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Homestead Florida

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. And a good May Day to you. It’s Labor Day (or Workers’ Day) in many countries, and European countries celebrate May Day as the unofficial start of Summer.

This post is a continuation of my #TravelThursday post from last week.

Following The 13TH Army Band of the Florida National Guard concert at The Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center in Cutler Bay – I proceeded back towards Homestead. It took me 45 minutes to drive about 16 miles to my motel in Florida City. Not a surprise. Just like everywhere else in Miami-Dade County and South Florida – the south end of the County is crowded, and traffic is congested.

I ate Breakfast at Denny’s right in front of my motel. The food was good. The service was bad in almost every way imaginable. I guess it’s better than having bad food but good service.

I went to my old condo of 30 years. I packed-up most of my old military uniforms from the early-1990s. (I left them behind all this time since I won’t be needing them ever again.) I met my Realtor, and we walked and talked about my condo. (It would go on the market exactly a week later. For an even $200,000 – you can buy my old condo. It’s way below market value.)

The nostalgia continues. I went to my first church – now at its 4TH location in 20 years. They are at a very nice place now, so hopefully they continue to be blessed there. I was actually there on business – to sign some paperwork (as a former Trustee). The current Lead Pastor actually took the position almost two years after I left that church in March 2015. He gave me a tour of their very large sanctuary. It was beautiful. It was the first time I had seen it. The last time I was there – for a celebration-of-life service in 2023 – they were starting construction / expansion of it.

After my visit there it was time to head back home to Sebring. It was my 36TH trip from Homestead to Sebring since I bought my dream home in my dream neighborhood during Presidents’ Day Weekend of 2023. My 36TH trip back to Homestead will likely be “Closing Day” for whoever buys my condo. It’ll mark the end of an era for me in Homestead that began nearly 38 years ago.

Next #TravelThursday – I’ll write about my visit to the Dallas Texas area. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2025 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Cutler Bay Florida

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. A couple of Sunday mornings ago (early on Palm Sunday) I drove 3½ hours southward from Sebring to Homestead Florida. It took a little bit longer than normal for the trek on that particular Sunday morning due to a bicycling event that I wasn’t expecting until I reached Florida State Road 997 (Krome Avenue) in Miami-Dade County.

And actually when I went to plot my trek on Google Maps a few minutes prior to leaving home – it warned me that my route was partially closed – the northernmost 18 miles of Krome Avenue from U.S. 27 southward. I figured that it was due to wildfires adjacent to the road, as that’s sometimes a problem at this time of the year (the end of dry season). It was actually due to the annual GFNY (Gran Fondo New York) Miami endurance competition – a 35-mile loop for bicyclists (70 miles if you do it twice). The left-hand lane of both directions of Krome Avenue was orange coned off and reserved for the bicyclists, as regular vehicular traffic continued in the right-hand lane.

That was pretty unique to be driving alongside an active bicycle event. We rarely reached the speed limit of 55 MPH, and actually traffic slowed down quite a bit as we drove by bicyclists.

I arrived at my Sunday morning destination – my longtime home church from 2015 to 2024. I got to see my Homestead Pastor preach LIVE for the first time since December. (I previously filled-in for him for a couple of Sundays in January and February.)

From downtown Homestead I drove around the outside of the airbase for the first time since I retired almost 14 months ago. There has been rapid development adjacent to the main entry of the airbase since I was last there. A MASSIVE Miami Dade County Transit Operations Center for electric buses is currently under construction on 20 acres of land that was previously undeveloped for 30+ years ever since Hurricane Andrew destroyed what used to be the base housing area of the original airbase.

I proceeded northward and eastward over to Cutler Bay Florida – picking-up a longtime friend along the way. We went to Applebee’s for lunch. I was not impressed with my meal – or the service. Both were slightly below average. I remember Applebee’s being a bit better than that; although, it had been almost 3 years since we last ate there.

From Applebee’s we drove around the Southland Mall – which was unbelievably packed (at least on one side of the mall – facing U.S. 1). That was my neighborhood mall (sort of) during my 36 years of living down the road in Homestead. Southland Mall redevelopment has begun, and the former Sears building of 48 years (1972-2020) is no longer there. About 5,000 residential apartments (via high-rises) will be built to create a new live, work, and play community experience, and the legacy mall itself will be supplemented with new “town center” stores individually accessible directly from the exterior.

Finally – we made it to The Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center (across the street from the mall) to attend a concert – The 13TH Army Band of the Florida National Guard. Tickets were free, but they had to be reserved in advance. The Army band was large, and they mostly performed patriotic and military songs. This was the 2ND such concert that I’ve seen at this nice modern entertainment venue since it opened in 2011.

Next #TravelThursday – My Miami-Dade County Florida adventure continues with more nostalgia on the Monday after – including a visit to the first church that I called home for 8 years. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2025 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Florida Medal Of Honor Memorial

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. This week I’m writing about my first-time visit a little over 3 weeks ago to our newest museum right here in my hometown of Sebring Florida. It’s the Florida Medal Of Honor Memorial.

Their Mission is “to honor and preserve the legacy of Florida Medal of Honor recipients through education, leadership, and inspiring displays, ensuring their courage and sacrifice are never forgotten.”

24 Medal of Honor recipients are Floridians – including our very own Major Thomas “Mickey” McGuire Jr. (1920-1945; Sebring High School Class of 1938). Check out his displays inside the Visitors Center.

What a wonderful Memorial (outside) and a beautiful Visitors Center (inside). It’s a fantastic addition to downtown Sebring, and as a Director of a neighboring historical museum – I welcome them to the family. I went home that night, and the next day I wrote them a check to cover a 5-year membership for myself. I want to be part of their growth and evolution. I want to support them in any way that I can.

Fun Fact: Surrounding the museum and the memorial are mostly (90%) native Florida plants – over 650 of them – including over 40 species. The plants were selected based on their colors, textures, and interactions with wildlife – attracting and supporting local butterflies, birds, and beneficial insects.

They are located at the corner of South Commerce and South Eucalyptus in downtown Sebring – 0.4 miles from our Circle – right next to the Highlands County Government Center. They are open 5 days a week – Tuesdays to Saturdays – from 10 AM to 4 PM. In addition to their official web site (hyperlinked above) – you can check them out on both Facebook and X.

Mama Told Me Not To Come, but The Show Must Go On, so we’ll Shambala An Old Fashioned Love Song Out In The Country – at least this One time, so that there is Joy To The World for the Black And White – next – #TravelThursday. Let’s keep traveling together.

All rights reserved (c) 2025 Christopher M. Day, CountUp

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Florida Homecoming

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. Last week I wrote about my trip to North Texas – where I spent 9 days and 9 nights with my family in Wylie – about 30 miles northeast of the center of Dallas Texas. I arrived during the early evening of Wednesday November 20TH 2024. I wrote about me and my brother’s visit on that Saturday to historic downtown McKinney Texas and the Collin County History Museum.

During the rest of my time with my brother we shopped, we ate, and we saw 3 movies – “Heretic”, “A Real Pain”, and “Red One”. I think that me and brother both liked “A Real Pain” the most. It’s a dramedy written, directed, and produced by Jesse Eisenberg. He and Kieran Culkin are the stars. It’s a good well-written story of two cousins visiting Poland on a tour to connect with their Jewish heritage.

As is tradition – my brother prepared a home-cooked Breakfast twice – on that Sunday morning and on Thanksgiving morning. We also opened all of the presents underneath the Christmas tree later on that same holiday morning, and then we watched football for the rest of the day while smelling (and eating) our traditional Thanksgiving dinner at around 3:30 PM.

Fun Fact: The weather in North Texas was all over the place – to include the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and even 80s. As an amateur weather forecaster – it was not unexpected. Thanksgiving Day was the coldest day (40s), and the next morning was the coldest morning (33°F / 1°C). I brought that cold air (modified) back home to Florida.

The next day – Friday November 29TH 2024 – my brother dropped me off at Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), and I flew to Charlotte Douglas (CLT) with a short layover before my connecting flight to Sarasota-Bradenton (SRQ). (My nonstop direct flight back to SRQ was cancelled about 3 months prior just for that afternoon, and I was automatically booked on the two replacement flights.) Both flights were packed, but they actually departed and arrived early !

Fun Fact: It was my first time in North Carolina since the last time I flew through CLT as a layover between Miami (MIA) and Salisbury-Ocean City (SBY). CLT was also a layover for the return flight between Reagan (DCA) and MIA. That was in July 2015.

I returned back home to Sebring (76 miles from SRQ) right at 9 PM on that Friday, and I was in my own bed less than an hour later. It was a long travel day, and I was exhausted.

The next day – Saturday November 30TH 2024 – I awoke knowing that it was on that date 37 years earlier that I left my family behind in Northern Virginia and flew to MIA en route to my new USAF duty assignment and home for the next 36+ years – Homestead Florida. I’ve now entered my 38TH year as a Florida resident. I’m a #FloridaMan forever.

Next #TravelThursday – I’ll write about my road-trip to and from Homestead. It’s my 32ND trip southward – and my 33RD trip northward – since relocating from Homestead to Sebring almost 2 years ago. Let’s keep traveling together.

#CountUp & #TravelThursday is on Facebook. I usually post there on Mondays and Thursdays.

All rights reserved (c) 2024 Christopher M. Day, CountUp