We made it the rest of the way to California and I got to actually go over the Golden Gate Bridge on the way to the airport when it was time for me to leave. It was, obviously, a foggy day (and shockingly cooler than the town about two hours north where my sister now lives.) I loved getting to see all the Deco flourishes to the bridge, which I had previously only seen from the city at a distance and on the Alcatraz ferry.
We drove through Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, and California. It was so neat to see how different all the various areas of our country are — and how drastically they change. Wyoming was flat flat flat until we got close to Utah and then boom! Winding, steep roads up and over the mountains with grades that our very-loaded minivan did not enjoy going down.
Then again, when we hit the western border of California at Tahoe, with mountain declines as well as evacuation alerts for fires in the forests to the north (I was sad to see that a few weeks later, Tahoe was also under evac orders).
It was a fabulous trip. I’d love to do it again – and take longer to see more along the way.
Winners this Week
If you’re a winner, you should have received an email from the author in charge of the giveaway. If not, please email us at: prizes at inspyromance dot com.
Liwen Ho’s winner was Natalya!
Jan Thompson’s winner was Kim Hansen!
Laurie Larsen’s winner is Jeanna!
Merrillee Whren’s winner was Ausjenny!
Congratulations!
Don’t forget… every comment you make qualifies you to win one of the monthly Amazon card giveaways!
Specials this Week
Valerie Comer’s Urban Farm Fresh Books 1-3 Box is FREE through the 30th.
The first three books of the Grant Us Grace series by Elizabeth Maddrey are FREE and 99c through the 27th.
Reader Gathering
Did you know Inspy Romance hosts a Christian Romance Reader Gathering group on Facebook? Shannon Taylor Vannatter and Amy R. Anguish will be our host this week, so please join us… but don’t forget to answer the questions for admittance!
StoryChats @ InspyRomance
Story Chats launches an all-new episode every Friday! Elizabeth, Valerie, and Narelle talked about in our last episode. You won’t want to miss it!
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Last Week on Inspy Romance
On Monday, Melanie Snitker talked about welcoming change.
On Tuesday, Tara Grace Ericson talked about enemies to lovers.
On Wednesday, Merrillee Whren celebrated the fall equinox and national legwear day.
On Thursday, Teresa Tysinger invited us to fall into reading.
On Friday, Shannon Taylor Vannatter talked about a lot of firsts.
On Saturday, Valerie Bodden asked “To Preorder, or Not To Preorder?”
Next Week on Inspy Romance
Monday: Heather Gray
Tuesday: Janet Fergson
Wednesday: Deb Kastner
Thursday: Toni Shiloh
Friday: Hannah Jo Abbott
Saturday: Amy R. Anguish
New Releases
September 2021
Let Me Off Easy, Cowboy (Cavanagh Cowboys Romance 3) by Valerie Comer
Save the Date box set by Jan Thompson, Liwen Y. Ho, Jaycee Weaver, and nine others
Candy Cane Wishes and Saltwater Dreams box set by Amy R Anguish, Shannon Taylor Vannatter, and three others
Ruby Radiance (Pot of Gold Geocaching Romance 2) by Valerie Comer
So You Need a Fake Relationship (So You Want to be a Billionaire 5) by Elizabeth Maddrey
October 2021
So You Forgot You Love Me (So You Want to be a Billionaire 6) by Elizabeth Maddrey
Christmas In Mistletoe Square Collection by Teresa Tysinger, Janine Rosche, and 2 others
This and Every Christmas (Sinclair Sisters Book 1) by Jaycee Weaver
Home For Christmas: 2021 Christmas Lights Collection by Toni Shiloh, Jaycee Weaver, and 2 others
A complete list of Inspy Romance books by our authors is always available on our BOOKS tab. Find our audiobooks, our permanently free e-books, and our thank-you gifts for newsletter subscribers there as well!
Jessica G says
I want to road trip cross country one day! Looking forward to another great week on inspyromance!
Mary Preston says
A very exciting trip by the sounds of it.
Linda Reville says
Sounds like an interesting trip. Long, and tiring, but interesting.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
It really was worth doing! Someday I’d like to do it purely for fun!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
It was!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Definitely long and tiring 😅
Trudy says
Someday, I’d love to take a trip like that!! I’d like to have lots of time, though, to stop at places along the way!
Renate says
Hi Elizabeth! Thank you for sharing your road trip to California. Brings back memories of our families month long road trip to California in 1985 with our sons ages 7 & 4. We travel through from Illinois, through Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada – on the way back through New Mexico. Trip of a lifetime. Our country is large and so diverse. In 2008 on my way to Japan, had a stop over in San Francisco and caught a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge. So many memories. Best wishes and enjoy your Sunday.
Lincoln says
Hi, Elizabeth!
Wow, such memories. You have treasures in your treasure chest!
What a great crop of new releases coming up.
Congratulations to all this week’s winners!
Have a great week in the Lord, my friends.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Yes! It would be fun to take a whole summer and toodle through.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Sounds like you also got a lovely look at the country! We definitely are a diverse place.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
I definitely do!
And yes! I was looking at the October books and had to go check my book allotment :)
Natalya Lakhno says
What a wonderful trip you’ve had.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
It definitely was.
Liwen Y. Ho says
You were in my neighborhood! ;) Glad you got to see the Golden Gate Bridge up close.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Aw, cool! It’s such a pretty bridge.
Jessica B. says
Glad you were able to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge. That is such a cool experience!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
It was!
Alicia Haney says
Hi, it really sounds like you had a Great trip , how exciting for you. I myself would be kind of scared to drive across the Golden Gate Bridge, I think I would keep my eyes closed the whole way if I were a passenger in the vehicle, I bet it is quite a sight to see. Have a great week and stay safe.
Trixi says
What a fun trip! When we moved cross country (twice!) we saw a lot of the USA as well….from the Oregon Coast to Illinois & back. I think the state I didn’t care for that much was Nebraska, it was LONG and flat and both times we had to pull over because of really bad rain/thunder storms. I’d like to do it again someday, but not because we are moving! There’s so many places we were able to see, but there’s so much more I’d love to see :-)
When our son graduated from high school in 2016, my husband and I took a trip to San Fransisco to celebrate our “empty nest”. We didn’t go over the Golden Gate bridge, but we did see it in the distance. It is one thing I’d love to do again as well! Go over the bridge, visit Alcatraz Island, go back down to Pier 39 on the waterfront & Chinatown.
Congrats to this weeks winners! Happy Sunday IR!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
I think driving might have been a little nuts (they have some mad traffic) but riding was just a delight to me :)
Elizabeth Maddrey says
I feel like the US is so big it would take quite a few trips to see “everything worth seeing” lol.
I do love visiting the waterfront in SanFran!
Debra J Pruss says
I am so glad you had a safe time as well as able to see some of the sights. Congratulations to the winners. Thank you for sharing. God bless you.
denise says
Sounds like a wonderful trip. We went to Dallas and covered 9 states and 3100+ miles to visit our son. Covered most of the Southeast, and then some.
Congratulations to the winners.
Priscila Perales says
That sounds like such a neat roadtrip! Would love to do it someday :)
Amy Perrault says
I like to go for country drives to see different things nearby plus we have very pretty fall leaves.
Sylvain P says
I like to go for small drives with my family & we do it often
Ausjenny says
I am late. It sounds like it would be a fun trip to do over a couple of weeks or more where you can stop off and see different things. The differing areas with plains, hills and mountains would be interesting. We have that to a degree in Australia. If you went from Sydney to Perth would take similar time to your trip and leaving Sydney it would have mountains then would have green countryside to open stretches of much dryer areas with miles of nothing much to look at then into south australia (depending how you do the trip it would again be endless stretches between towns and a lot of desert area up north of the start. Then you hit the nullarbor plain which is a long stretch of nothing. you can deter to see the Great Australian Bite but you need to make sure you fill up with water etc before starting as there are only a few towns along the way. then through a few mining areas then onto the greener farm areas into Perth. I have only done Adelaide to Perth and in a bus with stops is 36 hours. Sydney to Adelaide is over 24 hours in a bus.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Yes indeed. We were grateful for safety s well.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
What a fun trip that must have been!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
I highly recommend road trips!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
I like that as well. Dad used to load us in the car some evenings and we’d go driving.
Elizabeth Maddrey says
Small drives are good too!
Elizabeth Maddrey says
I think road tripping Australia could be very very cool.
Megan says
Nice pictures! It is fun seeing different parts of the country, how vast it all is.