Book Review - Subpar Planet by Amber Share

This is a fun, entertaining book that features some of the most famous landmarks and tourist destinations around the world and what a one-star reviewer said about them.

The author describes each location in great detail with some insight, oftentimes questioning what the reviewer might have experienced. One example: Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada which someone said was "Not Really the Best Place". Amber then discusses the appeal of the park and what a typical tourist might actually experience such as the blue and green lakes filled by glaciel melt, wildflowers in the Sunshine Meadows, and more. Another example: Taj Mahal in Agra, India. The reviewer said "Not as Spectacular as I Had Thought". Ouch. Amber gives the background of this masterpiece with the Emperor Shah Jahan who commissioned it in the 17th century for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died after having 14 children.

The chapters are broken out by continent or region - Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. Each chapter has a colorful map of locations.

On pages 40 and 41 are a great "Which Waterfall is 'Best'" discussion comparing some of the most famous waterfalls in the world.

Pages 114 and 115 illustrate "The Big Five", the animals most people want to see when they head to Africa for a safari.

There's a funny chapter called "How to Have an Absolutely Terrible Time Traveling" at the end. This chapter offers some useful advice on not overloading your trip or your expectations.

This is not an actual travel guide but reading through the author's descriptive research, it's hard not to add many of these sites to your bucket list of places to visit. Definitely look for it in your local library for a quick, easy read.

Title: Subpar Planet: The World's Most Celebrated Landmarks and Their Most Disappointed Visitors
Author: Amber Share
ISBN: 978-0593473177
Pages: 254

This article may contain photos and links that take you to third-party Affiliate sites. If you purchase any item on those sites it may contribute a small monetary amount back to our website without any extra cost to you.

Book Review - Lonely Planet's 1000 Ultimate Adventures from the World's Leading Travel Authority

When planning a vacation, if you lean towards activities that are more physical or challenging such as running marathons or rock climbing in the desert, this is the book for you.

For me and my family, I focused on activities that young children could enjoy which wasn't many. Here are the chapters that could fall into the family-friendly category or could be re-worked a bit to become family-friendly: Going to Extremes (a few choices such as the Dead Sea, Greenland, Vatican City), Best Four-Legged Adventures (Reindeer Sledding, Dog Mushing (check on age range requirements), Wagon Train Adventure), Boy's (and Girl's) Own Adventures, Get Your Thrills Indoors (Chakazoolu Indoor Theme Park or Indoor Skiing and Snowboarding), Intrepid Treasure-Hunting Trips (Gold Panning in British Columbia, Canada), Best Undiscovered US Parks, and a chapter dedicated to Family-Friendly Adventures (options like beaches in Bali, Indonesia or Ranching in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Are you a strong swimmer and enjoy water activities, check out these chapters: Best Spots to Catch a Big Wave, Wildest Swims in the World, Epic Sea-Kayak Paddles, Sail or Bust, Get on Board, Truly Wild Waterways, Best Rafting Rivers, Sweetest Snorkel Spots, and more.

Enjoy rock climbing, these might appearl to you: Mountain Quests, Most Spectacular Rock Climbs, Rock Stars: World's Best Bouldering, Best Beginners' Climbs, and more.

Prefer running or extreme hiking? How about Gotta Be In It to Win It: Best Races, Downhill Dashes, Mind-Blowing Marathons, Best Treks with Killer Views, Best ultra Runs, World's Highest Treks, Longest Treks, and more.

Like animals plus adventure (no petting zoos in here), try these: Scariest Animal Encounters, Most Excellent Equine Escapades, Best Birding in Highlands and Islands, Essential African Adventures, and more.

This book was published in 2013 so double-check all the locations to be sure they are still open to tourists and the information is correct.

For a family of young children or for really lazy people who prefer relaxing, this wasn't a very useful guide but there were a few suggestions. If you enjoy daring activities, you'll get plenty of inspiration.

Title: Lonely Planet's 1000 Ultimate Adventures from the World's Leading Travel Authority
Author: Lonely Planet Authors
ISBN: 978-1743217191
Pages: 352

This article may contain photos and links that take you to third-party Affiliate sites. If you purchase any item on those sites it may contribute a small monetary amount back to our website without any extra cost to you.

Book Review - The Geek Atlas: 128 Places Where Science and Technology Come Alive by John Graham-Cumming

For those who are curious about inventions or gaining a better understanding on scientific concepts, you will enjoy the suggested locations in this hefty book.

The book is divided out into countries in alphabetical order. Under the United States, the chapter is further divided out into states. The last chapter, "Miscellaneous" has two discussion items of interest - Magicicada Brood X (a cicada bug periodically emerging along the Eastern United States coast) and the Magnetic North Pole.

Some highlights: Parkes Radio Telescope in Parkes, Australia.

Mendel Museum of Genetics in Brno, Czech Republic

Institut Pasteur in Paris, France

The Escher Museum in The Hague, Netherlands

Greenwich in London, England

Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in Ukraine

Titan Missile Museum in Sahuarita, Arizona, US

National Cryptologic Museum in Fort Meade, Maryland, US

Keep in mind that this book was published in 2009, so double-check operating hours and fees before heading out.

Overall, this is good book to add must-see locations to your itinerary or to get an overall lesson on scientific notions. Try to find it at your local library.

Title: The Geek Atlas: 128 Places Where Science and Technology Come Alive
Author: John Graham-Cumming
ISBN: 978-0596523206
Pages: 542

This article may contain photos and links that take you to third-party Affiliate sites. If you purchase any item on those sites it may contribute a small monetary amount back to our website without any extra cost to you.

Book Review - Moon Paris Walks: See the City Like a Local

If you're planning a trip to Paris, France, this is a really useful book to take with you. It's small enough to fit into your backpack or sling bag (or you can rip out the pages you need and take them with you).

The book contains 6 suggested walking itineraries. Each itinerary comes with an introduction to the walk, an overview of the neighborhoods, a "short on time" section that emphasizes the main sights to see, a full-color map with points of interest labeled (which are also color-coded), and the walk description (with the labels included). Followed by more details sections for "sights and attractions", "food and drink", "shopping" and "more to explore" which also correspond to the color-coded labels.

The introduction of the book includes lots of useful information - good to know practical info, museums, French food culture, useful shopping tips, public holidays, transportation and biking, Top 10 sights and museums, Top 10 restaurants, Top 10 On Sundays, and Top 10 Nightlife.

Walk 1 = Batignolles and Montmartre

Walk 2 = Quartier des Martyrs, Grands Boulevards, Louvre, and Madeleine

Walk 3 = Les Halles and Le Marais

Walk 4 = Les Iles, Latin Quarter, and Saint-Germain-des-Pres

Walk 5 = Eiffel Tower, Invalides and Champs-Elysees

Walk 6 = Belleville, Canal Saint-Martin and Menilmontant

The very last chapter offers more things to do "With More Time".

In summary, this is a keeper to take with you on your French trip.

Title: Moon Paris Walks: See the City Like a Local
Author: Moon Travel Guides
ISBN: 979-8886470222
Pages: 152

This article may contain photos and links that take you to third-party Affiliate sites. If you purchase any item on those sites it may contribute a small monetary amount back to our website without any extra cost to you.

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

This article may contain photos and links that take you to third-party Affiliate sites. If you purchase any item on those sites it may contribute a small monetary amount back to our website without any extra cost to you.

Book Review - Black Hills Family Fun Guide by Kindra Gordon

If you're planning a family trip to South Dakota's Black Hills area, you should get a hold of this book and look through all the great suggestions.

The book is divided by chapters focused on activities: "Famous Faces to Visit", "Buffalo, Bears and Reptiles", "Dinosaurs Galore", "See It Made - Or Mined", "Meaningful Museums", "Outdoors to Explore", "Water Parks, Go-Carts and Other Good Times", "Histories and Oddities", and "Puttin' on a Show".

At the end of the book is an Index by City if you're trying to plot out a road trip and have specific cities in mind along the way. The author has included the city's website so you can do a further search on what to do or eat in town.

I like that each chapter has a map with very simple marks for points of interest. If you're tech-savvy, you could add the points to your own Google Map or other virtual map.

Each location mentioned also includes operating dates, admission, parking fees, address, phone number and website.

Some businesses have a nice little "Neat to Know" callout, such as the National Presidential Wax Museum in Keystone, South Dakota - the "Neat to Know" mentions President Calvin Coolidge's visit at Custer Park's State Game Lodge and Resort in 1927.

At the end of the chapters, there is a "For More" section which will direct you to similar experiences in other chapters.

Since this 2nd edition was published in 2017, be sure to confirm operating hours and fees before you visit.

Overall, this is a nice guide. I found lots of interesting places to visit on my next trip. Try to find this book at your local library or through interloan services.

Title: Black Hills Family Fun Guide: Explore South Dakota's Badlands, Devils Tower and Black Hills
Author: Kindra Gordon
ISBN: 978-1591937357
Pages: 136

This article may contain photos and links that take you to third-party Affiliate sites. If you purchase any item on those sites may contribute a small monetary amount back to our website without any cost to you.

Book Review - The World's Best National Parks in 500 Walks by Mary Caperton Morton

This is a massive book broken out by Continent (North America, South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East, Asia, and Australasia).

The author breaks out each section by trails. Each trail is listed with its corresponding National Park, location, and a description. Many of the trails also contain distance, start, difficulty, and seasonal information. A few include a map.

Some of the parks contain more than one hiking trail such as Denali National Park and Preserve. The author highlights several hiking trails - "Savage Alpine Trail" (which is a moderately difficult one), "Horseshoe Lake Trail" (easy), "Mount Healy Overlook Trail".

The photographs in this book are gorgeous. I enjoyed flipping through and bookmarking ones that sounded manageable enough for my family. But, I just used this book as a starting point. Then I went to the National Park's website and got all the information I needed from there.

It would have been nice if this author had a directory for trails by difficulty. That would help someone quickly narrow down which trails they should focus on, such as my family needing easy trails.

Overall, it's a nice book to view inspirational photographs and add to your planning board. If you enjoy hikes, you can find similar inspirational books about hiking trails published by Thunder Bay Press.

Title: The World's Best National Parks in 500 Walks
Author: Mary Caperton Morton
ISBN: 978-1645176282
Pages: 400

This article may contain photos and links that take you to third-party Affiliate sites. If you purchase any item on those sites may contribute a small monetary amount back to our website without any cost to you.

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

This article may contain photos and links that take you to third-party Affiliate sites. If you purchase any item on those sites may contribute a small monetary amount back to our website without any cost to you.

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

This article may contain photos and links that take you to third-party Affiliate sites. If you purchase any item on those sites may contribute a small monetary amount back to our website without any cost to you.

Book Review - Culture Shock Vietnam by Ben Engelbach

I wish I had read this book before my trip to Vietnam because it would have helped prepare me a little bit more and given context to some of my experiences. I appreciate the honest and concise writing of the American-born author who lives and works in Hanoi. Even though this book is aimed more at long-term visitors, there's plenty of good information for short-termers as well.

Chapter one, "First Impressions", was amusing but since I had gone first to Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City it didn't quite match my own first impressions.

The next chapter, "Overview of Land and History" will give you a good idea of how variable the country is (there are beaches, mountains, big cities, etc) in addition to some history lessons.

Chapter three, "People" is really good. It includes sections on values (respecting elders, saving face, family first, etc) and religion (Vietnamese people celebrate their ancestors and are pretty tolerant of other religions).

Chapter four discusses Socializing and Fitting In. This chapter is aimed more at people who are staying longer in Vietnam than a basic tourist or if you're planning to visit a family member or friend it will be helpful.

Chapter five, "Settling into the Country" has a lot of useful information for shopping, public transportation, staying safe, health and hospitals, and more. From my own experiences, I agreed with most of the information presented. I never had to worry about schools or taxes but those are discussed as well.

Chapter six is probably the best one in the book as it focuses on Food. And yes, Vietnamese people really do eat pho noodle soup for breakfast (and pretty much any time of the day or night). After a few breakfasts you will get used to it (there aren't very many bacon-and-eggs type meals available). There's also information on drinks (coffee, beer), entertaining, fast food and more.

You can find a list of celebrated holidays and events in chapter seven, "Enjoying the Culture and Travel" as well as recreation and sports (football or soccer).

The "Languages" chapter, or chapter nine, gives a quick overview of the language. Keep in mind, however, that there are two dialects in Vietnam - the northern and the southern. This will make communicating more complicated. There is a great little sidebar detailing how to address others. Jump to the Glossary for some useful words.

The eighth chapter concerns with working in the country which is complicated on visitory visas. If you're interested in volunteer work, look at the last section of the chapter.

Chapter 10 offers "Fast Facts" followed by some useful Do's and Don'ts and a Glossary.

Overall, this a great introduction to Vietnam from an American's point of view. Not really a keeper so try to locate a copy through your local library.

Title: Culture Shock! Vietnam
Author: Ben Engelbach
ISBN: 978-9814771672
Pages: 248

This article may contain photos and links that take you to third-party Affiliate sites. If you purchase any item on those sites may contribute a small monetary amount back to our website without any cost to you.

Book Review - Lonely Planet Montreal and Quebec City by Steve Fallon, Regis St Louis and Phillip Tang

This summer I am hoping to make a trip to La Ronde, the Six Flags owned amusement park in Montreal, so I picked up a few Canadian tour guides. It's been over twenty years since I'd last visited Montreal and I can't wait to go back. Just FYI, Quebec is pronounced kay-BEC and people from Quebec are called Quebecois or Quebecoise (kebekwa).

I like how the Lonely Planet guide books are broken into four main sections (with color-coded tabs) - Plan Your Trip, Explore, Understand, and Survival Guide. Lots of full-color photographs and maps. At the end of the book after the index is a tear-out section of useful maps.

The first section, Plan Your Trip, includes the following: Montreal's Top 10, Need to Know, Top Itineraries, Monthy by Month festivals, Travel with Kids, Visiting Quebec City, Eating highlights, Drinking highlights, Entertainment, and Shopping.

The next section, Explore, is broken out into the following chapters: Neighborhoods at a Glance, Old Montreal, Parc Jean-Drapeau (where the La Ronde amusement park resides along with some other family-friendly places to visit), Downtown, Rue St Denis and the Village, Plateau Mont-Royal and the Northeast, Little Italy and Outremont, Lachine Canal and Little Burgundy, Day trips from Montreal, Accomodations, and Quebec City.

Understand Montreal and Quebec City section contains chapters on the history of Montreal and a separate history for Quebec City, People and Culture, Music and the Arts, and Architecture (a brief four page chapter on some key architectural points to visit).

Survival Guide is a chapter of interest to visitors - Transportation, Directory A-Z, and Languages (a very handy pull-out guide on some basic French)

This is a wonderful guide to this area. The walking itineraries with detailed maps and points of interest are great. Just a note, I saw on Amazon there's a newer edition coming out this year. Always be sure to validate operating hours and days as well as costs before heading out.

Title: Lonely Planet Montreal and Quebec City
Authors: by Steve Fallon, Regis St Louis, Phillip Tang
ISBN: 978-1788684507
Pages: 288

This article may contain photos and links that take you to third-party Affiliate sites. If you purchase any item on those sites may contribute a small monetary amount back to our website without any cost to you.