We checked into The Commons Hotel in Minneapolis on 7/23. A treat for Dad for coming along on the epic book tour.
On 7/24, the road trip to Butternut happened. 4.5 hours of driving.
I was determined to get in that claw foot tub one night. I managed on Saturday evening. I also had a gorgeous walk in shower. The height of luxury in the Northwoods.
I made the front page of the Price County Review!
We headed up to Glidden to the Green Lantern for dinner our first night. I love the country chic style of the place. It’s going to be in a scene in the sequel.
I had steak with grilled shrimp and asiago cheese at the Green Lantern. One of my best meals in the Northwoods.
On 7/25, from 10 am-3 pm, I had a book signing at Ruth’s Pioneer Quilt Shop in downtown Butternut.
That night we headed up to Lake Superior in Ashland.
Fabulous murals from Butternut’s Kelly Meredith can be found all over Ashland county. This one was up in Ashland.
After seeing Lake Superior, we had dinner at the Deep Water Grille in Ashland.
On 7/26, from 10 am – 3 pm we had a second day of book signings.
Ruth’s daughter, Becky had the coolest handcrafts for sale that weekend. Planters and wall art and t-shirts and even homemade soaps and honey.
On 7/26, we had dinner at AJ’s with Kim and John. They make great prime rib there.
We hustled over to the Pioneer Days fair and caught Hugh Bob and The Hustle’s performance.
Then we dropped by Steve’s Corner Bar and had drinks with Dan. Rumor had it Hugh Bob would be performing here that night. He didn’t show up until long after we’d left.
We headed over to Brennan’s Green Brier to hang out with Mike Brennan, who has owned the bar since the 70s. He let me pick his brain for a scene in the sequel. Had a blast hanging out with him. He’s a firecracker!
On 7/27, I got to be in the Pioneer Days parade! That’s my fabulous driver, George, in his awesome car. He made the signs too.
On 7/27, we headed out to Steven’s Point. We stopped at the A&W in Phillips for lunch.
Wauwatosa Public Library author talk and book signing on 7/28
Driving through corn fields in 7/29 to DeKalb, IL
DeKalb Public Library free workshop on writing good love scenes with Margaret, Marie and Gwen.
Great breakfast at the Junction
Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, IL. Where we stayed at the Holmes Student Center
Memorial to the students killed on Northern Illinois University’s campus by a shooter in 2010.
The Shitty Barn in Spring Green, WI. On our one free day of the trip, we decided to roadtrip an hour outside Madison to see Hugh Bob and The Hustle.
Nick Brown performs at the Shitty Barn
Hugh Bob and The Hustle at the Shitty Barn
Cute street of Wausau, WI
My free workshop on How to Be a Productive Part-Time Writer at the Marathon County Public Library in Wausau on 7/31
8/1 at the Park Falls Public Library talk on traditional publishing
Fried Cheese Curds at Gregg’s Steakhouse in Glidden on 8/1
Walleye at Gregg’s Steakhouse
Fried Cheese Curds at the Green Lantern on 8/2
Exploring Shanagolden with Maxine
The Butternut Fire truck–part of the Butternut Area Historical Society Museum
Best Burger of the Northwoods–out at Cruise Inn Spring Creek with Pam on 8/2
The talking deer at Cruise Inn Spring Creek
On 8/3, I hung out with Abby at the museum and then we had a delicious lunch at the Green Lantern.
After a 5 hour roadtrip back to Minneapolis, I stayed in my hotel the entire evening of 8/4. Ate at the Normandy Kitchen–delicious walleye with potatoes.
Sounds wonderful. And how great that you were able to be in a parade. Now there’s a novel way to get the word about your book out!
Thanks! Butternut is great about inviting me to be in their Pioneer Days parade. 🙂
Extravaganza, indeed! I’ve been anticipating this post, and I love how you’ve presented it in photos. Still tickled that we were able to meet! Downtown Wausau looks darling. My question is, who makes the best fried cheese curds? 🙂
LOL. Yeah, if I did it in words it would stretch over 3-4 posts. So much happened. Me too! It was great hanging out in person and sharing writing processes. I’ve never seen a downtown with brick sidewalks and roads like that. LOL. Depends what you look for in a fried cheese curd. I love the crispy outside and gooey inside at The Green Lantern, but Gregg’s Steakhouse was my first experience with fried cheese curds so they remain a favorite. 🙂
Thanks for the view! Hope you’ll be back next year.
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for making it all possible in Butternut!
Loved this trip Kourtney – full of interesting sites, events, food and music! Though I imagine it was exhausting, so no wonder you needed an evening in the hotel 🙂
It was a whirlwind. Lots of go go go. So much extroverting all the time. By the end of the trip, I’d drawn on all my reserves. I needed several days of downtime. 🙂
I’m so thrilled for you. I knew you when… 🙂 The pics are fantastic.
Thanks Jenny! LOL. We had an epic trip. I’m still recovering. 🙂
Wonderful! Thanks for the pics and story. It’s always fun to see what you’re up to…. Hugs!
Thanks! It’s hard to compress 2 weeks into one post, but I tried. 🙂 Hugs!
We had a fabulous time with you, Kourtney! So many laughs, and great ideas for future books (teehee) Glad you could stop by Cruise Inn Spring Creek for a burger. I feel like we’ve known each other for years! 😀
Thanks Pam! I loved hanging with you and Butch. Jane was a hoot too! I know, it was like I picked up where I left off with an old friend. Very cool!
Hi pretty writer…
I loved this gallery here… What a joyride!!!
Lovely … And congratulations on making the front page of the Price County Review!.
Best wishes to you, always,
Aquileana 😀
Hi Aquileana!
Thanks. It was a whirlwind. Can’t believe all I did in 2 weeks. Thanks that was a lovely surprise. Totally made me smile.
Hugs,
K
Excellent round up up of your tour. I love that you’ve done it in photos to share the details. Very effective. In between the words and picture highlights I deduce you fitted a lot in:)
I figured photos was the best way to condense 2 weeks into one post. 😉 Oh we did. Except sleep. I was sleeping about 6 hours a night. Normally it’s 8-10. I’m still playing catch up on that.
Great way to show us what you’ve been up to! What a fun time you must have had.
Thanks. We had a good amount of fun moments, but it was a tremendous amount of work. The schedule of events was rigorous. We stayed in 10 hotels in 14 days. Lots of packing and unpacking everyday. Driving 200 miles to an event. And doing it all over again. 🙂
Thanks for taking us along with you, Kourtney. How fun to explore the places where your characters live. Cool to talk to the towns folk and get ideas for scenes. Really great.
If you get a chance when you get home, I put up a blog today and could use some input. I’m seeking a title for my story. I also have a link there to another post where I was looking for input. But, if you only have time for one, check out my “Seeking a Title” post.
Glad you had a wonderful time on the book tour. That root beer really called my name.
It was a great trip. Lots of ideas percolated and changes to my outline for the sequel. I check in on blogs once a week, I’ll make sure to stop by then. 🙂
I never ever had a root beer float with soft serve ice cream. It was pretty cool!
You are visiting the most interesting places – cute- quaint – talking deer and all (what a great fire truck!) – the pictures are so much fun letting us travel along, too.
Of course it’s easier to look back or read about it than do it – hard to sleep in different beds all the time. So rest up and recharge
Amazing places with great people. Really lovely trip. I showcase the best parts of it here. But the constant travel is wearying. I’ve never worked that hard in my life. Being on. Talking the book up. Presenting workshops. Navigating hundreds of miles. Coordinating all the logistics of the rental car, the hotels, meals, etc. Setting up for each workshop and then packing it all up again. It was a journey. LOL. I’m trying to take a little down time when I can. 🙂 Hugs, K
Great way to present the whirlwind tour! The Junction is a long-time favorite back in DeKalb. I’ve had many a great breakfast there and late night snacks back in the day. 😀 Hopefully you’ll have the chance to get back in the writing and editing groove now!
Thanks! I’m working on Six Train’s sequel. Hoping to get drafting next week unless something pops up with Harlequin. 🙂 Loved the Junction so delicious and the cute little train running was so fun!
Congrats on making the front page of the paper, K!! Happy for your successes… and fun to check out your photos too 🙂
Thanks so much Christy! That was completely unexpected and such a cool milestone! 🙂 If I told it in words, it would have been 4-5 posts long. Hugs, K
I do enjoy reading the tour details and, of course, all the photographs of food to power the endless promotions you’re running. Have you kept track of how many miles you’ve done?
LOL. Usually on each trip I keep track. On the Midwest tour we drove 2000 miles and flew about 2000 miles. If I tallied them all up easily 10,000 miles+ of travel for the book promo stuff. 🙂 I figure you want to see the best parts–the events and the food. 🙂
I felt like I was there. Wish I was able to sample the food 🙂 Congrats on the successful trip
Aw cool. Yes, ws definitely eat well when we tour. 🙂 Thanks.
Fried cheese curds…miss those like crazy!
They are a must every time I get out to the Northwoods. 🙂
Loved your picture tour Kourtney 🙂 and now I am hungry, x 🙂
Thanks. Mwa haha–that was my evil plan—to make all my blog buddies hungry. 😉
I am ravenous.. but I can not eat until later this evening as I have a scheduled hospital appointment.. so water only for 6 hours.. and you know what you are like when you know you cannot eat.. you get hungry all the more. LOL.. But I will survive LOL 🙂
Ugh. That’s hard. Get off the internet. It’s not safe. There are food pictures everywhere. Hope you have a wonderful dinner planned for tonight! And that all goes well at the hospital. 🙂
Yes a nice meal.. and All will be well 🙂 but thank you all the same Kourtney,, Now stop posting delicious looking meals! 🙂
Good! Sending positive thoughts. LOL. No food posts for a bit I promise!
🙂 … Tummy now all full and appetite satisfied.. 😉 x
Yay! Should I upload more food pics? 😉