This A to Z Challenge rolls on tonight with a bit of a tangent. And it is partially inspired by the book I just finished about a baseball team that traveled the globe way back in the late 1800s. The first three A to Z Challenges have all been, big shocker here, baseball related. However, in my baseball and life experiences, I have visited some amazing cities and towns in this world. And so, tonight, I will be challenging myself to a A to Z Challenge #4 – a city or town for each letter of the alphabet. Can you fill in the letters of the alphabet with places you have visited in your lifetime? Let’s see how I do…

A – Austin, Texas – actually had a University of Texas at Austin tour guide – my guitar buddy Anthony Perez. Got to see 6th Street and the Stevie Ray Vaughn statue – big thrills.

B – Breckenridge, Colorado – stopped into Colorado on a cross country trip I took after my grandfather (Dad’s side) passed away.

C – Carolina, Puerto Rico – business trip to visit some health clubs in Puerto Rico when I was in the fitness equipment business.

D – Dublin, California – had dinner here at an Irish restaurant on my 40th birthday, after going to one of my warehouses in nearby Livermore, California.

E – Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts – One of those towns that escapes the passage of time. A must see vacation spot!

F – Fort Myers Beach, Florida – the family and I visited FMB several times when my father was living down there. Circa mid 1990s to early to mid 2000s.

G – Grand Canyon, Arizona – Another stop on my cross country trip. So amazing a view, I did not take a single photograph. Didn’t want to miss a moment.

H – Hertford, North Carolina – The famous “home of Catfish Hunter” sign greeted me every time I drove through the section of North Carolina for work.

I – Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indiana – This was one of the most impressive sports venues I have ever witnessed in person. The speedway, the stands, the entire complex is just massive.

J – Jamestown, Rhode Island – Another place that time seems to have stood still. The marina used to have a hot dog vendor that served the most delicious steamed hot dogs on the planet.

K – Key West, Florida – On an off day before a friend’s wedding, I took a convertible ride down through the Keys and ended up in Key West, the last of the Keys.

L – Las Vegas, Nevada – Spent many days there on business attending and presenting at tradeshows. Never knew what time it was, never really cared.

M – Memphis, Tennessee – Rachel and I saw Rob Thomas at the Memphis Botanical Gardens and visited Beale Street. Really fun trip.

N – Newport, Rhode Island – My favorite place on Earth, hands down #1. The bars, the beaches, the baseball park – special does not begin to scratch the surface on this one.

O – Old Orchard Beach, Maine – I love this old New England town in Maine. It has a ton of charm and the boardwalk area is just spectacular.

P – Portland, Oregon – Business trip recently and I wish I had more time to explore all that Portland has to offer. Can say I have spent time in both Portland, Oregon and Portland, Maine.

Q – Quincy, Massachusetts – The calm before the storm on Route 93 heading into Boston. Quincy is a great city with a ton of character.

R – Raleigh, North Carolina – I interviewed for a position at a freight terminal in Raleigh. The area around the terminal was in really tough shape, so I am sort of glad I didn’t take the position.

S – San Diego, California – My first experience with an outdoor mall. San Diego had the same weather for the 3 days I stayed there, the exact same gorgeous weather.

T – Tacoma, Washington – With the beauty of Puget Sound and the majestic Mt. Rainier in the background, Tacoma is a very impressive city for nature lovers.

U – Utah, Moab to be exact – On my cross country trip, I stopped into Moab to do a little mountain biking. Honestly, I have never been so thirsty and dehydrated in all my life. Geez, that’s a dry heat there.

V – Virginia Beach, Virginia – Second time living here. Once in the 1990s as a wanna be baseball player. Now, in 2025, as a wanna be baseball writer.

W – Wareham, Massachusetts – My mother’s hometown, located just on the outskirts of Cape Cod. In fact, it is the last town before you hit those big ass bridges (Sagamore, Bourne) or try to navigate through those impossible rotaries.

X – X continues to be a headache to fill in – screw you X!!!

Y – Yuma, Arizona – Business trip out to Phoenix, I had the good fortune of a late evening flight and an entire day to explore some Spring Training sites. One of the, the A’s, was located in Yuma.

Z – Zebulon, North Carolina – On a fact finding mission a few years back, Rachel and I drove all over North Carolina looking at houses, cities, and towns to figure out if we wanted to move there.

Let’s just say, I have been to a ton of places. And every place has its uniqueness and I can’t wait to find that uniqueness. I don’t always take a ton of photos, so some of my former trips are all but memories logged into my brain. I can honestly say that I have been so blessed to travel as much as I have. I encourage folks young and old to explore this great country and beyond for unique stuff. How did you do on your list of places you have visited? Let me know what you came up with and if any of my cities and towns match your A to Z list.