Leslie Ann Sartor (aka L.A. Sartor) began telling stories around the age of 4 when her mother, at Leslie’s insistence, wrote them down and Leslie illustrated them. As an adult she writes suspense and action adventure novels with a dash of romance, and screenplays—she's had a contracted adaptation! She lives in Colorado with her husband whom she met on a blind date. Leslie loves to travel and thinks life is an adventure and we should embrace the journey. She has a blog: www.anindieadventure.blogspot.com. She is also one of the Five Scribes at www.fivescribes.blogspot.com or you can check out her website at www.lesliesartor.com.For the Adventurer and the Romantic in all of us. Travel to the Yucatan and be a part of the adventure Tori and Reid are about to undertake. I hope you enjoy it.
13 Favorite Trips
Not in order, but these are my most memorable trips taken…so far.
1) Cruise to Western Caribbean, and seeing/feeling/tasting/breathing what the Yucatan Peninsula is like. Then seeing Tulum. I knew Stone of Heaven had to have a major part of its story set there.
2) No plans, just drive. Southwest drive through Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico. Top down, didn't make reservations. Just me and my darling husband. 10 days totally free. Priceless.
3) Hawaii, any time. I've been a number of times and each was different and wonderful. From Grad school and that fiasco to spending Christmas in Honolulu. To our honeymoon where we had tickets given to us to attend the Pro Bowl with champagne etc, and… we didn't make because we got married in a blizzard and the flight was cancelled out of LAX. Our luggage went to China and came to us in splinters. To seeing old friends and their families and learning more about real Hawaii.
4) Colorado By-Ways. Colorado in the summer is incredible. Anywhere in Colorado, except maybe the eastern plains (forgive me for that, but seriously ) Driving through Rocky Mountain National Park, again with the top down, or in the fall when the elk are bugling. Crested Butte, Independence Pass above Aspen. Colorado National Monument, again with the top down. Black Canyon of the Gunnison, very intimidating, but stunning.
5) Disneyland at Thanksgiving. Disneyland is always a feast for the eyes. But at Thanksgiving, when the Haunted Mansion is all changed around and features Nightmare Before Christmas, and a ginormous Christmas Tree which graces the plaza in front of the train station. Where garlands of glass balls/tinsel/snowflakes hang across the streets, themed for each land, and snow falls every evening after the fireworks…well it's pretty darn incredible that time of year.
6) Disneyworld in May. Epcot flower show. WOW, the topiaries are extraordinary. Watching the fireworks from the Magic Kingdom, while standing on top of the Contemporary Hotel, drink in hand, between dinner courses. The nightly fireworks show in Epcot with its moving music. Knowing I was only a bus stop away from our room in either the Caribbean Beach Resort or the Coronado Springs Resort on Disney property, so all I had to do was relax. Unforgettable memories.
7) My own backyard. We've spent a lot of time and resources making our backyard into our own retreat. A pond with two waterfalls, that are actually wide ribbons of water flowing into a black pebble beach (the water flows through and into recycling tanks). Huge old growth trees, swathes of grass, but not too much, a veggie garden for ripe tomatoes, peppers and herbs (it's snowing as I write and I'm salivating for the off-the-vine flavor). Outdoor heaters so we can stay out way into the evening. Friends and family sharing food and drink together.
8) Seattle. Love the place. Staying near downtown and close to everything. When we venture out, we take the bus, it's fun. Found the Red Hook Brewery and took the tour, then sat in the bar/restaurant and had the best nachos and fresh drawn Wheat beer. The Japanese Gardens, Public Market, the ferries to other islands. Every day is an adventure.
9) Maine. Lobster, hands down. I could eat lobster any time for a week solid. I went to summer music camp near Waterville where you could have a full "lobsta" dinner for $6. Now, not so much. We went to Boston for a good friend's wedding, then drove up the coast. Saw a terrifying water spout in the ocean, near Wells. Ate the best lobster roll in Freeport. We want to go back and taste test every lobster roll we can.
10) So far, any road trip. We love to drive together, my darling husband and I. So when the chance arises, we pack up and hit the road. It's being together that's wonderful, talking over plans, learning new things, finding new paths. Sharing dreams.
11) Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. We went for 10 years. Some years the weather cooperated, other times not at all. But it's a feast of color, sounds, food and people. And then after the main event in the morning is over, there is NM to discover. The night balloon glow is almost ethereal . Even the crowds don't bother you, it's all so fascinating.
12) Yellowstone. Either with a trailer at Fishing Bridge campground or staying in the lodges. It's a mysterious, sometimes frightening, spectacular place, that has changed from the times we first went, to today. Geysers that have changed course and dried up, new ones formed. The stillness of a forest when you're sure you shouldn't be there, because it feels too quiet, and a bear maybe close by. The smell of sulphur and unfortunately forest fires.
13) Europe with my family. Germany, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia as it was know then, Russia and Austria. "Remember when" conversations years later over a cup of coffee, or a phone call is a joy that I hope I can have a long, long time.
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