My next adventure...need ideas for FL

[freebird5825]

You didn't mention free Wi-fi. One of the joys of such a trip is the forum post that says "As I sit on my balcony in FL, looking at the ocean, ... "

Aaaahhhh...are you ready for a shock? I do NOT take my laptop with me. Why surf the net when the surf is breaking right in front of me?
I also do not take our digital camera. Too much to carry around and keep track of.
I take my cell phone, my Garmin GPS, and my Kindle2. Period.
I use my cell to send short emails via text to let dh2b know I'm OK or where I'm headed during the day. Or [-]I'm really mean and[/-] send photos from the cell phone to our joint home email for him to see later that night.
I can use my Kindle for basic Internet connectivity if I need to look up an address. No charge.
Low tech all the way!

 

[Kroeran]

have you encountered GHS (Garmin Hatred Syndrome)?

for myself, I love how I can locate things and be guided to locations relatively effortlesslessy. DW for some reason has developed a strong dislike and distrust of the garmin.

now I hear that my mother has developed GHS after coming back from a trip with her brother and sister in law.

I recently downloaded an app which makes the Garmin swear at me like a drill sergeant whenever I make a wrong turn...simple pleasures ; - )

 

[freebird5825]

have you encountered GHS (Garmin Hatred Syndrome)?

for myself, I love how I can locate things and be guided to locations relatively effortlesslessy. DW for some reason has developed a strong dislike and distrust of the garmin.

now I hear that my mother has developed GHS after coming back from a trip with her brother and sister in law.

I recently downloaded an app which makes the Garmin swear at me like a drill sergeant whenever I make a wrong turn...simple pleasures ; - )

I do find the voice a bit annoying after a while. I just turn it down or completely off.
I've used GPS devices on water, so it is a natural thing for me to use it as a miniature nav aid. I keep it in my lap and do quick glances so it does not distract my attention when mounted on the windshield.

 

[Dreamer]

Now THAT would be fun - create our own Spring Break hotel party!

So far...here's the plan...Kite flying, sandcastle building, beach strolling, lounging by both hotel pools, Marine Discovery Center narrated boat ride of Intercoastal Waterway, walking tour of St Augustine, Kennedy Space Center, Canaveral National Seashore visit, chocolate factory tour , maybe a sheltered waters kayak adventure if my hands feel good enough...whew!

That would be fun to have an ER field trip for the ladies some day. We could rent a big beach house and have a pajama party! Don't plan it for a couple of years though. I am enjoying my job, but the schedule does get in the way.

Your list of things that you are going to do in FL sounds like so much fun. You sound like you would make an ideal traveling companion. DH and I also do alot of traveling apart from each other. However, once he retires, we will probably start to do more traveling together. The biggest problem is our likes are very different. He likes car shows, flea markets and going to see Ron White. I like museums, aquariums, city sightseeing tours and plays. I guess we both like historical sightseeing (Gettysburg), battle ships, music concerts. Yes, maybe we can do some traveling together.

 

[freebird5825]

That would be fun to have an ER field trip for the ladies some day. We could rent a big beach house and have a pajama party! Don't plan it for a couple of years though. I am enjoying my job, but the schedule does get in the way.

Your list of things that you are going to do in FL sounds like so much fun. You sound like you would make an ideal traveling companion. DH and I also do alot of traveling apart from each other. However, once he retires, we will probably start to do more traveling together. The biggest problem is our likes are very different. He likes car shows, flea markets and going to see Ron White. I like museums, aquariums, city sightseeing tours and plays. I guess we both like historical sightseeing (Gettysburg), battle ships, music concerts. Yes, maybe we can do some traveling together.

dh2b is usually pretty amenable to my ideas. I wish I could take him with me, but with constant "right now" w*rk demands, he just can't swing it. So I go alone. I'm a bit of a loner by nature to begin with, so it isn't a big deal.
I used to travel on my own for w*rk, so I am an old hand at finding fun things to do in a new location before I go. I was always rushed though.
In FIRE, I literally make up a list and then pick which one I feel like doing that day. Or none at all and just hang out on the beach.
I tend to do the kindler gentler things away from crowds, lines, and noise - natural phenomemon like caves and waterfalls, botanical gardens, historical sites, museums but only if they are nautical, historical, oceanography, geology, or technology themed, beach strolling and acting like a kid, yadda yadda. I do like to join up for walking narrated tours, i.e. safety in numbers and more informative.

 

[freebird5825]

T minus 4 days until blastoff. I need to focus on final prep so I will not be here much. dh2b is up to his eyeballs with w*rk, so I promised him I would at least mow the lawn before I leave. However, rain is predicted for the next 3 days.
I wanted to thank everyone who gave me great ideas and destination tips and off-season calendar times, all of which helped immensely in my planning phase.
I will be completely offline for about 2 weeks, so I need someone to fill my shoes here while I am gone. Any volunteers? Tag team approach maybe?

 

[freebird5825]

Back in the saddle again! I had a really great time in Daytona Beach.
Pics coming as soon as I download them from my cell phone.
I can easily qualify as a model for that old time Coppertone ad. I will definitely stand out amongst the walking jars of mayonnaise that live around here.

 

[IndependentlyPoor]

Welcome back!

 

[Goonie]

Welcome back, freebird! Glad you had a great time!!!

Since I've got almost all of our travel plans finalized for this year, pretty soon I'll be finalizing the plans for our 2011 FL trip to the Ormond/Daytona area, and make our reservations. It'll be our 9th year there, and our 13th to FL.

 

[freebird5825]

I have been called on to help a friend by diagnosing/repairing his lawnmower today, so it will be next week til I post pics and my "report".
The amazing thing was there was SOOOO much to do without falling into the usual tourist traps. All I had to do is look ahead online, print out the contact info, and then pick my activity du jour.
I loved watching the pods of dolphins go by every AM from my 5th floor balcony. I saw 2 manatees right up close at a marina I visited.