“Watching a coast as it slips by the ship is like thinking about an enigma. There it is before you, smiling, frowning, inviting, grand, mean, insipid, or savage, and always mute with an air of whispering, "Come and find out".”
― Joseph Conrad
Wow, what a week-and-a-half it has been! The OH and I had a great time visiting the kids and grandkiddies in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. It's a lovely resort town with loads of fun activities and great food. There are over 2000 lakes in Idaho, so I'm sure the speedboat we hauled up to give to them will be put to great use this summer.
On the return drive home, we drove across the state of Oregon along the Columbia River. Breathtaking scenery and loved those green hills! We even got to drive in the rain--a real treat for those of us who live in a drought ridden state!
For me, the drive south along the Oregon coast on the 101 Hwy was magical. I've never seen a prettier coastline with the craggy rock formations and vivid greenery. I was hopping in and out of the SUV every few minutes to take pictures--I couldn't get enough. Pretty sure Bruce was glad when we crossed the border into California, LOL. The highway went inland a bit, so no more 'Wait! Stop here!' requests! 🤪📸
Mile after mile (there were a lot of miles #JustSayin)--the coastline was gorgeous!
If you do have a chance to take a road trip along the Oregon coast, I'd highly recommend it. There are some lovely, beach towns to explore and as you can see, the scenery is fabulous. It reminded me of Big Sur in California, only about 10X's more coastline, LOL. And oh, those magnificent pine trees--the scent of Christmas was in the air!
One of our final stops was at the Ritz in Half Moon Bay. Supposedly it has been voted as having one of the top coastline views in California--I have to say I quite agree! This is what I call a room with a view!
It's been great to travel again. We had the chance to visit states I've never seen before and revisit a few fav places too. Believe it or not, I'm ready for some home-sweet-home time! Wishing you a fabulous summer of travel adventures! It's Wednesday, time for #DearDiary:
Who's ready to read some scary tales?
This week I've had the double pleasure of not only finishing up the writing (almost) of my 3 tales for this collection co-written with Bibiana Krall--but I've also had a sneak peek at the stories Bibiana has written. All I can say is wowza, I am loving these tales! Once again you get a macabre and sometimes humorous look at the paranormal side of life, perfect for a night of Halloween reading (or anytime you need a little boo!). I loved Hearth Fires and Tangled Webs, but I think Wicked Mist has a few Halloween tricks up her book sleeve you won't be expecting... #Boo Coming #LaborDay 💀🌹
Royal scandal and mur-dah most foul this week from the writers of Twitter...
Author T.P. Fielden, Betraying the Crown (A Guy Harford Mystery Book 3), 5 ⭐
When the debonair, royal confident, Guy Harford and his burglary savvy girlfriend, Rodie go out for a late-night jaunt, they stumble upon an unexpected find--the body of ex-courtier, Lord Blackwater. His controversial past and allegiance with the exiled Duke and Duchess of Windsor made him a royal non grata. Was his death by natural causes, or was he murdered?
The palace wants the former courtier's death to quietly disappear from the news, but his estranged wife pleads for Guy to investigate. As he and Rodie dig through his past, they find many secrets and scandals. As the clues are sorted, a fiendish tie to the Royal Ballet keeps Rodie on her toes as she uncovers nefarious schemes and deadly deeds. The palace sends Guy to the Bahamas to investigate the former king now duke, and his devious, duchess wife's whispered maneuverings. Are they about to disgrace the crown once again?
Author Fielden weaves a stellar, royal whodunnit that will keep you turning those pages. The ties to the events of WWII and the royal's history gives readers a unique, fictional perspective on 'what might have happened' and getting the 'story behind the story'. I am a devoted fan of this series--perfect additions for your summer reading #TBR list. I highly recommend this latest tale for cozy mystery/hist fic book lovers!
Next up in the reading queue:
Obsessed with signs!
During the trip my camera hit the motherload of kitschy signage when we had dinner at the Wolf Lodge in Couer d'Alene. It's a favorite eatery of our daughter's family and I can see why! The historic site has been serving up good eats for decades, and I loved the log cabin feel with lights and signs at every turn.
Since my walls at home are reaching their sign limit, it was fun to get a few more pics for my collection sans the need for wall space, LOL. I have a feeling a few of these might end up on tweets and posts. 😁 The taxidermized critters around the region gave the place a special ambiance too! 👀 #Eek
Welcome to my world. Have a fabulous week and weekend, friends!
Crowns and Kisses,
Veronica
P.S. Wishing all the 'Papas' a very happy #FathersDay this Sunday! Gemma and Rikkhe approve 💖👑
I lovelovelove those photos of the Oregon and California coasts! My husband keeps telling me I need to go out to Oregon with him on one of his annual trips. One of these days...
Those colors on the cover of Betraying the Crown are gorgeous, and I can't wait to see what you think about Stanley Tucci's book. I love him!
Very excited for Wicked Mist! Squeeee!
What an epic journey you’ve been on! Gorgeous, amazing coastline. I can almost smell that deep green chlorophyll from here. Fabulous!
Can’t wait to share the latest stories from Wicked Mist! I loved reading yours as well. Seriously wild! Spooky ooky tales! Congrats to TP Fielden for knocking it out of the park. As far as Stanley Tucci, his cocktail hour on Instagram was one of the best things to come out of the pandemic. He’s a star! Have a fab week and take care. Love this blog, feels like a vacation without the security lines. 💓✨
Your wonderful life! Fabulous quote by Joseph Conrad. Beautiful photos- I’ve never been to Oregon…amazing…And yes, I’ll be ready for some scary tales. I’ll be interested to hear about Stanley Tucci’s book. Thanks for brightening my day!!