Authors On the Road Day 1

We arrived! We drove…and drove…and drove, but we got here safely and are loving our place! I knew that sister PJ vacationed with aplomb, but who knew Lizzie and I would enjoy such luxury?

First though, the trip. I asked Gigi (my GPS) to avoid toll roads and interstates, and boy, did she! Part of our trip was on long country roads, past cornfields and farms and pastures with cows and horses. Delightful scenery! Interestingly, the route she took us on had so few towns, large or small, that we were starting to wonder whether Illinois actually had any small towns. We finally found a place for food and enjoyed a nice brunch, but after that… nada.

We also didn’t realize that northwest Illinois was so hilly, which was fun and the fall colors are really starting to show here. As we drew closer to our destination, the vistas were just lovely. Pictures will be taken and shared, but by the time we got close to our condo, we were too tired to stop for scenery gazing.

The folks here at this resort are kind and helpful and we’re both getting a giant kick out of having fireplaces in our bedrooms. Lizzie’s is actually a two-way that is also in the living room area, so we’re enjoying a fire with our morning coffee and writing.

We settled in, discussed supper, decided to make a trip to the grocery store for supplies and think about supper afterward. Turned out, we were both too tired to go to a restaurant, so we just ate cheese and bread and wine and chocolate here at the condo (by the fire). It was the perfect first-night supper.

We wish we could tell you that we did something amazing and fascinating after supper, but it is us–Nan and Liz. We talked, we processed, we wrote and we yawned. By 10 p.m., we were done. Liz wrote 24 words on her current WIP, but I got 147 words written (which, as it turned out, aren’t actually going to start the story–sigh, I processed more after I went to bed).

So today, we write … and later we’ll wander a bit. The Ulysses S. Grant home is here and the town is full of history. There’s lots to see and do.

More tomorrow, friends! Send good word energy our way, and stay cool and we will, too–the expected high here is in the sixties, so jeans and sweaters are the order of the day.

Hugs to all,

Nan & Liz