Book Review - The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2025

Our family visits Walt Disney World several times a year, but it's been while since we've gone to the other coast to Disneyland. So I went ahead and bought this book to see what has changed (a lot!) so we can plan a visit.

The goal of this book is to save families money and time at one of the most popular (and crowded) amusement parks in America. This book has over 400 pages of very useful information. Every restaurant, ride, activity, hotels, and more are discussed in detail throughout as well as when to go, how to maximize your number of days, where and how to get discounts, etc.

Another thing I love about these guides are the ratings provided for each ride and activity with regard to preschool child, grade school child, teens, young adults, over 30 adults, and seniors and then whether the ride is seasonal and/or has Lightning Lane options.

There's a small section on Universal Studios Hollywood in case you plan to add that to your trip.

The back of the book features pull-out maps to take with you (for those who don't enjoy relying on the park apps).

Notice - there is currently a 25% off coupon on this book for a limited time!

Title: The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2025
Author: Seth Kubersky, Bob Sehlinger, Len Testa
ISBN: 978-1-62809-155-7

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Book Review - Moon Death Valley National Park

Browsing through the library for places to visit in the future, I found this book on Death Valley National Park which is on my bucket list of places to visit. It's not really a place to visit during the summer break due to the super high temperatures (and a lot of local businesses actually close for parts of the summer due to the heat).

You know I love the Moon Travel Guides for their full-color maps and highlights in addition to the tips and beautiful photographs. This book is divided into sections - Death Valley National Park itself, Furnace Creek and the Amargosa Range, Stovepipe Wells and the Nevada Triangle, Scotty's Castle and the Eureka Valley, Panamint Springs and the Saline Valley and more. Within each section is a detailed map, highlights, where to go, when to go, visiting in a single day, accommodations, recreation, etc.

What's really valuable is knowing where you will need a high-clearance vehicle or a 4WD vehicle because some of the roads and trails are not appropriate for normal passenger cars or even RV's or trailers.

The first 20 or so pages highlight the top 6 experiences followed up a very useful chart of In-Park lodging options.

Title: Moon Death Valley National Park: Hiking, Scenic Drives, Desert Springs
Author: Jenna Blough
ISBN: 978-8-88647-040-6

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Book Review - Moon Tahoe and Reno

As you know from previous posts, I've been researching places to visit with my family this summer. While I was exploring the Travel Section at the library, I narrowed down my search to places I haven't been to in a very long time or at all. One of the places I have been wanting to visit is Lake Tahoe and the surrounding areas so I picked up this book.

What I love about the Moon Travel Guides (and you'll hear this from me a lot) are the full-color maps and the little highlights in each section.
Just a side note, this book was published in 2020, so be sure to research locations for updated hours and prices before heading out.

The Tahoe and Reno book is organized by area - South Shore, North and West Shore, East Shoe, Carson Pass, Reno, and Nevada's Frontier Towns (Virginia City, Carson City, etc). Each section contains maps, trip highlights or must-sees, tips, and info about restaurants, recreation, shops, accommodations, and tips. Plus, there are tips on "getting there" which is very helpful.

Title: Moon Tahoe and Reno: Local Spots, Getaway Ideas, Hiking and Skiing
Author: Nicole Szanto
ISBN: 978-1-64049-759-7

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Book Review - Lonely Planet's The World's Great Wonders

Whenever I visit my local library, I always end up wandering the aisles and browsing the returns carts for interesting books that just "pop out". And that's how I found this fascinating book. It's a little bit older, published in 2014, but the information as a whole is still relevant. For more specific details about places, I would further research before heading out. Covid has negatively affected a lot of places/tours so research first.

This book deep-dives into 50 of the world's greatest wonders such as the Taj Mahal, the Great Pyramids of Giza, and even the Aurora Borealis with details about how the wonder was created or formed, suggestions on getting there, and things to do while you're there. Lots of full-color photographs and diagrams. Tons of facts. Overall, a really great book for both travelers and researchers.

Title: The World's Great Wonders: How They Were Made & Why They Are Amazing
Author: Lonely Planet
ISBN: 978-1-74321-430-5

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Book Review - Moon Nashville

Following our Road Trip exploration last week, I went ahead and got the Nashville Travel Guide from Moon. It is almost 300 pages of really good info on exploring Nashville and maximizing your time visiting the city.

What I love about the Moon Travel Guides are the colorful maps and the highlights for each area of the city (such as Downtown, Germantown, Midtown, and more). The book is sectioned out by area with details such as places to eat, where to go, music joints, entertainment, etc. The "Where to stay" section is in the back of the book along with "Day Trips" to areas nearby and an "Eseentials" section full of good info for those visiting the city (or even America) for the first time.

The first thirty pages or so highlight some of the most popular places to visit and some tips for exploring.

Keep in mind this book was published in 2022, so be sure to research a chosen location's hours, prices, and updated info before heading out.

Title: Moon Nashville: Can’t-Miss Experiences, Food and Music, Local Favorites
Author: Margaret Littman
ISBN: 978-1-64049-623-1

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Book Review - Moon Nashville to New Orleans Road Trip

I'm starting to research some options for summer vacation with the family and while browsing through the library, I saw this little gem. Normally, being from Texas, I would just drive across state into Louisiana directly and then heading down to New Orleans from Shreveport. But, going from Tennessee down to New Orleans or even vice versa would be a great change. And this book has a lot of great stops and tips.

What I like about this book is it is divided into sections. So if you don't want to do a full trip, you can pick and choose key areas. For example, if you want to start from Tennesse, you can head out of Nashville or you can head out of Memphis. Or if you want to start from Alabama or Mississippi, you can. It's very customizable. Or, you can work backwards and plan going up.

Each section in the book discusses places to visit, museums, parks, food options, accommodations, shopping, and other entertainments. Keep in mind this book was published in 2021, so be sure to look up the places you plan to stop at ahead of time for hours, prices, etc. Also, the colorful maps are great.

The end of the book has a nice "Essentials" section with a lot of information for both American-based travelers and those coming from abroad.

Title: Moon Nashville to New Orleans Road Trip: Hit the Road for the Best Southern Food and Music Along the Natchez Trace
Author: Margaret Littman
ISBN: 978-1-64049-924-9

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Book Review - The Best Places for Everything by Peter Greenberg

While I was browsing through the Travel section at my local library, I wandered further up the aisle and I found this large volume of inspiration by well-known travel author and television travel show host, Peter Greenberg. The book is a bit outdated (published in 2012) but many of the places are still operating. Always be sure to check ahead of visiting for operating hours, fees, entry restrictions/timed tickets, etc.

So basically this book is a guide to some of the "best" locations for different categories (like Best Beer) based on Peter Greenberg's extensive travel experiences. Listings include both domestic spots and international spots. Also, there are suggestions for finding deals and callouts for interesting related things to do/try.

Here are a few categories you can find in this book: Outdoor Adventures (including Bird-Watching, Fall Foliage, Zip-lining, Whitewater Rafting, etc), Great Foods and Drinks of the World (Chocolate!), Educational Travel (Digging for Fossils, Literary Travel, etc), Shopping (like Specialty Shopping and Street Markets), and so much more.

Title: The Best Places for Everything: The Ultimate Insider's Guide to the Greatest Experiences Around the World
Author: Peter Greenberg
ISBN: 978-1-60961-829-2

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Event - #Travel #Texas - #Beaumont - Mardi Gras Southeast Texas - February 28 - March 2, 2025

Beaumont, Texas - Mardi Gras Southeast Texas
February 28 - March 2, 2025
Dogget Ford Park
Come out to Southeast Texas for some Mardi Gras fun! There will be a TON of Mardi Gras (also known as Fat Tuesday) parades throughout the weekend including a fun Golf Cart/ATV one on Friday and a kid-sized one on Sunday. Enjoy food vendors and artisans. There will be a Kid Kingdom with bounce houses and a foam factory. Friday night's music concert features Kody West, Kolby Cooper, and Southall. Saturday night's concert features DJ John L, C and C Music Factory, and FloRida. Sunday night's concert features Ignacio Legacy, Lunada, and La Tropa Estrella. Your concert ticket includes entry to the festival grounds.
Address: 5115 I-10, Beaumont, TX 77705
Hours: See website
Fees: Festival Only $10; Concert and Festival $20-$45; Parking Free
For more information: https://mardigrastx.com/

Event - #Travel #Texas - #Fredericksburg - Iwo Jima - 80 Years Later - February 21-23, 2025

Fredericksburg, Texas - Iwo Jima - 80 Years Later
February 21-23, 2025
The National Museum of the Pacific War
The museum is hosting three days of World War II activities and information to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the end of the war. Friday will feature an opening ceremony and activities in the ballroom and the day ends with a screening of the movie "Sands of Iwo Jima". Saturday's guest speaker session with Richard B. Frank, Keil Gentry, Steve McCloud, and Jonathan Parshall requires pre-registration due to a limited number of seats in the theatre. The evening will close with a concert and photography viewing. Sunday features a battle reenactment at the Pacfic Combat Zone. Walk-ups are allowed first come, first serve if there's availability. Then a book signing and closing ceremony. If you are a history buff, this sounds like a great opportunity to learn more about Iwo Jima.
If you can't make it out to Fredericksburg, register for a livestream link - https://mailchi.mp/nimitzfoundation.org/80th-anniversary-of-wwii-schedule
Address: 340 E Main St, Fredericksburg, TX 78624
Hours:
Fees: FREE
For more information: https://www.pacificwarmuseum.org/iwo

Book Review - DK Eyewtiness Travel - Family Guide to Washington, DC

I took my family to Washington DC back in 2021 when Covid still had many locations shut down, many places had limited hours, museums had timed entries (some still do!), or, sadly, some favorite locations shut down completely. This year I am looking to return to the area and, especially, to visit the new pandas at the zoo. So, I picked up this guide book at the library to see what has been updated (and what is no longer available).

What makes this book different are all the colorful maps and floor plans for most of the locations featured as well as restroom locations (very helpful!) and ways to let your kids blow off steam (because we all know how hard it can be for them to endure too much time in museums without any play time).

If you've never been to DC (District of Columbia) before, be forewarned that parking is very challenging during weekdays and the rush hour traffic is a nightmare. Try to avoid those times if possible. Luckily, a lot of the museums are within walking distance of each other. Be sure to plan ahead in case any of them require reservations/timed entry tickets.

Title: DK Family Guide Washington, DC
Author: DK Travel
ISBN: 978-1-4654-6817-8

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