Category Archives: Florida

National Roller Coaster Day: A Tribute to Terror and Thrill 🎢

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National Roller Coaster Day: A Tribute to Terror and Thrill 🎢

Who would have thought those mechanical monsters would have a day of their own?

I have a love/hate relationship with roller coasters. I love them—but I haven’t set foot on one since I passed out on the old wooden coaster at Nantasket Beach. (Yes, Nantasket—not Nantucket. Easy mix-up, but one has lobster rolls and the other had a rickety thrill machine that stole my consciousness.) That coaster is long gone now. Torn down. All that remains is a memory—splintered wood, the scent of salt air, and the echo of my teenage bravado.

Nantasket Beach Roller Coasters | News | collectorsjournal.com

Stock photo

But the new coasters? They’re breathtaking. Literally. I watch the loops and whirls and upside-down spins with a cocktail of fear and jealousy. Fear, because I know my nerves would never survive the launch. Jealousy, because deep down, I wish I were brave enough to fly.

Loop Coaster Universal , Orlando Fl 2012- photo credit Deb Neumann

There’s something poetic about roller coasters. They mimic life in the most dramatic way: the slow climb of anticipation, the sudden drop into chaos, the twists you never saw coming, and the moment you finally catch your breath—laughing, screaming, or both.

I stand at the edge of the platform, watching others strap in. Their faces are lit with adrenaline and joy. Mine? A wistful smile and a silent cheer from the sidelines. Maybe one day I’ll ride again. Maybe not. But today, I celebrate the wild ride—whether from the front seat or the fence line.

Nitro - Six Flags Great Adventure

Nitro at 6 Flags – Stock Photo

 

Happy National Roller Coaster Day, you glorious beasts of steel and speed. You terrify me. And I love you for it.

 

Thrill Rides at Six Flags New England in Springfield

6 Flags – stock photo

World Lizard Day & Balboa’s Birthday Bash

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🦎 World Lizard Day & Balboa’s Birthday Bash

Today is Balboa’s 5th Birthday! 🎉

Balboa – photo credit Deb Neumann

Happy Birthday, sweet boy—love you bunches. You’re sharing your special day with World Lizard Day, which might not be your idea of a party theme, but I couldn’t resist celebrating these scaly wonders.

Florida Iguana – photo credit Deb Neumann

I might be a little weird, but I genuinely like lizards. They fascinate me. I especially adore those tiny lizards I see everywhere when I visit Florida. I believe they’re called Anoles—there are brown ones and green ones, and I think they’re seriously cute. They dart around like little garden ninjas.

It's not easy being a green anole | | islandernews.com

Photo- Internet

 

Then there are the Iguanas. Bigger, bolder, and a bit intimidating. They come in vibrant shades of green and orange, lounging like royalty on sidewalks and rooftops.

So in honor of World Lizard Day (and Balboa’s birthday, of course), here are some fun and fascinating facts about lizards that might just make you see them in a whole new light. I may find them interesting, but don’t worry—I’m not about to bring one home as a pet.

Jurassic World Evolution Dilophosaurus Compatibility | Jurassic 2025 World Evolution Dinosaur Skins

 

🌿 12 Lizard Facts to Make You Smile (or Squirm)

  1. Tail Tricks
    Many lizards can detach their tails to escape predators. The tail keeps twitching while the lizard makes a clean getaway—like a magic act with a dramatic exit.
  2. Color-Changing Cuties
    Green Anoles can shift from green to brown depending on mood, temperature, or stress. They’re like tiny, scaly mood rings.
  3. Built-In Motion Sensor
    Iguanas have a “third eye” on top of their heads called a parietal eye. It doesn’t see images but detects light and movement—perfect for spotting sneaky predators.
  4. Push-Up Power Moves
    Lizards often do push-ups or head bobs to show dominance or attract mates. It’s like their version of flexing at the gym.
  5. Water Walkers
    The Basilisk lizard can run across water using its speed and wide feet. It’s nicknamed the “Jesus Lizard” for this miraculous feat.
  6. Tongue-Tasting the Air
    Like snakes, lizards use their tongues to “taste” the air and detect scents. It’s their way of sniffing out dinner or danger.
  7. Sun Worshippers
    Being cold-blooded, lizards bask in the sun to warm up and energize. You’ll often find them stretched out on rocks like tiny solar panels.
  8. Natural Pest Control
    Lizards love munching on insects like mosquitoes, flies, and ants. They’re nature’s pest patrol—no chemicals required.
  9. Miniature Dragons
    Draco lizards can glide between trees using wing-like ribs. They’re real-life dragonlets soaring through the forest canopy.
  10. Ancient Survivors
    Lizards have been around for over 200 million years. They’ve outlived dinosaurs and still strut their stuff across the globe.
  11. Venomous but Chill
    The Gila monster and Mexican beaded lizard are venomous, but they’re slow-moving and rarely aggressive. Just don’t poke them.
  12. All-Female Wonder Lizards
    Some whiptail lizard species reproduce without males through parthenogenesis. No dates, no drama—just cloning themselves like pros.

So here’s to Balboa,

Balboa’s Stare – photo credit Deb Neumann

to lizards, and to the wild, wonderful world we share with creatures great and small. Whether they’re sunbathing on a Florida fence or gliding through jungle trees, lizards remind us that nature is endlessly inventive—and occasionally adorable.

green iguana- photo credit Deb Neumann

 

Some This and That and a Map

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This and That

We finally had a week of nice weather. Temps in the 70’s & even 80’s. Low humidity. Sunshine and a breeze. Prefect days And I was on vacation! How did I get so lucky? So how did I spend my vacation? Did I take an exotic vacation? Did I bust out my camera and go adventuring? Nope. I sorted and cleaned and still didn’t get everything done. But I made a dent. At least now I don’t look quite so much like a participant on an episode of Hoarders.

With the nice weather I wasn’t afraid to re-pot my Thanksgiving Cactus and move it outside.

That may save it’s life. Balboa was fixated on it and pruned (chewed on it)  it every day. I started some cat grass for him and hope that by fall when I bring the cactus back inside that he’ll be over it. 

 

Boxes – Gone

I crushed up the Chewy boxes and dragged them out to the recycle bin. There will be more but at least for the week I got my Livingroom back. I don’t mind stepping over the boxes as long as the cats are playing with  them but when they stop – out go the boxes.

 

And speaking of boxes. I cleaned out my file cabinet and packed up my taxes and bank statements so I can start filing all the paper that’s piled on my desk. Hey folks, we’re in the age of digital! What ever happened to a paperless society?

Travel

I follow several consumer and travel websites. I’m still not convinced that this is a good year to travel. Restrictions are being lifted all over. Next week Massachusetts is removing all COVID restrictions. The most recent advisory that I’ve seen on domestic travel  says we’ll still need  to mask up to fly but if you are fully vaccinated that’s about the only time you’ll need a mask. You won’t need a negative COVID test either.  The exception might be Hawaii. I haven’t seen an update on their restrictions yet. 

One issue that I’m still seeing in the news is the rental car shortage. In fact I recently heard a car dealership advertising that even new car purchases are being affected by the car shortage! I’ve been hearing of rental prices of over $1000 for a 1 week rental and that wasn’t a high end luxury vehicle either. That rental was from Fort Lauderdale airport. Rental car charges are one of my biggest expenses when I travel so I’m watching that closely. As rental companies restock their inventories I’m sure those fees will come down.  Until then I’ll wait.

The Map

I finished adding photos of the states I’ve visited to the map.

 

There are 4 states that I’m debating about.  Years ago I went to a drum and bugle corp. competition in Allentown PA. I remember it rained and our tent leaked. It wasn’t a fun trip but still I was there. I don’t have any pictures and I don’t feel like I really got a feel for the state.  

South Carolina is another one. My brother got married in South Carolina. My sister-in-law is from Charleston  and I attended their wedding. I bet I could get a wedding picture from them to mark off South Carolina but there’s so much about that state that I want to explore that I’m reluctant to take it off the list.

#3 is Illinois. Again it’s a really old trip and it was for work. I had a week long training in Chicago. It was my first ever work trip and one of my first times on a plane.  There wasn’t much sight seeing. I was too introverted at the time and remember being kind of overwhelmed.  No pictures of that trip either.

Last but not least was my brother’s retirement from the Navy in Kenosha Wisconsin. I think I have a few pictures of my brother in his dress whites in a photo album. 

Although technically these 4 states meet my criteria I didn’t really get much sight seeing done. What do you think? Should I add a picture (google has plenty) or leave them as “still to be visited”?

 

 

Cruising for Vacation, Bahamas, Mexico & Alaska

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Cruising for VacationCruise Nassau, Bahama

To cruise for vacation or not to cruise. Cruising has become the way to vacation in recent years (pre Covid). I can see the appeal. You have a floating hotel room and all of your meals. Once you board you unpack once and you are all set for the duration. For those of us who have worn out our joints so that we have had to slow down, being delivered to our location is a nice perk.

Still I haven’t been a fan of cruising in the past. My first cruise was to celebrate my friend Joe’s 40th birthday. Some of Joe’s friends and I chipped in and took him on a 4 day cruise to the Bahama’s. Since we were all on a budget my roommate and I settled for an inside cabin. It was small and cramped but we figured we wouldn’t be spending much time in the cabin so we could tolerate it. Never again. I’ll pay the extra for an outside cabin- preferably one with a balcony. The best part of that cruise for me was the stop at the private island. I spend most of the day snorkeling. There wasn’t a lot to see. Just a sandy bottom and occasional fish but floating in the warm waters was great!

I’m not a shopper so I didn’t get much out of the shopping spree in Nassau but I did enjoy the trip to Atlantis Resort. The bottom line is that Joe had a really special birthday but the experience didn’t encourage me to try cruising again.

 

Tulum

Tulum, Mexico

Tulum, Mexico

The next cruise I tried was once again with my friend Joe. We took a 4 day cruise out of the port of Miami to Cozumel, Mexico.

Before we headed out for Mexico we made a port of call in Key West. We were very familiar with Key West. Joe had worked there and I had visited on several occasions. Even so we enjoyed wandering around.

 

Once we reached Cozumel we took a wild ride across the channel to  Playa del Carmen. From there we took a bus to the Mayan Ruin at Tulum.

This was worth every penny. The ruins were amazing and when we went shopping we got to see The voladores, the flyers. These men tie themselves to a pole and and slowly descend circling the pole.

 

This cruise could have been longer as we didn’t have much time to spend in Mexico but what we saw was great. 

The Long Alaska Cruise Tour

With a couple of short cruises under my belt I let me sister talk me into taking an Alaska Cruise. What I learned from this experience is to not rely on the travel agent. As usual we were watching our pennies. We wanted to get the biggest bang for our buck. The travel agent convinced us that if we wanted to see baby animals, wildflowers and such we should take an early cruise-plus a shoulder season cruise was less expensive. Sounded good to us so we booked the first cruise of the season in late May. As our departure date neared we were notified of a cabin upgrade from ocean view to balcony. That was a great upgrade. We watched glaciers calve from that balcony.

On a shore excursion we got a taste of native culture.

Young Tlingit Dancer in Ceremonial dress

The weather didn’t cooperate for most of the cruise. Alaska had a late spring that year so there was still snow and a daily dose of cold, rainy, gray weather. We were glad we packed winter clothing. The bears were just beginning to come out of hibernation and most of the other mammals were still very pregnant. No babies yet and no wildflowers,  We were about a week too early! 

We did get to go dog sledding and spend time with the puppies. That was fun even though the snow had mostly melted there. Our sled was a big converted car body on wheels. I thought it would be too heavy for the dogs but they loved it. 

We did see Glaciers in Glacier Bay and bald eagles were everywhere. In Denali we got to see moose and caribou. At one port of call we spotted an otter! It wasn’t a total loss. I just think we had bad luck with our timing.  

Magarie Glacier

Bald Eagle on an ice floe

Even so Alaska is an amazing state. I want a return trip- by land this time. I’ve heard the way to see Alaska is in an RV but I’m still thinking about what I want from a return trip. 

Oh, the Places I’ve Been!

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Oh, the Places I’ve Been!

Oh COVID how you’ve clipped my wings! But that doesn’t mean I can’t revisit the places I’ve been. Today I thought I’d take a trip back in  time to re-visit some of the places I’ve been. Care to come along?

Key Largo Fla – 2019

John Pennekamp State ParkNature at it’s finest. This northern most Island in the Florida Keys offers diving, snorkeling and a lot of Ocean Fun. My favorite spot- John  Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. But be prepared with water shoes . The shoreline is sharp coral that can bruise and cut bare feet.              

Great White Heron in Mangroves – Key Largo 2019

Iguana at Pennekamp Park 2019

 

Busch Gardens – 2018

Colonial Williamsburg, VA (and Busch Gardens) – 2018

Just weeks before my hip replacement surgery I made a trip to Colonial Williamsburg. It was much colder than I expected Virginia to be even if it was November. I was joined by family and friends. 

Colonial Williamsburgh 2018

 

Carriage Colonial Williamsburgh 2018

On the South Rim, Grand Canyon 2008

Grand Canyon Arizona- 2011

If you have not been to the Grand Canyon you are missing an amazing sight. I’ve been twice and can’t wait to go again. When I first saw the canyon my mind could not embrace it all. It was too large, too majestic. I was with a guide and he warned us but I still felt dizzy and overwhelmed. Something this magnificent just couldn’t be real! But it is. 

Grand Canyon- 2011

Grand Canyon 2011

Maui Hawaii – 2020

Hawaii is one of my favorite places. I’ve been to the  Big Island, Oahu and Maui.  My latest trip was right before the pandemic. I was back on Maui and had a chance to go SNUBA diving. It’s like Scuba but your tank is floating on a raft on the surface and you breathe though a hose. The other big difference is that you do not need to be certified to SNUBA making it something everyone can try.

snuba at Turtletown 2020

Wind Surfing 2020

Oh, the Places I’ve Been!

This was fun. It’s nice to reminisce now and again. And I have so many other trips to share. Maine for Puffin watching, Sedona and my first helicopter ride . The amazing state of Alaska and Denali National Park. I can’t forget Yellowstone and Old Faithful, Florida and swimming with Manatees or the Big Island and snorkeling with Manta Rays. Not to mention Bears and Moose and Elk in Wyoming. The Teton Mountains are magnificent rising from the valley floor. We have a lot to talk about!

The Grand Teton

The Grand Teton 2017