My annual Florida escape (part three)
On Monday morning, January 4, I took off for home. Crazily, I argued with myself most of the first day on the road over which way I was going. Dixie Highway all the way? Drive over to the Florida West Coast and follow the coast up, then up through Alabama? Do any of you do this?
From Tom and Nicole's house, I drove east through Pompano Beach and picked up the Dixie Highway. Apparently, the argument was at least temporarily over. It was drizzling just a bit (note raindrop on windshield in photo), but the forecast predicted clearing.
First stop was Boca Express Train Museum in Boca Raton. It was Monday, so predictably they were closed.
The highway was jammed as I drove north through the picturesque towns. (Why weren't people at work?) It was too early for ice cream but I snapped photos of one of the Carvel's Ice Cream locations.
After hours of driving on U.S. 1, my enthusiasm and energy waned, and I finally realized what was going on. I was sad about leaving the kids, irritated with all the traffic, and dispirited about the trip home. So at Port St. Lucie, I hopped on over to the Florida Turnpike to make some time. This worked for a short while.
On the trip down, I had been stalled for an hour south of Atlanta for a multi-vehicle accident that sprawled across both the south- and northbound lanes. Now, I was sitting in traffic on the Florida Turnpike. As we all inched northward, the accident came into view. A vehicle was fully engulfed in flames over on the southbound lanes.
That night I stayed in a cabin at the Ocala RV Park.
On Tuesday, I just drove all day. The weather had turned cold and that evening I pulled into the Atlanta South RV Park to get a cabin. After dark, I noticed some mysterious moving lights outside my window and went outside to check them out. Across the road, a woman was practicing juggling with lighted juggling pins! She was part of a traveling show that had pulled their vans, trucks, and campers all in a row. I wish I had taken a photo.
On Wednesday, I wandered on and off the Dixie Highway but spent most of my time on the interstate to make Nashville that night.
From Tom and Nicole's house, I drove east through Pompano Beach and picked up the Dixie Highway. Apparently, the argument was at least temporarily over. It was drizzling just a bit (note raindrop on windshield in photo), but the forecast predicted clearing.
First stop was Boca Express Train Museum in Boca Raton. It was Monday, so predictably they were closed.
The highway was jammed as I drove north through the picturesque towns. (Why weren't people at work?) It was too early for ice cream but I snapped photos of one of the Carvel's Ice Cream locations.
After hours of driving on U.S. 1, my enthusiasm and energy waned, and I finally realized what was going on. I was sad about leaving the kids, irritated with all the traffic, and dispirited about the trip home. So at Port St. Lucie, I hopped on over to the Florida Turnpike to make some time. This worked for a short while.
On the trip down, I had been stalled for an hour south of Atlanta for a multi-vehicle accident that sprawled across both the south- and northbound lanes. Now, I was sitting in traffic on the Florida Turnpike. As we all inched northward, the accident came into view. A vehicle was fully engulfed in flames over on the southbound lanes.
That night I stayed in a cabin at the Ocala RV Park.
On Tuesday, I just drove all day. The weather had turned cold and that evening I pulled into the Atlanta South RV Park to get a cabin. After dark, I noticed some mysterious moving lights outside my window and went outside to check them out. Across the road, a woman was practicing juggling with lighted juggling pins! She was part of a traveling show that had pulled their vans, trucks, and campers all in a row. I wish I had taken a photo.
On Wednesday, I wandered on and off the Dixie Highway but spent most of my time on the interstate to make Nashville that night.
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