Book Review - Explorer's Guide Charleston, Savannah and Coastal Islands by Cecily McMillan

I've visited these areas and still found many new places to explore in this handy little guide. Each area starts with an introduction, maps, general overview of getting there and getting around followed by places of interest (things to do such as museums), activities (golfing, fishing, etc), where to eat and accommodations. You can find sections calling out places just outside the city worth visiting. Some climate or temperature information especially on hurricanes which hit the shorelines. Very well organized and easy to read.

Although this is the 9th edition of this guide, it was published in 2021. So be sure to verify all the hours and information before heading out on your trip since Covid might have forced unexpected, long-lasting changes.

Title: Explorer's Guide Charleston, Savannah and Coastal Islands
Author: Cecily McMillan
ISBN: 978-1682685082
Pages: 176

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Book Review - Lonely Planet Great Lakes and Midwest USA's National Parks (National Parks Guide)

This compact little guide is surprisingly full of good information and a fold-out full-color map. The first few pages highlight some great things to do followed by a useful "need to know" section. There's a listing of some but not all festivals or events throughout the year. More pages offering advice on what to wear and equipment you may need (or can rent), how to stay safe, and average temperatures. There are several pages featuring "best of" such as "Best Hiking", "Best Wildlife Viewing", "Best Family Experiences" and more.

If you prefer roadtripping, there are three road trips planned out - Oklahoma Tribal Trails, Pioneer Trails, and Blackhills Loop - with maps and info on each major stop.

The back of the book features guides on different wildlife you may spot, outdoor activities, and landscapes/geology.

Overall, a great guide that fits really well in your day bag!

Title: Lonely Planet Great Lakes and Midwest USA's National Parks (National Parks Guide)
Author: Regis St Louis, Anita Isalska, Brendan Sainsbury
ISBN: 978-1838696108
Pages: 130

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Book Review - New Mexico Family Outdoor Adventure by Christina M Selby

Finding activities for children is always a challenge because you have to take into consideration their energy level, their hiking ability, and their idea of fun. The author of this travel guide is also a mother and has gone on these trips with her two children and her experiences shine throughout with lots of good info and tips. I really appreciate the detailed instructions on how to get to the different hiking trail heads (which can be challenging to find without good signage or maps). If you enjoy camping, be sure to check out the suggested campgrounds listed in here for the different locations.

Another great feature of this book are the fun activities that most children can participate in (like Class 1 White Water Rafting). You'll find mountain biking, paddling, fossil hunting, and more. Also, there are suggestions throughout each adventure where you can teach your children valuable science or history lessons without being annoying. Little tids bits of goodness, I call them. I'm looking forward to finding similar books on other states.

Title: New Mexico Family Outdoor Adventure: An All-Ages Guide to Hiking, Camping, and Getting Outside
Author: Christina M Selb
ISBN: 978-0826362933
Pages: 322

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Event - #Travel #Texas - #Bryan - Wish Upon a Butterfly Fundraiser - July 19, 2025

Bryan, Texas - Wish Upon a Butterfly Fundraiser
July 19, 2025
Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History
The Brazor Valley Museum of Natural History will release Monarch butterflies into the skies as well as offer crafts and a "wish keepsake" for guests. Each ticket includes admission to the museum which features butterfly displays, live music, refreshments, and other activities. Also, children who come in a butterfly or caterpillar costume will receive a surprise gift!
Address: 3232 Briarcrest Dr, Bryan, TX
Hours: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm CST
Fees: (see website)
For more information - https://www.brazosvalleymuseum.org/wish-upon-a-butterfly

Travel - Texas - McKinney - Heard Museum - Bugs Live

Now through June 29th the Heard Museum in McKinney, Texas is featuring giant bugs along their outdoor walking trail loop. Many of the bugs are animatronic and move. None are particularly scary. Unlike Dinosaurs Live, none of them squirt water. The trail is included in the price of museum admission. And the Butterfly Garden is also open during this event and is included in admission (along with a few native animals).



The gravel-covered walking trail was a bit slippery due to the leaves from the trees so if anyone in your party has mobility issues, be cautious. Wheelchairs and scooters might be able to get around as they do have ramps available. Restrooms outside were closed at the time of our visit but they have restrooms inside the museum on both first and second floors. The museum does have working elevators.

There are also a few photo-ops such as this giant caterpillar. Just past the bug trail is a nice western-style village of playhouses for young children to release some energy.



The Butterfly Garden is set aways back from the museum past the Texas Animals exhibits in a large greenhouse-type building with special doors. Due to the nature of the doors opening and closing manually, not sure if scooters or wheelchairs can maneuver inside the butterfly house easily (call to confirm). Young children need to be reminded not to keep the doors open (and let the butterflies out). There is a box full of cocoons from which butterflies emerge. Signs explain which types of butterflies are flying around and what type of flowers attract them.

Overall, young children will enjoy the bug animatronics and the Butterfly Garden.

Where: Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary

Address: 1 Nature Place, McKinney, TX 75069

Hours: Summer Hours (Now through August 2): Monday – Friday: 7:30AM – 3:30PM, Saturday: 7:30AM – 9:00PM, Sunday: 1:00PM – 5:00PM

Fees: Adult $15.00, Child (3-12) and Seniors $11.00, Children under 3 are free

For more information, https://www.heardmuseum.org/

Book Review - The Bucket List Wild (1000 Adventures Big and Small: Animals, Birds, Fish and Nature)

If you've ever gone into your local library and seen someone just wandering around, checking out the reshelving carts or checking out the end caps of the book aisles, then it was probably me because I love to "chance upon" interesting books. And this one here is no exception. I found it randomly while searching for more atlas-type books.

Basically, this book lists out over a thousand places or experiences related to "the wild" such as animal spottings, habitats, geological formations, and more. It can provide some interesting trips or just give you new knowledge on why animals behave as they do.

The book is broken out by geographic regions and then lists the unique experiences that can be found in those locations. In addition to tourist experiences, there are also suggestions on what we can do to preserve and protect these phenomenon or even how to join conservation type travel.

And even if you don't plan to do any major travelling, I found the pictures and education to be enjoyable.

With most books, always verify current conditions and travelability on a location before making plans to visit.

Title: The Bucket List: Wild: 1000 Adventures Big and Small: Animals, Birds, Fish, Nature
Author: Kath Stathers
ISBN: 978-0-7893-3445-9

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Event - #Travel #Texas - Calliham - Birding Festival at Choke Canyon State Park - March 8, 2025

Calliham, Texas - Birding Festival at Choke Canyon State Park
March 8, 2025
Choke Canyon State Park
Tucked away about half-way between San Antonio and Corpus Christi is Choke Canyon State Park which promises outdoor family fun. The birding festival features a Live Bird Show plus lots of wildlife viewing walks. There will also be guest speakers, kid friendly activities, and native plant for sale.
Address: 358 Recreation Rd. 8, Calliham, TX 78007
Hours: 9:00am - 4:00pm
Fees: $5 entry fee for ages 13 and up
For more information: https://tpwd.texas.gov/calendar/choke-canyon/birding-festival

Event - #Travel #Texas - #Spring Branch - Star Party at Guadalupe River State Park - March 8, 2025

Spring Branch, Texas - Star Party
March 8, 2025
Guadalupe River State Park
Located north of San Antonio, this natural wonder will be alive at night with the help of the San Antonio Astronomical Association with telescopes and binoculars to view the night sky (assuming no clouds). This event will be held in the large overflow parking lot (just up the road from the big river parking lot). Look for the big blue "Stargazing Tonight" sign on the park road just across from this parking lot.
Address: 3350 Park Road 31, Spring Branch, TX 78070
Hours: 6:30pm - 9:00pm
Fees: Entry fee $7 for ages 13 and up
For More Info - https://tpwd.texas.gov/calendar/guadalupe-river/star-party-with-the-san-antonio-astronomical-association

Review - Texas - Grapevine - Prehistoric Park

 

Prehistoric Park in the gorgeous lake-side Meadowmere Park in Grapevine, Texas is a limited-time dinosaur walk-through experience. Open daily until April 16, 2023. There are lots of hands-on activities and if you can manage to come in the evening of April 15th they have a Dinos After Dark experience from 7pm-10pm (which might be a little scary for younger kids who don't like being in the dark).

General admission is $29/car. Children 12 and under will receive an activity sheet to punch/stamp as they explore the trail.

Please note that there are limited food options here. They did have a Kona Ice truck, a Funnel Cake truck, and (for a few hours) a Coffee truck. It's best to bring your own food/drinks and enjoy a picnic on the lawn. They do have restrooms (which were dimly lit and might be a little scary for younger kids) right inside the park.

After you pay the entrance fee, you will enter the parking lot on the left side to park before walking along the dinosaur trail.




The dinosaurs are animatronic which means they move and many have sound effects.

As your walk along the dinosaur trail, you will find some hands-on learning exhibits. For example, here are exhibits on dinosaur talons and another featuring different types of eggs.


Some of the exhibits have a self-punching device which you will use to mark your activity sheet. After you collect all the punches, you will turn in your sheet at the final tent (behind the restroom building in the market tent) to receive a free gift.


The forest trail is across the street into the trees. The trail is well-marked and there are a few dinosaur props found there (they do feature fake blood which might be scary for some kids).

Be sure to stop by the Dino Photo-Opn in the market tent behind the activities featuring scientists opening fossils.

Details:
Address: 3000 Meadowmere Ln, Grapevine, TX 76051
Hours: 9am-6pm Daily (special night hours 7p-10pm)
Admission: $29.00 per vehicle

Get more information from the official website, https://gograpevine.com/

Overall Family Review:

• 18 year old - Liked the bean bag toss
• 13 year old - Liked the activities
• 8 year old - Liked the activities
• 2 year old - Liked the fossil dig site, bean bag toss, forest trail

Review - Oklahoma - Davis - Arbuckle Wilderness

My family enjoys visting zoos and animal parks (we try our best to avoid gimmicky places like Tiger King wannabe tourist traps). One place we wanted to visit was Arbuckle Wilderness which wasn't a long drive for us at all. We arrived on a Sunday after lunch and it was quite busy.

Arbuckle Wilderness Park is located in Oklahoma's Arbuckle Mountain area very close to Turner Falls right off Interstate 35. It's about 1.5 hours from Dallas and 1 hour from Oklahoma City.

For those readers who have not yet been to a drive-through wildlife park, here's what to expect: When you arrive at the park, you will pay an entrance fee (sometimes by car, mostly per person) and you can buy optional food cups to feed the animals. Some wildlife parks offer their own vehicle to tour the park, but usually you will stay in your own car and drive along a well-marked trail. Animals are spread out along the trail. Depending on when you arrive, the weather, how full, and the mood of the animals, they may or may not come to your car to visit. Late on a hot day, most animals will be hiding in the shade or wading in ponds of water so it's best to get there early.

When you arrive into the park, you will be greeted by a colorful sign and then you will enter a parking area. You can park and go into the visitor center where you will find restrooms, snacks, and a handful of caged animals (which we'll see a little later). At the end of the trail, you will come back to this area offering you another opportunity to park.

Now you will drive up the hill to the payment booth. Here you can purchase animal food. This is the only place you can purchase food. I think 6 cups was $11 which is enough to last you the entire drive.

Entry fees are $16.99 per adult and $14.99 for each senior and each child between ages 4 and 11. There are coupons on their website between October and February.


One important note - this park is in a very hilly part of Oklahoma and the road winds up and down. There are portions that are a bit gravelly and steep. If your vehicle (or your driver) cannot handle that, you might not enjoy this drive. Be sure to fill up on gas ahead of time as there's no facilities here. There are gas stations in the nearby town of Davis (and food).

As you drive along, you will notice some animals are in gated areas especially the horses and larger cows.


Here's a picture of the cup of feed that you purchase. You have to keep a good grip on the cup as a few of the animals will try to take the cup with them.

This bull ripped the cup out of a guest's hand in front of us and he nonchantly ate it all up. Sadly, you will see lots of discarded cups along the trail. I choose to roll the window up for this animal to keep our cups (and his belly) safe.

Here are some photos that show how the drive-through portion works - you drive along at a slow speed then you pull to the side of the road to feed the animals (allowing more impatient drivers to pass).


Here are some of the animals that we fed along our journey. None of them were aggressive and our car never got bumped or hit.


They had a nice white tiger behind some fencing.

These are a few of the animals you can see inside the gift shop. You will also find restrooms, tourist brochures, and merch.

For more information about this park, click on their website, https://arbucklewildernesspark.com/

Address: 6132 Kay Starr Trl., Davis, OK 73030

Hours: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm; Saturday-Sunday 9am-5:30pm; you need about two hours to drive through the park.

Overall Family Review:

• 17 year old - Enjoyed feeding the animals
• 13 year old - Enjoyed feeding the animals
• 8 year old - Enjoyed feeding the animals
• 2 year old - Enjoyed watching the animals