Tag: Sebring

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.

Tags Florida, Sebring

Blogging Church Driving Food Geography History Home News Travel Weather

Home Sweet Sebring

Post author By Chris M. Day
Post date April 20, 2023

Welcome back to #TravelThursday. I’m waking-up in my new home in my new neighborhood in northwestern Highlands County Florida for the 6TH morning in a row. It’s the longest streak yet, and I’ll be waking-up here for 3 additional mornings before I head back down U.S. 27 and Krome Avenue to Homestead for a quick turnaround.

Now if you’ve been reading or watching the news lately then you may know about the gas crisis in nearly all of South Florida (from The Treasure Coast southward through The Florida Keys). There are long lines at gas stations that are actually open, and no activity at all at gas stations that are closed because they have no gas remaining. It’s all because of a freak 24-hour rain event in Fort Lauderdale last week where they received over 2 feet of rain – flooding much of the region – including the port where the gas comes in. Here in my new part of Florida there is no such crisis. No lines. No shortages. No closings.

I’m scheduled to return to Homestead this Sunday morning. I’ll celebrate Christ with my home church family, and then I’ll spend 4 nights in my longtime home before I return back north to Sebring. But I may reconsider that schedule if the gas crisis continues.

I can easily fill-up my car with gas here in this area, drive down there, and then return back here on that same tank of gas. I get up to 50 MPG on the open road with my Honda Civic, but why venture into chaos and rage ?

If I take that trip – my next trip back here to Sebring will be even longer than this one – 12 nights in a row. Going forth I’ll be spending about 70% of the rest of the year here in Sebring, and 30% in Homestead. (I have an Excel spreadsheet that tracks all of this.)

Yesterday morning I spent about 2½ hours with my new friends at the Sebring Historical Society (#SHS). We enjoyed coffee, pastries, conversation, and we had an informal meeting. This afternoon I’ll spend about 3½ hours with them as we enjoy our monthly spaghetti dinner (my first one). This Saturday afternoon we have our quarterly pot-luck luncheon and board meeting. I’ll be serving with the #SHS a lot going forth. I’ve been dreaming about this opportunity for a couple of years now, and I’ve been blogging about it since a couple of years ago. My retirement dreams are coming together !

It’s 4/20, and I’m not making this up. We have a big nearly mile-long manmade lake in my new neighborhood. Nearly all of the condos encircle the 10½-acre lake. Its name – Lake Mary Jane.