Coming in 2025: The Edges of Florida

A coworker asked me last week what my plans are for after I retire, so of course I sent him a link to our Vacationing through the Middle States blog.  We talked about how great it is to travel and spend time along the way, not just rushing from destination to destination, but really experiencing the journey.

And then he asked me, so after that, what's next?

And I didn't have an answer!  

We've tossed around a few ideas in conversation, like looking into a river cruise in Europe.  I've wanted to see Vienna and Amsterdam and places in between.  I've wanted to spend time in Switzerland.  DH wants me to see Paris.  So I started casually looking at itineraries and co$t$ and whether we could combine a couple of cruises to take advantage of being across the pond.  But we aren't sold on doing it yet.  Thankfully we have a great Travel Agent who will be able to help us once we figure out what we want to do regarding that!

Then yesterday, DH brought home a book from the library which reminded me of something that we had talked about doing post-retirement.  I couldn't believe that I had forgotten about it.  I mean, I had started gathering brochures a couple of years ago, but it wasn't just not on the back-burner; it wasn't even near the stove!

I have always loved driving on the A1A when I've had the opportunity to be on the eastern coast of Florida, and I have several periods in my life where I have exclusively listened to the music of Jimmy Buffett, so I bet you can guess where this is going!  

And I even have come up with a catchy name for the adventure, so I think I know what's our what's next after the Middle States!  A trip around the Edges of Florida.  Starting at the top of A1A and driving down the coast of Florida and then down to the Florida Keys, and then back, cutting across Alligator Alley and back up the west coast all the way over to the Alabama state line.  And as long as we're driving to south Florida, we might as well stop over in Fort Lauderdale or Miami and hop on a cruise ship if there's one going to some new-to-us ports, or maybe try out Virgin Voyages like my grown-up-Disney-friends have been telling me we need to try!

Disclaimer: We have already done the very top of the A1A when we spent several days in Fernandina Beach, so we'll start from the Jacksonville area.

So what do you think?  Wanna come along for that ride in 2025?  Stay tuned!

~ Cindy D.

The Cost of Gasoline

I've been thinking about the cost of gasoline for our trip through the Middle States.  In a previous post, I mentioned that we'll be traveling about 5,450 miles, and in our post about developing our budget,  I referred to our method of calculation just for gas expenses.  I figured we will get 30 MPG and gas will cost $3.85/gallon.  So that brings us to about $700.  Of course we don't know what the cost of gas will be next year when we go, but our initial guess of $3.50+10% puts us at $3.85/gallon which is about what the good folks at AAA are reporting as the national average today.  [If you haven't looked at the AAA gas prices trend report before, it's pretty handy and interesting - says this data nerd!]

Ever looking for ways to save money in one area (so I can spend it in another), I wanted to learn more about how to lower our fuel costs.  We have a Costco membership, but when I put our initial route together, there were only a couple of places that had a Costco.  But now that our route is more firm, and as Costco continues to build new warehouses, there are at least five locations:  Omaha, Rochester, Traverse City (MI), Davenport (IA), and St. Louis.  Costco typically offers a lower price than most of the area gas stations.  But if we have to go out of our way to save a few pennies per gallon, we have to calculate the cost of getting there and back on route - sometimes people make the mistake of spending $1 worth of gas to save 60-cents total.

And what about the places in between?  The AAA app shows gas prices in the area as does Gas Buddy (user reported), so we can check what's nearby when we are ready to fill up.  We are members of the Fuel Rewards program which saves us 3-5 cents/gallon.  One of our credit cards gives 5% cash back on gasoline purchases.  And I've been seeing advertisements for Upside but don't know enough about it to know whether it's worth signing up for. [If you use it and want to share your experience (+ or -), leave us a comment.]

So what else?  If you have a tip for us, let us know - and if/when we use it, we'll think of you!

~ Cindy D.

Talimena National Scenic Byway

Several years ago, a new family started attending the church where we regularly worship.  They had recently moved to our area from Oklahoma.  DH mentioned that he had never been to Oklahoma.  This family told us that if we ever had a chance to go, we should spend some time in and around the Ouachita mountains.  They described how beautiful and peaceful the area is.  I made a quick note in my Simply Notepad app on my phone so I would remember the name of the area.

So fast forward 5+ years later and I remembered (ok, with the help of the note I still had in my app) to see where the Ouachita mountains are and whether we could incorporate a scenic drive on our Middle States itinerary.  Sure enough, as we head out from Hot Springs, we can take the Talimena National Scenic Byway right through the Ouachita National Forest on our way across Oklahoma.

We plan to stay at the Big Cedar Cabins & RV Park before following the Talimena Scenic Byway for part of its 54 miles.  There are multiple places to pull over and gaze.  Several years ago we made a trip that took us from Utah and Idaho around to Wyoming and Montana (and some places beyond).  We were driving from Idaho to Yellowstone one day with our route taking us straight through the Grand Teton National Park.  If you've not been to GTNP, this is not somewhere you just drive through to get to Yellowstone.  We stopped at nearly every pull-over to just observe the no-words-for beauty of God's creation and breathe the fresh, clear air.  After the first few stops, I was lamenting that we had not planned to spend the night at the GTNP lodge and head to Old Faithful cabins the following day.  (This was a we-didn't-know situation because I didn't spend much time researching the route - we also missed going to see where the Golden Spike was because I didn't look west from our route when planning our trip.  I mention all this to provide some context as to why I am spending as much time as I am on the details of our journey this time.)  Because of our experience through GTNP, my research into the Talimena Scenic Byway points of interest show me that we will have ample opportunity to stretch our legs, observe nature, and breathe some fresh, clear air!

So what about you?  When you're traveling, do you like to just drive straight through?  Or do you take the time to pull over and just experience the moment of where you are?  Is there a scenic drive you've taken that we should add to our itinerary (or include on a future trip)?  Drop us a note in the comments!

~ Cindy D.

Botanical Gardens

While scrolling through Facebook this week, I saw a picture a friend posted from a visit to the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis.  I haven't been to many botanical gardens, but the ones I have been to have been beautiful, peaceful experiences.  One of the first that I remember visiting was the San Francisco Botanical Gardens at the Arboretum in the mid-1990s.  We were visiting our friends Michael Ann and Brian who played tour guide for the day, and this was one of the places they took us to.  It was beautiful!  Before that, the closest I had been to something like this was the gardens at the Opryland Hotel.

As you know, #flowersmakemehappy - and so do plants and bushes and trees and grass.  There are a few nearby gardens that we like to visit at different times of the year.  The closest one is Maclay Gardens which is part of the Florida State Parks system.  The Florida State Parks system is caretaker for several gardens which I didn't know until I was researching for this blog post.  Another one we enjoy is the Chapman Botanical Gardens which is located in Apalachicola, Florida.  It's a small park tucked away just a few blocks from the main shopping area and worth the walk.  And in Gainesville, Florida, there is the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens on the outskirts of town.  We had the opportunity to visit there while our son was going to college in the area.

Several years ago, we spent a few days at Niagara Falls on the Canadian side, and while there we took the hop-on-hop-off trolley to the Niagara Botanical Gardens and the Floral Clock.

So for our Middle States trip, I had already identified the Olbrich Botanical Gardens to visit on a Sunday afternoon in Madison, Wisconsin.  But after researching the Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, we have added it to our list of activities for the weekend we are in St. Louis.  I'm excited about seeing the gardens during the late spring.

A few other places on our itinerary have botanical gardens that will go on the activities list as well.  In Hot Springs, Arkansas, there is the Garvan Woodlands Garden; in Springfield, Illinois, there is the Washington Park Botanical Gardens, and in Davenport, Iowa, the Vander Veer Botanical Park looks like a great place for a peaceful walk.  While we won't have much time in Omaha, I want to include the Lauritzen Gardens in case any of our readers are ever in the area.

So what about you?  Do you include botanical gardens and arboretums on your activities lists when you travel?  Have you visited one that really wow'ed you that you think we should check out (either on our itinerary or on another adventure)?  I do have Bellingrath Gardens in Theodore, Alabama on my list!

~ Cindy D.

P.S.  Check out the link to Michael Ann's blog - the Big Green Bowl. She has some delicious recipes she shares there.

P.P.S. My stitches are out so I'm rehabbing my hand and arm for the next several weeks.

Alternate Plans

I saw a post on social media this week that the S.S. Badger has had some mechanical issues and as a result is ending its 2023 season abruptly.  Eek!  We have plans for early in their 2024 season to cross Lake Michigan from Ludington.  We have our hotel reservations made for Ludington and for West Bend, Wisconsin, where we intended to spend the night after crossing.

But not to worry!  First of all, there is plenty of time that the issues can be resolved before the 2024 season kicks off in May.  And there is time to create an alternate itinerary in the event that we can't cross on the S.S. Badger.  We will keep our hotel reservations and make additional lodging plans to accommodate the potential change in route.

This is why we are planning so far in advance; I would rather have to make adjustments between now and then than to have no idea what we would do if we showed up only to find we couldn't cross.

 Wishing the S.S. Badger the best in restoring service!

~ Cindy D.

P.S.  My surgery went well. I am getting used to one-handed hunt-and-peck typing but will be happy when the use of my arm is restored!

Health concerns on the road

I'm having surgery this week to fix the carpal tunnel and ulnar nerve entrapment that my doctor says is the result of 33+ years of office work, computer usage, and (I think) video game console usage.  It means I'll be one-winged for a while, but that doesn't mean our trip planning will stop.  It also reminded me that an important part of an extended trip is to know and understand what is covered by our health insurance when traveling out of network and make conscious plans to stay healthy and well.

While DH is Medicare-eligible, we deferred his coverage as long as I'm still working, but that means we'll have to get him switched over to Medicare part B and get his supplemental coverage set up early next year.  And my coverage will change to an "early retiree" status which means I can maintain the same health insurance coverage and benefits that I currently have but I'll have to pay, pay, pay to keep it until I'm 65.

While no one expects to need medical care when traveling, it's best to know what to do  should a health issue arise.  Having an understanding of your health insurance coverage and how to use it when out-of-network is important so it's one less thing to worry about when you or a traveling companion are not well or someone has sustained an injury.  

Of course there are things we can all do to help prevent illness and injury while traveling.  Washing hands, maintaining good hygiene and nutrition, regular exercise, and enough sleep all contribute to our overall well-being.  And while it might seem like these should be easy to do while traveling, how many times have you laid awake your first night in a new place and not gotten sufficient rest?  Or over-indulged in meals at local restaurants, or had too many car snacks?  Or been in the car all day without enough breaks to stretch?

We're taking these things into consideration as we frame out our days.  We don't have too many one-nighters between multi-day stops which will allow for a good night's sleep.  We have limited our daily mileage to no more than 300 miles with many days being less than 150.  And even on the shorter driving distance days, we have stops along the way from point A to point B which will allow for ample exercise.  And by not having too many hours in the car each day, that will limit idle car-snacking!  I have to watch what I eat due to managing diabetes and celiac disease which also limits our dining choices, but that's for another blog entry (#stupidgluten).

Injury-prevention is also important, and as we are aging, we are keenly aware that our agility and balance are not what they used to be.  Some basic things we can do to prevent injuries include appropriate footwear (no hiking in flipflops), staying hydrated, and paying attention to signage.  How many TikToks or Instagram reels have you watched as people were injured because they went beyond posted signs or ignored barriers?  The National Park Service uses their social media presence to educate and inform visitors about safety awareness and what can happen when you ignore common sense.

So what about you? What are some things you do when traveling to stay healthy and prevent injuries?  Drop us a note in the comments.

~ Cindy D.