Vacation Inspiration

Well, I survived a week of family visiting us at our house, followed by a week of vacation in the Wisconsin Dells with the same (and more) family, followed by yet another week of more family members at our house this past week.

I thought I'd feature some highlights from our trip. Because a writer's brain never stops and inspiration always lurks behind the next photograph.

Storms. They blasted their way through the state. Thankfully, we just missed the big one that blew through Iowa and Illinois with straight line winds up to 100 mph. Tornado Alley runs through Wisconsin, Iowa and Illinois, so we're programmed to dive for cover at a moment's notice. I kept my eye on all of the "Emergency Exit Only" doors throughout the week. Here's a shot of the theme park Mount Olympus before another storm. Mt. Olympus is the world's largest outdoor/indoor water park, featuring roller coasters, gigantic wave pools, water slides and other rides.

The Dells originally was a destination for non-mega theme parks. Boat tours on the Wisconsin River along with hiking tours were the main attraction led by the man who made the Dells famous, H. H. Bennett, Father of the Dells. He was the first person to ever take a photograph of something in motion. His photography studio/museum still stands on Broadway Street.

Baraboo is the town located right next to the Dells and is home to the Circus World Museum where five of the Ringling Brothers started a circus in 1884. Two more brothers joined the Ringling Brothers Circus and eventually bought out Barnum & Bailey Circus in 1907 and created The Greatest Show on Earth.

The diverse shops located downtown will make you stay and play or read and relax. Because every used book store should have pianos and puppies...

Baraboo is also home to Devil's Lake and the bluffs. My sons visited two weeks prior to our vacation with their youth group. This is why I chose not to tag alone, and I always close my eyes when they show me pics like these...(And you can now see why my son was the inspiration for Free Runner.)

And for all you Percy Jackson fans, I found Zeus, Medusa and Hades all in one place at the Mount Olympus theme park:

I hope you are having a wonderful, memory-filled summer! Now, back to working on my books and cleaning my house. What have you been doing this summer?

It's a "Cruel Summer."

Memories of my childhood summers play flashbacks of the movie, The Karate Kid, along with Bananarama's song, "Cruel Summer." My oldest son (the kid with the brand-spanking-new driver's license in his pocket) loves to turn up the radio when "retro lunch hour" starts playing my songs. I humor him and sing along to Bryan Adams or Tears for Fears. After he picks himself up off the floorboard of the car and stops laughing, he heads off to football weight training or wrestling open mat.

My summers in the 80's were spent without a single planned activity and with a sense of freedom. I don't remember ever seeing a parent at the park two blocks from my house. Did I mention the mandatory "no helmet law" back then? Bike helmets hadn't been invented yet. We cruised down the big hill on a bike with two occupants on the banana seat, one on the handle bars and another one attached to the back with a rope and a skateboard. If we sustained an injury, we slapped on a band aid and hobbled along to the next event. It's a wonder we survived our road trip to Florida in my family's blue station wagon. In the very back of our Plymouth was a  rear-facing seat to the world. Seat belts had been invented, but our parents thought it cruel to restrict our movements in a moving missile.

In an earlier post I mentioned my sister and I hiking in the back woods of Illinois, along the railroad tracks and through an insane asylum just to get to the municipal swimming pool. No X-box, cell phones or internet (the Dark Ages, for sure) back then. Atari arrived in the 70's and became popular in the 80's. My uncle, four hours away, owned one. I would never trade my childhood summers for today's scheduled three months off in a million years. I still swoon when I hear the music to the movie The Karate Kid, the first movie I ever watched on a VCR.
Happy "Cruel Summer" !

How will you spend your summer? What's the craziest, most daring thing you ever did during your childhood summer vacation?

IWSG: Overwhelmed & Excited

 My kids have invaded my house for summer vacation & I am feeling overwhelmed. I'm praying for no house fires, broken bones or car accidents (oldest son is now driving.) Writing with kids in the house can be difficult. But I will continue to write and edit, waking up early to accomplish my goals. And why bother cleaning my house this summer? It's just going to stay messy until August.

The birthday girl!

Today, I am also feeling excited because we are celebrating my baby girl's fifth birthday. The feeling of excitement also stems from my upcoming family vacation (moms & writers need a break!) and book signing. During the "Twain on Main" festival over Memorial Day weekend, I met someone special walking the streets of Hannibal. The local news even snagged an interview with the legendary Mark Twain. I feel privileged to live in such a literary town!

Join me at The Mark Twain Museum on July 19th for a book signing!

Do you have a house full of kids this summer? How do you deal with all the stress? Do you have any vacations planned this summer? What are your writing goals for the summer months?