I found this book about the history of the infamous Action Park in Vernon, New Jersey, written by the park's former owner, Gene Mulvihill.

Action Park was not only the most innovative amusement parks and a lot of rides were ahead of their time (like a bungee jump) but due to lack of strict guidelines was considered one of the most dangerous. Despite years of injuries and drownings, it was a group of trespassers that caused the park's ultimate downfall with a lawsuit in the millions and lenders defaulting.

There were mentions of other amusement parks throughout including Disney and Six Flags which made for a good history of amusement parks in the United States.

Action Park, known as "Vernon Valley" then "Vernon Valley Summer Park" had a humble start as part of a ski hill in 1976. The first ride installed was an alpine slide build on the hill. A lot of the rides built were somehow directed off the hill. In 1978 they built a go-kart track with overpowered karts that encouraged destructive bumper-car type behavior. Offering alcohol in the park also led to a lot of craziness. Toward the end, Gene brought over a German beer maker and established a biergarten in addition to Oktoberfest (which was held a few days before Gene passed away in 2012).

Also two water slides were added in 1978 and in 1979 the park was officially named "Action Park". Eventually there were three main areas of the park - Waterworld, Motorworld and Alpine Center. Gene built some cabins but never installed proper sewage or water facilities.

Reading some of the stories around the Tidal Wave Pool which faced two deaths really made me wonder how more people didn't drown as the pool could hold almost a thousand people, was as deep as 15 feet, held cloudy almost no-visibility water, and random entry points. Luckily they hired really good lifeguards.

After Action Park filed bankruptcy and closed in 1997, it was purchased by Praedium Recovery Fund then sold the next year to Intrawest who renamed it "Mountain Creek Waterpark". All the previous rides were either removed or modified to be less risky. Unfortunately, mismanagement and decreasing attendance numbers forced the comapny to sell at a loss. In 2014, Gene Mulvihill and investor friends re-purchased the park. For a brief period they renamed it "Action Park" but given the reputation and the town's resentment toward it, they named it back to "Mountain Creek Waterpark".

It's really interesting to read Andy Mulvihill's experiences as he grew up (and his family) in the park and had first-hand accounts of its evolution. Definitely a must-read.

Important note - this book contains adult language and themes.

Title: Action Park: Fast Times, Wild Rides, and the Untold Story of America's Most Dangerous Amusement Park
Author: Andy Mulvihill
ISBN: 978-0525506294
Pages: 352

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