Plano Moms Founder Abbie Alter Releases City Bucket List Guide

Abbie Alter arrived in Plano in 2013 with her husband, two young children, and, as she puts it, "a very long list of questions, but no friends or locals to ask." That experience of navigating an unfamiliar city eventually produced Plano Moms, a widely read community resource, and now a published guidebook: "100 Things to Do in Plano Before You Die," released through Reedy Press at $19.95.

The 160-page softcover, ISBN 9781681066318, organizes the city across five categories: Food and Drink, Music and Entertainment, Shopping and Fashion, Museums and Culture, and Recreation and Sport. Entries range from swimming at the historic Texas Pool, shaped like the Lone Star itself, to exploring trails at Arbor Hills Nature Preserve, catching live music at Red Tail Pavilion, and stepping back in time at Heritage Farmstead Museum. Legacy West, Local Good Coffee Co., and festivals in the Downtown Plano Arts District also make appearances, alongside what Alter describes as hidden neighborhood gems that tend to fly under the radar.

"Plano has this incredible range of things to explore — trails, museums, local restaurants, historic landmarks — but so much of it flies under the radar," Alter said. "The book felt like a natural way to help people slow down and actually see the city they live in, whether they moved here last year or have been here for decades."

Bibliobar, the Downtown Plano bookshop, is featured as entry number 57 and also serves as a local pickup point for the book.

Alter's path to authorship runs directly through the founding of Plano Moms. Originally from London, England, she built the site out of necessity after relocating for her husband's job. "Plano Moms grew out of that and has since become something I'm really proud of — connecting thousands of local families to events, businesses and hidden gems across the city," she said. Reedy Press, which publishes the book as part of its broader "100 Things to Do" series that includes titles on Baltimore and Delaware, describes Alter as someone who "has raised her kids here, exploring everything the city has to offer, and regularly connects her community online with trusted resources and local experiences."

Early reader Tanner Hobbs offered a pointed endorsement: "You can flip through any page and instantly have an idea for the day."

The Plano Chamber of Commerce has partnered with Alter on a reception honoring the restaurants, retailers, cultural institutions, entertainment venues, recreational destinations, and historic sites featured across the book's five categories. The event is set to include networking, an author talk, a spotlight on local gems, and a book signing. The Chamber describes the reception as open to the Plano business community and residents who value supporting local, though specific date, time, and venue details had not been released in available materials as of the Plano Star Courier's March 9 profile of Alter.

The Plano Star Courier profile, reported by Jack Hintze of Star Local Media, can be reached for additional context at jhintze@starlocalmedia.com.