BUCKET LIST TRAVEL

China is full of extraordinary wonders, one being the creation of chopsticks. Thanks to the Chinese, other Asian countries enjoy eating their food with chopsticks. Chopsticks became 2 sticks of the same length in the Shang Dynasty 16th-11th century BC. Chopsticks are held with the dominant hand between thumb and fingers. The Chinese discovered centuries ago that using two sticks was better for reaching into pots full of hot water.  CHINA,   People's Republic of China is considered an ancient civilization. It was established in 221 BC. The Chinese calendar is the oldest in the world. With a population of 1.386 billion, China is the most populated country in the world. The Chinese language consists of 40,000 characters. China has many wonders to see from the Forbidden City in Beijing to the Great Wall to the highest mountain in the world called Mount Everest which stands at 29,000 feet.  FORBIDDEN CITY; is a palace complex in central Beijing. I...

Stress Be Gone....it;s "Summer Time" and this is the time to take advantage of some lazy summer days where the days are warm and long, the ice cream cones taste so good and the beach is the place to be night and day. Brighten your summer days in the northwest corner of Michigan and enjoy the SLEEPING BEAR DUNES NATIONAL LAKESHORE! Water, Water, Water, Everywhere....no salt or sharks either. Made in Traverse City, MI                                          Great Lakes Potato Chips are the very best.                                 M I C H I G A N      Even though I was born in Detroit, Michigan and raised in the suburb of Dearborn, I couldn't wait to leave the state. All good things seemed to happen in other states for me like California, New York, and Vermont. ...

Bright, red, plump strawberries are filled with antioxidants and vitamins and they taste terrific.Yearning for some strawberries? Strawberries are loved throughout the world and these magical berries can be used in everything from cake to ice cream to smoothies. Picking strawberries is something to add to your bucket list this summer. Find a strawberry farm near your home and start picking strawberries for a fun filled strawberry summer! Today I took a drive through the verdant countryside passing by farm after farm and was I ever excited when I spotted a few strawberry farms. One strawberry farm in particular won my heart with its market full of treats; chocolate covered strawberries, strawberry donuts and strawberry pies, strawberry shortcake, strawberry ice cream, strawberry jam and strawberry beer. What delightful choices.It inspired me to sit in several strawberry patches and pick "strawberries, strawberries, and more strawberries. What a farm! Loved the strawberry fi...

                                                                              AUSTRIA www.austria.info/us Everyone has a favorite place on this earth, for me that place is AUSTRIA.  I wish I could be in AUSTRIA this very minute listening to the sounds of cow bells, cuckoo birds, and goats yodeling in the verdant Alps. As I approach yet another birthday tomorrow I've made it a point to keep studying German and purchase a one way airline ticket to Vienna so that I can be back in my beloved Austria.                                                 A Viennese confection since 1898 Austria is a small country but inside this alpine country i...

The trip to Odense was a long one; jet lag, time change, a crowded train, and missed meals.  At 16:00 on a Saturday the fairy-tale began. My friend and I arrived at the Odense train station from Malmo, Sweden with our luggage and no room reservations. Thank goodness for WI FI. We sat in a cafe at the train station with a cup of cappuccino and checked the lodging options on our phones. One hotel espeically caught our eyes, the quaint"Hotel Windsor" just a short walk from the train station. A Danish couple guided us to the"Hotel Windsor."We got a comfortable room overlooking a quiet street. While my friend Frank was taking a short nap I went downstairs to the cozy dining room and enjoyed the complimentary snacks of carrots, celery, coconut cake and authentic danish pastries (wienerbrod). After a long journey it felt so wonderful to be in a friendly hotel that felt like a home away from home. We were in the land of Hans Christian Andersen. For i...

                                                        Reindeer in Oymyakon My mother who has Alzheimer's keeps asking why the northern Michigan city she lives in won't close down for the winter. "It's like Siberia" she often says. Well she's not completely accurate although this evening I went cross country skiing for only 20 minutes and when I returned to my tiny studio condo it took me almost an hour to de-thaw from the freezing temperatures oudoors. My mother and I have nothing to complain about especially when the 500 residents of the coldest place on earth deal with frigid temperatures. Where's this coldest place on earth where temperatures dip to an unbelievable -57 degrees? It's  OYMYAKON, SIBERIA. January in certain parts of the world is a cold month but nothing beats the January temperatures of Oymyakon. With my fingers thaw...

I've been enchanted with Sweden for many years so my dream came true when earlier this month I spent a few days in beautiful southern Sweden. My journey through Scandinavia was one of much sightseeing and walking.  I rarely gave myself time to take a breather until I checked into an Airbnb in Malmo. The small and charming Swedish cottage that I rented was the perfect place for a mini spa getaway. Inside the cottage was an equipped kitchen to prepare simple healthy meals, candles for burning since the days were so short in mid November and a traditional Swedish sauna next to the bathroom. A short walk away was  Ribersborgs Kallbadhus, Malmo's best spa located on the sea.  I admire the Scandinavians love for the sauna and wish more countries around the world knew just how beneficial a hot sauna is.  Exposure to dry heat in the controlled environment of a sauna for a limited period of time 1) increases circulation 2) reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease 3) hel...