Coca-Cola is fascinating for many reasons: Not only is it a drink, enjoyed around the world, but I nerd out about their marketing.



So, when I took a trip to Atlanta recently, I made sure to stop at the World of Coca-Cola. Amongst many other activities, the space consists of the vault, where the hidden recipe is located, as well as sodas from around the world.



This was really exciting to me, because there were so many different options from so many different corners of the world.



Here is just a sampling:

- What tastes like raspberry cream soda? Sparletta Sparberry! This caffeine-free beverage is available exclusively in several countries across central and southern Africa. Did you know it was first introduced in Africa back in 1955?



- Minute Maid Joy Apple Lychee is a caffeine-free still beverage with ripe apple and lychee notes. Lychee is a tropical and subtropical fruit tree native to southern China that is now cultivated in many parts of the world. Did you know you can pronounce lychee as “lie-chee” or “lee-chee”?



- With the taste of sweet melon, Fanta Melon Frosty is a refreshing sparkling beverage is beloved in Thailand’s sunny, tropical climate. Did you know that The Coca‑Cola Company's second-largest brand outside the USA, Fanta, is available in many distinct flavors in more than 180 countries?



- Sprite Cucumber is a caffeine-free, sparkling beverage with a crisp cucumber flavor, providing a refreshing twist on this classic lemon-lime beverage. Did you know that Sprite originally launched in 1961 and is now enjoyed in over 190 countries?



Would you try any of those?

Talk about being a kid in a candy store! At the mall in Bridgeport, there is a store dedicated to just candy: Candy Unlimited.



From lollipops to gumballs and everything in between, the store has packaged candies, candies by the pound, and special individual treats.



One of my favorite sections to discover is the one that features all kinds of candies from decades ago. Candy cigarettes and candy buttons are just a few.



I also love checking out the hard–to–find candies, like giant jawbreakers snd fruity tootsie rolls.



Isn't there just something magical about being able to scoop up as much candy as you'd like and create a bag full of your favorites? I think so, at least. And, that's just what I did, and it kept my sweet tooth satisfied for a week.

While in Arizona, I wanted to get a taste of the local food.



I definitely did that through the local restaurants, but I was excited to try some of the local goods, too.



At A.J.'s Fine Foods, there were lots of products marked as local and I picked up all the ones that intrigued me.



Here are some of my finds:

Cutino Sauce Co. - habanero-inspired hot sauces

Queen Creek Olive Mill - olive oils, vinegars and other sundries

Carolina's Chocolate - dark chocolate with latin flavors

Kettle Heroes Artisan Popcorn - unique Southwest flavors



The Simple Farm - goat's milk caramels

Hayden Flour Mills - stone milling and ancient grain flours

Do you have any other Arizona favorites?

Conner Prairie is a living history museum in Fishers, Indiana, United States, which preserves the William Conner home. The home is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and the museum recreates 19th-century life along the White River, according to Wikipedia. I'm a nerd when it comes to learning, so I loved checking this place out with my friend Kayla. And, of course, exploring the food.



Their shop has a lot of Indiana-based foods, and I was excited to check out all of them.

"Triple XXX Root Beer is serious business. From the early days of its inception, to the loyal soft drink lovers who keep coming back for more, a Triple XXX Root Beer isn’t just any Root Beer. There’s flavorful history surrounding this product. In the 1920’s, close to 100 Triple XXX Thirst Stations dotted the landscape along the United States and Canada, with over 150 bottlers producing the frothy product. It wasn’t just road warriors consuming Triple XXX Root Beer—you would’ve also found the soft drink for sale on Mississippi steamers."

"In 1991, Mark Tarner founded the South Bend Chocolate Company and operated it as a second business. The company got its start making chocolates under a license from the University of Notre Dame. Its first three products were the Domer, the Rockne and Nuts for ND. New confections roll out of the factory everyday. Twenty five years after our founding, we produce over 500 different chocolates and sweets. These products are available in stores nationwide and through our company owned stores."

"Purchases of Monastery Baked Goods products help support the mission and ministries of the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana. The history of Monastery Baked Goods is rooted in a love of baking among the sisters. In support of Christkindlmarkt, an annual German festival held in Ferdinand, the sisters started making and selling springerles, a traditional German cookie. Following some suggestions from friends and community members, the sisters experimented and created the recipe for almerles, almond-flavored cookies that have the appearance and texture of the springerle."

And "old-fashioned chocolate, candy & ice cream shop offering seasonal specialties & guided tours" from now-shuttered Good's Candy Shop.

Check out my latest J.Q. Dickinson Appalachian Mercantile box:

Evelyn's Elegant Edibles - Essential Spice Mix - This spice is great on pork, chicken, or tofu. Use as a marinade or breading. Evelyn bases her recipes on those of her Greek grandmother. Made in PA.

If I had to pick my favorite dessert, it might be s'mores. They are delicious, fun, nostalgic, interactive, and are even rooted in girl power.



When I visited the Hershey store in New York City, I was mostly hoping to find some treats that you can't find and every other store locally.



What I didn't expect to find was a gourmet, s'more bar where you could purchase a giant s'more to take home.



You can opt to have a Reese peanut butter cup, KitKat, Hershey's Cookies & Cream - and more - sandwiched in your s'more. But I went with the classic Hershey milk chocolate.



This really was a giant s'more with the graham cracker of us being like a giant graham cookie, a bit soft. And the marshmallow was more warm and gooey than toasty and charred. It was still delicious and its own right and a fun novelty.



And I did also get to purchase some unique candies, like the flavored Hershey bars with mint, strawberries & cream, or birthday cake. They were all like the cookies and cream base but with a little extra zip.



I also found a counterpart to the Whatchamacallit bar - the Whozeewhatzit bar.



"Funny name. Serious flavor. The WHOZEEWHATZIT Chocolate Candy Bar is packed with chocolatey crisp and smooth peanut butter wrapped in rich chocolate. Its attention-grabbing name was submitted by Hershey candy super-fan Lisa M."



So that was pretty cool to try something new. And to also resurrect some old favorites.



they were also showcasing some of these KitKat's that have duo flavors.



These are more widely available now, so not super coveted for me.



Do you have any favorite Hershey's products? Any that you wish they would bring back or create new?



Let me know!

Ruth Hunt Candies began in the kitchen of a Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, home. 



It all began in the kitchen of her Mt. Sterling, Kentucky home, where Ruth Tharpe Hunt served homemade sweets to her bridge club. In 1921 she decided to start a small candy business. Today, still located in Mt. Sterling, Ruth Hunt Candies remains a Kentucky landmark.



I visited recently because I wanted to try the pulled cream candy. But they do also have bourbon balls, chocolates, caramel and truffles. 



They are known for their pulled cream candy: "Historically, only a fortunate few with roots in Kentucky have been able to experience this unique candy. Grandmother's Cream Candy required pure heavy cream, chilled marble slabs, a pulling hook, and a secret recipe, and so does ours."



Blue Monday bars, specifically, are well-known: "We'd like to make Kentucky's best kept secret your new discovery! It has been described by our customers as "totally unique, sophisticated, and addicting." No candy we produce generates as many letters or phone calls! As the legend goes, Ruth Hunt had created a wonderful new candy bar but couldn't decide on a name when a traveling minister remarked to her that he "always needed a little sweet to cure his Blue Monday"!"



After my pilgrimage to Mt. Sterling, I had a huge bag full of deliciousness to dig into.



Mostly, though, I wanted to try the pulled cream candy.



If you're curious about it, I've written some background here.



It's soft, yet crumbly, and has a mild, creamy flavor. 



It's a candy that harkens back to the olden days for me.



Have you been?