Dream Destinations A to Z

Okay travel blogging A to Z fans, here's a list of "dream destinations." 

Will this alphabet of locations be around long enough for most of us to visit? Have you had the chance to visit any of these places? 

Which of these would you most wish to visit (assuming unlimited funds, time, and health)? 

• A is for — Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (the northernmost national park in the United States, situated entirely north of the Arctic Circle).
• B is for — Bangkok, Thailand, a blend of tradition and modernity.
• C is for — The Ajanta Caves are 30 rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating from the second century BCE, in India.
• D is for — The Dead Sea, bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and Palestine to the west, is the lowest point on Earth.
• E is for — Everglades, Florida, in the United States, can be beautiful and dangerous. It is mostly six feet above sea level.
• F is for — Franz Josef Glacier is one of New Zealand's most famous and accessible glaciers. The nearby town of Franz Josef provides accommodation and booking services for various tours.
• G is for — Great Barrier Reef, Australia’s cornerstone of global biodiversity and ocean health. 90 percent is now very vulnerable to starvation and disease, and the potential death of the reef.
• H is for — Roatán is the largest of the Bay Islands of Honduras, and is known for world-class snorkeling and scuba diving.
• I is for — The Solomon Islands are a collection of islands about 2,000 miles from Australia in the South Pacific. They are barely above sea level.
• J is for — Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, Iceland, where one can see icebergs on Diamond Beach, go glacier hiking, and spot wildlife year-round.
• K is for — Komodo Island has unique ecosystems and is most famous for its Komodo dragons.
• L is for Long Island, minutes from Manhattan, NYC, in the United States, which features beaches and historic lighthouses.
• M is for — The Maldives, in the Indian Ocean, is over 1,000 coral islands, most barely above sea level.
• N is for — Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, the world's oldest hotel, operating since 705AD, in Japan.
• O is for — Osaka, Japan, has a castle, theme park, architecture, nightlife, street food, cherry-blossom trees, and an ancient shrine.
• P is for — The Patagonian Ice Field, located between Chile and Argentina, offers activities such as ice hiking, trekking, and boat tours to view the glaciers.
• Q is for — Magdalen Islands in Quebec, Canada, which feature stunning landscapes, hiking, kayaking, kitesurfing, museums, and beaches.
• R is for — Amazon Rainforest in Brazil, especially the "arc of destruction," a region surrounding the Shingu territory.
• S is for — Shanghai, on China’s central coast. See The Bund, Yu Garden, Oriental Pearl Tower, museums, shopping, and more.
• T is for — Tuvalu, a remote island nation in the Pacific Ocean.
• U is for — United States, Glacier National Park, Montana. Current melting rates suggest tourists have less than five years to visit before it's gone forever!
• V is for — Venice, with a maze of canals and stunning Renaissance architecture.
• W is for — The Great Wall of China is one of the most famous man-made structures in the world.
• X is for — Xcaret is a popular eco-archaeological park in Mexico. Visitors can swim in rivers, explore caves, and experience the nightly cultural show.
• Y is for — Yellowstone is one of the few dozen volcanoes on Earth capable of "supereruptions". Yellowstone National Park in the United States is 2.2 million acres (89,030,841,293 square meters).
• Z is for Zimbabwe, located in Africa, which features Victoria Falls and Mana Pools National Park.

(I did struggle with "U." I considered Ukraine for the historic cities and beautiful landscapes. Given the current political situation, the country may also vanish in under five years. 😔)

Any places you feel are unworthy of this list? Any you wish were added? 

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Who wants to play a game with the #AtoZChallenge folks!?

Who wants to play a game with the #AtoZChallenge folks!?

As the weather gets colder here in the United States, we turn to more indoor activities. My favorite indoor activity is gaming. Board games, card games, roleplaying games... let's do it!

In my opinion, the best way to find new games is to go to gaming conventions. I've been to GenCon (Indiana), Origins (Ohio), MEPACON (Pennsylvania), and ConnectiCon (Connecticut). BoardGameGeek has a whole list of worldwide conventions! You should check out your local convention or travel to one of the major ones. They can be a lot of fun!

Tell us what your favorite indoor activity is AND your favorite gaming convention!

 

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A to Z of Condiments

September is a month-long observance dedicated to the world of condiments.

Condiments are used to add flavor to food. It's a supplement, meant to enhance the food, and is typically served on the side or added on top, rather than being a core part of the dish's construction. A condiment is meant to be an accompaniment, rather than eaten alone. They can be wet or dry, sauces, spreads, pastes, powders, or even herbs.

This is just an alphabetical list of examples. How many have you experienced?

• A is for — Achaar is a popular condiment made from fruits or vegetables fermented in oil and spices, with regional variations in ingredients and spices. (As seen in Deli Boys.)
• B is for — Barbecue sauce (If you want to spark a debate among grill masters, just mention this stuff!)
• C is for — Los Calientes (as seen on Hot Ones from - Heatonist)
• D is for — Dijon (mustard made with brown or black mustard seeds and white wine or verjuice)
• E is for — Encurtido (used as a condiment for tacos and pupusas)
• F is for — Furu or fermented bean curd ( A traditional condiment made from soybeans. "Chinese cheese," is fermented tofu.)
• G is for — Gravy (Gravy is a savoury sauce traditionally made from the juices left in the pan after roasting, usually thickened with flour, butter, and/or cornstarch. It is typically high in saturated fat, sodium, and refined carbohydrates -- yet it has an informal definition of "something pleasing, especially money or success, that is unearned or unexpected." )
• H is for — Honey (A debate rages on as to whether honey 🍯 is ethical, if beekeepers help bees or steal from them. 🐝)

• I is for — Ishiri (Traditional fish sauce originating from Noto in Ishikawa Prefecure, Japan. On the western part of Noto, the sauce is made with Japanese sardines (iwashi), and on the eastern part it’s made with squid liver. )
• J is for — Jam (A condiment because it is a sweet, spreadable fruit product, typically made from cooked fruit and sugar, that is added to other foods to enhance their flavor and texture, such as on toast, biscuits, or sandwiches.)
• K is for — Ketchup (In 1834, it was sold as a cure for indigestion by an Ohio physician named John Cook.)
• L is for — Leskovački domaći ajvar (A traditional condiment originating from the Leskovac area of Serbia.)
• M is for — Mayonnaise tops the list as America's favorite condiment. (Do you prefer Miracle Whip, Duke's, Kraft, Hellman's, or other?)
• N is for — Nutmeg

My novelette has a scene where the condiment nutmeg is described.

• O is for — Orgeat (French-style almond syrup that is best known for its use in tropical cocktails. It is made with ground blanched almonds, water, and sugar, and various flavorings.)
• P is for — Pickapeppa Sauce (Also known as Jamaican ketchup, is a brand-name Jamaican condiment.)
• Q is for — Quince paste (Originated in Spain and is widely used in Spanish and Portuguese cuisines. A French Imported confit for cheeses.)
• R is for — Relish (a pickle-based condiment)
• S is for — Salt (Used since ancient times, both as a preservative and to enhance the flavour of food. It is considered the first condiment.)
• T is for — Tahini (Middle Eastern condiment made from sesame)
• U is for — Ume plum vinegar (Beneficial organic acids from pickling ume plums infused with red shiso leaves Perilla frutescens. Made in Japan.)
• V is for — Vinegar (a sour liquid used as a condiment or a preservative that is obtained by acetic fermentation of dilute alcoholic liquids or of dilute distilled alcohol)
• W is for — Worcestershire sauce (A pungent, savory sauce made from anchovies that have been fermented in vinegar, with the addition of flavorings such as garlic, chili, salt, sugar, and onions. The sauce was invented in Worcester by chemists John Wheeley Lea and William Perrins.)
• X is for — XO sauce (An all purpose gourmet condiment made from the finest ingredients such as dried scallops, dried shrimp, red chill pepper and spices.)

• Y is for — Yellow mustard (A popular, mild, American-style condiment made from finely ground yellow mustard seeds, water, vinegar, salt, and spices, most notably turmeric, which gives it its signature bright yellow color and tang.)
• Z is for — Zacuscă (Vegetable spread with eggplants )

Hopefully you've enjoyed this list. Consider making one of your own! Perhaps it will inspire your April A to Z 2026. 
May all of your dishes be flavorful. 

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August is Back to School Month! #AtoZChallenge

August is Back to School Month!

All over the United States, students are going back to school! There are, of course, schools that already went back in July, there are schools that won't go back until September, and there are schools that are year-round! 

It's a special kind of feeling when the back-to-school sales start. Sometimes, it feels like they've started even before school is out for the Summer! And now, some stores are already set up for Halloween! The sales can be hard to skip. It's very tempting when notebooks and pens are on sale!

Are you excited that the kids are heading back to school? Or maybe sad? How are you feeling about this time of year? 

Don't have kids? Aren't a teacher? How did you feel when you were in school?

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August is Officially Happiness Happens Month

What does this mean?

It’s a time to focus on the things that make us happy, appreciate the things that bring us joy, and experience happiness in the small things every day. #HappinessHappensMonth

Be as happy as you possibly can.

The Stoics of Ancient Greece found that happiness depends on the quality of your thoughts. Yes: only happy thoughts here!

Some people believe that you can only be happy once you’ve achieved everything you’ve ever wanted and that you can’t be happy if you have problems in your life. That’s faulty thinking. Happiness is a choice. Happiness is a life-long pursuit. You can find happiness in the darkest of places and times.

You can learn how to be happy if you’re not a naturally happy person. Take time in the day to journal (write down your thoughts and feelings, or draw, whatever helps you to communicate with yourself), or to meditate, to find that inner peace and figure out what makes you happy and what keeps you from feeling joy.

Block Print by Anne E.G. Nydam

For me, joy is waking up before my alarm goes off because one of my Rottweilers couldn’t wait one more moment to spend time with me and woke me by pressing their nose against mine. (Could be argued that they thought I’d stopped breathing and was checking for signs of life, but I prefer the idea of the good morning kiss.) You can see my beautiful furbabies on Instagram.

What brings you joy?

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Take Your Poet to Work Day!

So July's second post was going to be about something else.

But then I found out that Take Your Poet to Work Day, celebrated on the 3rd Wednesday every July, falls on July 16th in 2025!

I couldn't pass this up.

This is also why I am putting up this post one day early: so that you have time to prepare!

This one goes our to all the POETRY people in the A to Z Challenge - and everyone who follows and reads their work :)

If you don't know what Take Your Poet to Work Day is, now you will. It is exactly what it sounds like: people print and cut out pictures of their favorite poets, and take them to work on this day. It started in 2013, and now it has a whole big online following. People take all kinds of favorite poets to work to show them off. There is even a hashtag: #poettowork

It is a simple and fun thing to do, and a great conversation starter about literature and poetry!

So, which poet are you taking to work tomorrow?

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Happy Family Reunion Month!

       This month I'll be joining millions of you as we have various family reunions and gatherings with friends.   July can be a nostalgic time (as well as very hot!)  My family's gatherings will include our annual July 4th reunion with members of my wife's family as well as family gatherings from my side with my kids' families in New Jersey and a visit to my sibs in Tennessee (and maybe a drop-in on an old friend or two). 

 

       Many of you probably have similar things going on.  It's a wonderful topic to blog about.  Sharing pictures, travel stories and tips, genealogy ideas, food adventures, and so much more!  So much content for a blogger that it can provide a wealth of inspiration.

        What are you going to be doing this summer?  Do you have any family reunions in the future?  Do you like to blog about your personal life?

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June is Officially Audiobook Appreciation Month

Why I love audiobooks:

• ·         You can listen to them while you’re exercising, cooking, cleaning, driving, doing admin.

Why I’m not fond of audiobooks:

• ·         I have ADHD and sometimes I lose track of the story as my mind wanders and I’m lost until I figure out what’s going on (or I’ll have to skip back… never fun).

Why I love audiobooks:

• ·         It makes stories accessible to people who can’t read (dyslexic, blind, arthritis making it hard to hold physical books, etc.).

Why I’m not fond of audiobooks:

• ·         The characters never sound the way I imagined them – you know, with my voice that I hear in my head.

LOL. The benefits far outweigh my concerns regarding audiobooks.

As an author I know it’s expensive to have audiobooks made (you need a whole production team: narrator, producer, editor, etc.) but I also know that it is a market segment that is underserved. Which is why I have no issue with digitally narrated audiobooks, and even partnered with Apple to get all my books digitally narrated. I also narrate my own audiobooks, though it’s a slow process to get from manuscript to finished audiobook.

You can see all of my audiobooks here.

Why not take a chance this month and try out an audiobook? You can get them from your library, various subscription services like Spotify, you can buy them from online retailers (and sometimes directly from the author), and there are even authors posting their audiobooks for free on YouTube.

Go and immerse yourself in a fantastical world.

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