Trying to keep up with my writing goals and obligations is extra-challenging while on vacation. Our family is scattered across the West, and we’ve just returned from a three-week driving trip to visit most of them. While it was beyond wonderful to see everyone, I’m beat, and oh-so-glad to be home again. It’s disheartening to realize that over 17 days I only put in about eight hours on my WIP.

Discombobulated by travel, I answered this week’s MFRW question last week. My July post for the Insecure Writers Support Group answered last week’s question about putting myself into my characters/writing. Take a look here, if you’re still interested: https://sadirastone.com/2019/07/iwsg-asks-are-you-lurking-behind-your-characters/

I also forgot to share my article for Night Owl Romance on my favorite indie bookshop, Tacoma’s King’s Books. https://www.nightowlreviews.com/v5/Blog/Articles/Kings-Books-by-Sadira-Stone (Take me away from my desk and my coffee and I’ll forget my name.)

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We left on July 1st. First stop: lunch in Pendleton, Oregon, a town which once boasted a large Chinese population when the Transcontinental Railroad was being built, as well as various entertainments of the shady variety. Today it’s home to the famous Pendleton wool mills and a huge rodeo. We hope to go back and take the underground tour. If you’re in town, stop by OMG Burgers for a delicious lunch. Their cheeseburger salad was a revelation.

We arrived to a heat wave in Salt Lake City. Not a fan–of the heat. I like SLC fine. There’s a lovely art museum, a must-visit bookshop called The King’s English, and well-kept neighborhoods with mature trees. The lindens were in bloom, perfuming the air with that delicate scent of early summer.

We spent the 4th of July with family, including our two grand-nephews and Freddie, a Dachshund-Yorkie mix. That makes him a Dorkie!

Driving west toward Reno, we passed the Bonneville Salt Flats, miles and miles of hard-packed salt from long ago dried up Lake Bonneville. This photo doesn’t capture the sparkling whiteness of the landscape. People use rocks, shredded tires, and even beer bottles to spell out messages–that human urge to leave our mark.

Next stop, Reno! I hadn’t been in years and was surprised how interesting and attractive the town is once you get away from the tired, sad-looking hordes in the casinos.

The Automotive Museum, run by the Harrah family of casino fame, was a special highlight, as was the soothingly green Riverwalk along the Truckee River.

Next stop, the San Francisco Bay Area, where we helped my mom, daughter, and son-in-law tackle an overstuffed garage and shed. Four loads to the Salvation Army, two to a consignment shop, and one big recycling bin filled to the top. Afterward, we took in a marvelous concert in San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall. Established right after the great earthquake of 1906, it still wears its over-the-top Barbary Coast finery like a grand dame decked out in feathers and sequins. Jazz greats performed here, then rock and roll icons like the Grateful Dead. We came to see Bob Schneider, whose song “Forty Dogs (like Romeo & Juliet)” was played in our wedding–by our musical family, not by Bob S. The concert was phenomenal, including the opening act, Carolina Story, a husband & wife country/folk duet I’d definitely seek out again–and I’m not even a country fan.

Alas, this trip included two memorial services: one for my uncle and another for Hubs’ old navy friend. The latter took place on the shore in Long Beach, Washington, where friends and family spread Bill’s ashes. A loving tribute in his favorite place.

And now we’re back home in Tacoma. In the three weeks we were gone, the yard morphed into a jungle. Oh well–it’s important to take breaks from writing, and I’ll be spending my breaks pulling weeds.

See you next week!

Join the blog hop here and share your thoughts on creativity–or how to keep creative while on the road! https://mfrw52week.blogspot.com/