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Category: Road Trips

Outdoor Christmas Decorations: A Highlight of the Holiday Season

Outdoor Christmas Decorations: A Highlight of the Holiday Season

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Nothing makes me feel more like a little kid again than seeing all of the lights and decorations that light up the homes and businesses during the holiday season.  Admit it, there are some places you’ll purposely drive past beginning in December just to see their annual display of festive décor.  No doubt your family has their own annual favorites.  For instance, in my family, everyone wants to go past the “electrician’s house” on St. Paul Road, drive through Byron…

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Florida Keys Trip:  Part 3 – Marathon

Florida Keys Trip:  Part 3 – Marathon

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AUTHOR’S NOTE:  For those of you just catching up, I’m documenting my recent trip to the Florida Keys from three weeks ago, so if you’ve missed the first two installments, make sure to read “Part 1 – Islamorada” and “Part 2 – Key West” from the last two weeks! Not being the young, party bucks we used to be, it was slow going as we arose in the morning to leave Key West.  I made one more run for Cuban…

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Florida Keys Trip:  Part 2 – Key West

Florida Keys Trip:  Part 2 – Key West

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AUTHOR’S NOTE:  For those of you just catching up, I’m documenting my recent trip to the Florida Keys from two weeks ago, so if you’ve missed the first installment, make sure to read “Part 1 – Islamorada” from last week! Picking up where we left off last week, we finished up our Tarpon-feeding antics at Robbie’s in Islamorada and continued our travels southward over the Seven Mile Bridge, passing by “Fred” the tree (a rogue tree growing up out of…

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Florida Keys Trip:  Part 1 – Islamorada

Florida Keys Trip:  Part 1 – Islamorada

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I was out last week on a long awaited trip down to our country’s southeastern tip to spend some time in America’s tropical oasis, the Florida Keys.  Going along with another couple, we left the turning autumn leaves and plummeting temps of Western Maryland for the sunny skies, warm temperatures (make that extremely hot and humid temperatures), and the warm waters of both the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico. We started last Saturday out of BWI on a Southwest plane…

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Tipping:  It’s Gotten Out of Control

Tipping:  It’s Gotten Out of Control

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I want to take a few moments to talk about the elephant in the room, or – more importantly, in the restaurant, café, or coffee shop.  Yes, I’m talking about tipping.  For some reason, the tipping culture in this country has seemingly run off of the rails, and I’m not quite sure why. Now, I’ll be the first person to admit that servers and bartenders deserve to be tipped for good service.  Lord knows, a competent waiter/waitress/bartender is hard to…

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Vacation Planning:  How Much is Too Much?

Vacation Planning:  How Much is Too Much?

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I’ll admit it – I’m a planner by nature.  I like things orderly and organized.  That’s just how I roll.  The same rules apply when I’m going on vacation.  I like to be prepared. Now before you roll your eyes and say “boy, I bet this guy is a blast on holiday”, let me explain.  Just because I’m organized and prepared doesn’t mean I don’t like to relax and have a good time.  Let me be clear – I’m not…

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Weekend Getaway:  Philadelphia, PA

Weekend Getaway:  Philadelphia, PA

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There’s nothing like a short summer getaway to recharge one’s batteries and to enjoy time with friends.  My wife and I recently did both, taking in a long weekend in Philadelphia, PA, where there’s more to the city than just the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the ‘Rocky’ statue. We headed north on Friday from our home in MD, making the short three hour-plus trip up I-95, passing through northeastern Maryland and Delaware before arriving at our lodgings for the…

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Drone Shows:  Technology Goes Next-Gen for Nighttime Entertainment

Drone Shows:  Technology Goes Next-Gen for Nighttime Entertainment

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This week marks our country’s 247th birthday (just three more years until the Semiquincentennial – start your shopping now!), and what’s more American than watching a fireworks show to celebrate our Independence Day?  No matter where you see a colorful display light up the night sky, it’s always an exciting time of year. That being said, advances in drone technology are now being utilized by the entertainment industry, most notably in the form of drone shows.  Similar to a fireworks…

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The Sunshine State:  Rekindling Old Memories

The Sunshine State:  Rekindling Old Memories

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I spent last week in Florida visiting my youngest daughter, who is working for a theme park company infested with rodents (I think you know the one).  In addition, I also spent some time visiting my extended family on my wife’s side and delivering a car (the rest of my family flew while I drove the 920 miles to get there).  Upon my return this past weekend, I had some time to ponder about what I missed (and didn’t miss)…

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Stan:  The Myth, The Legend

Stan:  The Myth, The Legend

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Do you remember that one car you owned in your life that took on memorable status?  The one that not only revives horrible flop-sweats, but also brings back memories that make you smile? I have one of those. It’s a 1999 Toyota Camry.  A white, four-door.  The car that if you gave its description to a police officer, they’d say “well that narrows it down to about two million possible matches.”  They made a ton of these back in the…

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