Book Review - Secret Boston: An Unusual Guide by Kiernan P Schmitt

Whenever I visit a city again, especially after the third or fourth time, I always look for something new to do or see and this book is a perfect guide for exploring the city of Boston with a new perspective. I love that each item or location has detailed information or history. The pictures are great. The book is divided into areas (Central Boston, Cambridge, Brookline/Fenway/Back Bay, West, and East) with nice maps which makes focusing on one area so much easier especially if you need to rely on public transportation. In addition to some quirky things (Elephant Ashes?) there are some legitimate museums in here (Nantucket Lightship/LV-112 Museum). Almost all the sights are easy to get to or only require a small amount of walking. And, although this book was published in 2024, be sure to verify times before heading out.

Title: Secret Boston: An Unusual Guide
Author: Kiernan P Schmitt
ISBN: 978-2361957179
Pages: 288

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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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Book Review - Moon Guide to Victoria and Vancouver Island

I've been considering taking an Alaska cruise and several operators have several points in Canada in their itineraries. So my interest was piqued when I found this book on Victoria and Vancouver Island. Moon Guides are always very useful and I like how this one breaks Vancouver Island into 3 sections - South, Central and North - to make it easier to focus on visiting one area rather than spending a lot of time back and forth. The island is quite big and there are many islands off the coast to visit via ferry. It is best to focus on one area due to the time it will take to arrive at your destination. Be sure to check the ferry schedules ahead of time to be sure you will arrive at your desired time and be able to depart (unless you are staying in a hotel) on time as well. Lots of good maps.

The Essentials section in the back of the book provides useful information on visiting Canada and the British Columbia area in general including airports, buses, rental cars (the insurance information was something new I learned), exchange rates (always check ahead of your visit to be sure you have the actual rate as it fluctuates), and more.

I do wish there were websites or facebook listings for each "big" location as I always like to verify hours of operation and costs ahead of time without having to google each stop. Obviously, some smaller businesses or mom-and-pop shops usually may not have websites. Overall, a pretty handy guide to take along on your trip whether you are cruising, driving or flying to this beautiful area.

Title: Moon Victoria and Vancouver Island: Coastal Recreation, Museums and Gardens, Whale-Watching (Travel Guide)
Author: Andrew Hempstead
ISBN: 978-1640496743
Pages: 248

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Book Review - The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps

Wandering the maps and travel section of the library sometimes produces an interesting read such as this book. The Phantom Atlast goes through historical maps and discusses images that were drawn on the map (such as mythological creatures) or locations that have since disappeared or have been renamed. There are several stories of fraudsters who drew up fictional locations. If you enjoy exploring maps and history, this is a must read. Try to find it at your local library.

Title: The Phantom Atlas: The Greatest Myths, Lies and Blunders on Maps
Author: Edward Brooke-Hitching
ISBN: 978-1452168401
Pages: 256

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Book Review - The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line 2025

The Unofficial Guide is a wonderful resource for Disney planning (check out their website for lots of good info and tips). This updated book is a valuable resource full of deck plans, reviews of each of the current Disney ships (and a blurb about the future ships as well). There are detailed information on Disney's unique rotational dining with different restaurants and adults-only options as well. Lots of good information on Disney's new port at Fort Lauderdale. Helpful guides on preparing for your trip, packing, what to bring/not bring, embarkation and debarkation. Reviews of popular cruise itinerary destinations.

Title: The Unofficial Guide to Disney Cruise Line 2025 (Unofficial Guides)
Author: Tammy Whiting with Len Testa and Erin Foster
ISBN: 978-1628091625
Pages: 404

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Book Review - DK Eyewitness Travel - Family Guide Paris

I'm hoping to be able to take my family to Disneyland Paris at some point especially after the updates they made to the park, so I grabbed this Paris guide to see what other fun activities we could do and foods to try. DK Eyewitness Travel books are so colorful, and I love the detailed maps and floorplans. The "Lowdowns" sections are really helpful and give you the websites you can access for further research.

Keep in mind that this book was published in 2018 so always be sure to verify information like operating hours and costs ahead of time since Covid negatively impacted many businesses.

There's a great section on Disneyland with lots of information.

This book is broken out by areas which makes it easy to focus your day in a location. Lots of suggestions on dining, etiquette (especially helpful to know when dining in a restaurant as opposed to a cafe), shopping, and ways to entertain your children.

Title: DK Eyewitness Family Guide Paris (Travel Guide)
Author: DK Eyewitness
ISBN: 978-1465468185
Pages: 288

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Book Review - Insider's Guide to Williamsburg and Virginia's Historic Triangle

Since I'm planning a trip to Busch Gardens Amusement Park this summer, I thought I'd pick up this guide to see what else I could see while I'm in Williamsburg, Virginia. This travel guide is divided into categories - Accommodations, Entertainment, Shopping, Parks and Recreation, and more.

I like the callout sections that describe some historical tidbits of an area since Williamsburg is so full of history and historical events. There's even detailed information concerning Busch Gardens. Lots of easy-to-read suggestions and even a section if you're considering retirement in the area.

Title: Insiders' Guide® to Williamsburg: And Virginia's Historic Triangle (Insiders' Guide Series)
Author: Susan Corbett
ISBN: 978-1493045310
Pages: 297

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Book Review - Bradt Travel Guide - 52 European Wildlife Weekends - A Year of Short Breaks for Nature Lovers

When I saw this book at my local library, the cute bear on the cover grabbed my attention. This is a really neat book that highlights some of the wildlife (birds, animals as well as interesting flowers) in easy-to-reach European cities. Listed by month when the wildlife is at its peak viewing period. Realistically, I probably wouldn't fly for 10 plus hours to get to a city for only a weekend visit but I would definitely add these tidbits to future trip itineraries.

Another great feature of this guide are the ratings for Accessibility (how easy it is to reach the location) and the Child-Friendliness rating (out of 5).

One thing this book could improve upon is to provide maps and an overall European map to show how far or close these locations are from each other. Might make it easier to plan a multi-stop trip without having to use the internet to check.

Title: 52 European Wildlife Weekends: A Year of Short Breaks for Nature Lovers (Bradt Travel Guide)
Author: James Lowen
ISBN: 978-1784770839
Pages: 246

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Book Review - Moon Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket by Ray Bartlett

If you are planning a trip to the Massachusetts coast, this book is a great guide. Lots of trip planning tips including how to get around the towns (especially during high peak season when there is very limited or almost non-existent parking). Local public transporation is always recommended. Where to park, where to eat, where to stay in addition to full-color maps. "Best of" suggestions with number of days to visit. Tips for the beaches. Food suggestions. Very good guide.

Title: Moon Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket (Travel Guide)
Author: Ray Bartlett
ISBN: 978-1640492097
Pages: 272

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Book Review - Moon Boston: Neighborhood Walks, Historic Highlights, Beloved Local Spots by Cameron Sperance

I really like this Moon guide for Boston as it's a little different than other travel guides as it focuses on neighborhoods. And for each neighborhood, they have full-color maps with walkable tours with suggestions, food options, shopping, and more. There are day trip suggestions as well as longer trip ideas. There's a nice Revolutionary Timeline for those interested in the history within the city. You can also find info on public transportation, how to get around, and travel tips.

Title: Moon Boston: Neighborhood Walks, Historic Highlights, Beloved Local Spots (Travel Guide)
Author: Cameron Sperance
ISBN: 978-1640498624
Pages: 490

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Book Review - Lonely Planet Epic Drives of the World

If you ever wander around the travel section of your local library or the bookstore there is a small section on road trips and awe-inspiring drives. That's how I came upon this big book of drives around the world.

For those of us who enjoy road trips and admiring views from the window of a vehicle, this is a great guide. The book covers six continents with bucket list routes such as Crossing the Kalahari (in Botswana - which is also on my bucket list for safaris), The Pacific Coast Highway, India's road from Srinagar to Manali, the Black Forest High Road of Germany, and more. Beautiful photography. Well written and clear. The only negative is that it was published in 2017 so some of the data might need updates (always check ahead before starting your journey to be sure areas are still accessible).

Title: Lonely Planet Epic Drives of the World
Author: Lonely Planet
ISBN: 978-1786578648
Pages: 328

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Book Review - The Unofficial Dollywood Cookbook by Erin K Browne

This isn't a travel guide or a travel book, but a cookbook full of recipes for Dollywood-style foods, snacks, and drinks. There are over 100 easy to follow recipes. Plus there are fun anecdotes, a bit of history, and information of the Dollywood amusement park and the other entertainment venues (Splash Country, Dream More Resort and Spa, and the Stampede show). You will find a section for Cooking and Baking tips in addition to Helpful Tools. In the Appendix, you will find Dollywood maps and Standard US/Metric Measurement Conversions.

Here are some interesting facts: As of 2023 (when this book was published), Dollywood produces 212,250 loaves of cinnamon bread in an average season! And 614,000 pounds of popcorn! For those who love powdery crispy funnel cakes, they make 87,000!

Chapters include "Smoky Mountain Snacks", "Lunch in the Foothills", "Dinner with Dolly", "Southern Sides", "Lovin' from the Oven", "Country Candy and Ice Cream", and "Back Porch Sips"

Title: The Unofficial Dollywood Cookbook
Author: Erin K. Browne
ISBN: 978-1-5072-1996-4
Pages: 239

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Book Review - Fodor's Travel - The Complete Guide to African Safaris

Flying to South Africa and heading to the other countries to enjoy animals in nature is on my bucket list (and many of the readers here). This guide is an EXCELLENT resource and a definite keeper. The first few sections contain an overview of the "Big 5" animals (Buffalo, Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Rhino) and where to find them. There's also a section on Planning Your Safari such as getting to Africa and how to get around, working with tour operators, planning timeline, vocabulary, and more. The rest of the book is broken out by country - Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda, Uganda, Botswana, Namibia, and Victoria Falls. In the back are really, really good maps.

What I also love about this book is each expert gives you pro/con for every location which is so useful. What really shocked me about planning a safari was how expensive it can be when you add up the flights, transportation, camp fees, park fees, food, and more. Also, many camps do not accept children under 16 and some do not accept young children. There were a handful that welcomed young children and had activities specially for them.

Title: The Complete Guide to African Safaris
Author: Fodor's Travel
ISBN: 978-1-64097-507-1
Pages: 528

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Book Review - 100 Places Every Woman Should Go by Stephanie Elizondo Griest

So when I found this book, I assumed it would have been full of suggestions for places that a woman can safely visit and useful suggestions on safe travel. Although there is a small section in the beginning about travelling safely and some (rather outdated) suggestions. This book is really a listing of sights that are associated with famous women or female characters. For example, one chapter is "Madonna Sightings Around the World". Another chapter focuses on the witches of Salem, Massachusettes.

This book was published in 2007 so many sights may no longer be available to visit or might have altered hours. Be sure to look up the location before you head out on your journey. Many places have been closed to visitors during Covid and some places are not safe for a woman to visit alone.

Try to find a copy in your local library if you can.

Title: 100 Places Every Woman Should Go
Author: Stephanie Elizondo Griest
ISBN: 978-193236147-6
Pages:331

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Book Review - 100 Things to do in Texas before you Die by E.R.Bills

Texas is a huge state (it takes hours to get from one area to another). This book would have been better if there had been a map to illustrate how far apart the sights are from each other. This book was published in 2018 so be sure to verify operating hours and whether the location is still open to visitors (as a lot of businesses were negatively affected by Covid).

This book is separated into useful chapters - Amusements and Entertainment, Parks and Recreation, History and Culture, Food and Drink, Road Trips and Photo Ops.

Try to find a copy in your local library if you can.

Title: 100 Things to do in Texas before you Die
Author: E. R. Bills
ISBN: 978-1-68106-183-2
Pages:178

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Book Review - 100 Things to do in Dallas Fort Worth before you Die by Tui Snider

Since I live in DFW, I thought this would be a fun book to purchase to get ideas of new things to visit around town. Since this book was published back in 2018, a lot of information is outdated but some of the big sights are still viable. Always check locations before you head out as hours have changed and some places might have been hit hard by Covid. It would have been nice if this book had included a map because Dallas Fort Worth is a large area and locations are very spread out. Keep in mind highways are jam-packed during rush hours in the morning and evening. Weekends are usually decent except during big events (like the State Fair).

Try to find a copy in your local library if you can.

Title: 100 Things to do in Dallas Fort Worth before you Die
Author: Tui Snider
ISBN: 978-1-68106-170-2
Pages:142

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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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Book Review - Lonely Planet Hong Kong Travel Guide

I've been planning out a trip to see the other Disneyland parks of the world. Of course, considering how expensive airfare to Asia can be, might be a several years down the road plan, but I've been checking books out for Shanghai and Hong Kong from the library. Lonely Planet is one of my favorite travel guide series and this book on Hong Kong was fantastic.

This book just came out in December so the information is pretty recent (keep in mind the publishing process takes time so always verify information before visiting especially with hours and prices).

There are several things I love about this guide. One, you will find little side bubbles filled with useful tips from experts or influencers who are very familiar with the area or topic. Second, I love the little food/coffee/bar tips that are shown along the bottom for every area. There are full colors maps plus walking trail guides.

Not to mention there are two pages dedicated to Hong Kong Disneyland.

On page 203 you will find the "Toolkit" with useful info on visiting. And on page 217 there's a "Storybook" which talks about the culture and history of Hong Kong.

This book is definitely a keeper, IMO.

Title: Lonely Planet Hong Kong
Author: Thomas O'Malley, Orlando Crowcroft, Angela Hui
ISBN: 978-1-83869-365-7

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