Burlington, Vermont, USA

You might not be drawn in by the watercraft on display at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, but you might be curious enough to learn more about Champ, the 'Lock Ness Monster' of the lake. He has been sighted for centuries and is now a protected species. [2011]

Springfield, Massachusetts, USA

Since it's July, Mr. Grinch should look happier than that. Christmas is half a year away, and there seems to be not a single Who around to worry about. As for Max, he doesn't look like he is worried at all. [2022]

Beaumont, Texas, USA

So that's why there's nobody on the streets in Beaumont! The dinosaurs have returned and are patrolling the realm. What species is this? [2022]

Battambang, Cambodia

From The Gulag Archipelago: "the line separating good and evil passes . . . right through every human heart. . . Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains. . . a small corner of evil." [2016]

Fayetteville, Pennsylvania, USA

Lucky McLucas knows that unicorns bring good luck, and if they are positioned roadside they bring beaucoup birthday cards, too. All with good luck wishes for the year ahead. [1992]

London, England, UK

Follow the dragon trail right across Europe. It begins in Colchis, land of the Golden Fleece. It wings its way thorough Slovenia, whose capital was founded by Jason. It ends in England with two dragons holding up the cross of St. George, which goes right back to the country we know today as Georgia. This is the official emblem of the City of London. [2009]

Tbilisi, Georgia

St. George slaying the dragon (slaying sin in the Christian tradition) stands in the center of Georgia's capital city. It's a national point of pride. Why? Because it all happened in Georgia. The dragon originally guarded the golden fleece in Colchis, and the fleece represented power and authority. Grab the fleece, and you become the ruler. [2015]

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Few people realize you can follow the dragon trail right across Europe. Here is one of the dragons in the middle of the continent, one of four fire-breathers on Ljubljana's Zmajski Bridge. Could this be the dragon-guardian of the Golden Fleece? Perhaps he followed Jason from Colchis to the site of Ljubljana and founded the city. Colchis was on the Black Sea. [2008]

Millsboro, Delaware, USA

The number of mailmyn attacked by dogs has fallen to under 6,000 per year. But, there seem to be no statistics on dinosaur bites. Would you like to be a letter carrier assigned to this route? Yes, mailmyn. It's just an attempt at gender neutrality. [2008]

Amarillo, Texas, USA

Faux Animal Characters: That's a well-trained dragon, and he looks friendly, too. Think of him as comparable to the temple guardians of ancient Babylon, except that he is guarding a steak ranch. Doesn't he have a cousin in Dallas? [2018]

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Christmas is over. Now, it's time to focus on how you want to spend New Year's Eve. There's still time to fly to Bulgaria for some BBQ (two spellings) and beer (the Bulgarian brand) at Godzilla (where's Kong?). Dialectics on view here: globalization vs. localization, popular culture vs. folk culture, Roman vs. Cyrillic, thesis vs. antithesis. [2010]

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Pigeons on a platter provide a snack for a tyrannosaur. Not a rex (or an Alex), but his little cousin from Canada. Another cousin: velociraptor, the ancestor of our birds. Do you think those pigeons know their DNA goes back to a dinosaur like this one? [2017]

Bristol, England, UK

Bristol is the unicorn capital of the world. There are unicorns everywhere, including two on the city seal and two of bronze that guard city hall from way up high (or at least high enough to escape a Noah-like flood). Let's name this one Brizzle. Happy Unicorn Day! [2015]

Tampa, Florida, USA

In 1993, the age of dinosaurs returned with the Recyclosaurus, a new species perfectly suited to the 21st century. Built of cheap recycled materials, the rex has served as an unmissable roadside reminder of environmental stewardship. Originally, his belly was filled with trash. [2017]

Malacca, Malaysia

Since it is Friday night, you can be sure that Jonker Walk in Malacca's Chinatown is alive with activity. It's the setting for one of Asia's famous night markets. But be careful: There are all sorts of chimerical creatures lurking in the shadows. [2011]

Providence, Rhode Island, USA

What terror lurks on your roof? If it looks anything like this, you might be living in a children's museum. And, you might be part of Providence's post-industrial boom. [2010]

Racine, Wisconsin, USA

If this were New Jersey, she would be pumping your gas. But, here in Wisconsin, she just guards the pumps. Don't approach too closely, though. She's wearing an Elizabethan collar, and that means she bites. [2006]

Dallas, Texas, USA

He survived the destruction of an entire planet, Planet Hollywood, in 2001. He survived the closing of a entire "festival marketplace" in 2006. Still, this dragon seems happy to be surrounded by so much Dallas history: lots of  industrial-era warehouses and factories awaiting re-purposing in the West End Historic District. Hope he survives that, too. [2007]

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Halloween is over. It's time to stop being scared. How can human nature be so contradictory? We will sacrifice anything for security, yet we seem to crave risk: real and imagined. Yes, our personalities are a product of evolutionary biology. [2013]

Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

Too much celebration last night? Might this be you and a friend on the dance floor? In the year ahead, just remember: We all have a dinosaur deep within us just trying to get out. Happy New Year! [2013]