Yona Williams
During a brief moment of procrastination, the Olympics flashed across the screen, allowing me to catch up on some of the track and field events of the day. It was then that Roqaya Al Ghasara caught my attention as she crossed the finish line before the rest of her competitors in Round 2 of the 200-meter sprinting event.
The devout Muslim was wearing a tailor-made aerodynamic veil – "Bahrain" stretched across the front of her uniform. Where is Bahrain, I said to myself and during my search for information, I came across this unforgettable snapshot of beauty – courtesy of Vladimir Arshinov.
Bahrain is an island country located in the Persian Gulf. About 3 ½ times the size of Washington, DC; the country is home to about more than 700,000 inhabitants. With mildly pleasant winters and heat-filled, humid summers, many tourists come in hopes of benefiting from the plentiful natural resources of fish and pearls. Besides catching a glimpse of the Bahrain Grand Mosque, additional points of interest include:
- Qal'at al-Bahrain: Also referred to as the Portuguese Fort, this archaeological site is considered one of the top prizes associated with the country. Excavations for this attraction started during the 1950s, revealing a fort positioned on the remains of previous cities. Seven layers were discovered with the earliest dating back to 2800 BC.
- Royal Tombs: While visiting a cemetery doesn’t sound like much fun, many tourists take pleasure in experiencing the largest and most remarkable of the 85,000 burial mounds found in Bahrain. Situated in the village of A'ali, many believe the towering tombs served as the final resting place of royalty – with some reaching 50 feet into the sky. A stop in A'ali also brings you to a well-known pottery workshop, where tourists often find treasures of their own to take home.
- Barbar Temple: This archaeological site with a religious and spiritual past consists of temples dating back to the 2nd and 3rd millennium BC. Most likely dedicated to Enki, the God of Wisdom and the Sweet Waters Under the Sea, the excavated wonders are visible when traveling about a collection of walkways.
When departing from the U.S., you should know that flights tend to be on the expensive side and harder to locate. Consider traveling during what is known as the low seasons (early January to mid-June; and mid-October to mid-December). For the best connections to Bahrain, Europe is a winner with better airline deals found in Greece, Italy, or London.
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Calling on female entrepreneurs! Looking for ways to balance your personal and business life; execute the kind of strategic career moves that bring success; and learn unforgettable lessons in business?
In the coming months, seven cities stretched across the U.S. will open their arms to greet a collection of some of the most influential women in business, including Mary Dillon (executive vice president and global chief marketing officer of McDonald's), Julie Gilbert (senior vice president of Best Buy), and Kelly Regal (executive vice president of Turner Broadcasting System).
Keep in mind that the conferences are held between September 24th and November 12th – so you will have seven chances to plan a trip if you'd like to experience varying pearls of wisdom. The Fourth Annual PINK Conference Series consists of a luncheon, held from 11:30am to 1:30pm, where each get-together is comprised of five speakers plus one moderator. Chicago, Boston, Atlanta, Dallas, and three other exciting destinations await your presence.
For more details (including the cost of tickets, full list of cities, guest speakers, and where to register) for the Fourth Annual PINK Conference Series, check out my extended post featured on the Priceless Writers blog.
According to Guinness World Records, the United States Library of Congress, located in Washington D.C, is ranked as the largest library in the world. This priceless gem holds more than 118 million items – spanning more than 500 miles of shelving. Aside from the never-ending assortment of publications decorating the library, travelers come from near and far just to come closer to:
- The largest rare book collection in North America – including a rough draft of the Declaration of Independence and a Gutenberg bible (one of only four perfect vellum copies known today).
- 4.8 million maps
- 2.7 million sound recordings
- The Prelinger Collection – with more than 48,000 historical motion pictures, unique master materials, and items recently named to the National Film Registry.
The Library of Congress is found in three different buildings, each named after an influential president of the United States. The Thomas Jefferson Building is found between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street on First Street SE. The John Adams Building is situated between Independence Avenue and East Capitol Street on 2nd Street SE. Between First and Second Streets on Independence Avenue SE, you will encounter the James Madison Memorial Building – home to the Law Library of Congress.
In case you were wondering where in the world you can find other spectacular libraries to explore – consider the New York Public Library (New York City, NY – 11 million books+); Vernadsky National Scientific Library of Ukraine (Kiev, Ukraine – more than 13 million books); Harvard University Library (Cambridge, MA – founded in 1638 with more than 13.1 million books); Institute for Scientific Information on Social Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russia – over 13.5 million books since 1969); British Library (London, England – home to 16 million books and counting since 1753); Deutsche Biblothek (Frankfurt, Germany – carries more than 18.5 million); National Library of Canada (Ottawa, Canada – home to more than 18.8 million books); Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg, Russia – stocks more than 20 million books since 1714); and the National Library of China (Beijing, China – with more than 22 million books since 1909).
Three Cliffs Bay is situated on the southern coast of the Gower peninsula – a hop, skip, and a jump away from Swansea, South Wales. Three gorgeous sea cliffs jutting out into the bay serve as inspiration.
Travel about 500 yards inland to discover the 12th century Pennard Castle, which creates the perfect opportunity to explore legends of fairies. The bay is also home to various beaches (Pobbles Bay and Tor Bay) that offers the promise of both high tide and low tide adventures. 
Many travelers seek out the limestone sea cliffs of Three Cliffs Bay, which reach around 20 meters high, to enjoy a day of rock climbing.
Over the years, this destination has also caught the interest of tourists looking for the best views and beaches in Britain.
As parents scramble to gather the last of the required school supplies for the kiddies soon returning to reading, writing, and 'rithmatic, I decided to take the advice of my colleague, Danielle and suggest one more thing to do before the last days of summer slip away…take a day-cation! You don’t have to travel miles to enjoy a vacation away from the hustle and bustle of home life. Simply plan a getaway that takes place within the comforts of your own backyard (or at least, not too far from it)… 
1) Zoo Time! – When is the last time you spent the day at the zoo, where lions, tigers, and bears (oh my) present glimpses of far-off lands and creatures. The list of inhabitants at the local zoo has a knack of changing, whether it's newborn tigers or a species you've never heard of. For example, at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, NY – sand cats have arrived. At the North Carolina Zoo, the new Watani Grasslands Reserve serves as home to Tonga and Batir – a mother/daughter elephant duo. At the San Francisco Zoo, families have the opportunity to enjoy overnight stays – the next one being held August 23rd.
2) Amusement or Theme Parks - Whether it's slipping down a watery slide at Seabreeze or soaring through the air on an exciting ride at Six Flags, amusement parks are a great way to get away without traveling far. Games, haunted houses, water parks, carnival food, and great memories are just some of the features to look forward to when planning a day-cation to an amusement park. A couple of suggestions: Watercountry USA (Williamsburg, West Virginia); Sesame Place (Pennsylvania); and Legoland (Carlsbad, California) – where the Sea Life Aquarium opens on August 11th. 
3) Visit the State Fair – August & September are popular months for state fairs to take place, such as the New York State Fair (a personal favorite of the Clintons), where butter sculptures, antique tractors, Syrian brown bear shows, dueling rock bands, culture, colorful flowers, High School High singers, and much more collide. Other notable state fairs include: Indiana State Fair (August 6th – 17th), Kansas State Fair (Sept 5th – 14th), and Georgia State Fair (Sept 23rd – 28th).
4) Museum Moments – Every region offers a chance to explore their city or state; explore the ins and outs of science and technology; or become familiar with geniuses of the art world. Why not spend the day at one or more museums that deliver entrance to a realm of educational enlightenment that's fun for the whole family? Been there, done that? Try traveling between 50 to 100 miles outside of your city to investigate regional nooks and crannies that you never knew existed.
5) Camping Out – Grab all the necessary ingredients to create stomach-splitting S'mores in the backyard while huddling under makeshift or real tents for as long as you can stand it. Bring along a flashlight to tell ghost stories under the glow of the moon. Slather on the bug repellant, lay back, and listen to the creatures of the night. Reveal and share innermost secrets with the ones you love. The possibilities are endless when you really put your imagination to work. 
6) State Lakes and Parks – Doesn’t a day lounging about the great outdoors sound like a decent day-cation? Pack a picnic lunch and sprawl out along a sandy beach while the children create castles and imaginary moats. Not too far from where I live, Jamesville Beach offers rowboats, canoes, kayaks, and paddleboats for really decent prices – ranging from $2 (half-hour) to $20 (full-day) rentals.