Thirteen years ago I moved to the Seattle area. It was a risk because I had never been to Seattle and I didn't know anyone who lived there. I was nervous, but my anxiety level really shot up when I left the airport and followed a very vague set of directions to a city called Bellevue. For a Midwestern girl who was used to flat land and cornfields, this place was strange and weird.
And then I took a wrong turn. I was lost and I was about to panic when I saw a freeway sign that said San Juan Islands. Wait a second, I thought. Those are the islands from Joy! Joy was a Jayne Ann Krentz book I had recently read.
It turns out that the San Juan Islands aren't right next to Bellevue, but that was okay. I saw something familiar. I was near a place I had read in a favorite book. And as I settled into my new home, I saw more places Krentz mentioned in her other books. Day after day I ventured out of my small comfort zone to see the places that I had only read about.
These days I'm delighted when I read a book and recognize a place. Last year I took a short trip to San Francisco and I had an Abby Green book with me. One of the scenes was set in a San Francisco hotel. (Yes, I made a point to go to the hotel and I looked around.)
I haven't taken any reader tours yet, but they sound fun. There's a Twilight tour in Forks, Washington for those who loved the books and movies. Debbie Macomber hosted the Cedar Cove Days last year for her fans. Cedar Cove is a fictional town, but it is based on Macomber's hometown of Port Orchard, Washington. If I ever get to the UK, I want to take the Inspector Morse tour in Oxford and see all the sights of his (and now Inspector Lewis's) cases.
What about you? If you could visit a place (fictional or real) that you read in a book, where would it be?
8 comments:
I loved to visit the Greek Islands especially Santorini!
New Orleans and Savannah in the US.
Laurie, I also want to visit the Greek islands! It's on my list of places I must see.
I've been to New Orleans many years ago, but I didn't get to really experience it. I want to go back and explore.
Savannah is also a place I want to visit. It has such character and it sounds like a great place to get away from it all.
I would love to visit Port Orchard during the Cedar Cove days festival.
Estella, I was looking at the pictures of the Cedar Cove Days and it looked like they had so much fun!
I would love to visit the Valley of Kings and Abu Simbel. I love Inspector Lewis. I think I might have a little crush on Hathaway.
Jane, I have SUCH a crush on Hathaway!
The Carpathian Mountains...just hoping to run into one of those tall, dark and sexy vampires from Christine Feehan's Dark Series.
Or Scotland to visit the castles and listen to the men talk. Oh my goodness that accent is so sexy.
I would love to go on a tour in California of all the movie stars homes. I am reading HER MAN FRIDAY by Elizabeth Beverley right now. The main character is a billionaire and his home sounds gorgeous! I have always wanted to do a tour of huge mansions where millionaires live. I have watched Joan Rivers show, HOW'D YOU GET SO RICH? and it is so fun to see all the homes the millionaire's live in.
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