Travels of author, soprano, researcher, and road diva Randye Jones
I was just a few miles from the entrance to Death Valley National Park. I got a very early start, so I took some pictures of the sun rise. It had felt a little weird to run air conditioning again the night before, but then again, I had used it while in the Irvine/L.A. areas, …
Sunday night after dinner with my friends, I decided to find Newport Beach, where I was scheduled officially to begin the tourist part of my trip. I had purchased a ticket through Tripadvisor to go whale watching early Monday morning. I’m glad I found where things were situated Sunday night when everything was quiet and …
Usually when I drive, I am free to take as much “stuff” as I want and leave at my convenience. However, I had scheduled a hair appointment in Des Moines because I wanted it to look its best for my presentation. I somehow managed to get out late yet still arrive only ten minutes late …
This “how many national parks can I visit in a week” trip has been on my radar for quite a while. I finally have a shot of actually doing it! The trip is now part business and part pleasure. I am scheduled to give a lecture on the development of concert spirituals during the Harlem …
It’s always good when I can combine business and a few days of vacation in one trip. Sorry that this posting is being added eight months after the fact, but better late than never, I guess. This was my first journey since the world went on lockdown due to the COVID pandemic. I’d done several …
I’m not sure exactly when I became a fan of national parks, but I am one. I couldn’t wait to be able to get my senior pass, but now I have it I want to put it to good use. I had visited both Rocky Mountain NP and Zion NP with my mother in 2012, …
Read More “Seven National Parks in Ten Days–Can It Be Done?”
Sorry it’s been so long since I last posted. Real life has been REAL for everyone! I’ve limited most of my interactions to virtual events, but I do owe a post or two about the trip to the NATS workshop in Tennessee in October 2021, so I’ll try to get to it after I finish …
Now that I had SB and she had proven herself to be road worthy, I wanted to really put her to the test. Also, with my recent last birthday, I could now purchase a senior lifetime national park card, thus ending the annual card fees. The only thing I had to determine was whether there …
On my birthday (Thursday, September 17th), I took my usual day off. I decided to do some car shopping while I awaited the final steps before the insurance company claimed RB. My research had led me to decide on the Kia Soul for my next car. The closest dealership is in Des Moines, so I …
(Blogger’s note: the trip mentioned below occurred several months before I finally got around to posting about it. Sorry about that.) In October 2019, I published my first book, So You Want to Sing Spirituals. Just the month before the book was set to be released, I was invited to the University of Michigan to …