Road Trip to Vacaville and Steampunk Workshop

Good evening! I'm glad you guys are still taking an interest in my work. Last week, I took a road trip to Vacaville in Northern California. I was given an invitation to host a steampunk workshop at the Vacaville Town Square Library. It was a great opportunity and I really enjoyed it. The trip was largely for business purposes, but it was also a nice break from my day job. Are any of you guys planning a trip to NorCal soon? Truthfully, Vacaville is a good hub if you want to take an extensive trip. The city has more than one shopping complex, two libraries, many places to eat, and more than one hotel option. If you hop on the freeways, several cities are probably 30 minutes away or less. Sacramento is east of Vacaville and San Francisco is located on the west. Down south is both Napa and San Jose. It's something to keep in mind. Most of the stores at the outlets were identical to everything at home, but I took advantage of the Puma store. That's my favorite brand of tennis shoes. Most of their shoes were reasonably priced. I lucked out because we could buy a second pair of shoes for 50% off. I bought four pairs of sneakers for around $120 and that's quite a steal.

​Regarding my steampunk workshop and presentation, it went very well. My sister helped organize the tables and my collection of books. The librarian, Delilah Wilson, was a delightful and professional woman who took a great deal of interest in my work. It's always nice to see an open mind for the steampunk genre. She had a cool steampunk background for photos too. 

The workshop was a really good test run for me. It was my first major steampunk speaking opportunity. Actually, I enjoyed the experience. I created a PowerPoint presentation that incorporated the origins of steampunk, stylistic elements, some 19th century history, precursors to the genre, modern steampunk literature, steampunk in various forms of entertainment, and how the genre changed throughout the years. Many of my friends and colleagues in the steampunk community contributed photos for the cosplay section of my presentation. Thanks a lot for the help! The pics were a great way to show a visual element for steampunk clothing. I had a small yet dedicated audience. They seemed very intrigued with the slide show. I'm happy about that part because a lot of presentations are boring. It was good that my viewers weren't falling asleep or feeling confused. Some of the audience members were in the steampunk spirit. A couple of kids sported steampunk gear. In fact, the boy had a gas mask. It was pretty awesome. After the slide show was done, I answered several questions from the audience. Overall, we had a really interesting discussion. I think it was a learning experience for all of us. It might be a good idea for me add a little more information for future presentations. I will try to find more costume pictures, books, and films. Maybe some of my acquaintances will have photos of DIY projects. I'll explore some options. But it was still a successful experience. The audience learned a lot of information and was quite curious. The librarian seemed thrilled about my workshop. Plus, many of the audience members bought my books. Book sales are always a perk!  

Among other things, the Courtyard Marriott hotel was very nice. Some places are cheaper, but it was worth the money. The room was comfortable, clean, and classy. They have good concierges, free Wi-fi, a public pool, and a little shop where you can purchase drinks or other items. If you're staying there, find food outside of the hotel. Their Bistro has good food, but the guy running the place isn't very attentive at all. We actually had plenty of options for food throughout the city. My sister and I ate at the Olive Garden and BJ's. There's a 50s style restaurant called Mel's Original Diner and it's a hidden gem. We got hooked! Mel's has a really good breakfast with quite a few options. You can order traditional favorites like ham and eggs, pancakes, waffles, etc. But they also serve southwestern meals, omelets, chicken fried steak, skillets, eggs benedict, and more. The ambiance is adorable and nostalgic with the traditional 50s theme from American Graffiti. They have a lunch and dinner menu too, but we only went for breakfast. Think about stopping at Mel's Original Diner if you're traveling to NorCal. You won't be disappointed.  

​That covers my trip to Vacaville. Thank you very much for the continued support. Leave a comment if you want to say anything about my trip or steampunk workshop. Stay tuned for next week's post and try to stay cool from the summer heat. See you later!