A spectaculaaah drive all the way down from Islamorada, FL to Key West, FL. Florida Keys = 
. City of Key West = 
.
After having free breakfast, checked out of motel at 10:40, and started the drive South towards the maaahvelus Florida Keys.
Had lunch at Marathon, which is the half-way city in the Keys. There were a few sprinkles along the way, but nothing that might be classified as "rain". I was driving with my headlights on -- or so I thought. I saw some really pretty red and blue lights in the rear view mirror. The same kind of lights that I had seen in Arkansas. It did not take very long for me to realize that the lights were on top of a police car. It took me even less time to realize that those pretty red and blue lights were turned on JUST FOR ME! Since the policeman had gone through so much trouble just so I would see those nice lights, I thought the least I could do was stop.
When I stopped, the police car stopped behind me. The red and blue lights were still on, but they had stopped blinking now. But they still looked nice.
After what seemed like an eternity, someone stepped out of the police car and approached my car. That someone asked me for a particular piece of paper inside my wallet. I gave it to him. He looked at it, then walked back to his car. After another eternity that I spent waiting, he came back and gave me back the piece of paper. He was very polite. He called me "Sir" and asked me how I was. After that very short conversation, he told me why he had turned those red and blue lights on. He had noticed (and I did not know this) that my left-side headlight was not working. I said I would fix it as soon as possible, and he let me go.
A spectaculaaah drive all the way down from Islamorada, FL to Key West, FL. Florida Keys = . City of Key West = .
3:00 PM - 3:15 PM At the Southernmost Point in the Continental United States = .
3:50 PM Left Key West.
6:30 PM By the time I got back to Florida City, it was raining heavily. Rain is not a good thing when you are trying to recover after being sick. I did not like it. Checked in (again) at the same Rodeway Inn as the previous night. When I checked in, the manager (Indian guy) recognized me and asked me how many nights I would be staying. I replied,
"Just tonight."
"Are you sure?"
"[smile]. Yes, I'm sure."
"Because you were here last night, too. And yesterday you said you'll be staying one night."
"This time I know it will only be one night!"
"O.K., but just in case you change your mind, we're all booked for tomorrow."
"That's all right. I'm DEFINITELY not coming back here again!"
Miscellaneous:
| Bumper Sticker: | "STOP ILLEGAL DUMPING -- DIAL 911" |
| WYNONA2 | IL | Pontiac Grandam |
| MS CURRY | FL | Pontiac Grandam |
| PEARLY H | NY | Dodge Caravan |
| MRS ISH | FL | Dodge Intrepid [Driven by a Mr.] |
| $35.95 | Chase | Rodeway Inn | Florida City, FL |
| $10 | Discover | Gas at Chevron | Florida City, FL |
| $3 | Cash | Lunch -- Burger King | Marathon, FL |
| $5 | Cash | Dinner -- Burger King | Florida City, FL |
I went to a "NAPA Auto Parts" store to buy a headlight. I bought it but since it was raining, I did not install it immediately.
12:00 PM Entered Scenic Highway A1A in Miami Beach, FL. The last time I was here, it was at night. The oceanfront hotels in Miami Beach looked spectacular at night. This time, I would get to see the colorful Atlantic Ocean in the daytime.
1:00 PM My Arrival In Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
1:10 PM - 1:35 PM Parked at Fort Lauderdale Beach in Fort Lauderdale. This was the same beach as on my last trip. That night on Trip #1 was a Thursday [weekday] night at 10:00 PM. This was the only beach along the Sunshine Coast that had any kind of activity that late at night. There were families having barbecues on this beach. I took a walk in the ocean. Then I started driving barefoot and met the second policeman on Trip #1. All of that happened here on Trip #1. This was Trip #2: It was raining. I sat in the parked car and watched the surfers ridin' the waves. That's about it. Then I left.
2:40 PM My Arrival in Palm Beach, Florida.
3:30 PM My Arrival in West Palm Beach, Florida.
3:40 PM My Arrival in North Palm Beach, Florida.
Ate lunch at Dennys there, then continued driving North. Feeling sick again.
7:00 PM Checked in at Knights Inn Spacecoast at Palm Bay, FL. Feeling just plain miserable. Went to a drug store nearby to buy some medicine.
License Plates:
| OLINGER | FL | Plymouth Reliant |
| IMG 99M | FL | Lincoln Towncar [not a personalized plate... but for some strange reason, I really liked it!] |
| $35.95 | Chase | Rodeway Inn | Florida City, FL |
| $10.64 | CB | Headlight -- Napa Auto Parts | Florida City, FL |
| $11.50 | Discover | Gas | West Palm Beach, FL |
| $8 | Discover | Lunch -- Dennys | North Palm Beach, FL |
| $2 | Cash | Dinner -- Taco Bell | Palm Bay, FL |
| $8 | Cash | Cold Medicine and Gatorade drink -- Eckerds | Palm Bay, FL |
But before that, something else happened.
The previous night, I had bought some cough and cold medicine. I had taken one dose last night, and although it tasted terrible, it made me feel better. So I took another dose this morning. Mistake. This morning, it had no effect. Well... it did have an effect on me... the wrong kind.
After taking the medicine, I checked out of the motel and got back on the freeway. Suddenly I felt very dizzy. I could not drive, so I pulled over on the shoulder. I waited a few minutes for the dizziness to pass, and when it did not, I stepped out of the car for some air. This was on the freeway shoulder. I walked to the passenger side of the car, and everything suddenly became dark -- very dark.
The next thing I remember, I was bent over, my hands on my knees, sweating and coughing. Then vomiting. I opened the passenger side door and sat down sideways in the passenger seat, with my feet outside the car. Drank a Coke -- that's all I had with me. No water. Then vomited again. All sorts of thoughts were coming to me, ranging from medicinal allergy to food poisoning to viruses (to UFO abduction and experimentation!). I was fearing the worst -- this is the end of my trip (I didn't really worry about what was happening to me, I was worried I would never finish my trip).
After some time, I started to feel better and thought it was safe enough for me to drive again. (Before leaving home, I had already made up my mind that no matter what happened to me, "The Trip Must Go On.") I started driving, and was feeling "better-than-miserable" for the rest of the day.
[As for my theory on UFO abduction -- since I have no memory of what happened after I stepped out of the car and before I was sweating, coughing, and vomiting, I have no proof that I was NOT abducted. Therefore, it could have happened. I don't know. People should keep an open mind about this sort of thing. That's all. Now back to the story...]
On April 20, 1995, I had gone to the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL. There, I saw, among other things, the "only full-scale space shuttle replica in the world". So I thought that was very special. There is another "only full-scale replica of the space shuttle in the world" in Cape Canaveral, Florida. That's what I saw today:
"THE ONLY FULL-SCALE SPACE SHUTTLE REPLICA IN THE WORLD IN FLORIDA".
I went inside this one -- the "Explorer".
I also took a bus tour of the space center, the highlight of which was a visit to the launch pads. Space shuttle Atlantis (the real one; not a replica) was docked on Launch Pad 39A awaiting lift-off some time between June 8-June 10. Our bus went to Launch Pad 39B (empty) and to a viewing area nearby.
There was also a memorial dedicated to all the astronauts who lost their lives in the conquest of space. That was also very impressive. All in all, a attraction, and the best Space Center that I have been to (I had also been to Alamagordo, Houston, and Huntsville space centers). It was definitely a lot better than Mardi Gras!
I was at Kennedy Space Center all day, and checked in at Howard Johnson Inn in Titusville, FL that night. My fever had gone down by now, but I was still feeling weak. After checking in, I threw the cold medicine in the trash can.
Expenses:
| $35.15 | Chase | Knights Inn Spacecoast | Palm Bay, FL |
| $3 | Cash | Lunch -- Kennedy Space Center cafeteria | Cape Canaveral, FL |
| $15 | CB | Two IMAX shows and Bus tour -- Kennedy Space Center | Cape Canaveral, FL |
| $3 | Cash | Souvenirs -- Kennedy Space Center | Cape Canaveral, FL |
| $3 | Cash | Dinner -- Taco Bell | Titusville, FL |
At 2:05 PM, entered Jacksonville city limits. Florida's AAA tour book said that the "Dames Point Bridge a.k.a. Napoleon B. Broward Bridge" in Jacksonville is supposed be a beautiful bridge and an architectural wonder. I guess I was expecting an amazing sight, and was extremely disappointed. To me, this was a bridge like any other bridge. The only good part about it was that it was not a toll bridge. .
I exited and was lucky to find a NAPA Auto Parts store. I exchanged the headlight bought in Florida City for a new light, then installed the new light outside the store. Also bought two quarts of oil and put that in. That was the "oil change".
I had remembered talking to Niranjan a few days before he left on HIS cross-country drive. He had mentioned he would be traveling the entire length of I-10 from Los Angeles to Jacksonville. At that time, I did not think too much of this, but now it seemed like a good idea -- to drive to the "end" of I-10 in Jacksonville. Although I had not driven its ENTIRE length, driving on both ends would be sufficient for me. So that is what I did next.
At 4:25 PM, I finished I-10 Eastbound at Jacksonville and started driving on I-95 Northbound. I had already been on one end of I-95 at Miami. Maybe I would drive at the other end of I-95 as well... it would be a long time until I reached Maine, but I had plenty of time. Right now, this was just an idea. No real plans.
4:45 PM Left Jacksonville city limits.
4:55 PM Georgia; 136285 Miles
5:15 PM Florida; 136292 Miles. Did not photograph "Welcome" sign.
5:25 PM Georgia/Florida border; 136297 Miles; I FINALLY had a sign that said "Welcome to the Sunshine State" -- and it really was SUNNY that day! A miracle!
5:30 PM Back to Georgia again; 136302; All this was just to photograph a sign -- ANY sign that said "Welcome to the Sunshine State -- Florida".
7:30 PM Checked in at Ramada Inn at Richmond Hill, GA. Ate another free subway sandwich as dinner.
License Plates:
| CNSLTNT | VA | Ford Escort |
| $43.17 | Chase | Howard Johnson Inn | Titusville, FL |
| $0 | Cash | Subway free lunch | Titusville, FL |
| $8 | CB | Extra amount for headlight -- NAPA Auto Parts | Jacksonville, FL |
| $2 | Cash | Engine oil -- NAPA Auto Parts | Jacksonville, FL |
| $11.50 | CB | Gas -- Chevron | Jacksonville, FL |
| $4 | Cash | Juice & Trash bags | Jacksonville, FL |
| $0 | Cash | Subway free dinner | Richmond Hill, GA |