A Half Million Miles Of Road Trips

A collection of stories about my travels across the country

Officer McMarin of the NYPD is in for the ride of her life when the Chief Quinns storm into her station, promote her to the rank of detective, and relocate her to Manhattan. Saddled with the dubious honor of being Chief Bailey Quinn’s primary rider is only the beginning of her woes. Her first case delves into the dark waters of the many ways in which a person can die. At the heart of the mystery is one Alec Mortan, a forensic accountant with a knack for being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Witnessing so much death is hard on a soul, and she can’t help but admire his tenacity and desire to help her uncover the truth. When the forces of the heavens and the many hells involve themselves in the case, McMarin’s beliefs and skills are put to the test. If she’s not careful, she’ll lose her witness to fate right along with her chance for a happily ever after.

First-person accounts and gorgeous landscape photos paired with practical information and tips to help travelers make the most of their journeys through 39 special hidden gems found across the country. Discover the most beautiful places in America that you might never have heard of before. Hidden Gems features: engaging first-hand travel accounts; helpful advice about must-see spots, rest stops, and other ways to get the most out of your trip; and stunning images taken by many of America’s best scenic photographers. Some spots offer activities for the more adventurous, such as rafting or mountain biking; others include suggestions for the more leisurely traveler who wants to stop and take in the views by the roadside. The small towns and people you encounter along the way will certainly be memorable. This book will help you set the agenda for your next getaway. So, get ready to jump in the car or RV and share these experiences with the ones you love! From the Organ Pipe Cactus in Arizona and Sleeping Bear Dunes in Michigan to Gullah Geechee in South Carolina and Litchfield Hills in Connecticut, these lesser-known scenic spots are definitely worth exploring! List of locations: WEST -Chugach National Forest, Alaska -Channel Islands National Park, California -Devils Postpile National Monument, California -Shasta-Trinity National Forest, California -Camas Prairie Centennial Marsh, Idaho -Lost River Range and Lemhi Mountain Range, Idaho -Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Idaho -Valley of the Fire State Park, Nevada -Wallowa Lake State Park, Oregon -Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah -Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, Washington -Bighorn Mountains, Wyoming SOUTHWEST -Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona -Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona -Verde Valley, Arizona -Northern Rio Grande, New Mexico -Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas MIDWEST -Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, Iowa -Flint Hills (Flint Hills Scenic Byway), Kansas -Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Michigan -Arrowhead Region, Minnesota -Pipestone National Monument, Minnesota -Door County, Wisconsin -Iron and Ashland Counties, Wisconsin SOUTHEAST -Alabama's Coastal Connection Scenic Byway, Alabama -Newton County, Arkansas -Wakulla Springs, Florida -Red River Gorge Geological Area, Kentucky -Atchafalaya Basin, Louisiana -Cataloochee Valley, North Carolina -Linville Gorge Wilderness, North Carolina -Gullah Geechee, South Carolina -Burke's Garden, Virginia -Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area, West Virginia and Maryland NORTHEAST -Litchfield Hills, Connecticut -Birch Hill State Wildlife Area, Massachusetts -Tully Lake Recreation Area, Massachusetts -The Great Swamp, New York -Pine Creek Gorge, Pennsylvania

I love driving. I have driven since I was six, and learned on the old Farmall tractor from childhood days in rural Northern Ontario. We never had a car growing up; I swore when I grew up, I would drive somewhere every day. My happiest place is behind the wheel. Home nursing gave me that perk, and every patient I visited turned out another story, names never used and situations slightly changed to assure privacy for participants. My mother lived a thousand miles across the province from us, so in order to ensure my little ones knew their grandmother well, we often dropped everything and headed for 'Grandma's'. Each of those road trips was a story in itself. Something of note would happen every time we set out on such a journey. For instance, my daughter and I were at one time both nursing new babies (and THAT is yet another book). Between the uprooted schedule we both maintained for our babies, we did not take into consideration that our nerves would get the best of us. I recall my daughter saying she was headed for the river bank halfway to our destination and don’t bother coming to get her. I could keep both babes since it was obvious she knew nothing about mothering. I swear I don’t recall questioning her parenting, but to this day she claims I did. Loudly. Could have been something to do with the fact my last baby was born when I was 45, not much left in the patience locker. I am an obsessive fisherman. My fishing rod is always in the trunk. I would travel out of my way for one little cast to see if fish are biting at a nearby lakeshore, or I would jump into my boat and be gone for hours, sometimes days after the big catch. Those lake trips added many miles to my log of distance and stories. I also play music in a bluegrass band with my daughter. We log many, many miles gong to festivals, practices and local and regional musical events. I have always had a rather large vehicle to contain in the early years kids and all their quilts and cuddle toys and sippy cups and anything else they snuck on board. Later years I had to carry medical supplies, briefcases, office supplies, and the like for work, then instruments and sound equipment for the festival circuit, and a front seat filled with coffee maker and a sizeable cooler for the many meals I had to consume while driving. At all times I carried a clipboard and attached pen to record the noteworthy things that happened on my various trips. Those clipboards filled quickly. In later years it was a laptop and/or tablet and cell phone gracing my passenger seat. Since my nursing career began in the early seventies, and motherhood as well, and musician matters all my life, plus the fishing and the snowmachine miles, you can imagine I had ample grist for this ‘Million Miles’ mill. The book is filled with my life on the road, a memoir.

After writing a successful memoir, Donald Miller's life stalled. During what should have been the height of his success, he found himself unwilling to get out of bed, avoiding responsibility, even questioning the meaning of life. But when two movie producers proposed turning his memoir into a movie, he found himself launched into a new story filled with risk, possibility, beauty, and meaning. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years chronicles Miller's rare opportunity to edit his life into a great story, to reinvent himself so nobody shrugs their shoulders when the credits roll. Through heart-wrenching honesty and hilarious self-inspection, Donald Miller takes readers through the life that emerges when it turns from boring reality into meaningful narrative. Miller goes from sleeping all day to riding his bike across America, from living in romantic daydreams to fearful encounters with love, from wasting his money to founding a nonprofit with a passionate cause. Guided by a host of outlandish but very real characters, Miller shows us how to get a second chance at life the first time around. A Million Miles in a Thousand Years is a rare celebration of the beauty of life.