Book Review: GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIPS - SCENIC DRIVES by Reader's Digest

 This is beautiful book - both in pictures and prose. Scroll down for my complete review.

GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIPS - SCENIC DRIVES

Compiled & Published by: Reader's Digest

Publication Date: 2/2/21

ISBN: 978-1621455240

Description from Publisher: 

Let the natural beauty of America’s most scenic drives inspire the travel bug within you and get you exploring the wide-open spaces and breathtaking vistas in our country. Absorb the best America has to offer from the slow lane! This collection of scenic drives, broken out by region, features breathtaking road trips, both long and short. Highlighted by over 140 gorgeous photos, each trip also includes helpful info to help you plan your trip. Inspirational  photos showcase why these well known drives are worth the drive. Many of the drives are described in the first person by people who have made the trip, taken the photos and visited the cool places along the way.

My Review:

If you're looking to plot your next trip or if you're needing a gift for the adventure seekers in your life - this is the book for you!

GREAT AMERICAN ROAD TRIPS - SCENIC DRIVES offers up amazing photos and fascinating narratives from a variety of photographers and travel writers.

At first, I enjoyed scanning through the entire book, looking for destinations and scenic drives I was familiar with. Then, I started back at the beginning of the book and enjoyed reading the descriptions for each of the trips in the book. Much of the writing is colorful and engaging, but there are a few passages that are dryer and a bit boring to read. One of my favorite passages, written by Cathy and Gordon Illg, describes part of  Mount Evans Scenic Byway in Colorado: "At the edge of the timberline, the road passes through a grove of bristlecone pines. They are the oldest living things in the state. One of the patriarchs of the grove sprouted as the Roman Empire was falling into decline, and their gnarled branches seem to wave goodbye as you leave the trees behind" (page 24).

In addition to the first-hand accounts of the drives, the editors have also included interesting nuggets of information about the various drives, and they've sprinkled terrific quotes throughout the book, such as, "Another glorious day, the air as delicious to the lungs as nectar to the tongue -- John Muir" (page 55).

Whether you enjoy taking road trips or not, I highly recommend this book. It makes a great guide for adventurers, a great coffee table book, and a great book for waiting rooms at doctor's offices.

[I received an early copy from FSB Associates in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influenced my opinion.]

Creating a Box FULL of Sunshine!

Have you heard of a box full of sunshine? Well, it's a wonderful surprise to brighten someone's day.

I recently made one, and I documented the process to share with all of you! ;) It was certainly fun to do.

1: Start with a box, a plain old shoe box will do:

2: But ... you may need to get a bigger shoe box when you realize how much cute stuff you bought to go into the box:

3: Gather yellow papers and ribbons to decorate the box:

4: Print sunshine sayings on yellow paper:

5: Decorate the box, inside and out:

6: Attach sunshine sayings to the items going into the box - for example, I added a boa (because everyone needs a yellow feathered boa, right?) and I attached the saying, “Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine.” - Anthony J. D'Angelo:

7: On a bottle of pineapple soda, I attached the phrase: “Remember you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine.” - Snow White:

8: A bag of banana taffy - plenty to share with others:

9: A miniature yellow Frisbee and a couple of yellow Minion balloons, packaged inside a clear cello bag:

10: One of those awesome "punching balloons" (because punching is a great form of medicine--aka sunshine--all by itself):

11: A yellow harmonica and noise maker to go along with the quote about making music:

12: A Barrel of Monkeys to go with the quote, "Friends are the sunshine of life." - John Hay:

13: A back-scratcher with an extending handle to go with the phrase, "Some days, you just have to create your own sunshine." haha:

14: A squeezable smiley-face ball:

15: A lollipop:

16: A bag of mints with the quote, “There is no investment you can make which will pay you so well as the effort to scatter sunshine and good cheer through your establishment.” - Orison Swett Marden:

17: And then I tossed in my remaining sunshine quotes throughout the box:

I'd be thrilled to receive such a fun gift, wouldn't you?

Now ... keep in mind ... I went all out decorating and embellishing this box and its contents. You can certainly make a simpler version by purchasing a yellow Chinese take-out box and adding items without the embellishments. The concept is to give someone a happy gift to brighten their day.

You can also tailor it for the specific recipient. If they're ill, give them honey and lemon tea. If they're healthy eaters, give them bananas, golden delicious apples, and lemon Luna bars. There are so many fun options.

Type "box full of sunshine" into Google and check out the options! Most of all ... have fun creating it and more fun giving it. The recipient will be uplifted.

Have you ever received a box full of sunshine?