It overwhelms me to say that I have less than two weeks left of this trip.
It’s overwhelming because a) I can’t believe that I actually drove across the country and b) I don’t know what I’m going to do after this road trip.
Even still, as I mentioned in the other posts, driving from the East Coast to the West Coast has given me a lot of time to think about my life and learn how to deal with certain situations.
Below is a continuation of some of the things I have experienced during the drive across the U.S.:
16) Accidents on the Overseas Hwy: The Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys stretches over 42 bridges that cross the Atlantic Ocean, the Straits of Florida and Gulf of Mexico. Now, the tricky thing about the highway is that it only has two lanes running in opposite directions; therefore, there is a higher chance for accidents especially if you’re trying to do a U-turn.
If you do get into an accident, pull your car to the side of the road – if there are no injuries – and call the police. If the accident involves a rental car, you must call your car rental company as well. Also, make sure to provide the rental car company with the police report when you hand in your vehicle.
17) Confirming your check out: An embarrassing thing happen to me during my stay at The Inn on Fifth in Naples, FL. I got so comfortable and accustomed to my beautiful room and the glorious hotel that I completely forgot to check out. I was freely gallivanting around town, hanging out at the beach, walking through rich neighborhoods and all the while, concierge, as well as my publisher, was calling me and trying to figure out where I was and when I was going to check out…oops. So, the lesson is: double check your check out date so that you don’t make a scene.
18) Close the door behind you: Another embarrassing thing happen to me while in Naples: I forgot to close the door behind me when I left my hotel room. I left everything in my room including my laptop, IPhone and passport – the only thing I brought with me was my wallet. I was gone for three hours and when I returned, I noticed that the door was open…my heart dropped.
But, what was disbelieving was that nothing was stolen! In fact, everything in the room was exactly how I left it…I guess that’s the beauty of staying in a classy hotel.
19) HOV lanes: During my drive through Houston and Dallas, I kept seeing HOV signs and I kept thinking: ‘what the heck does that mean?’ Since I didn’t know, I avoided those lanes. But then, I researched and discovered that an HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lane is for carpoolers. It is a restricted travel lane reserved for vehicles with two or more passengers to use during high traffic times AND we have them in Ontario too…I just never came across them. So, now that I know what it is, I still can’t use it. Maybe I’ll pick up a hitchhiker…just joking!
20) Speed limits in Texas: Speed limits are something to pay attention to when you’re driving through Texas…well not just Texas, but let’s stick to the theme. The interstate from Amarillo, TX to Flagstaff, AZ goes through a lot of small towns and although the speed limit may start off at 75 miles, it does drop down to 35 miles in some towns. So, pay attention!
And if you do get stopped by the cops for speeding, co-operate…you could just get a warning – this may or may not be from personal experience.
BOULEVARD 