When Travel Feels Like Imagination Come to Life

Posted on January 20, 2026January 20, 2026 by Dusty Roads

Yesterday I shared my thoughts on imagination — that wonderful, boundless world we carry in our minds. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized something surprising. Those same feelings of wonder, disbelief, and pure childlike awe show up in another part of my life too: when I’m traveling and exploring the world.

There’s a particular kind of magic that happens when reality feels too extraordinary to be real. It’s the same spark I felt as a child pretending to see fairies in the woods, only now it comes from standing in front of places so breathtaking they feel like they were dreamed into existence.

🌄 The Grand Canyon: A Vision Too Vast to Believe

I still remember the first time I laid eyes on the Grand Canyon. The wonder of it was overwhelming — a dizzying spectacle of color, depth, and silence. People say it “takes your breath away,” and for once that wasn’t an exaggeration. I literally forgot to breathe.

It felt like a projection, a backdrop, something painted by a giant with an overactive imagination. How could anything so massive, so intricate, so impossibly beautiful be real? And yet there it was, stretching out before me, daring me to believe my own eyes.

Grand Canyon

🌋 Hawaii’s Chain of Craters Road: Fire Meeting the Sea

Another moment etched into my memory forever happened on Hawaii’s Chain of Craters Road. I had nothing but a disposable camera with me, but honestly, no photograph could have captured what I saw.

Plumes of brilliant white vog rose where molten lava met the ocean. The sky was a vivid, endless blue. The contrast was surreal — like watching the earth breathe. It was raw, elemental, and unforgettable.

🦌 Wyoming’s Elk Migration: Wildness in Motion

In Wyoming, I watched elk herds migrate across the landscape. There were fences, roads, and signs of human life all around, but none of it mattered. In that moment, those animals were exactly what they had always been — wild, free, and following ancient paths to their wintering grounds.

It felt like witnessing a story older than memory.

🌡️ Yellowstone’s Geysers: A Step Back in Time

Yellowstone added its own chapter to my collection of wonders. The primal energy of the geysers, the hiss of steam, the earth rumbling beneath my feet — it all felt like stepping into a prehistoric world.

Buffalo wandered through clouds of steam along the Firehole River as if they had been doing it for centuries. Maybe they had. Time seemed to fold in on itself there.

snuba at Turtletown 2020

🌊 Encounters Beneath the Waves

Some of my most magical travel moments happened underwater. I’ve snorkeled with manta rays and scuba‑dived with sea turtles, drifting through a world so peaceful and alien it felt like a dream.

I’ve watched humpback whales breach with breathtaking power, and I’ve been surrounded by dolphins spinning and leaping like acrobats putting on a private show.

And then there are the tiny wonders — like the little octopus I spotted off Maui, curious and delicate, reminding me that magic exists at every scale.

✨ Wonder That Stays With You

When I think of the places I’ve been, I hardly have the words to describe the wonder. How do you put experiences like that into sentences? How do you capture the feeling of being so small and so alive at the same time?

Maybe you don’t. Maybe you just carry those moments with you — treasures you can revisit anytime your mind needs a spark of joy or a reminder that the world is far bigger and more beautiful than we often remember.

These memories are my own living daydreams, the real‑world magic I get to enjoy over and over again. And in their own way, they’re every bit as powerful as imagination itself.

The Great Marshmallow Roast: Celebrating National Toasted Marshmallow Day

Posted on August 30, 2025August 30, 2025 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

The Toasted Marshmallow

Every year on August 30th, we celebrate one of life’s stickiest pleasures—National Toasted Marshmallow Day. It’s the perfect excuse to gather around a campfire, skewer a fluffy marshmallow, and test your patience (or your fire safety skills).

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There are two main schools of thought when it comes to marshmallow roasting. The first is the Golden-Brown Purist. These folks carefully hold their marshmallow above the flame, rotating it slowly like it’s a sugar rotisserie chicken. The result? A perfectly even golden crust with a soft, gooey center. These people probably iron their socks and alphabetize their spice racks.

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Then we have the Marshmallow Arsonists. You know who you are. You jam the marshmallow directly into the fire, watch it erupt into a sugar torch, panic, and then wave it around like you’re signaling planes to land. By the time the flames go out, you’ve created a charred husk filled with molten sugar lava. And yet, it still tastes amazing.

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Of course, the toasted marshmallow rarely travels solo. When paired with chocolate and graham crackers, it transforms into the legendary s’more. This humble creation is proof that life is better when it’s gooey, messy, and slightly over the top. One bite, and suddenly “just one more” becomes a campfire chant.

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But even eaten plain, a toasted marshmallow carries nostalgia. It’s childhood summers, crackling fires, sticky fingers, and maybe even a singed eyebrow or two. It’s the kind of simple pleasure that makes you laugh while trying not to burn your tongue.

So, however you roast—whether you’re a patient spinner or a marshmallow pyromaniac—today’s the day to celebrate. Grab a stick, light a fire, and toast to sweet, sticky chaos. Wet wipes optional, but highly recommended.

The Great Marshmallow Roast: Celebrating National Toasted Marshmallow Day

Snoopy

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Making Memories

Posted on December 17, 2012December 17, 2012 by Dusty Roads

Was there ever a girl alive that didn’t want to have a horse of her own at some point in her life? I sure don’t know of any, myself in included. I was lucky enough to live in the country and by hook and by crook managed to have 2 horses over the course of my teen years. JFK because of the brand on his flank (and affectionately called Jack) and Pepper, my Dad’s favorite.

But city life , even suburban life and the high cost of upkeep in that kind of environment makes it much harder for many young girls …(and boys) to realize those dreams. That’s why a tradition that a friend of mine has started in her neighborhood is such a wonderful memory maker.

It started with last year right around this time. My friend and her neighbors hired the big Clydesdale draught horses for a holiday hayride. They didn’t tell the kids last year, just let them see the wagon coming down the road with those big old horses clip clopping away. I’m told it was quite the hit. In fact it was so good that they decided to do it again this year. The only difference was that the kids knew the horses were coming this year.

I was privileged to be allowed to drop by and watch the event and get some pictures of the horses and wagon. I wasn’t prepared for the absolute joy and excitement of these kids. They were all ages and they were squealing and yelling and bouncing around! They saw those horses coming way before I could see them in the gathering dusk.

As the wagon pulled up the children raced to say hello to the horses and pet them before they climbed into the back of the wagon and began singing Jingle Bells at the tops of their young lungs. The horses and wagon made a loop around and came back for a 2nd load. By then it was getting quite dark but nothing dampened the kids’ spirits. It was beautiful to watch.

I hope these families continue this tradition in the coming years. It is really a “memory maker” and an experience that not every child gets to have. I can imagine these children being grown with their own families and reminiscing about the bonfire and the hayride they took as children and when it comes right down to it isn’t that what the holiday season is really about? Isn’t it about the love and traditions and making memories? It’s not about the IPADS or the American Girl dolls. Christmas or Hanukkah or Kwanza or Yule or whatever tradition you follow, aren’t the memories made more important than the material things that will soon be outgrown or tossed aside?

I don’t remember many of the presents I got over the years..maybe one or two…but I do remember things we did. Christmas Eve we watched the movie Amahl and the Night Visitors and while we were engrossed in that my parents snuck our presents under the tree from the “Florida” Santa, (Presents sent from family that lived there). Christmas morning was reserved for the presents from our immediate family.

After the movie we opened those Florida gifts then went to Midnight Mass. It always seemed to snow and driving home was always a slipping, sliding adventure but we always made it. Those are some of the memories of Christmases past that are so rich that I can smell the incense and remember the excitement.

It is my sincerest wish that these children will have this memory for a lifetime. That when they think back to their own Christmases past they will remember this adventure too because that would be all the more special! And that’s what Family and holidays are all about.