Tag: Florida

Florida Homecoming

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date December 12, 2024

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.

Tags Florida, North Carolina, Texas

Blogging Driving History Nature Travel

Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date November 14, 2024

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. Earlier this month a small group of us took a bus trip down south by a little over 100 miles to southeastern Hendry County. We visited the Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum and their annual American Indigenous Arts Celebration on their exterior grounds across the street from the Museum. They are located on the Big Cypress Reservation about 18 miles north of the Alligator Alley portion of I-75 (exit 49). They are owned and operated by the Seminole Tribe Of Florida. It was my first-ever visit to the Museum and local area.

This is one of those hidden gems in South Florida that I really didn’t know anything about until our Sebring Historical Society announced it as an upcoming bus trip that I promoted during the month of October on our Facebook page (which I’m the Administrator of).

There were a lot of singing and dancing performances – and food and merchandise vendors at the Celebration. The Museum (inside) was modern and fascinating. As I slowly walked through it – I was getting educated on the history of the local area and the Seminole Tribe Of Florida. I was also dreaming of how our own Museum (present and potential future location) could incorporate a lot of what I was seeing presented there. I also walked the mile-long elevated boardwalk behind the Museum. It loops around a 60-acre natural cypress dome.

We spent 4½ hours at Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki. With the 2-hour bus trip each way – it was a fun 8½-hour day with my museum friends and fellow history fans. Our next fun bus trip is a little over 2 weeks away – to historic downtown Bartow Florida in Polk County (our neighbor to the north).

Next #TravelThursday – I’m in Texas. Let’s keep traveling together.

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

Tags Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki, Cypress, Florida, Hendry, Indian, Museum, Seminole, Tribe

Blogging Driving Travel

End Of An Era

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date October 31, 2024

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. My 2020 Honda Civic survived Hurricanes Helene and Milton (both Tropical Storms here in my local area of inland South Central Florida), but it did not survive the Monday after.

A couple of miles from my home – while headed to my favorite car wash (how ironic) and then movie theatre (to see “White Bird”) – I was sideswiped by a heavy lawn and tree care utility truck while stopped in a long line at a red light. The point-of-impact was the rear-right corner / edge of my car, and the entire right-side (including tires) was smashed with pieces of it laying along a frequently congested portion of Sebring Parkway (approaching U.S. 27). Police arrived. Fire and Rescue arrived. A few were placed on stretchers and transported with injuries to a local hospital. Traffic was shut down in both directions for about 90 minutes during the aftermath.

I didn’t see it coming, but when I was hit – my car didn’t move one inch. Neither did I. The truck that hit me then hit the next vehicle up, and that ultimately caused 3 other vehicles to be hit. It was a 6-vehicle collision involving about 10 people.

Most of the vehicles were towed away as undrivable, and mine was almost immediately identified as visibly totaled (just by looking at the photos alone). Confirmation occurred several days later at the insurance company’s salvage yard by an adjuster.

The next day – Tuesday October 15TH – I picked-up my rental vehicle – a 2022 Buick Encore GX – a subcompact SUV. My insurance company reserved it in my name and paid for it. I drove it around for 8 days. Needless to say – I am not a fan of driving around in an SUV – no matter how subcompact it is.

So – it’s the end of an era. My almost 10-year association with the Honda Civic has come to an end. I leased a brand-new 2015, and then I leased a brand-new 2018. In August 2020 (coming out of COVID) – I bought a brand-new 2020. It was intended to be my retirement car – a car that I would finance and make monthly payments for – and then have it paid off shortly after retirement. I would keep it forever after that, or as long as it would keep on running. (I was thinking 15 or 20 years or more.)

It lasted exactly 4 years and 2 months – 50 months (to the day) – 1,523 days. The final odometer reading was 37,910. That’s an average of just shy of 25 miles per day. I drove to and from North Texas twice in that car – in November 2021 and April 2024 (my well-documented 18-day retirement road-trip). Over the course of almost 10 years and 3 Honda Civics – I drove a total of just over 94,000 miles. That’s well below the U.S. national driving average of about 14,000 miles per year.

Incidentally – on the final morning of driving that Buick Encore rental – I reached a milestone. I drove my 10,000TH mile of 2024. I’ll surpass 11,000 miles next month. I did that last year too. It’ll be the first time since 2016 and 2017 that I’ll drive 11,000+ miles in back-to-back years.

On the 8TH day of driving around in that Buick Encore – I got my insurance money – and I bought a new car. I’ll write about it – next – #TravelThursday. Let’s keep traveling together.

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

Tags Florida, Honda, Sebring

Blogging Driving Geography History Nature Travel

Pioneer Daze 2024

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date October 24, 2024

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. Pioneer Daze was an overwhelming success for us last Saturday at the Alan Jay Arena at the Highlands County Fairgrounds in downtown Sebring Florida. We planned for it slowly but steadily since nearly the start of the year, and everything just came together for us last Saturday. It was great to see the estimated 500 to 750 volunteers, vendors, participants, and performers bring life to that arena and the exterior grounds. It was often a bit tough to get through the crowds of people down the vendor aisles, but that’s a good problem to have. We at the Sebring Historical Society (#SHS) greatly appreciate it all. We hope to do it again next October !

I’m the Social Media Director of the #SHS. For the locals in the area (as well as our winter residents): To stay in touch with all that we’ve got to offer – check-out our Facebook page. Search for Sebring Historical Society (or link here). Like us, and like and share our posts as you see fit. You can also check out our web site at sebringhistoricalsociety.info.

There are a couple of historical places here in Highlands County that I learned more about at Pioneer Daze. The Edna Pearce Lockett Estate is located on the county line with Okeechobee County on the banks of the Kissimmee River. They host an annual 2-day Heritage Festival. I missed this year’s event in April, as it occurred during my 18-day retirement road-trip to and from North Texas. And Archbold Biological Station is located between Lake Placid and Venus in the south-end of our County. It’s on the National Register Of Historic Places. I’ve driven by it so many times along U.S. 27. On a nice and cool day this winter I hope to stop by and visit the nature preserve to walk the trails and check-out the Learning Center.

A couple of days ago I reached a milestone for the 2ND year in a row. I’ll write about it – next – #TravelThursday. Let’s keep traveling together.

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