Things learned while traveling:

Well, I’m back and semi caught up after an 8 day trip which included 13 different states, and 3600+ miles of driving…1560 of that driving solo..from Pembroke Pines, FL to Madison, WI to various parts of PA then back to Pembroke Pines, FL

Here are some things I learned while traveling (in no particular order):

• • It is possible for a grown adult to sleep in the back seat of a 2009 Scion XB if tired enough
  • Consuming Red Line energy drink, Mt Dew and  fat burners together has no effect whatsoever on me and didn’t help me stay awake at all. I could have easily fallen asleep…what a waste that was!
  • Illinois is one heck of a long boring state to drive thru from the southern most end to the northern most end–sorry to those who live there but corn fields (as much as I love corn I’d have liked some scenery), rain and wind turbines is all I saw for hours and hours and hours

• • It’s harder than I thought to drive and take pictures out the window when doing 80+mph (note to self: pay attention to flash and side mirrors duh!)

• • Chicago traffic sucks

• • Road construction sucks
  • Floridians drive defensively while other states drive aggressively or they’re just simply inept…not sure which
  • Only Virginia rest area had a recycling bin along the route

• • Indiana…wow…I paid like $8 tolls and they had no normal clean of decent size rest rooms…their rest areas were a parking lot with a little building which I assume was a bathroom…looked too creepy to even pull into
  • Illinois has lots of wind turbines–green thumbs up to them for that

• • If one doesn’t like going thru tunnels, don’t try going to the east side of PA via turnpike from the west side of PA lol-when you see signs saying “Take off sunglasses” and “turn on lights” and “stay in your lane” those are sure signs of tunnel coming up…gee and I thought the signs just knew it was getting dark/cloudy out when it said to take off my sunglasses!
  • Shag carpet can last at least 37 years…not saying it “should” but it does and does in fact still exist in people’s homes
  • All the zillions of “South of the Border” signs are no longer up and apparently South of the Border is pretty crappy now too–didn’t stop…grabbed pic as driving by!

• • It is possible to run a zoo for free (donations) and have it be nice! In fact much nicer than Miami Metro Zoo! Smaller…but waaaaaaaaaaay nicer! and run on donations!

• • New sight for DD: diagonal crosswalk and it talked too!

• • Cell phones will all start bleeping, ringing, texting all at same time once re-entering service area. Cell phones don’t ‘roam’ so well in waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay out country area
  • Spring water tastes soooooooooooooooooooo good and is cold!

• • When GPS says you’re going to reach destination after destination closes, it is possible to speed up and ‘beat the GPS’, reaching destination just in time!
  • Always have a back up plan for your back up plan when concerning care of animals!
  • Remember to have someone water garden if you want to come back to anything that had been growing to be still growing! 🙁
  • If you don’t like where you currently live, if you go away for awhile, you may just come back with a new appreciation for that area
  • It’s amazing how much ‘stuff’ one can pack in a Scion XB, so those who make fun of “the box” should see how much room there really is!
  • Pay attention to the amps on items when using triple adapters for things in the car…not all will manage a DVD player, GPS and flip between cell phone charger and cooler! You can blow part of it out then you’re left with two outlets to alternate items with!
  • Some childhood things will not remain the same 25+yrs later…parks and playgrounds change!
  • Things that you remember as being so big as a child can be soooooo small as an adult
  • There are lots of “adult stores” on the highways…but hey some offer pet care while you shop…yep so while you’re on your family vacation with Fido or Spot…you can go ‘shopping’ and they’ll watch your dog…family vacation! lol
  • WI has wind turbines (why doesn’t FL?)

• Sometimes texting while driving is a good thing…can prevent you from getting a speeding ticket! I slowed down to text & noticed unmarked SC cop off in bushes…had I not been texting, I’d have blown by him! so see, texting and driving can be a good thing at times!
• Good idea to really load the iPod with lots lots of songs or be prepared to memorize the ones on there and listen to them over and over and over during 3600 miles of driving!
• Pondering why rest areas do not offer juice or healthy snacks in vending machines?!
• In many states, people have yet to grasp the concept that slower vehicles should be in right lane and leave the left lane for those of us who like to drive the speed limit or plus
• It’s always good to get back home (who’d ever think I’d say I actually like South Florida!)