Saturday, October 20, 2007

Dream vacations

By Trish Milburn, guest blogger

Here I am again, high-jacking Aunty Cindy's blog while she's out plying the blue waters of the Caribbean. Actually, her trip got me to thinking about vacations. There's probably not a one of us who wouldn't go on vacation at the drop of a hat if money wasn't an option. So that's my question to you today -- if you didn't have to worry about the money, what would be your dream vacation?

For me, it would be a huge, extended driving tour of the United States and Canada -- including the trek along the remote Alcan Highway to Alaska. That's a stretch of the highway in winter below, the section between Fort Nelson, British Colombia and Watson Lake, Yukon.















There is so much I've not seen and other places I've visited but had to rush through because of limited vacation time and funds. I'd love to be able to take the trip at a leisurely pace, taking months to see it all. One of my big goals is to visit all the U.S. national parks, so I'd definitely make visits to all of those along the way. One of the parks I've not visited yet is the Grand Canyon, a place that's awe-inspiring in pictures but which I understand can't be done justice with mere photographs.
















One of the parks I've been to more than once, but always for too little time, is Yellowstone National Park. My sister worked there for a year, and I've visited three times now. I envy my sister's time there, time in which she could explore the first national park established in this country. It's one of my favorite places, and I'd love to have at least a month of staying inside the park at the hotels at Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful and Yellowstone Lake so I could explore some new facet of the park every day. That's Grand Prismatic Spring below. It's huge! I'm not sure you can see them in this picture, but there are a few tiny people on that boardwalk to give this picture perspective.














And being a writer, I could do a fun travelogue blog along the way, complete with photos. Now, if one of those Powerball tickets would just pan out.

So, let me hear about your dream vacations! And while you're in a good mood dreaming about vacations to wonderful locales, take a moment to zip over to the Romantic Times site where my manuscript, OUT OF SIGHT, is a finalist in the American Title competition -- a writing competition modeled on American Idol. I'd appreciate your vote very much.

8 comments:

Anna Campbell said...

Trish, great blog! Ah, vacations. I'm heading towards a deadline right now so vacations are playing a huge part in my imaginings ;-)

I'd love ages to wander through Europe and take my time and soak up the culture. I'd love a month in the Hebrides as long as I could guarantee at least 70% sunny weather. When it's sunny there, it's unbelievably beautiful. To give you an idea, I brought back photos of my last trip there and everyone thought I'd been to the Greek Islands. Clear water. White sand beaches. And empty - which I think probably isn't true of the Greek Islands. Venice for a month. Sigh. Vienna for a month to listen to the music. I'd come on your roadtrip across the US too. So much to see, isn't there? Sigh again. Back to the deadline!

Congratulations on ATIV! You definitely got my vote! I think your first line is brilliant.

Trish Milburn said...

Thanks, Anna. Your dream trip sounds awesome too. It must be nice to be fabulously wealthy to be able to do these types of things.

Anna Campbell said...

Yes, sadly, I think it's going to stay a dream for me! I think it's the endless time so you can really soak things up that would make such a trip wonderful. But perhaps the limited time and budget are what get us out doing things when we're on holidays.

Jeanne (AKA The Duchesse) said...

Oh, what a lovely topic! Like you, Trish, I'd LOVE to go around the US. I'd do it in a honking big RV w/ my DH and my boys, just seeing the sights, checking out the Badlands, and the mountains, and the prairies and the forests and coasts. What fun. That's my dream "family" trip. My dream trip for ME that I'll let them come on if they so desire, (Heehee) is to trek around Scotland, see everyplace an ancestor of mine lived, check out Pickering in England, b/c that's my family name, find the Welsh lands that belonged to my other ancestors. Just soak it all in as Anna said. :> I also want to go to Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, courtesy of all the Anne of Green Gables books and Captain's Courageous. I simply must see all those lovely sights. Ha! Then there's Oz, Greece, New Zealand, India, Sweden, Italy (ooooh, Venice!) - all that! Thanks for the lovley mental trip! Grins.

Caren Crane said...

Dang, late to the party again! My dream vacation would be to Tahiti and various other Pacific islands. As far away from real life as possible, warm and completely relaxing!!

Kate Carlisle said...

Hi Trish! Those pictures are awesome! I'm a big-cities-of-Europe vacation fan, myself. I love museums and galleries and pubs and wandering through the parks and sitting outside a cafe along the Seine...

Ah, definitely have to plan another vacation soon!

And of course I've already voted for you! Your first line is the best!

jo robertson said...

Ah, vacations with no money restrictions -- what a dream!

I'd choose Europe. I love history, historical sites, and anything old. I get such a sense of connection with those people who've gone before us 21st century-ers, and I love walking in their footsteps, imagining their emotions and hardships, joys and disappointments.

I've visited much of Europe, but I'd like to take a leisurely tour without thought about time or money.

Trish Milburn said...

All these trips sound wonderful!