What a wonderful Christmas!

The Christmas season was absolutely beautiful this year, maybe because economic conditions forced people to spend less and enjoy the reason for the season more. What a great concept - someone should market that!! LOL

The January issue is at press and should be back in a few days. I can't wait to get it on the street because people really look forward to the BEST OF winners voted on by our readers. I sure enjoyed reading all the nominations to see where folks like to eat, sleep, and play in Louisiana.

Christmas is such a magical time of year. Not only did I get to take a few days off to visit with friends, I hired a truly delightful new sales rep. I'll be introducing her in the next blog post. She's as excited as I am about LRT and together we plan to take this publication to the next level. Stay tuned!!

Preparing BEST OF 2008 issue...

Where does the time go? The December/Christmas issue is already on the streets and we're working feverishly on January's. We have been sorting through all the BEST OF 2008 nominations and votes in anticipation of announcing the winners in January. I always enjoy this process because it's interesting to hear about places other people patronize. Several new categories were added this year, such as best live music, best river, best scenic drive, etc... Lots of folks have written in nominations for unlisted categories like 'best fried chicken'. And for those of you who wrote in LA ROAD TRIPS for BEST MAGAZINE and listed me as BEST EDITOR, I really want to thank you! LOL Seriously, it's always a great issue and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Gotta get back to work...

The perks of being a writer...

I just spent a short weekend in Murfreesboro, Arkansas fly-fishing with professional instructor/guide Jeff Guerin and now I feel ready to tackle the world! This was strictly research for an article (ha!) that'll appear in the December issue. Here's a sneak preview... "After a couple (ok, several) hours of casting in the beautiful Little Missouri River, I landed a whopper – a 4 lb. 19” rainbow trout. You probably heard me shout with glee from your house as it was exhilarating to be standing in this crystal clear water surrounded by golden and orange leaves gently cascading down on the river. We were even graced with the presence of a bald eagle soaring nearby. Even if I hadn’t caught that monster fish, the gentle breeze blowing across the water and the sounds of nature engulfing me made it worth the drive. It was, after all… THE PERFECT DAY... About ten years ago I discovered that fly-fishing forced me to forgo multi-tasking, set aside deadlines and errands, and to simply live in the moment. The challenges of the last few years had sidelined me from enjoying these simple pleasures but this weekend put it all back in perspective for me. Being incorrigibly impatient and goal-oriented, I realized I sometimes just need to wet a line to get back in sync with what’s really important..." Hope you enjoy the entire article, with photos, including one of me and my fish!

Entering our 5th year with Nov 08 issue...

How 'bout that? Times flies, especially when you have such a hard deadline! LOL I was just thumbing through past issues and was amazed at the ground we've covered in four years. It's almost overwhelming to think of the people we've met and the places we've been during that time, and even more exciting to consider what's ahead.

Each month, my e-mailbox is filled with kind words and praise about the magazine. Home subscriptions are steadily increasing as well as requests from businesses wanting to be a drop-site for LRT. Thanks to everyone who enjoys our work. It's the ultimate compliment!

October issue is on the streets...

With the help of some great folks that work with LRT, I'm able to spend a little more time in Montana while they deliver the latest issue of the magazine throughout the state. What a relief! It's tough gig meeting such a hard deadline every four weeks. Rain or shine, sick or well, dog tired or just plain lazy...deadlines don't wait. About 95% of the time, I so excited about articles in the upcoming issue that the stress just motivates me more. However, that other 5% leaves me daydreaming of the mountains and wishing I was there. I'll be home soon, pushing hard to meet another deadline and wondering again where the time goes. But from the feedback we get, we're doing something right because LRT just gets better with each issue. Let me know if you agree.

Another issue off to the press...

The October issue goes to the printer tomorrow morning. It's always such a relief to get the magazine proofed and completed. It's even sweeter this month because I'm leaving tomorrow for vacation! Headed to the mountains... Each month my heart swells with pride when I consider all the wonderful people involved in getting LRT published. We're fortunate enough to have some of the best contributors around! Hope you enjoy the October issue...

Welcome to the LRT blog!

Hey folks! I suppose we're making progress as I am now a blogger. As Editor of Louisiana Road Trips Magazine, I spend a lot of time researching road trips, upcoming fairs and festivals, and artists and craftsmen around the state. We work so hard bringing you all these great articles and selling ads to pay the bills that I sometimes overlook including tidbits of information that I had planned to share with our readers. Now with the blog, I can pass these along to you in almost 'real time'. I look forward to your participation and hope you enjoy it!