Book Review - Lonely Planet: Sustainable Escapes

This book starts with a well-written introduction to sustainable travel which is summarized as "tourism that delivers meaningful guest experiences and benefits locals without negatively influencing communities and the environment." As a traveler, it often means choosing a vendor that utilizes local resources or invests in their local community in a positive way. I was also surprised that many of the places highlighted in this were actually reasonably priced.

Right after the intro is a nice highlight of "Innovative Sustainable Tourism Attractions Around the World" which features 12 sites that were cutting edge in 2020 when this edition of the book was published.

The next chapter focuses on "Nature" with color-coded dots to showcase Wildlife Watching, Outdoor Adventure, and/or Conservation. Each listing includes bullet highlights of the location and a side bar which includes cost (when available), typical food offered, location and website. The chapter contains a guide on "7 Tips for Responsible Wildlife Interactions" which is a bit eye-opening.

"Relaxation" is the next chapter with color-coded dots for Eco-Luxury, Sustainable Dining, and Wellness. This chapter contains a note on "7 Ways to Reduce Waste on Your Travels" with simple tips anyone can try to incorporate.

Next is the chapter on "Culture" with color-coded dots for Community Interaction, Arts and Traditions, and Homestays. Within this chapter is a useful guide on "How to Choose a Responsible Tour Operator". The colored sidebar offers great suggestions on a responsible tour.

The next chapter is titled "Urban" for locations in cities and the color-coded dots include Eco-Luxury, Sustainable Dining, and Community Interaction. Many of the places in major cities are actually reasonably priced. The guide "Identifying a Sustainable Sleep" has some tips on picking a good place to spend the night (not necessarily a resort or hotel).

Next is a chapter on "Learning" where you can combine your travel with education but some of these tours might be a bit of a monetary stretch such as the Antarctica Scientific Expedition Cruise running over USD$14,000. But that is offset by the absolutely free Australia Beach Clean Up 10 day Expeditions. This chapter also contains the guide "How to Choose a Sustainable Volunteering Project"

Since this book was published back in 2020, you will want to verify all the information before making reservations or heading out.

Overall, this was a great book to find locations to stay at or visit that will minimize your impact on the planet and, for many locations, without spending gobs of money. Try to find this book at your local library or through inter-library loan programs.

Title: Lonely Planet Sustainable Escapes
Author: Lonely Planet Authors
ISBN: 978-1838690373
Pages: 256

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Book Review - Lonely Planet - The Best Place To Be Today by Sarah Baxter

If you are looking for inspiration for your travel plans - I highly recommend this book. You will find an event or location to visit on each day of the year for a total of 365 suggestions.

Some of the activities highlighted for a specific date actually take place over a range of dates, such as "Admire red-crowned cranes" in Hokkaido, Japan for January 20th can be enjoyed from January through February.

Or an event might take place over a weekend such as January 29th's "Hay Festival" in Colombia which starts the last weekend of January. In 2026 it fell on January 29th. Next year it will take place January 28th.

Events that must be celebrated on a single day include St. Valentine, Italy's "Valentine's Day" on Feburary 14th of every year. It's actually a celebration of Saint Valentine who is enshrined in the Basilica di San Valentino.

There are a few activities which I would lean toward "unrealistic" such as June 2nd's "Climb the 100 Mountains" in Japan unless you are really enjoy scaling mountains. The 100 refer to the 100 Famous mountain peaks in the country including Mt. Fuji.

Another less likely activity includes July 6th's "Swim the English Channel" ranging from June through September. Not only do they challenge you to swim the English Channel but without a wetsuit (the water is about 59 degrees Fahrenheit).

This book is a keeper and makes a great conversational piece on any coffee table.

Title: The Best Place to be Today: 365 Things to do and the Perfect Day to do Them
Author: Sarah Baxter
ISBN: 978-1743601655
Pages: 272

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Event - #Travel #Texas - #Oglesby - Rattlesnake Roundup - February 21-22, 2026

Oglesby, Texas - Rattlesnake Roundup
February 21-22, 2026
Oglesby Community Center
Looking for something different that benefits the entire community? How about learning about rattlesnakes? Enjoy a car show. Purchase some crafts or food items. Wander around Oglesby and enjoy the local businesses. At 11am on Saturday, watch the North Star Cloggers and Brazos Valley Cloggers do a thirty minute show. From 12pm to 5pm on Saturday, catch Colin Dexter's show. From 12pm to 5pm on Sunday, catch Ed Leonard's musical show.
Join a coloring contest or take part in a Cornhole Tournament (entry fee required)

Address: 118 Main St., Oglesby, Texas
Hours: Snake shows are at 10am, 12pm, 2pm, and 4pm CST on Saturday and 12pm, 2pm, and 4pm on Sunday.
Fees:

For more information, check out: https://oglesbyrattlesnakeroundup.wordpress.com/

Book Review - Atlas Obscura Wild Life by Cara Giaimo and Joshua Foer

If you've read the other Atlas Obscura books (Atlas Obscura, Gastro Obscura, etc) you will enjoy this book as well. It is packed full of interesting animals, insects, flowers, trees and other natural features and organisms. The photographs throughout this book are amazing. You will also find tons of well-researched information, tidbits, history and more. Even for creatures I'd normally skip over (like snakes), I actually found the information presented really interesting.

The book is divided into environments - Forests and Rainforests, Grasslands and Tundras, Mountains, Deserts, Shallows and Deeps, Cities, and Islands.

Not only is each natural creature or feature revealed in depth but the book highlights people who work in those fields. For example, under the Snow Leopards in the Mountains chapter is the highlight of A Snow Leopard Conservationist.

As a traveler, I zoomed in on the useful "how to see..." section listed for each topic (almost hidden in the lengthy text but in bold font). Many of them we'd probably never get to see especially those in war-torn places or really remote sites. But it's still nice to have the info.

This is a massive book full of really interesting information. Definitely a keeper.

Title: Atlas Obscura: Wild Life: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Living Wonders
Author: Cara Giaimo and Joshua Foer
ISBN: 978-1523514410
Pages: 464

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Book Review - Atlas of Adventures - by Rachel Williams

I found this colorful, interesting book while wandering the Junior Non-Fiction section of my local library. There are full-color maps for every continent including Antarctica. Each one is full of adventures and animals which are then followed by deep dives into a selected few experiences (with nice zoom-maps in the corner). Plus you can read lots of interesting trivia tidbits. There's even a few look-and-find game you can try at the end.

The first section focuses on Europe. Learn about the Northern Lights in Findland, the London Eye, Scotland's Highland Games, Paris' The Louvre, Spain's Feria Del Caballo (Horse Parade), the gondolas in Venice, Skiing in the Bavarian Alps, and Moscow's Metro.

North America's section highlights the wonderful wilfdlife of Alaska, hot air ballooning in Canada, New York's famous Central Park, Arizona's Grand Canyon, riding a Steamboat on the Mississippi River, and following the migration of the Monarch Butterflies.

Central and South America features the fun Rio Carnival in Brazil, exploring the Amazon Rain Forest, or the cowboy culture of Argentina's Northern Patagonia.

Asia and the Middle East section includes the fun little Macaques monkey of Japan, Hong Kong's lantern festival, Thailand's Chiang Mai elephants, India's Holi Festival, Korea's Cherry Blossom festival (which I was surpised to learn about since we always just assumed Japan was the only one), and Israel's Dead Sea.

Africa features Egypt's Pyramids of Giza, joining a camel caravan across the Sahara Desert, playing soccer in Senegal, or taking a canoe safari down the Zambezi River.

The Australia and Oceania section leads to snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, learning about the Waitangi in New Zealand, or surfing in Hawaii.

And finally some interesting things about penguins in Antarctica .

Overall this is a fun little book to read some neat tidbits on different animals and cultures. Look for it at your local library (even through the digital books or through inter-library loans).

Title: Atlas of Adventures: Travel Edition: A collection of NATURAL WONDERS, EXCITING EXPERIENCES and FUN FESTIVITIES from the four corners of the globe
Author: Rachel Williams
Illustrator: Lucy Letherland
ISBN: 978-0711255708
Pages: 96

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Book Review - Lonely Planet Banff, Jasper and Glacier National Parks by Brendan Sainsbury and Jade Bremner

This is an excellent, full-color guide to the 3 National Parks - Banff and Jasper in Canada and Glacier in Montana. The book is color-coded with tabs - Plan Your Trip, On the Road, Understand, and Survival Guide.

The Plan Your Trip section contains useful information such as colorful maps, Top 20 to see and do, Need to Know, Month-by-Month things to do, Sample Itineraries, Activities, Family Travel and Travel with Pets.

On the Road digs deeper into each park - Banff National Park and Sights Around the Park (such as Canmore or Kananaskis Country), Jasper National Park, Glacier National Park and Around the Park (West and East Glacier, St Mary and the Blackfeet Indian Reservation). There's a section on Waterton Lakes National Park.

Understand section highlights the parks today, the history of the parks, geology, wildlife, and conservation.

Survival Guide at the end offers general travel information - health and safety, suggested clothes to pack, transportation and getting around, and more.

What sets this guide apart are the really useful hiking maps detailing the routes for almost every trail.

Title: Lonely Planet Banff, Jasper and Glacier National Parks: Detailed Itineraries | Travel Like a Local | Insider Tips | Covers Banff, Jasper, Glacier, Waterton Lakes, and more (National Parks Guide)
Author: Brendan Sainsbury and Jade Bremner
ISBN: 9781838696757
Pages: 272

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Book Review - National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Texas by Jonathan Alderfer

If you read my last review, you'll know I've gotten into Birding. I've taken my birding "checklist" with me to several travel spots and spotted a few birds. Not too time-consuming and it doesn't cost any money except whatever is spent on the trip already (like park entrance fees or parking fees or gas).

Well since I started birding outside of my home area, I needed a more robust book than simple backyard birds. I wanted to learn about birds that I see migrating to some southerly locations and those unusual birds and ducks that visit lakes and ponds. So I picked up this National Geographic field guide. It's the perfect size to fit in your travel bag or you can easily rip out the colored list on pages 262-265 (which I did) and just checked birds off as I saw them.

This book isn't about attracting birds to your yard, but rather observing them in their natural habitat. The maps are color-coded for seasonality. There is a great identification guide in the beginning explaining the various parts and colorings. Information on behaviours and habitats as well as any useful field notes. Great little guide for those interested in trying out birding or who are seeking additional checklists.

You can also find other states in this series if you plan to travel outside Texas.

Title: National Geographic Field Guide to Birds: Texas
Author: Jonathan Alderfer
ISBN: 9780792241874
Pages: 272

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Book Review - Backyard Birds of Texas: How to Identify and Attract the Top 25 Birds by Bill Fenimore

I installed a bird feeder in front of my home office window and have been watching the birds (and squirrels) which ignited my interest in having a checklist to track which birds have visited my home. So I got this book from the local library. What I like about it is that it's full-color and has maps of when the bird species will visit my area (like year-round or winter). The colorful photographs makes it so easy to identify the birds.

Then I took my interest in bird watching a step further and bought the book to take with me on my jaunts throughout Texas. Well, I actually just ripped out pages 92-95 to take with me. Many of the birds I can see in my hometown, but some I only found when I traveled further south (like San Antonio) or to an area with lake or river. I was able to cross almost all the birds off. And it was pretty fun.

I tried to find checklists online but many of them were not as colorful or easy to identify. This book was helpful in that manner.

Also, for my own viewing pleasure, this book also offers advice on how to attract birds to your window with the type of foods certain species enjoy and the types of homes they will utilize. On page 68 there is a handy pull-out chart which lists the bird species and the types of foods they will eat. I'm still working on that and hopefully will have pictures to share soon!

Title: Backyard Birds of Texas: How to Identify and Attract the Top 25 Birds
Author: Bill and Estrella Fenimore
ISBN: 9781423603511
Pages: 95

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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 - 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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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