Have you ever drawn a blank when a friend or family member asks, “What do you want to do today?” Maybe you have visitors to show around the Dallas - Fort Worth Metroplex, or perhaps you’ve lived here for years but feel like you’re in a rut rather than experiencing anything new.
If so, Tui Snider’s new book is for you! If you live in, or are visiting, the DFW region, this list will inspire you to start exploring. If you’re hungry, flip through the Food & Drink section. Looking for entertainment or want to get outdoors? Dig into the Music & Entertainment or the Sports & Recreation sections. Want to barter for antiques or see a museum? Check out the Culture & History or the Shopping & Fashion sections.
This book is a playful bucket list of suggestions meant to spark ideas: everything from family outings, date nights, and solo excursions, to simply hanging out with friends on your day off.
✪✪✪✪✪
HALL
WAYS BONUS REVIEW:
Final score: the book wins 57 to 43. Time to expand
my local horizons.
100 Things to Do in Dallas-Fort Worth
Before You Die is a fabulous guidebook that gives concise
but informative overviews of one hundred plus places and activities in the DFW
Metroplex. By the way, the DFW Metroplex, I learned, is a 9,286 square MILES
area! Wow! Author Tui Snider's travel writing skills are on point as she shares
the places and tidbits about each that make north Texas so unique.
As a Fort Worth, Texas-born gal, I was
raised in a family where my momma was always seeking-out and taking us to the
cool, off-the-beaten-track places and festivals. Even with that upbringing and
the majority of my fifty plus years lived in DFW, I found over half the one
hundred places in the books are sights and activities (57 of them, to be exact)
I have never experienced -- and a bunch I had never even heard of!
An awesome aspect to 100
Things is that it really is an excellent resource for locals to
not only have on hand for visitors but to use as a source for new ideas and a
lot of reminiscing. Some
of my favorite childhood memories and restaurant experiences were made at
places mentioned in the book (like Burger's Lake Fossil Rim, and the National
Cowgirl Museum, and Bonnell's, Ol' South Pancake House and Edelweiss). After
reading 100 Things, I realize that I am a
creature of habit with the local activities I enjoy: for example, Grapevine
does not have the only wine trail; Fort Worth does not have the only ghost tour.
I plan on getting a bunch of copies of this guide for my local friends and
family to enjoy.
The “Hundred Things” is actually well
over a hundred because of the glorious sub-lists in many sections. Plus, there
are lots of extra cultural details, statistics, and tidbits thrown in that add
an extra layer of interest. Again, much of what’s included is new information
to me that reinforces DFW has some of the biggest and best events in the US.
The
organization of the book, which includes a divided table of contents, index,
suggested itineraries, and activities by season, and website addresses really
helps users find what they need for quick reference.
Especially
helpful are the "Free Family Fun" and "Rainy Day Fun"
lists. Also included in the
book are interesting photos sprinkled throughout the book that add interest,
though they are not clearly labeled. I am okay with the small selection of
photos and that they are black and white since the purpose and focus of 100 Things is informational.
The book is well-edited, the writing
is clear and friendly, and the generous white space and formatting make it very
user friendly and easy to read (as opposed to other guides that pack too much
on a single page with teeny-tiny print). There are a few places where it seems
like there are no spaces between words, and this Grammar Policewoman issues
only a few citations for some misspelled words and comma issues. (Though the
Neiman Marcus police might have a full warrant for arrest out!) Snider gets an
Award of Excellence for being on Team Oxford Comma, which counters any
punctuation pitfalls. The issues are all minor and none detracts from the
overall fabulousness of this book.
I
can't wait to plan a staycation to include some new excursions and also to re-visit
some old favorites around my own stomping grounds.
I subscribe to Tui Snider's newsletter
(you should to) and answered the author's call a while back when she asked for
suggestions of places to include in the book. What a surprise to find I am
mentioned in the acknowledgments! I am excited and honored -- just like I was
to finally meet the author at the AME Book Fest in July. When I was there, I
bought another copy of her book Understanding
Cemetery Symbols and arranged for my gorgeous signed print copy
of 100
Things to be sent when it was hot off the presses. There were no
strings attached, and my bonus review, shared via Lone Star Book Blog Tours, is
my honest opinion -- the only kind I give.
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| Planning my staycation while on vacation! |
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| Meeting Tui at AME Book Fest |
