Preparing for NaNoWriMo

It's been a busy two months or so and I must confess that I haven't accomplished much on the creative side of writing.

I've written some posts to this blog, mostly about my recent two-week vacation to the western United States, and some other items related to the Kentucky Book Fair, of which I'm the marketing chair. 

But in the next two weeks I plan to prepare myself for the November writing marathon known as the National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo (sometimes I think it's easier to remember the proper name than the acronym). 

Two years ago I plunged into the grueling exercise -- the goal is to produce 50,000 words in 30 days -- which resulted in a novel, The Bully List. 

It was rough, raw and ragged when I finished the first draft, and I didn't look at it for five months. Then I decided to give it a read, and while it needed work, I was generally pleased with the effort.

So I took the next three months of rewriting and editing to get it in shape, submitted to my publisher, and then went through another round of edits with my editor. 

It wasn't the same manuscript that I had finished on the last day of November, thank goodness! It was transformed into a book for young adults.

So I'm going to venture into those semi-unknown waters again and see what happens. Why don't you join me?

Until the next time....

Riding the Rails -- Salt Lake City and the Journey Back Home

The last major destination on my vacation to "America's Beautiful West" was Salt Lake City.

Bonnieville salt flats

But before arriving in Utah's capital, the tour bus made a stop at Bonnieville salt flats. That's the place where land-speed records are attempted by various racing teams.

We ventured out onto the flats, and sure enough, we were walking on salt. Some of us even tasted the white, salt-encrusted surface. 

Assembly Hall

Then it was on to Salt Lake City, founded by Brigham Young and other Mormon followers in 1847. Needless to say, the Mormons dominate the city with its churches, statues, and other things relating to the religion.

Salt Lake Tabernacle

Temple Square garden

The immaculate grounds at Temple Square were impressive, with the gardens and historic buildings such as the Salt Lake Tabernacle, where the world famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs, as well as the Assembly Hall and the Salt Lake Temple. 

What impressed me about the capital city of Utah was how clean it is. I'm sure the semi-arid climate is a factor. The tour guide informed us that you won't see any taxis lined on the streets, but that you can call for a taxi. And public transportation is free. 

I also learned that Salt Lake city is most sustainable city in the nation through its conservation and environmental efforts. It's a city with a vision.

Monument at This Is the Place Heritage Park

We toured the main Mormon church grounds and went to the This Is the Place Heritage Park that provided information about the city's rich heritage and history. Lunch was at the modern Gateway District shopping mall.

Utah State Capitol

And we drove through the University of Utah campus, where the guide said the torch from the 2002 Winter Olympics is on display. We didn't get to see it though, which was a minor disappointment to some of my fellow travelers.

A view of Salt Lake City from the bus

From Salt Lake City, we went to Price, where we spent the night. We got up early the next month and headed to Helper, where we boarded Amtrak's California Zephyr for the long, two-day journey back to Chicago, traveling across Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois. 

It was time for my wife and I to relax and think about all the wonderful places we had visited: Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Yosemite National Park, San Francisco, John Muir Woods and Salt Lake City. 

I'm looking forward to hitting the rails again for another adventure.

Until the next time...

Riding the Rails -- Muir Woods and Sausalito

When I was a child I dreamed of seeing redwoods after reading about these magnificent trees in textbooks, travel books, magazines and encyclopedias.

Among the giant redwoods

That dream came true on my trip to California when we visited John Muir Woods, named after the naturalist who was one of the founders of the Sierra Club in 1892. 

And I wasn't disappointed.

The trails that wind through the woods.

The redwoods were as tall and beautiful as I had seen them in photographs many years ago.  And to walk among those ancient trees -- some more than a thousand years old and 350-feet tall -- along the quiet and tranquil trails only heightened the experience.  

It's certainly something I'll never forget. It was one of the reasons I wanted to make this trip to America's west coast.

The marina at Sausalito

After spending a couple hours in the woods, the tour bus took us to upscale and swanky Sausalito -- situated across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco.

Sausalito shops

There is a picturesque marina to accommodate the sailboats and yachts, a great view of San Francisco Bay, an assortment of tony shops and pricey restaurants, and a laid-back feel to the whole place.

It's a scenic stopover between San Francisco and John Muir Woods.

Until the next time...

Riding the Rails -- A Lot to Love About San Francisco

One of the many hearts inspired by the song.

I didn't leave my heart in San Francisco but there's sure a lot about this beautiful city by the bay to love.

Through the years I've heard a lot of folks say that if they could live anywhere in the United States -- and could afford it -- that place would be San Fran. I can understand after spending a couple of days there.

Fountain at Golden Gate Park

There seems to be so much civic pride in this city of about 850,000 -- from Golden Gate Park to Fisherman's Wharf to Nob Hill to Chinatown, cable cars and much more. It's clean, as far as cities go, and very inviting.

City Light Books

While taking a bus tour through the city I saw City Lights Booksellers, founded in 1953 by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D. Martin. The guide said Ferlinghetti, who is 95, often shows up to chat to patrons..

Transamerica Pyramid

There is a lovely mix of architecture, with well-preserved buildings dating back to  Gold Rush Days of the 19th century to modern skyscrapers. Museums. Theatre. The Haight-Asbury district. Professional sports teams.  San Francisco seems to have it all. Unfortunately, that also includes a very visible homeless population.

Alcatraz

You have the signature Golden Gate Bridge on one side of the city and the Oakland-San Francisco Bridge on the other. And in the middle of the bay sits foreboding Alcatraz  prison. Even though it's a tourist destination now, you can't help wonder what it must have been like for those who spent time on "the Rock."

A warning side at Alcatraz

Drop by Fishermen's Wharf and you'll find the usual tourist shops that sell T-shirts, caps, camera supplies, and various souvenir items.  There are some places such as Ghiradelli Square and the San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park that are worth a visit.

Chinatown musician

But if you venture to Fisherman's Wharf -- and who can't resist a few tourist traps -- you'll see sea lions that found a home on Pier 39, which they apparently adopted after the big earthquake in 1989 rattled the area.

Sea lions napping at Pier 39

Like I said, I didn't leave my heart in San Francisco, but I left with some wonderful memories. 

Golden Gate Bridge

Until the next time...

Riding the Rails -- From Grandeur to Majesty

After experiencing the grandeur of Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, I got to view the majesty of Yosemite National Park in California.

Wow!

Majestic Yosemite National Park

Stellar's jay

Deer

For many years I raved about Grand Canyon -- and I still do -- but I must confess that I  now enjoy Yosemite more because I found it much more accessible. Age-related thing? Could be, but you have a seven-mile wide canyon, those powerful granite monoliths, wonderful hiking trials, various wildlife, and much more. 

El Capitan

And there's El Capitan, the 3,000-foot tall formation that attracts climbers, BASE jumpers, and gawkers throughout the year. The sheer enormity of El Capitan might be understood since there were several climbers scaling its heights that you probably can't see from image. We were told it takes three to five days to accomplish the feat, depending on the skill of the climbers and weather conditions.


During our visit there were wildfires on the north side of the park which created a slight haze near some of the peaks. And we didn't see those magnificent waterfalls because of the drought that is affecting much of the Golden State. 


Another interesting stop  was seeing the place where President Ted Roosevelt camped with naturalist John Muir during a visit in 1903.

I hope to return to this beautiful national park and experience more of its wonders.

Until the next time...

Riding the Rails -- Trains and More in Sacramento

It's only appropriate that when taking a rail vacation that one of the stops would be at railroad museum -- and one of the world's best is located in Sacramento, Calif.

California State Railroad Museum

The California State Railroad Museum contains all things about railroads, with restored locomotives, various cars, miniature trains, exhibits, art, informative films, gift shop and more housed in its 225,000-square-foot building. 

The docents are knowledgeable and you can sense they have a deep affection and understanding about rail history and the important contribution trains made in the westward movement of the United States. 

I bet a lot of boomers, and older folks, developed a love of trains while growing up. I had train sets at various stages of my childhood, and I know folks who carried that love into adulthood and have elaborate rail systems that fill a basement. 

Sacramento was noted for steamboat travel 

The museum is part of Old Sacramento, which celebrates the city's rich heritage in railroads and river transportation during the mid-19th century as well as the California Gold Rush that drew prospectors seeking fortunes and perhaps some fame.

State capitol building

Sacramento is the capital of California, with nearly 500,000 population. It's a place I'd like to visit again to experience more of what this historic town has to offer and to return to the places I've seen.


Until the next time...

Riding the Rails -- Return to Vegas

The next leg of the vacation led to Las Vegas for two nights at the Tropicana Hotel.

Hoover Dam

On the way to Sin City, we drove by Hoover Dam, that marvel of construction from the 1930s. Because of security concerns, buses and trucks aren't allowed near the dam. So we got a view from our windows. It's still impressive from a distance.

I was in Vegas last October, and I must say, nothing much has changed along the main strip. Some of the shows that were playing on the first visit were still drawing crowds nearly a year later. 

There are still the folks dressed in various stages of clothing and costumes walking the streets, street musicians, and others handing out leaflets for special "adult" shows.

Our Vegas guide took us to the Bellagio and Venetian hotels to check out the lavish surroundings to lure guests, especially those who are high rollers.

Bellagio's chocolate machine

The Bellagio has the world's largest chocolate fountain while the Venetian has a canal with several gondolas winding through an expensive shopping mall.

The Fremont Street Experience

On our last trip we weren't able to go to the Fremont Street Experience, which is the revitalized old Vegas. So stopping there was a real treat because it's so different from the Vegas Strip -- a little more hip and affordable.

The Viva Vision Light Show

 One of the attractions is the Viva Vision Light Show that fills the roof six times a night. We were entertained by eight pounding  minutes of music by Heart synchronized to the throbbing, dazzling lights.

There are three sound stages with some outstanding musicians performing different genres. You'll also find a ziplines stretching across the top of the facility.

This will probably be my last trip to Vegas (I said that last year), but I think it's a city most people should experience at least one time for its sheer razzle dazzle to the senses.

Until the next time...

(Note: the chocolate machine and light show images should be vertical but blog site won't allow me to rotate them).