Kim McMahill

  “We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more.” -  Pico Iyer

I was very fortunate this spring to have the opportunity for some epic travel. My husband and I visited areas of Greece and Türkiye that we hadn’t been to before, including spending a few nights in the Cappadocia region in central Türkiye. I loved the history, mythology, archeology, culture, food, and people. The highlight, though, came in Cappadocia where we explored underground cities, cave homes and churches, and viewed the stunning landscape dotted with Fairy Chimneys from a hot air balloon. It was a truly amazing adventure.

I love to travel, to see the world, to learn about other cultures. But there is so much more to travel than beaches, pretty scenery, checking off iconic sites, or participating in exciting activities. It’s also about changing how we see the world and our place in it. In one of my favorite PBS travel shows, the host closes each episode with the following quote. It struck a chord with me. I saw a lot of truth and wisdom in these words.     “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Innocents Abroad, Mark Twain

Fall is in full swing and winter is just around the corner, at least in Wyoming. Thanksgiving will soon be here, and I have faith that it will be better than the last. A little over a year has passed since I lost my mom. I didn’t think it would be possible to heal, but as each day passes, I have a little more hope that I can find myself again. WRITING The first couple rounds of editing are done for the final novel in The Beartooth Chronicles, Winter Resurgence . There is still another proofread to go and formatting, and the cover should be coming soon. I’ve enjoyed the editing phase since it reminded me of what an epic novel this is. Simply, it’s just more—more action, adventure, danger, drama, love, and emotion. It will keep you on the edge of your seat, and you may even shed a tear or two. Surprisingly, I did, and I wrote it. WANDERINGS We had a busy October. We went to Helena to see family, went camping for probably the last time of the season, and went to Mexico. We enjoyed...

  OCTOBER 2025 WRITING AND WANDERING #Newsletter Happy Fall! It would be my favorite season if it weren’t for the reality that winter is just around the corner. But until it freezes and snows, I’m enjoying the slower pace in an otherwise tourist town, reaping the harvest from my garden, watching college volleyball, and transiting to seasonal flavors like apples, pumpkin, and cinnamon. WRITING I’m waiting for the edits from my editor on the final novel in The Beartooth Chronicles, Winter Resurgence . I’m very excited about this story, but sad that the series will end. I will miss Ash, Caleb, and the rest of the resilient residents of Beartooth. If you haven’t started the series or aren’t caught up, I hope you will come onboard. It will be worth the time investment. WANDERINGS We took a road trip in September. We were anxious to go to the 2025 Pueblo Chile Festival and were lucky enough that we could attend University of Wyoming volleyball matches coming and going. We stock...

I hope everyone is enjoying the last remnants of summer. It went too fast, and my garden was a huge disappointment. On the upside, we did have some epic adventures. WRITING I’m waiting for the edits from my editor on the final novel in The Beartooth Chronicles, Winter Resurgence . I’m very excited about this story, but sad that the series will end. I will miss Ash, Caleb, and the rest of the resilient residents of Beartooth. I hope if you aren’t caught up on the series you will do so soon. WANDERINGS My husband and I spent most of July in Alaska. It was an incredible adventure involving trains, boats, float planes, and buses. We saw gorgeous scenery and lots of amazing wildlife. Here are a few of my favorite photos, and others have been included in the August 16 and 30 blog posts. WHAT I’M READING AND NOTABLE NOVELS I finished Burning Sky by John Darnton. It was a good dystopian novel, but it didn’t really have me on the edge of my seat. Next, I read The Darkest Winter: A ...

The vast and stunning landscapes are truly amazing. Here are a couple of my favorite photos from a recent trip.  

“Through travel I first became aware of the outside world; it was through travel that I found my own introspective way into becoming a part of it.”   Eudora Welty, One Writer's Beginnings

We recently spent some time in Alaska. The scenery was spectacular, but the wildlife in the waters, espcially in Kenai Fjord and Glacier Bay national parks was stunning. Here are a few of my favorites. An Orca swimming alongside the boat, a group of sea otters, and a pod of Humpback wales bubble feeding nearby.

A recent road trip began with an annual pilgrimage which happens to be the location for t he inspiration for my new dystopian series, The Beartooth Chronicles.  I try every year to drive this amazing highway straddling the Wyoming-Montana border. Currently, the road over Beartooth Pass is open from approximately Memorial Day to mid-October, depending on the amount of snow. This year it has been struggling to stay open with the onslaught of late-season snow storms. We managed to slip in between two such storms in June and were rewarded with amazing views and a look at the depth of the snow still lining the road.   View of Pilot Peak from Beartooth Pass.

I've traveled all over the world, but until last month, I've never visited the West Coast of the United States. We headed southwest until we reached California's redwoods, and then drove Highway 101 north to Astoria, Oregon before heading home. It was an amazing trip filled with amazing scenery, interesting wildlife, fantastic food, and diverse weather (we had sun, rain, and snow at Crater Lake National Park). It was a truly remarkable trip that I hope to repeat soon.  

This summer flew by. We got the van out in May and down into southern Utah for a few days. We didn’t come up for a breath of air again until the middle of August and made a quick trip to Canada and the Eastern Seaboard. We saw some beautiful scenery, but I’m a little spoiled with all the amazing landscapes close by in Wyoming and Montana. But, we did get some delicious seafood, which isn’t quite as easy to come by at home and a real treat.

When I can't get too far away, I look for a few moments to enjoy the peace, solitude, and beauty of the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway and the Beartooth Highway. Here are a few photos I'd like to share of this spectacular place .

“Through travel I first became aware of the outside world; it was through travel that I found my own introspective way into becoming a part of it.”   Eudora Welty, One Writer's Beginnings

Here are a few photos from our first summer road trip in the adventure van. We made a large swing from Wyoming to the border between Utah and Arizona and saw some spectacular scenery along the way, which included National Parks, State Parks, Bureau of Land Management units, and lots of stunning National Forests and private attractions. I hope your summer is getting off to a great start. Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park

Summer is finally here and I couldn’t be happier. I’m enjoying the warmer weather, have planted my garden, and have even taken the adventure van out on its first road-trip of the season to Utah. It was great to visit some of our favorite national parks and discover ones we haven’t seen before. We also found a few state parks and other attractions. I hope everyone’s summer is starting out great. WRITING NOTES AND NEWS Four of my novels have been chosen to be Amazon Kindle monthly deals starting on June 1 st . Get Marked in Mexico, Deadly Exodus, A Taste of Tragedy, and A Measure of Madness for just $1.99 each. Links to my books can be found on my Amazon Author page at:   https://www.amazon.com/Kim-McMahill/e/B007IK0EJW/ When not working on the early 2024 release of my new series, I continue to write Kindle Vella episodes. My first Vella, Professor of Lies (Renegades’ Redemption Book 1), is complete and all episodes are available to read, so no waiting for new episodes to pos...

I love to travel, to see the world, to learn about other cultures. But there is so much more to travel than beaches, pretty scenery, or exciting activities, it’s also about changing the way we see the world and our place in it. On one of my favorite PBS travel shows, the host closes each episode with the following quote. It struck a chord with me, so I have part of the quote in my blog header. Here is the rest.    “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.” - Innocents Abroad, Mark Twain

Lamego, Portugal is a city located in the northern part of the country. The city has many interesting things to see, but the most stunning is Our Lady of Remedies which stands above town. This Catholic Church sits atop a hill overlooking Lamego, and 686-steps lead from the town to the Sanctuary. Along the stairway are nine levels decorated with blue and white tiled friezes, sculptures, and fountains. The Sanctuary is stunning, inside and out, and is one of the main pilgrimage sites in Portugal.

Porto, Portugal is a beautiful coastal city located alongside the Douro River in northwest Portugal. It’s the second largest city in the country and world-famous for its port wine production. Its Romanesque cathedral with gothic cloisters, stately bridges, historic city center, and location along the Douro River, make this a city worth exploring.  

Lisbon, Portugal is a city with a proud history and a vibrant culture. The historic district of this hilly coastal capital city has an abundance of statues, parks, cathedrals, stunning architecture, sidewalks constructed of black and white tiles arranged in beautiful patterns, and great cafes and bakeries selling pastis de natas, a delicious Portuguese egg custard tart pastry. My only problem with this city was that my visit was too short, so if you go, be sure to give yourself plenty of time.