I often get asked what my inspirations are for my
stories. More
often than not, they come from actual places I’ve been to and things I’ve
seen. Living in the very center of
Virginia, it seems as if most of the inspiration I’m looking for is only a car
ride away. One of my favorite spots, and the closest, is
Lynchburg, Virginia’s Riverwalk Trail.
It’s over three miles of paved trails that let you take in the
Lynchburg’s riverfront area, its historic Point of Honor home and the natural
beauty of the James River while you cross over to nearby Amherst County. There’s also Amazement Square for the kids
nearby and plenty of local restaurants to pick from just a street above the
trail.
Charlottesville, Virginia is a nice day trip for the family. The town is not only known for being home to the University Of Virginia, but, Monticello, the home of the third President of the United States and founder of UVA, is a favorite tourist spot. After taking the tour of the home, be sure to stop by Mitchie’s Tavern, which offers visitors colonial style fare. (We often stop at the Colleen Drive-In in Lovingston on our way back.
It’s hard to miss, with a giant ice cream cone sign in front!)
Another fun day trip is just up the road to
Staunton. While Gypsy Hill Park is a
family friendly place with tons of things to do, one of my daughter’s favorites
is the Frontier Culture Museum that features exhibits of American, English,
Irish, German and West African farms and homes from the 17th and 18th
centuries. Be prepared to do some
walking and to see plenty of chickens and cows!
While Williamsburg is a personal favorite for a
trip, I often prefer to spend a few days there just to have enough time to get
everything done. Not only does it offer
the infamous amusement park, Busch Gardens, there’s also Colonial Williamsburg
which is like stepping back in time to the 18th century! While you’re in the area, you might as well
venture to nearby Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America,
and Yorktown, the last battle and surrender grounds of the Revolutionary War.
There’s plenty more the great Commonwealth of
Virginia has to offer. From the Blue
Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay (and everything in between), there are
plenty of fun and exciting adventures to take.
Isla Grey is from Central Virginia and
still lives in the same small town she grew up in. She developed a love of
writing at an early age, is “old school” when it comes to writing and is a
hoarder of more pens, post-it notes and writing journals than she’ll ever need.
Isla likes to write different types of stories from romance to mystery and
loves a “happy for now but there could be some bad things coming” feel. 
When
Isla’s not writing, she spends her time being called “Mom, Mama, Mommy” (well,
you get the picture) by her daughter. She’s also a “pet human” to a plethora of
cats and enjoys reading a good biography or ghost story, traveling even though
“there’s no place like home”, good music played loud and walking. 
Isla loves movies and is the movie
mistakes editor at Bellaonline.com where she talks about…well…movies. Her book, “Asylum Harbor”, and novella, “A
Voice in the Dark”, is available now.
She’s offering a hard copy of that novel if you’ll just leave a comment for
entry to win. Leave contact info so she
can contact you if you win.
You can connect with Isla at:
Website: http://www.islagrey.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorIslaGrey
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IslaGrey1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/islagrey
Very interesting blog about your state, Isla. I have traveled through Virginia but have not had an opportunity to visit these points of interest and now I'd like to do that. Your books sound interesting, too, and I wish you success with your writing.
ReplyDeleteMy wife is an artist, painter in acrylics, who has shown in many venues, but one of my favorites was a small gallery in Alexandria. Not only was it always a pleasure to go there and enjoy the town, but there was also something special about the gallery's customers. Yes, they loved my wife's work, but who wouldn't? It was that they brought their passions and interests with them. At most galleries, customers are about interior design. "What will go well behind the new couch" is more a concern than "What does this painting mean?" Maybe it was the political center of the world thing, but the customers in that gallery wanted to know what the paintings meant. So, here's a tip of my hat to Virginia. Thanks, Isla, for a nice reminder of what a great commonwealth she is.
ReplyDeleteOh my! My son lives in Virginia. I truly wish to see your state, his home. It sounds wonderful He travels quite a bit both locally and otherwise so I am never able to go there to visit him. He hops on a plane and comes to me from time to time. Your depiction of your state is marvelous and makes me want to visit all the more. I also like the fact that you can draw stories out of your area. If we should write what we know, then your stories must carry a vibrant sense of authenticity.
ReplyDeleteI've spent quality time in Virginia. Beautiful state with lots of history.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a beautiful state...hope to visit one day.
ReplyDeleteGood luck and God's blessing.
PamT
We've been camping a couple of times, just south of Blacksburg, since one of our sons is attending VA Tech. Not only is the scenery awesome. but the people are just so friendly! They'd give you the shirt off their backs, then ask if you want the pant also. Nice folks and great natural beauty. We'll be back again.
ReplyDelete