Travel: The Maine Line from Kentucky

In late October my wife and I drove to Maine from our home in Kentucky. Every autumn for the past few years we have tried to take a short trip to other parts of the United States. We generally reserve spring or early summer for international vacations.

A foggy view at Acadia National Park

We wanted to take in the fall foliage as well as a few historic sites during our drive. Mother Nature didn't always cooperate with our plans.

For the 1,200-mile trip to Maine, we took a different route to New England (I used to work in New York so I've driven back and forth a few times). We drove to Columbus, Ohio, then across to Pittsburgh since we had never been to Steel City. While it was simply a drive-through, the view of the city from the Ohio side is quite a sight. Unfortunately, there was too much traffic to pull over and take a photo.

Mark Twain Home

We stayed overnight in Altoona, Pennsylvania, then headed to Hartford, Connecticut. We made a quick stop to see Mark Twain's home, before going on across the border to the aptly named Plainville, Massachusetts, where we spent the night. 

The next day we left early to avoid any possible traffic jams in Boston. We stopped in Saco, Maine, where we had lunch with Claudia, a friend we made on a trip to Budapest, Prague, and Vienna in 2016.  One of the bonuses of travel is making new friends.

Bar Harbor 

Then it was on to Bar Harbor, our primary destination, to visit Acadia National Park and the historic fishing community. The only problem we encountered was the weather, as we drove through bands of sleet and snow along the way. We wanted to see the iconic Portsmouth lighthouse but didn't want to contend with the rain and wind from a nor'easter that was moving through the area.

Stephen King Home

We stayed three days in Bar Harbor, and fortunately, we had a respite from weather to take in some hiking and sightseeing. Then it was on to Bangor, where we had a brief period of sunshine while stopping at author Stephen King's home (imagine that!) and the Chamberlain Freedom Park commemorating the underground railroad and the path to freedom for those who had been enslaved during the Civil War.

The trip back to Kentucky (prompted somewhat by a call from our vet telling us our dog Bailey wasn't feeling well), took us across the beautiful White Mountains in New Hampshire and the Green Mountains in Vermont.  We also stayed overnight in picturesque North Conway, New Hampshire, a destination for skiers and those who love the outdoors.

Snow and Pine trees in the White Mountains

After reaching Scranton, Pennsylvania, we considered going to Cleveland and taking in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But the weather intervened as another storm front was moving across Kentucky and into Ohio. We'll make that trip during a long weekend in the next month or so (weather permitting).

Needless to say, we made it back safely, driving across West Virginia and into Kentucky, where the foliage was still a bright palette of oranges, yellows, and reds. 

We do hope to make another trip to New England, spending several days in historic Boston and other interesting stopovers along the way. 

Until the next time . . . 

Manuscript Update: Time Off Before Edits

Since my last post, I traveled to New England to take in the fall colors and visit some scenic areas such as Acadia National Park in Maine and the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

Mark Twain House

I even made a stop at the Mark Twain house in Hartford, Ct., and Stephen King's home in Bangor, Me. 

Before I left on my short getaway, I sent my manuscript to my editor at Wings ePress. When I returned eight days later, I signed a contract for the third book in the John Ross Boomer Lit series. 

Stephen King's home

For those interested, the novel is tentatively scheduled for release in May 2019. The title? New Horizons. More about the book later.

She also had first edits for the novel and some recommendations to consider in my inbox.

Believe it or not, I haven't opened either document on my computer. She said there was no hurry, and I took her at her word. I needed to put some more distance being me and the manuscript, especially since I was preoccupied with other things at the time (I'm not the multi-tasker I used to be). 

I need a clear head when I delve into edits. I want to be as objective as possible when seeing edits and reading comments.  I want to view the manuscript as an editor, instead of as the author. I want to be in the mindset of editing the copy as if it were written by someone else. 

I've also got to provide the publisher with information to give the graphic artist an idea on how to approach the book cover. And I also have to write promotional blurbs, book dedication, and excerpts for marketing on websites. 

So there's a lot of work to be done in the coming months. I'll probably tackle the edits the first of next week since (with credit to Johnny Nash) "I can see clearly now" to move forward.

Until the next time . . .