I'm recently retired, and I've often joked that if I ever got bored, it might be fun to pick up a…read morepart-time job at Trader Joe's or see what life is like inside one of Amazon's massive fulfillment centers. Part of it is curiosity. These places are such a huge part of modern life that it's hard not to wonder what goes on behind the scenes. Now, full disclosure: I have plenty of reservations about Amazon. I worry about the environmental impact, the culture of endless impulse buying, and the sheer amount of over-consumption and waste that comes with next-day delivery. And despite all that, I continue to order from Amazon far more often than I'd like to admit. So yes, there is a healthy dose of hypocrisy in this review. (Side note, I saw an exorbitant amount of canned energy drinks being packed up, what gives? ) As for Jeff Bezos, I'll maybe save my broader thoughts on billionaires, philanthropy, and space adventures for another day. This review is really about the tour... The first thing to understand is that this is an absolute public relations home run for Amazon. Ever since Lucy and Ethel stepped into that candy factory, people have been fascinated by seeing how things are made and how giant operations work behind the curtain. Amazon knows this, and they do a great job satisfying that curiosity. The tour itself is free, easy to book, and surprisingly well organized. You select a time slot in advance and are given clear instructions. RULES: No phones, no handbags, closed-toe shoes are required, and long hair must be tied back. There is a fair bit of walking and some stairs, so noted. Our guide, Kiera, was outstanding. If Amazon has a hall of fame for tour guides, she deserves a plaque. She was energetic, knowledgeable, engaging, and handled questions with ease. She struck that perfect balance between being informative and entertaining without sounding overly scripted. If the goal was to leave visitors with a positive impression of the company, she was the right person for the job. There is a bit of "working here is great, maybe think about it" sprinkled into her presentation, but not overtly obvious. Photography isn't allowed, which makes sense given employee privacy and operational security, so you'll have to rely on your own memories rather than Instagram. What surprised me most was just how fascinating the operation is. The scale is hard to appreciate until you're standing in the middle of it. The choreography between people, technology, conveyor systems, and robotics is impressive. It feels like a glimpse into a "Terminator" future, even knowing that future will likely involve even more automation. (read: less jobs for actual humans, and more profits for Billionaires) Was it a little bit of corporate Kool-Aid? Of course. But honestly, I didn't mind too much (you get what you pay for - am I right?) . It was interesting, well run, and gave me a look inside a world that most of us interact with almost every day but rarely get to see. I enjoyed it far more than I expected, and I already know I'll be bringing out-of-town guests back for the tour. If you're curious about how that box magically appears on your doorstep a day later, it's worth the visit. And guess what? - I now have absolutely zero itch to work there, I've seen it.

What a hidden treasure in Grapevine! We had heard of this place but hadn't visited it. It's about…read more2-3 blocks from Grapevines Main street. The farm is 10 acres, there is a barn/farm equipment/small general store/sheep, chickens, turkeys/original house built in 1869 you can tour. The docents the day we were there were dressed in pioneer clothes and were so friendly and informative telling us about the Nash family and the history of the farmstead and about the animals. They have lots of events from the looks of it. I highly recommend a stop here if your in Grapevine.

My granddaughter said she wanted to go to a farm and she wanted to see a real farmer. My daughter…read morewent searching on the internet and came across Nash Farm and off we went. Our first impression was wow! The present neighborhood built around a farm that's been in Grapevine since the 1850's. And the farmer was there tending to the garden when we arrived. The house was open for unguided tours of the upstairs and downstairs. After touring the house we met the farmer. My granddaughter got a chance to talk to the farmer and go with him to pet the sheep. We also went to the Farm store on the property and my daughter bought chicken feed. My granddaughter fed the chickens and that was adorable to catch on video. If you're a history buff or if you enjoy museums Nashville Farm is definitely worth a visit. They accept donations but admission is free.

How to describe Food Walks of Texas? Fun! I was skeptical at first but, given as a birthday gift, I…read morerolled with it. Three of us met Tall Paul, the owner and tour guide on the square in McKinney Texas. When thinking about starting the business,he and his wife attended a school in Chicago on the subject. Evidently, Chicago is known for food tours. Basically, over a 5 hour period(it was supposed to be 31/2) Paul walked us around old downtown McKinney enlightening us on the history of this lovely North Texas Town and stopping in for small bites and drinks. Our first stop at 11 am on Sunday was an Irish pub! I have to think back a long time to remember when I may have been drinking beer at 11 am on Sunday! I bet 100 years ago people of McKinney would have been up in arms over beer drinking any time on Sunday, especially before church! This is the type of thing that Food Walk and Paul made fun to think about. Our tour wrapped up at a great place with oysters and some lovely mixology drinks. I think if you are open-minded and can roll with it, this may be something different that would expand your horizons. I say, Go!!!

Tall Paul was our guide and did a phenomenal tour. The restaurants, bars, eateries he took us to…read morewere well chosen. It's been over a year since our tour and I'm STILL thinking about those raw oysters with the complementary craft cocktail. Chef's kiss

If you live near Waxahachie or find yourself in the area, I highly recommend going on a Waxahachie…read morehaunted history tour. Our tour guide Doug was amazing!! He personally researches every piece of information for the tour, he doesn't just go by hearsay. I loved the local history and folklore. Doug is a native and you can tell how proud he is of his town. The tour was two hours but it went by so fast- I was so wrapped up in listening to Doug speak. There is a lot of walking (hence walking tour being in the title) but we stopped every block or so- we never went a far distance without some story or fact being told. Tours are year round and on Saturday nights only. If his website doesn't have your date listed, you can email him- he might be able to accommodate. I think this is a tour a whole family would enjoy! If you book a tour, I recommend getting to Waxahachie early and making a day of it. There are so many great shops in the square as well as great restaurants!

What a great tour! Interesting history which spans generations, odd occurrences, and local lore…read more Both an excellent guide and thorough researcher, Doug comes with knowledge, photos, and a chance to interact with spirits. Highly recommend this experience to all!

You can't get more local than this unless you got your own hives! Thick, gorgeous, raw honey from a…read morelocal apiary. Bought this for a friend who was looking for local honey.

I contacted this business on a Sunday and I was so glad they replied to my message on google ! They…read morewere like if you order you can pick up today, within 30mins I get my order I got two lip balms chai tea - my fav and cotton candy ! I wanted to get monkey farts but my kids were like ewww , I asked the owner she said the flavor is like bananas and strawberries all tropical! I should've ordered it! Next time I refill my honey I will! Honey is not expensive ans it's local for allergy season! I take it every morning and it helps when your consistent. So I got the honey! They also sell honey balm for pets with dry paws and noses , balms for us and more options! I'm excited to keep buying this honey it's delicious! I'll be taking a tour soon, you order and pick up on porch once your order is ready you get a text! Yay!

We found Discover Kayak and Steve through a search in our local area for basic kayak instruction…read morefor our Girl Scouts to accomplish their paddling badge. First, working with Steve was so easy and relaxed! As you can imagine, coordinating a kayak trip with Texas weather and multiple involved Girl Scouts posed a bit of a logistical nightmare but Steve was understanding all along the way! He was understanding when we dropped a few girls and added one back on and when weather canceled us the first few times he was very clear and quick with the communication. Second, Steve was incredibly informative and patient with our Girl Scouts. This was a group of girls ages 11-15 but most of our group fell into the 11-12 year old range. He kept the girls on task and made sure they were watching at the important parts without coming across as too tough. The girls LOVED the experience and I highly recommend Steve and Discover Kayak to Girl Scouts and new kayakers alike. Thanks again Steve!

I found Steve 3 years ago and gave him a try. It was "top-knotch". He had every skill level in our…read moreclass and handled everyone with ease. Last weekend I entrusted him to teach two dear friends who ARE NOT great swimmers. One had had a hip replacement. He was so patient and accommodating. He eased their fears, taught them and they already are begging to go back out. Thank you, Steve, for helping me introduce my friends to the world of kayaking. We are planning another small group for next month already.

This service was so convenient in getting around. And it's on time almost to the tee. I was the…read moreonly passenger on, and the driver was making good time, so he took me directly to downtown. He proceeded to tell me all about things to check out, to include where to get samples. On the way back, a different driver was again on time. He brought comedy to the drive and asked if we would need to be picked up later. If you are staying in the hotel area and want to save money on an uber/lyft to check out the town, this is definitely a convenient way.

"Every day I get in the queue To get on the bus that takes…read moreme to you I'm so nervous, I just sit and smile You house is only another mile" (Pete Townsend) We jumped on the Grapevine Shuttle at their Bass Pro Shops stop, and in a few short minutes were in downtown Grapevine for a few hours of shopping and lunch. The shuttle runs from 10 am to 8 pm from Thursday - Saturday and from 11 am to 7 pm on Sunday and makes six regular stops plus a few by request only every hour. As we approached downtown Grapevine, our driver carefully pointed out all of the various bus stops where he'd stop for us. He was right on time when we decided it was time to head back to the hotel. The bus was comfortable, and our driver was a real pro.

This was a phenomenal tour! I was fortunate to have Preston, a Dallas Native and Historian as our…read moreguide. His thoroughness and attention to detail is commendable! He reached out via text prior to start of the tour to provide important information and just say hello and introduce himself. Photo included! He was a great driver and very patient with participants. It was unseasonably hot that day and he kept checking to make sure everyone was doing OK. Even assisting the ladies(myself included) into and out of the van. I love that it was a small group. Makes it more personal. We went to all the major sites in just over three hours. Cost is very reasonable($62.99) and I booked through Viator who also does a great job! This tour is HIGHLY recommended!

What an incredible afternoon with brilliant Tour guide Preston. He is a Historian and expert on the…read moreJFK assassination. My family and myself took the full 3 1/4 hour tour, TAKE IT! You'll learn more about what happened that infamous day through Preston's fun, enlightening and educational interpretation. A1 all the way. Highly recommendeded!

One of the best Segway tours I've ever had! Tim was an incredible guide--friendly, knowledgeable,…read moreand genuinely fun to be around. When I showed up and found the place closed, I called to check, and Tim kindly agreed to give me a tour even though I was the only guest. He made sure I felt comfortable throughout and kept the experience engaging with local history and stories. We cruised around the Trinity Garden, which ended up being one of my favorite parts. On top of that, he shared fantastic restaurant recommendations. It felt more like exploring the city with a friend than a formal tour. Huge thanks to Tim for making it such a memorable experience. I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone looking for something unique and enjoyable!

One of the coolest things to do in Fort Worth Texas. We planned the Segway tour a couple of weeks…read morein advance. This was my first time trying the segways. It's actually so easy to learn. I spent about 10 mins trying all the different things our tour guide asked me to practice. I pickled it up very easily. Everyone did so as well. Anyone can ride segways. I wish we had more segways all over the country. Tour started off in the downtown Fort Worth area. We stopped at many historic destinations along the way. Tour guide was very funny and very knowledgeable. My favorite part was by the riverside. Absolutely gorgeous weather to ride Segways and made our trip even more memorable with lots of great pics. Our tour guide took some incredible pics of us. Highly recommend this experience if you're trying to do something cool and fun.

There are so many restaurants in the Sundance Square district of Fort Worth, that it's hard to…read morechoose where to eat. This tour takes you to 7 different places, each with different cuisines, so that you can get a great selection of what the area has to offer. Generous portions at each stop will leave you more than full, when you are finished. It's a walking tour, but all of the places are very close to each other. Billy Ray will entertain you between stops with funny and interesting stories of Fort Worth. We had a blast and highly recommend this tour.

From the owner: Taste Fort Worth Food Tour, a 2 1/2 hour walking tour around downtown Fort Worth, is an epicurean…read moreexperience from southern to Mediterranean cuisine with rich flavors of mosaic cultures and traditions. You'll also savor the flavors from Mexico City authentic recipes to Texas ranch land cuisine steeped in history. Taste of Fort Worth Food Tour offers diners a walking tour of five local restaurants and two treat shops at the end of the tour, in the 13th largest city in the United States. From trendy hot spots to local flavor, your taste buds will travel from southern staples to a Mediterranean experience. Join us on a casual stroll around the vibrant history-rich Sundance Square where you are treated with a delicious food experience and southern hospitality.