Travel Bug Tuesday

Bear Country, USA

| Melia Alexander

Happy Travel Bug Tuesday!

One of the traditions I adore is picking up a Christmas ornament when we travel. This one always makes me smile. Well, okay, it makes me laugh out loud, too. 20141202_055954

When I see it, I’m transported back to one of the most amazing vacations I’ve ever had. Road trip 2011. With family. Five adults and two kids in a minivan with ten days worth of clothing and two coolers of food and drinks. Yep, we were pretty tightly packed….

So it shouldn’t have been a surprise when ten minutes out of the driveway, ten-year-old nephew yells from the back seat of the minivan, “Mom! Sister’s in my zone! Tell her to stop!”

And, yeah. This ornament brings it all back. The laughter. The tears. The bonding that took place. ‘Cause, really, how could it not?

Do you collect Christmas ornaments? What’s one of your faves?

Happy travels,
Melia

Bridge of the Gods

| Melia Alexander

Welcome to Travel Bug Tuesday!

I’m so fortunate to live in a gorgeous part of the Pacific Northwest. In my world, summers are warm and lush and so inviting that most of us practically live outdoors. It’s glorious!

This past summer I was really lucky to have been able to get in the car and explore a bit. And when I meandered down the Columbia River Gorge, I came across this:

This is The Bridge of the Gods. (On the Oregon side in these pics.) But while it’s all steel now, Native American legend has it that it was once a natural bridge, one eventually torn down over a love triangle. (No kidding!) Don’t you love it? You can read all about it here.

With the steel against the blue of the sky, against the backdrop of the trees and the sparkling Columbia River, the Bridge of the Gods evokes a sense of majesty, of something greater than us mere mortals. There is such innate beauty here that, combined with the legend, evokes the romantic in me. *Sigh*

So while I buckle down and concentrate on the next book series, in the back of my mind I can already hear the characters taking bits and pieces of legend and binding it to their own respective stories. I think that’s cool!

Have you been to The Bridge of the Gods? What were your first impressions?

Happy travels,
Melia

 

 

M&M’s … And Beyond!

| Melia Alexander

It’s Travel Bug Tuesday!

Vegas has all sorts of really cool shops from clothing to tourist-y kiosks to specialty stores like this one:

The moment I stepped in and smelled the chocolate, I knew there was no other place like it! See, Jessica Adams, the heroine in my debut novel, MERGER OF THE HEART, lurrvvs Peanut M&M’s. But she only eats them when she’s stressed. Which means, thanks to the hero, Daniel Spencer, she practically mainlines the stuff. At least, at the beginning of the story…. 😉

So while Jessica might’ve enjoyed the variety of surprises on each floor (everything from mugs and pens and mixing bowls and kitchen towels and shirts and jewelry  … ) What I know she would’ve loved best of all was the candy. M&M’s in a rainbow of colors and arranged in gorgeous displays that invite customers to mix and match and even fill up another bag or six….not that I’d done that, of course!

That’s what made this store so special. Even though I’d completed Jessica and Daniel’s story quite awhile ago, being there reminded me of the quirkiness that was my heroine. And I found myself smiling at their story once again.

Happy travels,
Melia

 

Champagne in Vegas

| Melia Alexander

Happy Tuesnesday! 🙂

Yep, I’m behind the blogging trail already, but I *swear* I had a good reason – edits. Big time edits! Which is a blessing, really, that helps to ensure that the final product’s the best it could be (which hopefully means it doesn’t suck!)….The best part? I survived it! Yay!

To celebrate, I’m having one of these tonight:

20141011_120539The pic was taken in Vegas, so I’m thinking it fits the Travel Bug Tuesday / Food and Wine Wednesday themes. Works for me. 🙂

Cheers!

~Melia

Camelot

| Melia Alexander

It’s Travel Bug Tuesday!

I’ve done a fair amount of traveling in my life, but some of my fave places have been in my own imagination. Have you tried it? It’s a lot of fun! Sometimes, it’s even more fun than actually doing the stuff you thought about in the first place. (Case in point: not jumping out of a perfectly good airplane is valid, no matter how many times I’ve made that jump in my head!)

So on a recent trip girl-trip to Vegas *waves to Notre Dame High School gal pals*, La Muse took advantage of the sights and sounds and smells and feel and tastes around us. Take, for instance, the night I gazed outside my hotel room and saw this:

20141012_020305Initially, La Muse saw what I suspect most do: Knights in shining armor … ladies in gorgeous gowns … maybe even a huge ball celebrating the birth of a new monarch.

But then she added this: within the castle walls was an uber secret ginormous library known only to the princess. She’d spend HOURS locked within its walls,while  castle-life continued (how else was she supposed to buy more books?). There was an endless supply of chocolate – grown in her magical garden, natch! With decaf Americano to go with it in the morning, to be replaced by Cab Sauv at night, the library was Heaven on Earth!

At least, it would be for one perpetually busy writer-type who’s on the verge of pouting ’cause she doesn’t have enough reading time, but who shall otherwise remain nameless…. *Whistles up at the ceiling – is that a spider up there?*

What do you see when you look at the above photo? Please share!

Happy travels,
Melia

Party Like it’s 1999

| Melia Alexander

Welcome to Travel Bug Tuesday!

My most recent trip to Las Vegas didn’t involve my fabulously talented Entangled Publishing sister author, Delilah Marvelle. Nor was there the kind of drama only she could get into! Oh, did you miss that post? Find it here.

But, back to Vegas. . ..

There’s amazing creativity in this city, one that’s reflected in everything from food to clothing to architecture, to the celebration of the seasons. At one shopping arcade, it was like walking into a Halloween display. But not in a scary way! Of course, La Muse had to throw her two cents in.

See, at night, after the mall closes and tourists presumably go to sleep (ha!), these babies slowly turn their heads from side to side . . . stretch their limbs out . . . and then the party begins! Yep, it’s true. The music mix of hip-hop, pop, country, and even some jazz blares out of the mall speakers until the sun comes up!

And on some nights, just to break it up, the Hallow-creatures stealthily slip into the shops and try on gorgeous clothes, match them up with accessories like HANDBAGS and SHOES! (In a high-end mall, wouldn’t you want to do the same?) Don’t even get me started on the decadent pieces of jewelry, dripping diamonds that catch the light so perfectly, along with strings of pearls and seemingly endless displays of emeralds and rubies. Can you imagine?!

So, yeah, maybe half of me wishes I could party and shop in one of these arcades all night. With trays of food . . . and great Cabernet (natch!) . . . and even a chocolate fountain. . .. And with my bestest gal pals!

Tell me where your travels have inspired your imagination!

Happy travels,
Melia

 

A Night at The Grove

| Melia Alexander

Welcome to Travel Bug Tuesday!

As a contemporary romance writer, I do include love scenes in my stories. Sex is, after all, a natural part of romantic intimacy and is typically explored by couples before marriage. (Sshhh! Don’t tell my mother that!)

Admittedly, it’s that romance writer side who tends to weave story scenes at almost every place giving even a hint of potential. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! 😉 The obvious, of course, is a bed. Preferably one with soft sheets and as part of a romantic getaway.

So when I made a trip a few weeks ago, I had to admit my room gave La Muse something to work with! The Grove Hotel is located in downtown Boise, within walking distance of shopping, art museums, terrific restaurants, and even the Capitol! But it was the bed that captured the imagination.

A spacious room . . . a king-sized bed covered with luxuriously soft cotton sheets . . .. fluffy pillows. . .. lots of lighting options. . .. a strategically placed chair or two. . ..

Yep, La Muse had fun with this room! 🙂

Does a bed make that much of a difference when you travel? (And not necessarily for the reasons my muse rates them!)

Happy Travels,
Melia

The Continental Divide

| Melia Alexander

Welcome to Travel Bug Tuesday!

Traveling sometimes brings unexpectedly fun surprises, right? Probably one of the reasons I love it! That, and the fact that you can eat whatever you want because calories don’t count when you travel. But that’s another story. . ..

Anyhoo, this was taken at the Continental Divide at Yellowstone National Park. In June.P1050751It was like Christmas! Okay, okay. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but in our part of the world, playing in the snow in June was an unexpected treat. And Youngest Niece and Middle Nephew took full advantage of it!

P1050753A couple of snow ball fights, lots of laughter, and super-cold hands later, we finally piled back into the van and were off to the next adventure. . ..

I love when traveling hands out delicious surprises, don’t you?

Happy travels,
Melia

 

 

Mud Volcano

| Melia Alexander

Welcome to Travel Bug Tuesday!

Yellowstone National Park was such a wonder! While it’s most famous for Old Faithful, it’s chock full of geysers and wildlife and gorgeous scenery. What I found fascinating was the Mud Volcano area of the park.

Mud volcano. Now, be honest. How many of you even knew such a thing existed? Well, there’s some information here, if you want to learn more about it. I just thought the idea was cool!

Up until this visit, my idea of a volcano involved fire and lava, not mud. Fascinating what tidbits of information comes from getting out into the world, huh? There’s nothing like it!

Happy travels,
Melia