Travel Fun: The Most Beautiful McDonalds

Okay, I know, beautiful and McDonalds don't usually go together. But sometimes on our travels, we run into unexpected wonders. I thought I'd share one of those with you today. So hold on just a second while this travel nerd shares one of my favorite spots in Maine. :)

 On our recent trip to New England, we discovered a McDonalds in Freeport, Maine. And I tell you that it is the most beautiful McDonalds I've ever seen. And I've seen a LOT of McDonalds buildings in my day. I've seen the one with the two-level play area and arcade, I've seen the old-fashioned ones with the original golden arches...but this one. Oh my!

It had very little of the traditional franchise McD's that you usually see, and instead had an antique Victorian or Colonial feel. I've literally never had so much fun ordering a McCafe Caramel Cappuccino and sipping it as I did that morning!

The above picture is from the backside of the building. You can see the drive though window if you look closely.

Look at the McDonalds sign above the door!
I figure the unique look of this McDonalds must have something to do with the covenants in Freeport, although I have no idea what those are. The town of Freeport is where the  L.L. Bean retailer originated, so that's what they are best known for. But to be quite honest, I was more impressed with the McDonalds than the L.L. Bean store. LOL.

And this was the front side entrance. The white pillars, the trim, everything was gorgeous! I was all heart-eye-emojis as I walked inside wondering if the inside would be consistent with the exterior. Guess what? It was!

That round table in front of the fireplace is where we sat to enjoy our coffee and fries. Because who goes to McDonalds and doesn't get some fries, right?

Let me tell you, if I lived near here, this would be a great writing spot. 

 

And just look at that sign. So cute.

So if you're ever near Freeport Maine, you know where to stop for a mid-morning snack. :) I hope you enjoyed seeing this unique American establishment as much as I did.

 Have you ever seen a unique McDonalds? I would love to hear about it!

On the Road Again

There’s a country song sung by Willie Nelson called, “On the Road Again,” where he proclaims his joy at “being on the road again, seeing sights he might never see again and going places where he might never go again.”

Yesterday, that song came to me as I hit the road, yet again, for a writing get-together--this time. It was a wonderfully fun time with friends, talking writing shop and enjoying our lunch together, disagreeing agreeably, making plans, enjoying a Skype session with a talented author in Alabama, laughing and growing as writers together.

But getting there is what I wanted to muse on today. The journey.

My husband and I and our two sons--growing up, were on the road a lot. I mean, A LOT! From coast to coast. Washington state to Florida. Texas to Maine. We’ve seen a lot of sights, gone a lot of places we’ll probably never visit again and met a lot of people we’ll probably never meet again. But it was fun!

How did we keep two active little fellows occupied with hours on the road?

• We taught them to read before it was time to start school. Books, books and more books were piled into the vehicles with us for their entertainment. 
• Games. We made up games, played all kinds of children’s games driving down the road, and they loved it!
• Rewards. Yep, lots of travel time was for business, BUT we always made it up to the boys by doing special things just for them. Museums and all kinds of educational fun stops, sand hills to climb, streams to wade in, animals to check out, you name it and we probably did it or tried to. Why? Because they were as good as two ornery little fellows could be for the duration of hubby’s business. J
• Helped them begin collections they would enjoy and could keep for years if they wanted. From super pencils to animals, knives and pictures or whatever, we tried to create a love of memories for them.

And still, even now, sights and areas intoxicate me and gets the gypsy blood stirring inside me.  Doesn’t always have to be famous sights. Ordinary hills and valleys, trees and streams without names, do that to me. With music in the background from a little country to classics and gospel, I sing and tap my way through the journey.

And spiritually?

Wars and rumors of wars. Murdering, and diseases running rampant. Scary decisions in high places. Corrupt politicians and corrupt church leaders. Disappointments, rejections, sorrows and sadness. All of it thrown at us till we, at times, feel laden down with the saturation of horrible things.

Yet Jesus said he went away to prepare for us a place to live and will return. He took a journey. He doesn’t want us to worry. All things are in his control. Think on good things. Rejoice in the positive things. And pray without end.

Our spiritual journey can be filled with peace of heart. Enjoy

What do you do when you travel?

Traveling to Ohio Amish Country

Main Street Berlin, Ohio

If you're traveling to Ohio Amish Country, plan to stop in at the wonderful town of Berlin, Ohio. Give yourself lots of time because they pack a lot of fun in this little town.

For information about the area, Amish Heartland Tours and Information Kiosk in Berlin is a good place to start. They know a great deal about the area and offer tours to local Amish homes and businesses, meals in Amish homes, and lots of other fun things to explore. You can find Amish Heartland Tours and Information Kiosk on Facebook.

Gift stores, craft shops, and antique malls line both sides of the streets. And don't miss the great food in several of the restaurants and cafes tucked between the stores. Helping Hands Quilt Shop is one of my favorite places to visit. They have a wide variety of fabrics, patterns. and breath-taking quilts made by local quilters. On certain days of the week you can watch several talented Amish women quilt at the shop. Call Helping Hands Quilt Shop to find out when. They are on Facebook too.

A Craft Shop in Berlin

If you have the option, a visit during the weekdays is best for less congestion and traffic. You can visit on the weekends as well, but be prepared for a lot of traffic into Berlin. Watch for lots of Amish buggies in the mix too. Slow and careful is the best way to travel anytime you're in Amish country.

Weekend Traffic

Drive Safe in Ohio Amish Country

Make time in your schedule to travel the back roads too. A lot of Amish sell baskets, produce, quilts, and leather goods from their homes. Many of the farms are simply beautiful.

There's much more to see in this beautiful area, but those are for another post. I hope you get a chance to visit Ohio Amish Country soon.

Have you ever visited this area? What are your favorite places to visit?

Yellowstone National Park is the Place!

Summertime is just around the corner and lots of people are thinking about throwing the kids in the car and trekking across the country to see a few places. 

One of the most popular destinations for decades now, has been Yellowstone National Park. Have you been there? Are you planning to take the kids one of these days? Can’t get out of town, but wish you could?

If you answered yes to any of these questions - and  even if you answered no - Yellowstone Memories by Jennifer Rogers Spinola is the perfect book for you to pick up this spring. It’s a collection of four novellas, all set in Yellowstone. Each story takes place in a different decade too, so you get to see the park at different points in history.

I visited the park as a teenager. When I read this book, I learned things I never knew, I remembered some of my time in the park, and I developed a much deeper appreciation for the park and it’s beauty.

Each story depicts a romance, including a wide variety of characters including a French-Arapahoe woman, a washed up cowboy, the builders of the park during the depression years, firefighters, park rangers, and scientific researchers. The wide array of characters reveals a vast range of activity in and around the park, while creating a personal window into several individual stories.

This book is a must if you plan to travel to the park this year. Or if you’ve already been. And if you are still snowed in, it might just help you escape the four walls of your home into a world where mountains hem in the vaulted sky, geysers, lakes, and wildflowers provide a backdrop for prolific wildlife, and this beautiful setting can make anything seem possible. 

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you hear "Yellowstone Park"?

The NINE Author Interview - Hold on to your hat!

A Ruby Christmas - written by NINE different authors.

NINE authors. NINE settings covering THREE continents. ELEVEN chapters. ONE jet-set, tricky dog. A crèche with pieces collected from across the globe. And RUBY, the heroine who travels around the world, and brings back JOY for Christmas at the ranch.

I (metaphorically) sat down with (most of) the authors of this fun Christmas Novella. Here’s what we talked about:

Why participate in a multi-author project like this?

Marji: Besides the opportunity for me, as a new writer, to earn a publishing credit, I've loved getting to know my other co-authors. And I'm blown away by how the Lord weaves our chapters together to create a moving, cohesive story!

Dianne: I spend most my time writing nonfiction and I really want to write some fiction. It was challenging to work off of someone else’s brainstorming and story, and to make my part of it fit. But it has been a most amazing journey that has touched me personally in many ways.

Ruth: Because it's fun!! And also because I get to work with some amazing authors.

What makes Ruby's Christmas special?                

Dianne: I’m not sure how to answer that question for anyone else but me. This story has touched me personally because some points in my life paralleled Ruby’s. You can read about it here.

Phee: I think Ruby's life was somewhat joyless before her father sent her on the quest for the nativity. As she found each piece, she also learned more about Jesus, who is the source of joy.

Ruth: I love the idea of her collecting pieces of the nativity from locations all around the world. That makes her crèche valuable in ways that money can't buy.

Julie: Ruby is special due to her foreign travels. That was challenging to coordinate and required a lot of creativity on the parts of the authors.

Who will the story appeal to?

Dianne: The story will appeal to anyone struggling through the loss of a loved one, searching for what’s most important in life, and who has faced some of life’s fire.

Phee: All the people who don't want to let the busy Christmas season overwhelm them.

Ruth: Families. I know a lot of families who look for things to read together during the holidays. It is clean and family friendly.

Julie: Anyone who looking for a curl-up-by-the fire, gentle, humorous story. And dog lovers.

Fay: A Ruby Christmas will appeal to those folks who love to settle down in front of the television and watch the Hallmark Movie Channel Christmas movies. Ruby is a sweet tale with just enough romance blended in.

What is your greatest passion when it comes to writing?

Ruth: Stirring people's emotions. I think Ruby will do that.

Julie: To go beyond entertaining and leave a meaningful message in readers' hearts.

Fay: Layering plots into story.

Jennifer: painting with words and evoking a response.

What is your favorite nativity set - one you own or one you've seen? Do you have any special Christmas memories involving a nativity scene?

Marji: We have a little stuffed scene, well-worn and well-loved. My oldest girl would carry around Baby Jesus like a treasure, both hands close to her body. Such a precious memory. But one of my favorites, a scene I pinned up on Pinterest is made up of S'mores! What an eye-catcher!

Ruth: My favorite nativity set was white porcelain. Plain, yet so elegant.

Julie: My favorite "nativity set" is actually like the one in the story. We've had a couple of different sizes. One of our German exchange students brought the big one (2ft tall) over as a gift from her parents. I love setting it up every year.

Check out the novella:

Ruby Joy Buckner, cowgirl, has never left the Lone Star State, but at her father’s request, she takes her faithful canine companion and travels the world in search of Nativity pieces. As Ruby collects the pieces, she also collects a few unexpected surprises, including an awareness of the beauty in other cultures, and quite a menagerie of new friends, thanks in part to Yippee Ti Yi Yo who charms everyone they meet. Ruby’s budding awareness of life outside Texas opens her eyes to a world of whimsy, and the Nativity pieces she collects are unusual. Will her father approve her eclectic collection … and the changes that travel brought to Ruby’s life?

Our Authors:

Jerusha Agen             MarjiLaine                 Ruth O’Neil

Dianne E Butts          FayLamb                   Phee Paradise

Jennifer Fromke        J.A.Marx                   Debbie Roome

  

Write Integrity Press has done it again! Last year, The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt sent Grace on a whirlwind trip. Nine authors plotted her journey and in the process, created a story enjoyed by tens of thousands.

This year, the same publisher has brought together many of the same authors (and a few new ones!) for a new Christmas story, A Ruby Christmas. The first 9 chapters will be published via blog, one each business day for the first two weeks in December. Then the entire novella (with the 10th and 11th chapters) will be available for free kindle download December 13-16 and available for sale after that.

There’s so much going on, here’s how you can JUMP IN!

Catch up on the daily chapters from the beginning here. 

Visit the Pinterest contest board.

Hop over to Goodreads and add it to your “Want to Read” list.

Mark your calendars for the kindle release date and the first of FOUR FREE days on Amazon: December 13.

As a special bonus for all the readers who persevered to the end of this post, I have a closing thought from the publisher of A Ruby Christmas, Tracy Ruckman: I love our joint projects like A Ruby Christmas and The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt. God always manages to surprise me with the final outcome. During the development of A Ruby Christmas, I came to know our authors on a different level. I am so appreciative of their talent, creativity, dedication, and hard work – lots and lots of hard work. My favorite football coach, Bear Bryant, said, “There’s a lot of blood, sweat, and guts between dreams and success.” That describes our journey this year with A Ruby Christmas. I pray this story touches the hearts and funny bones of readers all around the world.