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 Since this book was published back in 2018, a lot of information is outdated but some of the big sights are still viable.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

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 Secret Life of Hidden Places

When I picked up this book, I thought it would be more like a travelogue and offer some unique places to visit. However, I would definitely not consider this a travel guide even though it's been listed in the travel section. Some of the places, like the Winchester Mystery House (https://winchestermysteryhouse.com/) you can visit because they are open to the public and this book offers an interesting overview of the house, Mrs Sarah Winchester, and her obsession with her home.

There are lots of interesting places described in good detail in this book such as The Krazy Kat Klub Speakeasy in Washington DC, The Sleeping Beauty Apartment in Paris, France (a time capsule apartment that had been untouched for 70 years), Labryinths, and much more.

Title: The Secret Life of Hidden Places: Concealed Rooms, Clandestine Passageways, and the Curious Minds That Made Them
Author: Stefan Bachman, April Genevieve Tucholke
ISBN: 978-1-5235-1698-8

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 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

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 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

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 - Insight Guides - Shanghai City Guide

Our family love Disney World and Disneyland and we have the desire to visit the other parks in China, so I picked up this Shanghai City Guide at the library. It's a bit old (I think there's a newer version out there on Amazon) but the general information is still valid. PLUS, this book comes with a FREE ebook that you can take with you!

I do want to warn you that there's only a paragraph's worth of information for Shanghai Disney Resort and the authors recommend other parks instead. So if you're planning a trip solely for Disney, you may be disappointed with this guide.

That being said, I do like how this book is laid out by area or neighborhood. They have some useful full-color maps. The app that is advertised inside the cover of the book is no longer available but the eBook is and I was able to download it without any issues.

The really useful information is found starting on page 255 in the back of the book - getting around, money, etc.

Title: Insight Guides City Guide Shanghai
Author: Insight Guides
ISBN: 978-178-671-845-7

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 Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2025

Our family visits Walt Disney World several times a year, but it's been while since we've gone to the other coast to Disneyland. So I went ahead and bought this book to see what has changed (a lot!) so we can plan a visit.

The goal of this book is to save families money and time at one of the most popular (and crowded) amusement parks in America. This book has over 400 pages of very useful information. Every restaurant, ride, activity, hotels, and more are discussed in detail throughout as well as when to go, how to maximize your number of days, where and how to get discounts, etc.

Another thing I love about these guides are the ratings provided for each ride and activity with regard to preschool child, grade school child, teens, young adults, over 30 adults, and seniors and then whether the ride is seasonal and/or has Lightning Lane options.

There's a small section on Universal Studios Hollywood in case you plan to add that to your trip.

The back of the book features pull-out maps to take with you (for those who don't enjoy relying on the park apps).

Notice - there is currently a 25% off coupon on this book for a limited time!

Title: The Unofficial Guide to Disneyland 2025
Author: Seth Kubersky, Bob Sehlinger, Len Testa
ISBN: 978-1-62809-155-7

Clicking the photo above will take you to a Affiliate link.

Event - #Travel #Texas - #Belton - Central Texas State Fair Spring Music Fest - April 10-13, 2025

Belton, Texas - Central Texas State Fair Spring Music Fest
April 10-13, 2025
Cadence Bank Center
Venture out to the family-friendly Central Texas State Fair in Belton, right between Waco and Austin. Emjoy headlining acts like comedian Gabriel "Fluffy" Igelsias, musical act All American Rejects, and more. Carnival rides and attractions. Animal shows (such as Arabian Horses and Sea Lions). Food vendors. Merch. So much to do and see!
Address: 301 WEST LOOP 121, Belton, TX 76513
Hours: Check Website
Fees: Different activities have fees (see website), Show Tickets may include admission to fair grounds, Parking is FREE
For more information - https://www.centraltexasstatefairspringmusicfest.com/