Los Angeles-An ABC List of Adventures

ABC EXPLORATION OF LOS ANGELES AND SURROUNDING AREAS

Use this list to spark ideas of places to visit, experiences to create and photographs to take.  Keep building your own word list.  Check back often to see if we complete a whole alphabet!

Missing  J, X, Y

A

  • Abalone Cove (San Pedro Area)
  • Abandoned LA Zoo (Griffith Park)
  • Accomodations
  • Afternoon Tea ( Millennium Biltmore DTLA)
  • Amoeba (Large independent record store)
  • Angels Flight Railway
  • Annenberg Space For Photography
  • Animal-Hipster restaurant with an extensive menu and unique dishes.
  • Aquarium (Manhattan Beach, Aquarium of the Pacific, Cabrillo Marine Aquarium)
  • Arclight Cinemas
  • Art Walk
  • Averill Park

B

  • Beach (Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach)
  • Betegga Louie-pizza and macarons are always popular at this busy restaurant.
  • Bergamot Station
  • Betty B Dearing Trail Hike
  • Blimp
  • Bluff Cove (Palo Verde area)
  • Boardwalk (Manhattan Beach, Santa Monica Beach)
  • Bob Baker’s Marionette Theater-oldest children’s theater company in LA.
  • Book Soup
  • Brennan’s Pub Turtle Race

C

  • Cabrillo Marine Aquarium
  • California Science Center
  • California sign
  • Capital Records Building
  • Cargo containers
  • Carousel
  • Castle Peak Hike
  • Cave of Munits
  • Chorizo
  • Chinese Theater
  • Chateau Marmont Hotel-Popular amongst celebrities. Loosely resembles the Chateau d’Amboise in France’s Loire Valley.
  • Coast
  • Cove
  • Crown Plaza (hotel)

D

  • Dodger Stadium/
  • Disney Hall
  • Disneyland
  • Downtown LA
  • Descanso Gardens
  • Donut Snob-With flavors like Blueberry Earl Gray Tea and Pistachio Orange, there is something for everyone.
  • Donut Man

E

  • Exposition Park Rose Garden
  • Exposition Park
  • El Capitan Theater
  • Eaton Canyon Waterfall
  • Echo Park Lake

F

  • Father’s Office Burger (at In and Out Burgers)-don’t dare to ask for ketchup!
  • Ferris Wheel
  • Fishermen
  • Food

G

  • Getty Villa
  • Griffith Observatory
  • Grand Central Market
  • Gibbon Conservation Center

H

  • Hollywood Blvd
  • Hollywood Walk of Fame
  • Hollywood Bowl
  • Hollywood Sign Hike
  • Hollywood Forever Cemetary
  • Huntington Library
  • Hike
  • Hermosa Beach

I

  • Inspiration Point
  • In and Out Burgers
  • Ice cream (Manhattan Beach Creamery)

J

K

L

  • Lakers Game
  • LA Lakers
  • LA Waterfront cruise (cargo ships, containers, Vincent Thomas Bridge, USS Iowa and sea lions)
  • LA Zoo
  • Los Angeles County Museum of Modern Art
  • Lost Sunken City-aka the “Atlantis of California”
  • Leo Carrillo State Beach
  • LA County Fair
  • Lighthouse (Point Vincent-Palo Verde area)
  • Lucha Vovoom Burlesque Show-
  • Lookout Point Park (Palo Verde area)

M

  • Muscle Beach (Venice boardwalk)
  • Magic Castle
  • Mugu State Park
  • Melrose Trading Post Flea Market-Sunday open-air market where you’ll find antiques, vintage goods and collectibles.
  • Museum of Jurassic Technology
  • Mulholland Drive
  • Madame Tussauds Hollywood
  • Manhattan Beach
  • Mahhattan Beach Creamery (Ice cream)-try the signature ice cream sandwich made with artisan cookies
  • Malaga Cove (Palo Verde area)

N

  • Nightlife
  • Night Gallery

O

  • Outdoor Concert

P

  • Pacific Ocean
  • Pier
  • Pelicans
  • Pelican Cove
  • Portuguese Point
  • Point Vincente Lighthouse-not open to the public but can be seen from the shore. (Palo Verde area)
  • Palo Verdes

Q

  • Queen Mary

R

  • Rodeo Dr.
  • Red Car Line (trolly system)
  • Runyon Canyon Hike
  • Rodeo Drive
  • Redondo Beach

S

  • Starfish
  • Sacred Cove
  • Santa Monica Camera Obscura-self guided walking art tour of galleries and exhibits.
  • Santa Monica Pier
  • Sea lions
  • Ships
  • Show Taping (Conan, Ellen Show, Jimmy Kimmel)
  • Shopping (The Grove, Rodeo Drive)
  • Silver Lake Meadow
  • Six Flags Magic Mountain
  • Space Shuttle Endeavor at California Science Center
  • South Coast Botanical Garden
  • The Strand (Manhattan Beach)- is a 22-mile paved path extending from Pacific Palisades (close to Santa Monica) to Torrance.  Keep in mind some people refer to The Stand as the “Manhattan Beach Boardwalk.”
  • Staples Center-where the LA Lakers play

T

  • Tide pools
  • Third Street Promenade
  • Traffic
  • Trolley cars (red car line)
  • “The Rainforest”-Betty B Dearing Trail Hike
  • The Last Bookstore-check out their amazing tunnel of books.
  • The Grove-Tons of stores, dining and pop-up shops.
  • The Grammy Museum
  • Traffic

U

  • Under
  • Union Station
  • Up
  • USS Iowa Battleship
  • Universal Studios Hollywood
  • Upright Citizens Brigade Theater

V

  • Venice Beach Boardwalk-outdoor skate park, BoHo boutiques and trendy restaurants
  • Venice Canals-Man made canals built in 1905 by developer Abbot Kinney.
  • Vincent Thomas Bridge
  • Vineland Drive-In Theater

W

  • White Point Beach
  • Walt Disney Concert Hall
  • Waterfront
  • Wayfarers Chapel
  • Wacko Soap Plant
  • Wildlife Learning Center
  • Watch the Room (Don’t forget your plastic spoons)
  • Watts Towers Arts-Public art sculpture that is a California Historical Landmark and National Historic Landmark.
  • Whisky a Go-go
  • Whale watching

X

Y

Z

  • Zuma Beach

“A” is for Arranging an ABC Adventure

The ABC Adventure is meant to encourage you to explore deeper and is intended to assist you with documenting your journey,  You are using your camera and language skills to document a story while adding some creativity to both.

An ABC Adventure is part personal guidebook, part word game, part photography challenge and part Scavenger Hunt.  It is all  fun.

“Rules” of the Game

  1. The first rule is that there really are no rules!  There are however a few missions.  The purpose of the ABC game is to live more deeply and to document the journey, but mostly to have fun along the way.
  2. The game is similar to a Scavenger Hunt.  It may be played by yourself, with a group, or in teams. You will take one photograph representing a word or phrase (that you choose) for each letter of the alphabet. You do not need to complete the alphabet in order. There is no time limit to the game (unless you choose to set one).
  3. Begin by choosing an anchoring theme for your game.   Put your anchoring theme at the top of the page.  This offers a little confinement to your mission.  ABC games are not limited to travel. Here are a few themes we have used:
  • Art in an Airport
  • Birthday Celebrations
  • Date Nights
  • Exploration By Country
  • Exploration By the City

You could also do an ABC food tour, an ABC cruise ship tour, an ABC art in the airport tour, your ABC Adventures are only as limited as your creativity.

  1. Write out the alphabet leaving blank space next to each letter.  Each letter will represent a single word or phrase. Once you assign the word or phrase, you will take a photo to represent it (or you can take a photo first and then assign it to a word). There are no limits to how creative your photography  or word choices may be.  In fact, the more creative, the more interesting the game becomes.

The choice of creating a guide before you begin a game is entirely up to you.   You can follow our process below, or jump straight to the Scavenger Hunt section.

 

Creating a Guide  (Wordplay and Personal Guide)

  1. The value in making a list is to see where you are going to be challenged.  Some letters are more difficult than others to represent.   Write out the alphabet leaving blank space next to each letter. We generally create our lists on the computer because the word list can become very long.  By having all the options, you can quickly see where an alternate word or phrase choice might exist.  Mostly the guide is a long series of questions.
  2. Where are you going?  What is the mission of this ABC Adventure? If you are doing a travel themed ABC Adventure, this may be continents, countries, states, cities, towns and/or villages.  If you are limiting your exploration to something like the cruise ship, then you might  write “C” for cruise or “I” for Island Princess (or whatever specific ship you are on).  If you were looking just for art in a museum then you might just record the name of the museum.  In our example below, My theme is ABC’s By State.  We knew we would be visiting several Hawaiian islands but I began with H-Hawaii then added K-Kauai since I knew we would be experiencing at least that much.  My list will eventually expand to include Maui and Oahu as part of an overall Hawaiian Adventure.
  3. Next ask yourself who is going to play the game/travel with you.  In our case, it will just be Alan and I, so I will add and “A”-Alan and “D”-Deb to my list.
  4. How will you get there? (example A-airplane, C-cruise, “R” Rental car etc).  Do you know of any other transportation you would like to experience? *Since much of Kauai  inaccessible by road, it is recommended to see from a sailboat “S” , “C” catamaran and/or “P” plane.  Do you already know if certain tours use a specific kind of transportation? You could use “K” for kayak.
  5. Next, begin to research tours or activities you might be interested in.  This is your “what will we do question”.  I often visit Trip Advisor or Pinterest to find fun things to do.  We knew we wanted to take a flight tour over Kauai so our abc list  began to look like this… A-airplane, F-flight tour  etc.  Always list multiple terms for each word, this is how you will eventually fill the entire alphabet with options.  Move from broad to specific.  You could also begin to get creative here…what about the letter “U” for Up (as in up in the air).  Each guide will be personal to your interests, activities and goals.
  6. Begin to fill in things you will likely see on the tour. For example,  as we researched the flight tour we knew we could use  “N” for Na Pali coast and “W” for Waimea Canyon. These were both included on the tour. As we read about  these places we noted that Waimea Canyon was also referred to as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific.  We cross referenced the list with a “G”.      We knew these areas would be “L” -lush.  Our words were beginning to get a little more descriptive.  We knew that we would be seeing “W”-waterfalls and “R” rainforests.  We noted that the Na Pali coast was undulating. We added these words.  Hint, words spark creativity of photos and vice versa.
  7. Stay open to discovering new things to explore.  As we researched our options, we also discovered many other things we might be interested in exploring such as “F” for Fern Grotto and  “R” for Riverboat cruise, if we had time.  My mind raced with the possibilities of how we could spend our time.  What restaurants are recommended?  What sites are top to see?  You likely won’t “do” everything on your list but writing down everything which interests you, means that you will have numerous options  when it comes time to actually going on your personal journey.  If it were raining, you might need to move an activity indoors, you will already know where to go.  This is the personal guide portion of the game.  Think of it as a travel guide.
  8.  Now imagine the culture.  What foods, games, dances, music, language etc do you want to discover.  Your abc list might begin to look like “H”-hula and  “U”-ukelele.  Is there a traditional dress which people wear?  For example, “A” Aloha Shirts.
  9. Begin to add other categories which interest you such as A-architecture, animals, B-boats, beaches C-churches etc.  Continue to move from broad to specific for example you could add A-animals but research showed that we would likely see C-chickens and W-whales on this trip, so they were also listed.
  10. Keep asking questions and adding to your lists.    What foods are eaten?  Example “M” Macadamia nuts, “S”-shave ice.  How do they taste or smell? Sweet, sour, pungent?  What time of year is it? What season are you in? What month is it? Is it dry, arid, wet or humid? Sunny or cloudy?  What do you hear? What colors could you add? What emotions are triggered?  Do you expect to stand in awe?
  11. *The more descriptive terminology you add, the more interesting your writing will become when it comes time to tell your story.  This may also give you some interesting ideas for photography.
  12. Keep building  your alphabet lists with creative exploration of language.  For example “C” could be coffee (which Kawaii is famous for) but perhaps you already have a “C”, you could also use “J” for Java.
  13. Add some colors to your list.  Kawaii is very “G”-green but dig deeper and add interesting words like  “V”-verdent.
  14. Did you know the “Y”-Yellow Hibiscus is the state flower?   Build, build, build on the ABC/word list before you begin playing the game.  The more time you spend here, the more options you have once you begin the game.

Scavenger Hunt

  1. Use your blank alphabet list.  The goal is to try to represent each letter of the alphabet with a word or phrase and a photo.  Hint: take more photos than you think you need.
  2. You are using your camera and language skills to document a story.  Add some creativity to both.  How do you document words like yellow?   Did you know that the  state flower of Hawaii is yellow? Since my theme is ABC’s By State (Hawaii), this would be a great way to document my “Y” for yellow.  This can often be a tough letter to find, so it will be high on my list to get this photo.  if I see the word pineapple, I might choose to photograph a pineapple plantation, a single pineapple growing, or a wonderful pina colada (or all of the above).  I might also try to experience the local pineapple french toast with coconut dressing, all would be wonderful ways to represent the word pineapple.

Detours-Sometimes you won’t have an idea for a letter.  This is your chance to become very observant.  Words and opportunities are everywhere.  Detours are what create the adventure, don’t be afraid of them.

  1. Did you see a sign which begins with your needed letter?  Detour.
  2. Could you find a quote which begins with your desired letter and fits the theme of your adventure?  Detour.
  3. Could you rearrange your photos/words to be able to use something somewhere else?  Detour.

Share Your Story

By the time you finish this game, you are sure to have had some grand adventures. It is likely that you took more photos than just those that you selected for the Scavenger Hunt.  It is likely that you imagined more words and phrases than you used (you did save your list didn’t you?).  I know that I will have tried to capture every single word on my list.  I will have let my creativity flow through my photography and word choices.  It is now time to use these to put the words and photos together because a photo without explanation is left to interpretation and words with no pictures means it never happened.  By the time you complete an ABC adventure, your photos and descriptive writing should represent who, what, where, when, why and how of the adventure you set out to enjoy.

We experience the world one letter at a time and discover our world one word at a time, but we write our legacy by one story at a time.

 

The Overall Kauai ABC List

Here is how our Kauai, Hawaii list eventually shaped up.  (Yours may look different based on personal interests/goals).

  • Allerton Gardens/Aloha shirts/ Aloha/Airplane/Alan/animals/Awe
  • Blow Hole (Spouting Horn)/Beaches/Botanical Gardens/blue
  • Chickens (thousands occupy the island)/coffee (see also java)/coconut/crater/chocolate/cruise
  • Deb
  • Eucalyptus trees (Tunnel of trees on way to Koloa Town and Poipu Beach)
  • Fern Grotto (lava cave overgrown with ferns-about 2 miles up the Wailua River-accessed by kayak or boat trip)/Flowers/Forbidden Island (Ni’Hau)/Flight
  • Grove Farm Sugar Plantation Museum/Grand Canyon of the Pacific (Waimea Canyon Park)/gardens/ green
  • Hanalei (shopping)/Hanalei Bay/Hanakapi’ai Beach/Hawaii/Helicopter tour (Island Helicopter Tours are the only one which land at a waterfall)/Hula Dancers (Sheraton Kauai Resort, Grand Hyatt Kaui and Kilohana Plantation estate)/humid
  • Island Plane Tour
  • January/Jurassic Park Falls/Java (see also coffee)
  • Kalaheo Coffee Co (breakfast/baked goods)/Kawaii/kayak/Kilohana plantation/Koke’e State Park/Kalalau Trail (first half mile)/Koa wooden bowls/Kauai coffee/Kilauea Point/Kilauea Lighthouse/Koa wooden bowls/Kipu Kai/Kalapaki Beach/Kalua (the act of cooking a pig in the ground for hours)/Kauai/Koloa Town
  • Lighthouse (Kilauea Lighthouse)/Luau/leis/Lanai/Larsen’s Beach/lava cave/lush
  • Mountain tube/monk seals/Moreton Bay fig trees/McBride Gardens/Mount Waialeale-(wettest spot on earth)/Mahaulepu Beach (monk seals/beauty/hiking)/Macadamia nuts/ Moloa’a Beach/music/ Mountains/mango/mai tai
  • Na Pali Coast/Na ‘Aina Kai Botanical Gardens)/Ni’Hau (Forbidden Island)
  • O
  • Pineapple/Pineapple French toast with coconut dressing (at the Kalaheo Coffee Co)/Passionfruit/Pupu Platter (cross between tapas and bar food)/Poipu Beach (Tunnel of trees and spouting Horn)/Pu’u O Kila Lookout (Kokee’e Park)/pottery/passionfruit/Polihale Beach/palm trees
  • Queen’s Bath (Kalapana)/Poke (Hawaiian sushi)
  • Rainforests/Red Dirt Falls (Grand Canyon of the Pacific-located in Waimea Canyon Park)
  • Shave ice/Spouting Horn/Shop/surfing/seashells/Shipwreck Beach/Smith Family Luau/Sticky rice pudding/Spouting Horn (blow hole)/sunset
  • Tunnel of Trees (see also Euclyptus trees)/Tidepools
  • Ukulele/Undulate
  • Vintage train (Kilohana plantation)/volcano/verdent
  • Waterfalls-Wailua Falls& river/Waimea Canyon/Wailua River/Wai’oli Hui’ia Church (Hanalei)/Whale watching (winter only when Pacific humpbacks migrate to mate and give birth), wasabi mustard, wooden bowls/ Wai-ale-ale Crater/wet/winter
  • X
  • Y yellow
  • Zen/Zipline (Skyline Hawaii)

 

The words above words also give me an opportunity to expand my language as I write the descriptions and stories of each experience.   How interesting does a story about cooking a pig in an underground oven (Kalue) become when I use local terminology and/or language?  How much more authentic does the experience become when local culture is infused into the adventure?

The ABC’s give us structure but this is your adventure to design in any way which you choose.  Enjoy the journey!

 

“P” is For Pacific Island Tour-ABC World Travel

“P” is for our “Pacific Island Adventure.

Our bags are packed!  Very soon we set off on our 42 day, Pacific Island Adventure.  We have been planning for six months and I think we are ready for our next ABC Adventure!  The list below includes geographical areas, countries and states, as well as the cities we will visit along the expedition.

At each location we will be attempting additional ABC Adventures.  In the coming weeks, we will be sharing our adventures in real time, as we experience them.  Be sure to check back often to see our immersion into the cultures and beauty of this part of the world.

 

Here is our ABC List for the areas we plan to visit:

A-American Samoa/Australia/Auckland (New Zealand)

B-Bay of Islands (New Zealand)

C-Cairnes (Australia)

D

E

F-French Polynesia

G

H-Hana (Maui)/Hawaii (USA)/Honolulu (Hawaii)

I

J

K-Kauai (Hawaii)/Kahului (Maui, Hawaii)

L-Laie (Oahu, Hawaii)/Los Angeles (California, USA)

M-Maui (Hawaii)/Moorea (Society Islands)

N-New Plymouth (New Zealand)/New Zealand

O-Oahu (Hawaii)

P-Pago Pago (American Samoa), Papette (Tahiti), Port Douglas (Australia)

Q

R

S-San Pedro (California), Society Islands, Sydnee (Australia)

T-Tahiti, Tauranga (New Zealand)

U-USA ( just because Hawaii is also part of this tour)

V

W-Waikiki (Hawaii)/Wellington (New Zealand)

X

Y

Z

ABC World Travel-A List of Countries to Explore

We are on a mission to see the world.  This category will link to many topics about individual countries, which we have alphabetized below because that is how we roll.

If a topic is highlighted it means we have visited the location and you can find the stories within the blog.  You may also use the search bar to find our adventures.

 

General World Tour

A is for Africa, American Samoa, Antigua, Australia and Austria

B is for Bahamas, Barbados, Barbuda, Belgium, Belize and Brazil

C is for Canada, Chili, China, Costa Rica and Cuba

D is for Denmark, Dominica and Dominican Republic

E is for Egypt and England

F is for Fiji, Finland, France and French Polynesia

G is for Germany, Greece, Grenada, Grenadines and Guatemala

H is for Holland and Hungary

I is for Iceland, India, Ireland and Italy

J is for Jamaica and Japan

K

L is for Laos

M is for Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Monaco and Morocco

N is for  Nevis, New Zealand and Norway

O is for Oman

P is for Panama, Peru,  Philippines, Poland and Portugal

Q is for Qatar

R is for Russia

S is for Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent, Samoa, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Seychelles, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland

T is for Thailand and Turkey

U is for USA

V is for Vietnam

W is for Wales

X

Y is for Yemen

Z is for Zambia, Zimbabwe

 

ABC Adventure-“Island Princess”- ABC’s of Cruising

This ABC Exploration Guide is specific to the Island Princess cruise ship.  Use the following list to create your own adventure.  Below you will find an alphabetized list of all the spaces on board.  Within each space there are numerous activities which may be being held.  Can you complete an entire alphabet as you discover what your ship has to offer?   If an item is highlighted it will link to another article.

A

Amuleto (Deck 14)

B

Balcony Stateroom

Bar & Grill (Deck 15)

Bayou Cafe & Steakhouse (Deck 7)

Beauty Salon (Deck 14)

Bordeaux Dining Room (Deck 5)

C

Camp Discovery Youth Center (Deck 12)

Captain’s Circle Loyalty (Deck 5)

Card Room

Center Court (Deck 16)

Churchill’s Cigar Lounge (Deck 7)

Conservatory (Deck 15)

Crooner’s Bar (Deck 7)

D

Decks

E

Explorer’s Lounge (Deck 6)

F

Fine Arts Gallery (Deck 7)

Fitness Center (Deck 6)

Future Cruise Planning/Sales (Deck 8)

G

Good Spirits at Sea (Deck 5)

Guest Services (Deck 5)

H

Horizon Court Buffet (Deck 14)

I

Interior Stateroom

Internet Cafe (Deck 8)

J

K

L

Laundromat

Lawn Court (Deck 15)

Library (Deck 8)

Lido Bar (Deck 14)

Lido Pool & Hot tubs (Deck 14)

Lotus Bar (Deck 14)

Lotus Pool & Hot Tubs (Deck 14)

Lotus Spa (Deck 14)

M

Medical Center (Deck 4)

Mini Suite

Movies Under the Starts (Deck 15)

N

O

Ocean View Room

P

 

Photo Gallery (Deck 6)

Princess Casino & Bar (Deck 6)

Princess Links

Princess Pizzaria (Deck 14)

Princess Plaza (Piazza)-Deck 5

Princess Theater (Deck 7)

Promenade

Providence Dining Room (Deck 6)

R

S

Sabatini’s Italian Trattoriea (Deck 7)

Sanctuary (Deck 15)

Shopping Concierge (Deck 6)

Shore Excursion Desk (Deck 8)

Shuffleboard (Deck 16)

Splash Pool (Deck 16)

Suite

Swirls Ice Cream (Deck 14)

T

The Beach House Teen Lounge (Deck 14)

The Shop’s of Princess-Calypso Cove/Essence/Facets/Meridian Bay,  (Deck 6)

Treatment Rooms (Deck 14)

U

V

W

Water Shuttle Embarkation (Deck 4)

Wedding Chapel (Deck 7)

Wheelhouse Bar (Deck 7)

X

Y

Youth Center (Deck 14)

Z

 

Around the Ship-An ABC Cruising List

Cruising is so unique that I thought it deserved an ABC list of its own!  Use this list to discover your ship.  Highlighted items will link to other stories within the blog and/or you may use the search feature.

Alcohol

Art Auction

Art Gallery

Atrium

At Sea

Balcony

Bars

Beauty Salon

Bridge Tour

Buffet

Cabin

Cabin Steward

Captain

Casino

Centrum (see also atrium)

Champagne Tower

Chocolate Buffet

Cigar Room

Classes

Cocktails

Coffee/Tea

Comedian

Dining

Disembarkation

Embarkation

Entertainment

Excursion Desk

Excursions

Fitness Center

Formal Night

Free Dining

Future Cruise Sales

Galley Tour

Games

Golf

Grill

Guest Services

Hidden decks

Hot tubs

Ice cream

Internet at Sea

J

Karaoke

Laundry

Learn Something New

Lectures

Library

Lifeboats

Lingo

Lounges

Maitre d

Magician

Massages

Medical Center

Movies Under the Stars

Music

Muster Drill

Nap

Open Ocean

Organizing a Cabin

Passenger Services

Photographers

Photos/Video Gallery

Pools

Quiz

Room Service

Sail Away Party

Sanctuary

Sauna

Shops/Shopping

Shore Excursion Desk

Shows

Solarium

Spa

Splash Pool

Sunsets/Sunrises

Tea/coffee

Teen Center

Towel Art

U

Vow Renewal

Walk a Mile

Wine Tasting

Xbox

eXcursion Desk

Yoga

Zen

 

 

 

 

ABC Lists-Exploring With the Letter “F”

This is an ever expanding list for the letter F. Here you will find words which describe; activities, name places  (cities, towns, states, countries, restaurants, stores etc).  Words may elicit emotions, describe an event or festival or be the beginning of phrases and quotes. . Basically, you are limited only by your own imagination.  Therefore, this is a long list, with a variety of words which might be helpful when planning any adventure using the letter F. This list will be updated regularly, as more suggestions are offered. Eventually it will be broken down into categories. Remember, a word may have more than one meaning. For example, the word “farm” might bring to mind a Farmers Market for one person but an animal farm for another. Words can become actions, emotions or lead you to discover new destinations. They won’t necessarily be the same as the dictionary definition. Be creative and use this list in any way that inspires you to try something new! It will be impossible to list every word/phrase beginning with F here, so remember to look for restaurants, stores, road names etc., to inspire you. Think beyond locations. Consider new foods to try, animals to see , experiences to have, song titles that speak to you, or anything else that gets you thinking out of the box. Let your own individual experiences reflect a personal journey of discovery and have fun with the wordplay! As always, we value your contributions, so please leave a comment when you think of other ways to explore, using the letter F. (Please remember to keep your comments G-rated!)  Here is our list so far.  Remember to check back often as we are always growing the lists.

 

Factory

Falcon

Fair

Fall

Family

Farmer’s Market

Fauvism

Favorite (colors, flowers, foods, quotes….)

Favorite Things to do Alone

Favorite Things to do Together

Feast

February

Fedora

Ferment

Ferry

Festival

Fiddle/Flute

Field

Finch/Fox/Frog

Film

Fire

Fireworks

Fish

Fish & Chips

Flag

Fleet

Float

Flowers

Fly

Folk/ Folklore/Folk dance

Fondue

Food (eat it, make it or catch it)

Football/Frisbee

Footpath

Forage

Forest

Fossil

Fountain

Four/Fourteen/Forty

Frappe

Freesia/Fritllaria

French

French Cuisine

Friday

Friends

Fruit

Fun

Funny

ABC Lists-Exploring With the Letter “E”

This is an ever expanding list of date ideas for the letter “E”.  Usually we use a dictionary to generate a long list of   words, which might help generate ideas.   Read through the adventures below, to see some of the ways we might put the words together, to come up with our adventures.

1.  Get up “early” to watch the sunrise and “enjoy” an “English breakfast”.   Then, just take it “easy” for the rest of  the day.     You could stay in your pajamas and go shopping for “each other on E-Bay”.

2. Go to a restaurant to eat.  Make sure it serves an “Early Bird Special”, if you want to save money. Order your favorite “entree”, or “eggs, eggplant, elderberry, enchiladas and/ or Eastern or European Cuisine”.  All great “E” themed foods to try. You could even wash it all down with an “Espresso”, or “Earl Gray Tea”.

3. Take an “entourage” of friends to an “Escape Room”. Make sure you like them though because you will be locked up together, in a “themed” room for 60 minutes.  You must cooperate by using clues to solve puzzles, which will help you escape.  This makes an “epic” gift.

4. Perhaps animals are more interesting to you.  Egrets and elephants both begin with E.  Could you visit a bird sanctuary, or a zoo to see them.  Have you ever ridden an an elephant, or gone to a circus where they perform?  How about an Equestrian Center?

5.  We love celebrating any holiday.  “Earth Day” is one which comes in the spring.  There are many ways to observe it.   What a better way to spend a date, than  by “engaging” in activities such as a parade, or a clean up “event”.

6. Maybe learning is something you like to do.  How about attending a class, watching a documentary, or visiting a museum?  You could choose to learn about “Egypt and/or Egyptians”, or maybe the “Economy” or “Entomology” is more your thing to study.

7. “Elders” always appreciate a visit.  Whether “eight, eighteen or eighty”, people have numerous “experiences” to share.  “Engaging” helps us all connect.

8. Sometimes it is fun to just sit at the “edge” of a cliff, or watch a movie that keeps you on the “edge of your seat”, either would be very “entertaining”.

9. What about taking a car ride, and making only “East” turns, to see where you “end” up?

10.  Perhaps you will  visit an ocean and watch the tide “ebb”, or perhaps an “eddy” is easier to find.  Float in the water to “ease” the week away.

11. Concerts are always on the list, “Electric Light Orchestra” would surely get you “energized”.  Or, you could put on “elegant” attire and sip “effervescent” drinks while being “enchanted” with the “entertainment” of your choice.

12. Take and “epic” trip and cross the “equator”.

13. Connect with the seasons by celebrating the winter or fall “equinox”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ABC Lists-Exploring With The Letter D

This is an ever expanding list for the letter D. Here you will find; activities, cities, countries, emotions, events, festivals, individual states, phrases and words. Basically, this is a long list that might be helpful when planning any adventure using the letter D. This list will be updated regularly, as more suggestions are offered. Eventually it will be broken down into categories. Remember, a word may have more than one meaning. For example, the word “derby” might bring to mind a horse race for one person but roller derby for another.  Words can become actions, emotions or lead you to discover new destinations. They won’t necessarily be the same as the dictionary definition. Be creative and use this list in any way that inspires you to try something new! It will be impossible to list every D themed word here, so remember to look for restaurants, stores, road names etc., that may begin with the letter D. Think beyond locations. Consider new foods to try, animals to see , experiences to have, song titles that inspire you, or anything else that gets you thinking out of the box. Let your own individual experiences reflect a personal journey of discovery and have fun with the wordplay! As always, we value your contributions, so please leave a comment when you think of other ways to explore, using the letter D. (Please remember to keep your comments G-rated!)

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ABC Lists-Exploring With The Letter C

This is an ever expanding list for the letter C. Here you will find; activities, cities, countries, emotions, events, festivals, individual states, phrases and words. Basically, this is a long list that might be helpful when planning any adventure using the letter C. This list will be updated regularly, as more suggestions are offered. Eventually it will be broken down into categories. Remember, a word may have more than one meaning.  For example, the word “cards” could be used to initiate sending cards to others, or it might mean playing a game with a deck of cards. Words can become actions, emotions or lead you to discover new destinations. They won’t necessarily be the same as the dictionary definition. Be creative and use this list in any way that inspires you to try something new! It will be impossible to list every C themed word here, so remember to look for restaurants, stores, road names etc., that may begin with the letter C. Think beyond locations. Consider new foods to try, animals to see , experiences to have, song titles that inspire you, or anything else that gets you thinking out of the box. Let your own individual experiences reflect a personal journey of discovery and have fun with the wordplay! As always, we value your contributions, so please leave a comment when you think of other ways to explore, using the letter C. (Please remember to keep your comments G-rated!)

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ABC Lists-Exploring With The Letter B

This is an ever expanding list for the letter B. Here you will find; activities, cities, countries, emotions, events, festivals, individual states, phrases and words. Basically, this is a long list that might be helpful when planning any adventure using the letter B. This list will be updated regularly, as more suggestions are offered. Eventually it will be broken down into categories. Remember, a word may have more than one meaning. For example, the word “bath”  could be used when describing a location like Bath, England or it could mean a container, used for cleaning the body, which holds a large volume of water.  Words can become actions, emotions or lead you to discover new destinations. They won’t necessarily be the same as the dictionary definition. Be creative and use this list in any way that inspires you to try something new! It will be impossible to list every B themed word here, so remember to look for restaurants, stores, road names etc., that may begin with the letter B. Think beyond locations. Consider new foods to try, animals to see , experiences to have, song titles that inspire you, or anything else that gets you thinking out of the box. Let your own individual experiences reflect a personal journey of discovery and have fun with the wordplay! As always, we value your contributions, so please leave a comment when you think of other ways to explore, using the letter B. (Please remember to keep your comments G-rated!)

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ABC Lists-Exploring With The Letter A

This is an ever expanding list of adventures for the letter “A”.  Generally Alan and I use a dictionary to generate a long list of  “A” words.  We then try to use these words to spark date or travel ideas.   Read through the adventures below, to see some of the ways we might put the words together, to come up with our adventures.  This list may also generate ideas for photos to take, while we are on the date and/or offer words we might try to incorporate into our story.  Keep the list going by posting “additional” ideas below!

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ABC Lists

Words lead to ideas.  When we begin with the alphabet, then fill in words which start with that letter, it begins to open up our creativity.

I use the dictionary to get started.

Let’s take the letter A for example.  Here are a few words I have for this letter:

A-Abode, Acoustic, al fresco

What comes to mind when you read these words?

Do you see your own house?  Did you automatically think of music or a guitar?  Did you imagine yourself eating outside?

This is what words do.  They make you think bigger.  Now imagine a date night planned around these words.

You could even make this a free activity…what about setting up dinner at your own “abode” (home).  Plan to dine outside “al fresco” style while you listen to an “acoustic” guitar.  See how easy it is to create an ABC Adventure!

You could plan a vacation around these words by exploring cultures.

Start a list for each letter of the alphabet.  Become a collector of words and the ideas will begin to flow freely.

We will share our lists throughout the month of December.

A is for Alcohol

 

Would you be surprised to learn we rarely drink alcohol?

Would you be surprised to learn we rarely drink alcohol?

 

If you like alcohol you could center your next adventure around a drink.  Perhaps order an aperitif, absinth or Amaretto Sour before you eat.  Or, you might choose to wash your meal down with an ale.   If you don’t like to indulge, there is always apple juice or apple cider.  Wherever your “A” theme takes you, it is sure to be a journey.  How will you tell your story?

A is for our Amazing Earth

Acadia, Maine and the mighty Atlantic ocean!

Acadia, Maine and the mighty Atlantic ocean!

 

Perhaps you desire to stand in awe of our amazing earth.  National Parks are great for this.  In Maine, you could visit Acadia to view the Atlantic ocean.  Across the country, in the state of Montana, you might choose to discover an alpine meadow in Glacier National Park.

If it is high “adventure” you seek,  you might want to add Australia to your ABC bucket list, with a goal to see the Aurora Australis.  You’ll have to go  further north to view the Aurora borealis.  I hear the Alps, Alaska, Argentina and Africa are awesome too.   Where will you take your next “A” themed adventure?

 

A is for Appetite

Everyone needs to eat.  What about creating an adventure around food?  Here are a few ideas to whet your appetite:

If apples are your thing there are many adventures  you could create around this fruit.  Visit an orchard, then bake them in a pie and then serve it “a la mode”.  You could teach someone how to make applesauce.  If you don’t like apples, there are also “apricots”.   If vegetables are more appealing, try asparagus and/or avocados. For the seed eaters among us, how about almonds and/or acorns?

You could have an adventure by eating a la cart off a menu, or by trying  different appetizers at several restaurants.  Adventures could also center around Asian or Australian cuisine.  Food is always a great reason to explore.  Where will your journey take you?

 

Document the JourneyWRITING TIP:

Food brings people together, so why not let it be the subject of one of your next entries.  Consider the traditions that form around the food.  Who are the characters?  Is there a recipe that has been handed down? What stories get told around the food?  Does food trigger a memory from childhood?  These are all great things to include in your journal.  The next time you dig into your favorite food, try writing a bit about it.

A is for Art

Art Prize!

Art Prize!

Within each city, there are many ways to create an “A” themed adventure.  In almost any location,  you could explore art.  There are many ways to do this.  You could make art, or go to an art gallery, or an art museum.  You could further specialize this activity, by viewing abstract art exclusively.  Perhaps an art & craft show is more your speed. There are a lot of ways to focus on art.   One of our personal favorites is Art Prize.

If you are ever in Grand Rapids, MIchigan during  September and October, we highly recommend this free event.  This is a contest, which draws artists from around the world.  For nearly 3 weeks, entries remain on display throughout parks, streets, restaurants, laundromats, theaters ect.  The entire city seems to participate.  This event covers miles of area, so wear your walking shoes!  Artists compete for your vote in an attempt to win the $200,000 cash prize. Visit for an hour, or stay for a week, there is plenty to explore.

A is for Airplanes

Air Show!

 

There is always something going on in a city A community calendar will show a list of events.  If you are lucky, you might discover an air show.  You could pass the time by watching  acrobatic planes, performing aerial maneuvers.    If you can’t find an air show, how about heading to a nearby airport and dreaming about your next adventure.

 

B Is For Burgers and Baskets

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BURGERS AND BASKETS

Some nineteen years ago, around the time our youngest son turned two, we had committed to a weekly or bi-weekly date night.  When our children were young, I didn’t like to leave them.  Occasionally we hired a sitter but mostly we just made time for each other at home.  We learned from early on in our marriage, that time was the most precious thing we could give each other.   During those early years,  Alan worked 90-120 hours a week, trying to establish our new company.  Continue reading

A List of ABC Date Ideas

Do you ever tire of the same old dinner and a movie date?  Sometimes you have to put a little adventure into your relationship.

We started using the alphabet to set the theme for our dates.  We are dedicating this month to sharing the various  dates we have created.

We are always building ABC lists so check back often.

Here is a list of the words we have used to generate our ideas for a super date night:

A-al fresco, art, ATV, Axe Throwing

B-, biking, bowling

C-coffee

DDollar Store, Drive In, Dine, Darts, dessert

E-Escape Room

F-Fall Color Tour

G

H

I-ice cream

J-java

K-kayak

L-lake, Lavender Farm

M-movie

N

O-orchard

P-picnic

Q

R-rent a car, river, raft

S-sledding, skiing, snowboarding

T-tea tasting, train, tubing

U-U Pick

V-vineyard, volunteer

W-wine tasting, work out

X

Y

Z-zipline