Category: Travel

Footloose

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date July 6, 2023

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. Last Saturday I went on my first day-trip with some of my friends at the Sebring Historical Society. We gathered on our chartered bus at around 9 AM, and 30 minutes later we left the parking lot of our downtown Sebring museum for Fort Myers – 2 hours away.

We arrived at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre just in time for the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet – or – as I like to pronounce it – boo/FAY. The salad bar, the main course bar, and the dessert bar – it was all wonderful. Lots of choices, and everything tasted great. Service was pretty good too. You get your own food, and the wait staff brings you your unlimited drinks (water, iced tea, soda, coffee, etc.).

As a large group of over 20 we had 4 tables assigned to us up near the front of the 400-seat dinner theatre. We all had an excellent view of the stage for the after-lunch show.

And that show was #Footloose. I saw the original movie with my family as a 16-year-old in Fairfax County Virginia. I also saw the late-2011 remake. Good story. Good music. The Broadway-style show held true to its origins. I forgot about the whole minister / church part of the plot. It was interesting watching that this past Saturday afternoon as a minister.

I actually want to see the original 1984 movie again. Next time I see it on my TV listings I’ll have to DVR it. (Oh wait a minute – I forgot – it’s 2023, and I mostly stream. I have MAX, and I can watch it anytime on there.)

Well our next trip with the Sebring Historical Society is next month to a Tampa Bay Rays / New York Yankees Major League Baseball game in St. Petersburg Florida. I won’t be blogging about that, as I won’t be going on that trip. I just don’t like baseball. But I’m sure that the trip will be popular with a lot of the guys in our organization.

I hear that our next trip after that is in December to a Christmas show at a theatre in Winter Haven – or is it Winter Garden ? I get those two cities mixed-up. (And then there’s nearby Winter Park and Winter Springs.)

Next #TravelThursday – ALL ABOARD ! Let’s keep traveling together.

Tags Broadway, Florida, Footloose, Fort Myers, Sebring, Theatre

Blogging Driving Geography Home Travel

Miles & Meters

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date June 29, 2023

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. This past Sunday afternoon I surpassed 22,000 miles on my 2020 car. It took me 34½ months to get there. I reached the milestone in the southern part of my home county – Highlands County Florida.

The topography of Highlands County is quite interesting, and it explains its name.

My neighborhood – for example – is on a gentle slope, and it’s most noticeable after a thunderstorm when the water quickly runs and drains downhill from west to east along the culverts and into the lake. It starts at 43 meters (141 feet), and it runs down to 40 meters (131 feet). The large neighborhood to our west on the other side of U.S. 27 is as high as 52 meters (171 feet). In our northwestern part of Highlands County – the Lake Wales Ridge runs along the west side of U.S. 27. (Think of the Lake Wales Ridge as Florida’s little mountain chain along its spine.)

The highest elevations in Highlands County are in the southwestern part – south of Lake Placid closer to Venus – where the land peaks at 62 meters (203 feet). That’s where U.S. 27 rides along the top of the ridge. The land starts rising from 22 meters (72 feet) just as soon as you enter Highlands County from the south.

So – I got sidetracked there with the fascinating topography of my new home county, but isn’t that what blogging should be all about ? You write what comes to you in the moment – not knowing where your thinking mind and your typing fingers will lead you.

Well – (circling back) – I surpassed 22,000 miles on my car 32 days after I surpassed 21,000 miles on my car, and that was 18 days after I surpassed 20,000 miles on my car. So it was a slower 1,000 miles this time around. I’m settling-in to my new home here in the Heartland and the Highlands of Florida. The view is wonderful from up here on the Ridge !

Next #TravelThursday – I gotta cut loose – footloose – kick-off my Sunday shoes. Let’s keep traveling together.

Tags Florida, Heartland, Highlands, Sebring

Blogging Driving Food Geography History Travel

Moore Haven Florida

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date June 22, 2023

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. There’s an interesting small town along my 185-mile retirement route between my new home and my old home. It’s located roughly two-thirds of the way driving northward to Sebring, and one-third of the way driving southward to Homestead.

Nestled along both banks of the Caloosahatchee Canal (connects its namesake river with Lake Okeechobee) – Moore Haven Florida is an historic small town of just 1 square mile in size and a little over 1,500 residents. It’s the county seat and only incorporated municipality of Glades County. Glades is one of the most rural and least-populous counties in the state of Florida with just over 12,000 residents.

The biggest and most notable landmark in Moore Haven is the Mamie Langdale Memorial Bridge – a modern 4-lane causeway built in 1999 that carries U.S. 27 traffic high atop the Caloosahatchee. Mamie Langdale (1903-1973) was a longtime bridge tender for the old 2-lane drawbridge that formerly crossed the canal.

After climbing the bridge from the south and reaching the top – the sight of the large U.S.A. flag down at the bottom in the center of town is so beautiful to see.

A couple of miles west of town lies the busy Love’s truck stop, gas station, convenience store, and (Arby’s) restaurant. I watched it being built along the north side of U.S. 27 back in 2016-2017 when I was already driving through the area a few times a year to and from my eventual retirement area. Once Love’s opened – I became a regular customer. Well – sort of. I only stopped there to use their spacious and clean bathroom. I felt a little bit guilty back then because that’s all I would do. I wouldn’t buy anything. Just passing through. But nowadays I almost always stop there – in both directions – to fill-up with gas, to use their bathrooms, and to also eat inside at the adjoining Arby’s. It’s my comfort stop, and the employees at the front counter at Love’s usually greet you upon entering and thank you upon exiting.

Next #TravelThursday it’s another milestone on my car’s odometer. Let’s keep traveling together.

Tags Florida, Sebring

Blogging Driving Food Geography History Travel

Spaghetti & Meat Sauce

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date June 15, 2023

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. I’ve been blogging about the Sebring Historical Society for almost 2½ years now – ever since my first impromptu visit to the main office in February 2021. I decided after that first visit – that I wanted to eventually become an active member of the organization. 2 years later – I did just that. I became a full dues-paying member. I fully support our mission to preserve, protect, and promote the history of Sebring Florida and the surrounding area.

We have weekly gatherings, monthly spaghetti dinners, and quarterly luncheons. I won’t discuss our weeklies and our quarterlies here (at least not now), but let me get in to our monthlies.

Once a month – on the 3RD Thursday afternoon of each month – (that’s today) – we host our monthly fundraiser. It’s a hot and delicious spaghetti dinner. It’s open to the public, and many of the locals in our downtown neighborhood know about it because they put in their reservations early for either pick-up or dine-in. For $10 (in advance) or $12 (at the door) you get a large portion of spaghetti with your choice of either meat sauce or veggie sauce. You want garlic bread with that ? You got it. How about a side salad with your choice of dressing ? Of course. Top it off with your choice of 4 different desserts ? I’ll slice it for you (because that’s what I do on Thursday afternoons).

So if you’re in the Sebring Florida area this afternoon – then stop by starting at 4:30 PM (until 6:30 PM). Get there early. We’re located at 1971 Lakeview Drive. We call that historic purple-trimmed lime-green house – the Clovelly House Event Center. Once you walk in – you’ll be warmly greeted by one of our members – as well as the wonderful aroma in the air.

Next #TravelThursday I’ll write about Moore Haven Florida. Let’s keep traveling together.