Novelista

The Long Lonely Road Tips and tricks learned from our recent two week road trip. 1.       Be Organized This applies to both before and during the trip.  Plan where you’re going, how long it will take to get there, how much time will be spent at each place.  I kept a spreadsheet to calculate a budget that included gas, tolls, entry fees, food, hotels, etc. During the trip, I carried a piece of paper with the name, address, and phone number of each hotel booked as well as what type of room, final price, confirmation number, and credit card used.  It was easy to plug the address into Google Maps for directions for each leg.  I also wrote down the wifi password and lockbox combination of the AirBnB we stayed in for a few days.  So handy. A place for everything and everything in its place .  A saying to live by when packing both luggage and the car.  Helped get in and out of hotels quick, painless, and...

Palo Duro Canyon, Texas It’s the third day of my American Southwest Adventure and I’ve done a lot of writing in my mind. That’s a fancy way of saying I’ve written jack squat. However, there was plenty that sparked my imagination. Tonight, I’m staying in New Mexico and the landscape and dry heat is extremely New Mexico. It is exactly how I pictured or believed New Mexico should be. My mind’s eye could see the man on his horse, surveying the land while the wind whipped, not moving him, try as it might. Texas surprised me and did not disappoint. Mind you, I’ve only seen Texas via I-40. My first impression of this part of Texas was: Those who write post-apocalyptic stories probably have traveled through here. Amarillo sprawled. The half hour ride to Palo Duro Canyon excited. Then, there was Palo Duro itself. What a gem. Every turn held more and more beauty. Oklahoma should be five states for how different it is. The Osarks in NE OK...