Would You Like to Ride in My Beautiful Balloon?

MelBivDevoe

Image by Bill Heinsohn, Getty Images

Summer may be the most popular time to travel, but I love vacationing in autumn - temps are cooler, places are less crowded, and those annoying kids who would ruin your flight are all back in school (HA! Take that, punks!).  So where should you head if you're taking to the road this fall?  You can start at the International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico, shown here.  (National Geographic)

Me, I want to visit these amazing "hanging" pools that make it appear as if you're swimming in mid-air.  I just need to hurry up and win the damn lottery already!  (The Atlantic)

Cannonball Read IV: Book#1: A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin

Pinky McLadybits

I know it was mentioned here before, but Pajiba has a yearly Cannonball Read where Pajibans and others compete to read 53 books in a year. You must read the books and then post reviews of those books. You don't win anything other than bragging rights, but those are always good for more than one use. 

This year I chose to do a shorter Cannonball, since my duties with cross-stitching, being Head Bitch here at Hot Ink, and taking care of my family leave me a lot less reading time than years past. As such, A Dance With Dragons is the first book I've picked up and the first book I've completed. All 900+ pages. 

Since this is one of many books in a series, there will likely be spoilers from this point on. You've been warned, Sweetlings!