Book Review - Road Trip Survival Guide by Samantha Brown

If you're planning any type of road trip, you'll want to read through this book. Even if you're not going on a road trip, there is plenty of information and inspiration to get out of this book.

The first chapter focuses on planning your trip - researching your destination, making your trip more green (environmentally friendly), and some inspirational trips.

Chapter two has lots of good advice for packing and vehicle organizing plus packing lists.

The next chapter offers suggestions on snacks to make and bring with you (and thereby saving money and time).

I found the "Safety" chapter useful for any trip with tips on vehicle safety and road conditions, night driving, and other safety resources.

Chapter five has some great itinerary suggestions for road trips in the United States as well as Canada and Mexico.

Overall, this is a great book. Try to find it in your local library.

Title: The Road Trip Survival Guide: Tips and Tricks for Planning Routes, Packing Up, and Preparing for Any Unexpected Encounter Along the Way
Author: Samantha Brown
ISBN: 978-1982177072
Pages: 204

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Book Review - Fodor's Travel - Mexico City

If you're planning a trip to Mexico City or even a stopover, get this guide. It is full of useful information and full-color maps.

Chapter One highlights Mexico City starting with "20 Ultimate Experiences" with colorful photographs. I like the "What to Eat and Drink in Mexico City" guide (especially for someone from Texas who is used to Tex-Mex) and the "What to Buy in Mexico City" guide. There's "Best Museums" and "Under the Radar" guides as well. And for history buffs, there's "A Brief History of Mexico City".

Chapter Two contains the vital information - "Know Before You Go", "Getting Here and Around", "Essentials" and even a pullout "Helpful Phrases in Spanish" guide.

The next eleven chapters are the various neighborhoods (barios) such as Alameda Central, Benito Juarez, Roma, Condesa, Coyoacan, Sn Angel, and more. Each chapter has a snapshot guide and a full-color map with highlighted bullets along with sights, restaurants, and hotels with ratings and detailed information.

"Side Trips from Mexico City" is a great chapter with suggestions on quick trips to places with ruins or beaches. There's a useful planning section.

The last sections include Maps and Indexes. The very last page includes a handy Metro map.

Overall, a great guide to Mexico City. This book was published in 2024 but still verify all the information before travelling.

Title: Fodor's Mexico City
Author: Fodor's Travel Author
ISBN: 978-1640976993
Pages: 368

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Book Review - Fodor's Travel - Cancun and the Riviera Maya

I'm hoping to take a cruise next year that will head down to the Mexican coast stopping in Cancun, so I picked up this guide to get some suggestions on what we can see or do. Most cruises out of the United States stop in Cozumel or Cancun. I've stopped in Cozumel several times and would prefer exploring beyond the small offerings from the cruise line.

Beyond that, this is a great guide if you plan to fly into one of these major cities and stay a few days.

The first chapter is dedicated to a lot of great "Best Of" lists - Best Beaches in Cancun and the Riviera Maya, Best Snorkeling and Diving, Top Maya Ruins, Most Romantic Experiences, What to Eat and Drink, What to Buy, etc. And some tidbits like "Weddings and Honeymoons" or "Kids and Families".

There's an excellent chapter titled "Travel Smart" with a Know Before You Go intro, Getting Here and Getting Around, advice on rental cars (it's more complicated than a normal rental - and if you plan to go to ruins or areas away from the main tourist zones you will want a All-wheel Drive (AWD) type vehicle that can handle dirt roads). There's also a helpful Spanish phrase section that you can pull out and take with you.

The area is divided out into separate chapters - Cancun, Isla Mujeres, The Riviera Maya, Cozumel, and the Yucatan and Campeche States. Each chapter is further broken down into useful sections such as regional foods, hotels or resorts, getting there and getting around, etc. Each section also has full-color, easy-to-use maps. There's a listing of all the maps in the Table of Contents in case you want to view a specific one.

I like that you can find suggestions on shopping, beaches, historical sites as well as useful tips. Really a great guide.

Title: Fodor's Cancun and the Riviera Maya: With Tulum, Cozumel, and the Best of the Yucatán
Author: Fodor's Travel Guides
ISBN: 978-1640976825
Pages: 352

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Review - Florida - Orlando - WDW - Epcot - Ride - Gran Fiesta Tour (Mexico Pavilion)

Review - Florida - Orlando - WDW - Epcot - Ride - Gran Fiesta Tour (Mexico Pavilion)

The Gran Fiesta Tour of the Three Caballeros (Donald, Panchito, the Mexican charro rooster, and José Carioca, the Brazilian parrot) is a lovely, slow-moving boat ride inside the pyramid of the Mexico pavilion. The ride immerses visitors in the movie-world of The Three Caballeros as Donald has disappeared somewhere in Mexico and his friends are trying to find him.

 

Fast Pass Info:
Does Ride take FP: Yes
Is FP Recommended: Only on Very Busy Days

Ride Characteristics:
Good for Toddlers: Yes
Good for Teens: Yes
Ride is Fast Moving: No
Can you get Wet: No
Ride contains Dark Periods: Dimly Lit
Ride contains Flashing Lights: No
Wheelchair Friendly: Yes

Check out Disney's office site for more info: disneyworld.disney.go.com/attractions/epcot/gran-fiesta-tour-starring-three-caballeros/