 I am a big fan of great music, which is probably why I named all nine of my travel eBooks after famous songs. Here's why I chose "My Way" for the theme of my 2025 road trip.
First, my way of traveling isn't for everyone. I have chosen where to go based solely on a song title, or because I got asked to pet sit some Yaks near a UFO Watchtower, or because I wanted to see some unique destinations like Marfa, Texas, Forest Gump Point in Monument Valley, or the future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk. I mapped routes that allowed me to visit epic music sites like Woodstock, Motown, Winslow and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, see cities dedicated to Superman, Popeye or the Wizard Of Oz, or simply to connect with new or longtime friends. I've driven thousands of miles just to visit quirky places like Wahoo, Frankenstein, Santa Claus, Funk and Nothing, see oddities like the world's largest weather vain, the world's highest tide or a massive Hippie Paul Bunyan, or to view gorgeous scenery in Napa, St. George, Pagosa Springs, Jeffersonville, and Michigan's west coast. Along the way, I've been blessed to attend weddings, graduations, parties and reunions, follow my lifelong calling of helping others in the gym, photograph lovable pets and amazing faces, and even play baseball at the ethereal Field Of Dreams movie site. Thanks to the hospitality of hundreds of friends, family, strangers, and some very forgiving ex-girlfriends, I've been a grateful guest in mansions and tiny houses, high rises and basements, lofts and guest rooms, Earthships and ghost towns, lake cottages and desert casitas, and on air mattresses, couches and bunk beds. And to stay on budget, I have car camped in farmer's fields, mountain forests, creepy woods, and the parking lot of legendary country music venue, Luckenbach, Texas. I have been privileged to travel historic Route 66, the Lincoln Highway and Alligator Alley, brave Independence Pass and Route 50 - the loneliest road in America, traverse Canada coast to coast and hit all 48 contiguous US states in one 15,000+ mile road trip. But I have also been challenged by pandemics, hurricanes, tornadoes, atmospheric rivers and bomb cyclones, forest fires, flooding, earthquakes and blizzards. By the grace of God and the encouragement of many, I have been extraordinarily blessed to have and to share all these experiences with others. And hopefully, in the process, inspire a few to travel their own way or virtually join me on mine. Second, I moved to the New Jersey countryside about a year ago. I figure if I didn't pick one song from the Garden State's many famous singers, I might get fitted for some cement shoes courtesy of fictional resident, Tony Soprano. :-) So, I chose this song from one of the most famous singers of them all. And while some of the lyrics are rather somber, these few lines below really sum up my way of travel - and life. I've lived a life that's full I traveled each and every highway And more, much more than this I did it my way Frank Sinatra, "My Way" < link to song Table Of Contents 01. My Way. Part 1: NJ/VA/NC/GA/FL/NJ Jan 29-Feb 22, '25. Map here 3000 miles. 02. Winter Is Coming. 03. Winter Is Here. 04. Florida Sounds Great! 05. My New "Pet" Project. 06. Amazing Places: D-Day Memorial. Part 1. 07. Amazing Places: D-Day Memorial. Part 2. 08. Amazing Places: Scrambled, Greensboro, NC. 09. Amazing Places: Bog Garden, Greensboro, NC. 10. Amazing Places: Bicentennial Garden, Greensboro, NC. 11. Amazing Places: Asheville, NC. Part 1. 12. Amazing Places: Asheville, NC. Part 2. 13. Florida: The Sunshine State. 14. Amazing Places: Celebration Park, Naples, FL. 15. Amazing Places: The Everglades. 16. Amazing Places: Rod And Gun Club, Everglades, FL. 17. Amazing Place: Goodland, FL. 18. Amazing Places: HavAnnA Cafe, Chokoloskee, FL. 19. See Ya Later, Alligator. 20. The Midnight Train To Georgia. 21. Amazing Places: Cartersville, GA. 22. Amazing Places: Nagel's Bagels, Cartersville, GA. 23. Amazing Places: Marietta, GA. 24. Amazing Places: Woodstock, GA. 25. Amazing Places: Driftwood Beach, GA. 26. Amazing Places: The Wharf, Jekyll Island, GA. 27. Georgia On My Mind. Part 1. 28. Georgia On My Mind. Part 2. 29. Georgia On My Mind. Part 3. 30. Georgia On My Mind. Part 4. 31. Georgia On My Mind. Part 5. 32. Georgia On My Mind. Part 6. Contents Books Home Hire Stories  I lived in Arizona for over 40 years. So, my road trip schedule was really pretty simple. When it hit 100 degrees in May, I'd pack my bags and head someplace cooler. And when the AZ temps hit the 90s in October, I'd head back. But moving to New Jersey with my family a year ago forced me to completely change my outlook. Because with winter coming, I'd have to find someplace warm to thaw out. And so the search began for where and when to go.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  I've joked that if you live long enough, you eventually become someone you used to make fun of - like "snowbirds". And so I found myself rightfully humbled and trying to decide when and where to find the sun. The "when" part was pretty easy because everyone sticks around for the holidays, right? But as to where to head in January? Hmmm...decisions, decisions.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  I debated over some sunny destinations, but Florida won out for two reasons. First, I grew up in the Detroit area and we only had to take one road to get there - I 75 (AKA Michigan's Driveway). So, that meant many people I knew went to FL to vacation or retire. Second, I got chased out of Florida twice by hurricanes (I was starting to take it personally), so I was long overdue to connect with those aforementioned Michigan party people and retirees.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  Before we get into travel details, I need to let the cat out of the bag. :-) A few years ago, someone important asked me to pet sit for them. That one-time experience led to me pet sitting all kinds of animals in five different states. Furthermore, it made me fall in love with animals wherever I travel, like this cool cat from Virginia. And all of that has led to my new "pet" project of photographing the pets I meet along the way. If you too are an animal lover and would like to see some of those amazing faces, see my Pet Pals page here.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  I must confess I didn't know much about D-Day until my thoughtful host suggested we tour The National D-Day Memorial in historic Bedford, Virginia. I could have looked up that D-Day took place on June 6, 1944 during World War II and is considered the largest seaborne invasion in history. But it took being there to learn about the tremendous sacrifice and overwhelming odds, and to viscerally feel the sorrow and the pride in these real life stories.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  Of all the incredible stories I heard at the National D-Day Memorial the one that impacted me most was General Eisenhower’s Two D-Day Messages. The first message is best known because he penned it for his troops for when they won at D-Day. The second, lesser-known message is the one he wrote in the event they lost. And in that message he restates his pride in their monumental efforts and takes all the responsibility for the loss.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  I had some free time to fill on a rainy day, so I looked at Google Maps and saw that Greensboro, North Carolina was on my way south. It sounded interesting, so I did a Google search fo the best breakfasts there and Scrambled Southern Diner ranked really high. So, I went there, and WOW, were those reviews ever right. The food was incredible! In fact, it was so good I made it my mission to see if all Southern cooking on my trip met up with its delicious reputation. And yes, I'm happy to report the tasty rumors are true!
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  The Bog Garden at Benjamin Park in Greensboro, North Carolina is an urban oasis with trails that were made for hiking. The 7 acre natural wetlands park was founded by primary care physician, Dr. Joe Christian, and a bronze statue resides there to honor his efforts. It has been described as a "Enchanted Storybook Forest". Note: judging from the photo, the ducks "trespassing, swimming or fishing" there don't think the rules apply to them. :-)
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  The Tanger Family Bicentennial Garden in Greensboro, North Carolina is just a short walk from the aforementioned Bog Garden at Benjamin Park. This 7.5-acre garden is a relaxing retreat renowned for its historic buildings, rain gardens, massive annual plantings and remarkable sculptures. This popular, drop-dead gorgeous garden is open year-round and admission is free.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  I've been wanting to visit Asheville, North Carolina for a long time. So, when a thoughtful fellow traveler invited me to join her there, I jumped at the chance. I was immediately struck by how quickly the city was coming back from the flooding. I was also blown away by how cool it was. It has been described as "The heartbeat of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A mixture of genres, a hybrid of styles." And from what I saw, it is all of that and more.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  If I had to describe Ashville, North Carolina in one word I would choose "colorful". Everywhere you look Downtown you see vibrant shops and restaurants. And if you cruise out just a little to the surrounding neighborhoods, you'll see that exciting look carries on. No wonder people keep coming back to this cultural oasis in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  Every US state has a slogan. Florida is aptly named "The Sunshine State" because it's got plenty of sun...and palm trees, beaches, ocean, sun tans and tiki bars and restaurants. Fun facts? Florida has over 125 million visitors a year and has over 1,350 miles of coastline. And Florida is home to “The Happiest Place On Earth", the Kennedy Space Center, the Daytona 500, and St. Augustine, the oldest continuously inhabited city in America.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  Celebration Park in Naples, Florida has been described as a "Culinary and Recreational Haven". This unique destination offers waterfront dining with gorgeous views of Naples Bay. The exceptional culinary experience is provided by gourmet food trucks that line the park's edges and offer a variety of international cuisines. The park also offers paddleboard and kayak rentals, chartered fishing trips and boat tours, lawn games, and live music.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  My clever hosts knew I liked discovering unusual places, so they put together a delightfully scary tour. It started out with a trip to the Everglades - because of course they thought I'd want to go someplace where literally everything wanted to eat me. :-) But I have to admit, once I survived it, it was amazing. If you crave those kinds of near death thrills, you can do it safely by visiting The Museum of the Everglades in Everglades City, Florida.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  While we were in Everglades City, Florida, my hosts gave me a quick tour of the elegant, historic Rod and Gun Club. It is an eclectic mix of resort, museum, restaurant and marina. Why "eclectic"? Well, you got a pirate hanging from the ceiling, a giant reptile with gaping jaws giving you the stink eye, and a very ominous No Swimming sign. So yeah, "eclectic".
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  My hosts joked that Goodland, Florida was either a fishing village with a drinking problem or a drinking village with a fishing problem. Judging by all the popular bars we drove by like The Crabby Lady, The Little Bar, Paradise Found and Stan’s Idle Hour, I'm guessing it's the latter. And they are all jammed into a small trailer park with single wides that are probably going for high six figures. But somehow that all works and puts the "Good" in "Goodland".
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  We went from seeing things that wanted to eat me to seeing things I wanted to eat when we went to the colorful HavAnnA Cafe in Chokoloskee, Florida. The HavAnnA Cafe is known their Cuban Cuisine, tropical ambiance, and delicious food. And to add to all that positive, inviting atmosphere, we were treated to some great live music by The Manzies.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  My wonderful hosts thought I'd want to see alligators in their natural habitat, so they took me to the Big Cypress National Preserve. Since we were only separated by a few feet, I got a real feel for how primal and powerful those prehistoric monsters are. And while I was glad we went to see them, I was even happier when we said, "See ya later, Alligator".
Bill Haley and Comets, "See Ya Later, Alligator" < link to song Contents Books Home Hire Stories  There's usually one place on every road trip that completely surprises me. On this one, it was Georgia. From the cool cities near Atlanta to the peaceful, dreamy places on the coast, it was all wonderful. So, I am dedicating this last section of Part 1 of my "My Way" eBook to this magnificent state. And since I grew up near Motown in Michigan, and I dreamt of being able to groove like a Pip, I've got just the lyrics and song to kick it off...
Oh-oh, he's leaving On that midnight train to Georgia Said he's going back to find A simpler place and time Gladys Knight & The Pips, "Midnight Train To Georgia" < link to song Contents Books Home Hire Stories  I visited Cartersville, Georgia nine years ago and fell in love with the renowned Booth Museum. This trip I did a walking tour of the town affectionately nicknamed Museum City. What struck me was the artful blend of new and historic - with "new" being places like the colorful Mellow Mushroom pizzeria and "historic" being the stately Grand Theater. Of particular note was "The Jerks", a colorful soda jerk establishment.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  There are three great reasons to love Nagel's Bagels in Cartersville, Georgia. First and foremost, their baked goods are all next level delicious. Secondly, their staff members like Kristina go out of their way to make you feel like part of their family. Thirdly, their name rhymes - and who doesn't love a rhyming name? :-)
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  My host took me on a wonderful tour of Marietta, Georgia. We headed to the very popular Marietta Square which is packed with great shops and eateries. We spotted a cute coffee shop called Cool Beans and I thought, "Cool beans, I'll have a cup". We also had a great meal at Marietta Local. But the highlight was meeting Harrison, the paws-itively awesome greeter at Marietta Wine Market. For more about him, see my Pet Pals page here.
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  Most people think of the famous concert site when you say Woodstock, but there are actually 34 places in the world with that name. After my host's tour, I'd rank Woodstock, Georgia as one of the coolest. The quaint walkable town has everything from a Pie Bar to an actual bar, Jekyll Brewing. My favorite was the Salt Factor Pub because I went all in on Southern cooking with a dish they called "Chicken Fried Chicken" and I called "Incredible!"
Contents Books Home Hire Stories  It is said that Driftwood Beach in Jekyll Island, Georgia is consistently voted one of TripAdvisor’s “Best of the Best Beaches.” After our visit there, I can see why. It looked and felt like we were on a sci-fi movie location. Everywhere we looked there were spectacular trees that stretched out in every direction. And the contrast against the brilliant blue sky and peaceful white sand beaches made for a tranquil, yet almost surreal setting. Contents Books Home Hire Stories  |