tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post1912498346468130133..comments2024-03-17T02:20:03.772-05:00Comments on Riding With The Top Down: Michelle Willingham Is Finding Inspriation Off the Beaten TrackKathleen Eaglehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13561028604927993773noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-16481010234974138662010-09-19T14:37:09.657-05:002010-09-19T14:37:09.657-05:00My son did Europe on a bus tour and was fine. His ...My son did Europe on a bus tour and was fine. His description: It was kind of old. (no kidding...that's what he said about his ten days)<br /><br />My youngest daughter went to Greece and Italy on a bus tour...she swears never again for the very reasons you listed.<br /><br />I would never survive on a guided tour that limited the amount of time at each place. Barely managed it visiting the memorials in DC. But it was fine last year, since it wasn't my first and only visit.<br /><br />~~AngiAngi Morganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17568009648101184027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-78063004903589576562010-09-18T08:55:37.948-05:002010-09-18T08:55:37.948-05:00I never travel due to health issues. But I love to...I never travel due to health issues. But I love to "expierence" new places through books or documantaries. Sometimes the descriptions or images are so beautiful and vibrant that it feels as if you here there. I know it's not the same but it can also be very enjoyable. If I could go somewhere it would be Scotland or Ireland. Nature is so magnificant there it must be fantastic to stand in it yourself.Kirstenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13703207624563750522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-83603319889752616802010-09-17T19:23:40.586-05:002010-09-17T19:23:40.586-05:00I haven't went on a vacation in so long I'...I haven't went on a vacation in so long I've almost forgot what it's like. A lot of years ago I took a trip with my family to the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, Disneyland, Royal Gorge Bridge and just about anything in the southwest. It was a great trip and I planned a lot of it. We saved money in advance so we weren't hit with a big expense while traveling. I think I'm due for a vacation.Linda Hendersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06496464041656744569noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-9113369861262196632010-09-17T15:20:58.894-05:002010-09-17T15:20:58.894-05:00Catslady--thanks! I love the cover, too. In some...Catslady--thanks! I love the cover, too. In some ways, with tours, it would be nice as you say, to do both. Have the history of the guided tour and the time to see everything on your own.<br /><br />Barbara E.--Mexico counts! I've never been there myself. I hope you do get to go to the UK one day. :)<br /><br />Chey--I'm glad you had a good experience"!<br /><br />Michele--I've never tried renting an apartment, but I think if we ever bring the kids, we will. I have been to Paris, and made my husband do all the talking (in French). :)<br /><br />Debra--I'm with you! I like having my own timeframe.<br /><br />Minna--hope the bus trip was fun. :)<br /><br />JV--I did the youth hostel thing when I was in college and swore, never again! Not having hot water for a shower was quite a downer. We were traveling with our choir, and I much prefer B&Bs or hotels. ;) When my husband and I toured Europe in 2000, we did get the Eurail passes and thought they were great. Loved that.michellewillinghamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10284183437393142474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-39648038243183748832010-09-17T15:16:51.931-05:002010-09-17T15:16:51.931-05:00Leanne--I actually went online today to drool over...Leanne--I actually went online today to drool over the Rick Steves tours. Then I thought it might be more fun to do a quasi-college reunion tour with our friends as the "small group." Something to mull over...<br /><br />Helen--thanks!<br /><br />Kathleen--oh, that's so nice that your mother got to go, too! And 3 weeks is a nice long time to be able to see everything.<br /><br />That's really a fascinating story about John Ehrlichman! Glad you had the chance to try it. I traveled to Phoenix, Santa Fe, and Taos when I was in grad school (by myself!) and it was one of the best trips I've ever taken. Just amazing.<br /><br />Keri--Oooh, Hawaii? I've never been. Hopefully one day!<br /><br />LSUReader--yes, we flew into Edinburgh and spent one night there (2 full days). Loved the city. It has real character, and ironically, we found the best Italian restaurant EVER, just off the Royal Mile.michellewillinghamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10284183437393142474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-28019402865864675772010-09-17T14:44:27.928-05:002010-09-17T14:44:27.928-05:00Also meant to say that your photos are gorgeous!Also meant to say that your photos are gorgeous!JVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02783071559844087762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-60214801457076082192010-09-17T14:43:47.841-05:002010-09-17T14:43:47.841-05:00Michelle,
A friend of mine and I went to Europe t...Michelle,<br /><br />A friend of mine and I went to Europe twice together, once in 1980 and once in 1983. We planned in advance in terms of what cities we wanted to see, in what order, and how long we'd plan to stay in each one just to be sure we got to cover everything we really wanted to see. We used "Europe on $20 a Day" to influence how long we needed to stay in each place to see all the attractions we wanted to see.<br /><br />However, in terms of booking hotels in advance, buying tickets for attractions, etc., we didn't do that with the exception of purchasing a Eurrail Pass ahead of time (because it couldn't be bought in Europe) and attempting to get tickets to a major production in Europe that is only performed once every 10 years and was being performed while we were there. (We were not able to get them, though.)<br /><br />We just took the book "Europe on $20 a day" with us and called hotels he recommended once we got there and arranged visits to attractions then. We had very little trouble getting really good accomodations with only a couple of minor glitches. <br /><br />Of course, I was 25 then and was willing to stay in a Youth Hostel. Not 100% sure I'd be quite as flexible at this point in my life. It was great fun, though!JVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02783071559844087762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-78425653921482760012010-09-17T14:33:36.880-05:002010-09-17T14:33:36.880-05:00The only time I went on a bus trip was when I went...The only time I went on a bus trip was when I went for a class trip to Lapland.Minnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04150644876765079753noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-59825833669019307912010-09-17T14:07:42.382-05:002010-09-17T14:07:42.382-05:00I like a planned trip but generally not with the b...I like a planned trip but generally not with the bus group!<br /><br />Adhering to someone else's schedule is never my idea of fun. (g)Debra Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03992776098849029414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-79342448045829985992010-09-17T13:34:30.811-05:002010-09-17T13:34:30.811-05:00Welcome, Michelle! I love the covers and love his...Welcome, Michelle! I love the covers and love historicals. WEnt to Paris with friends a few years ago, not a group tour thing. That was fun, and we shared an apartment, which really brought expenses down. We wandered the city and learned the Metro fast so that took us everywhere. I think it was much more exciting that way than to follow a group around.Michele Haufhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12255612473985897103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-22448255932422757772010-09-17T13:25:50.364-05:002010-09-17T13:25:50.364-05:00I went on bus tours in Europe and Ireland. Both w...I went on bus tours in Europe and Ireland. Both were great. I saw way more than I would have on my own and had a great time.cheyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09028962586999938567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-9456532763732868252010-09-17T12:40:08.264-05:002010-09-17T12:40:08.264-05:00I've never traveled to a different country, so...I've never traveled to a different country, so I haven't experienced either. Okay, I've been to Tijuana, Mexico but that doesn't really count. When I lived in California before moving to Florida, I came to Orlando several times on vacation but my son had arranged everything (lots of trips to amusement parks and The Kennedy Space Center), so I didn't have to do a thing.<br />My dream trip is to the UK, but I don't think I'd be brave enough to do it on my own, I think I'd need a tour.Barbara E.https://www.blogger.com/profile/10042665559975481397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-43200434135441943492010-09-17T12:25:14.873-05:002010-09-17T12:25:14.873-05:00My husband and I waited 15 years to have kids and ...My husband and I waited 15 years to have kids and we traveled as much as we could. I loved it (and really miss it now). We did a bit of both - some planned tours and then off by ourselves. Seemed to be the best of both worlds. I enjoy hearing about all the interesting facts and history the tours can give you and the highlights but to really know the people, you have to get away from the touristy sites. <br /><br />I absolutely love your cover for Surrender and Irish Warrior!!!catsladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06375770995988927860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-29271824967150184582010-09-17T12:15:59.449-05:002010-09-17T12:15:59.449-05:00Michelle--When you were in Scotland, did you make ...Michelle--When you were in Scotland, did you make it to Edinburgh? Hubby and I spent a week there this summer and loved it. Our only regret is that we didn't have more time to venture out to see the rest of Scotland. Next trip! I'm looking forward to your Highland series already.LSUReaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10551147044529756940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-84397981375079101692010-09-17T11:15:45.776-05:002010-09-17T11:15:45.776-05:00Speaking of getting local recommendations, one of ...Speaking of getting local recommendations, one of my most successfully plotted trips was based on the suggestions of a famous criminal.<br /><br />Anybody remember John Ehrlichman? Yep, Nixon's henchman. He moved to New Mexico after he got out of prison and wrote a travel mag article that caught my eye. We'd been planning to go, and the article included a map, sights, restaurants, photos. I figured the guy owed America something, and maybe this was his way to give back. I'm the trip planner in our family, and I used the article. Every restaurant--many of them small local favorites--was a winner. Every route worked beautifully for getting lots of great stuff in every day. The Santa Fe/Taos area became a favorite of ours, and we've been back many times. All thanks to the otherwise misguided John Ehrlichman.Kathleen Eaglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13561028604927993773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-70979119428866707792010-09-17T10:35:38.234-05:002010-09-17T10:35:38.234-05:00*insert envy*
:) would love to see that part of ...*insert envy*<br /><br /><br />:) would love to see that part of the world. and I would go off in my car so I could quickly leave somewhere that wasn't holding my interest or spend time longer somewhere fascinating.<br /><br />and yeah, that asking the locals for suggestions is the thing to do. we found a little hole in the wall in Hawaii that had THE BEST waffles that I've ever eaten/seen.Keri Fordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03342480359177235075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-22974082680605430312010-09-17T09:38:46.586-05:002010-09-17T09:38:46.586-05:00I love to travel, and I think it's essential f...I love to travel, and I think it's essential for writers to get out there and get to know the world they plunk their characters into. Yes, you're using a historical setting, but present context was built on history. That's why we're still interested!<br /><br />I've only been to Europe once--the 3 week multi-country guided group tour years ago. It was mainly teachers, set up by a teacher who'd been doing the summer excursion with high school kids for years, so she really knew what she was doing. And it was all women. It was a blast. The best part was that my mother went, too. (I'll have to blog about that part of it sometime.) Anyway, the was beautifully customized and made teacher affordable because our leader had worked with the tour company. It was a great way to do "the grand tour."Kathleen Eaglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13561028604927993773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-19472280770482098112010-09-17T09:20:36.332-05:002010-09-17T09:20:36.332-05:00Hi Michelle. Welcome!
Love to travel, but I'...Hi Michelle. Welcome!<br /><br />Love to travel, but I've never been on a bus trip or with a group. Like the do-it-yourself route. You never know where you may want to turn next!<br /><br />Very sexy titles and covers!Helen Brennahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08680081195181747377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-19352285862028835882010-09-17T08:53:24.175-05:002010-09-17T08:53:24.175-05:00Michelle, welcome to the convertible! Love your t...Michelle, welcome to the convertible! Love your travel tales!:) I enjoy some of the planning, but I also worry that maybe I've not made the right choices until we actually get there!:) Love Rick Steves' books. I also enjoy individual informational tours. Congrats on your release!Leannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12903033094866182246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-49981676868320105392010-09-17T08:42:29.649-05:002010-09-17T08:42:29.649-05:00Good point, Cindy! I think, too, it also makes a ...Good point, Cindy! I think, too, it also makes a difference for your trip's purpose. I knew I needed to spend some quality time in the museums for historical research, and I think certain tours might be more forgiving of that than others. :)michellewillinghamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10284183437393142474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-20217017003130257102010-09-17T08:28:27.692-05:002010-09-17T08:28:27.692-05:00Laurie--it's the preliminary work that's h...Laurie--it's the preliminary work that's hard, but I do think we stayed in some really nice B&Bs. My favorite, in Invermoriston near Loch Ness, Scotland, was called The Old Manse. I think it's geared toward honeymooners, and my husband and I had a great time! We did see Amsterdam once and really liked it. :)<br /><br />Krisgils33--I told my husband I was NOT doing any of the driving. I think it's more of having the steering wheel on the opposite side that messed me up!<br /><br />Kristan--thanks! It's my favorite cover ever. Love it!<br /><br />Stephenia--Rick Steves is definitely a good idea, if you're going to some major areas. We might try that if we ever bring our kids.michellewillinghamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10284183437393142474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-57696163893272880102010-09-17T08:25:13.961-05:002010-09-17T08:25:13.961-05:00Fun post, Michelle. Makes me want to visit! I...Fun post, Michelle. Makes me want to visit! I've done both the 'plan your own trip' and the guided route. Italy, we did on our own and it was fantastic but exhausting and very pricey. Spain we did on a tour and it was great also. MUCH less expensive and we had a lot of our own time to explore as we wanted to. So - I guess it's just what you're up for for the specific trip.Cindy Gerardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13311224531297908704noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-34746487066149964462010-09-17T07:57:17.935-05:002010-09-17T07:57:17.935-05:00i love to travel too and planning/anticipating the...i love to travel too and planning/anticipating the trip is half the fun for me. I like researching the destination and finding things to do. Anyone looking for an energetic European destination should check our Rick Steves - he does have a travel light policy but the groups are small, you stay in mom/pop places, you get great food and the guides are well versed on the sights you see. You also have time to venture on your own and of course you can arrive/depart a few days early to catch anything else you might have to do in that place. My daughter did London/Paris and had the best time ever. (quilter892ataoldotcom)What a great backdrop in your picture - keep the great irish/scottish romance stories coming!Stephenianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-59072341605997095972010-09-17T07:10:01.683-05:002010-09-17T07:10:01.683-05:00I love traveling, but I haven't gone with a gr...I love traveling, but I haven't gone with a group since college. Not an agenda type person, I guess...Gorgeous pictures, Michelle! And lordy, that Surrender cover...oh, mommy!kristan higginshttp://www.kristanhiggins.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27662400.post-21149259292646036052010-09-17T07:07:42.432-05:002010-09-17T07:07:42.432-05:00I travel alot for work and have been to almost eve...I travel alot for work and have been to almost every section of the globe. The place I frequent most is London and some other parts of the UK. I'm not a huge fan of London, but the countryside sure is gorgeous. I've actually driven on the wrong side of the road and it's not too hard, although does require a bit of extra concentration! When traveling through India, I refused to drive and mostly had a driver. That is definitely the way to go in certain countries.krisgils33https://www.blogger.com/profile/06971511383288530885noreply@blogger.com