Palmetto Bay Life

posted by Jeanne on Jul 16

Michael and I drove my car from Massachusetts to Miami, Florida.  We did the obvious thing and drove down Route 95.  Route 95 takes you straight down the east coast going from Maine, through New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and ending in Miami, Florida.

In preparation for the trip I did a search on “Route 95″ and found “The I-95 Exit Guide” website - http://www.i95exitguide.com. There is tons of information on the website, but I quickly realized that this information wouldn’t be accessible on the road, so I purchased and downloaded the eBook version of “The I-95 Exit Guide” on to my laptop computer.

This guide is really great! It details what is at each exit on I-95 – restaurants, gas stations, lodging. There is also information for each state – differences in the driving laws, radio stations, weather stations, and lots more.

I didn’t use most of the information in the guide, but found the gas, restaurant, and lodging listings extremely helpful.  When we got into New Jersey, we decided to find a palce to stay overnight.  None of the exits in New Jersey had signs for gas, lodging, or food.  Michael and I did the unthinkable thing of taking an exit that we had no idea of what was at the exit.  We ended up in a really bad neighborhood and got lost.  We got directions back to the highway.  Once on the highway, we turned on my laptop and looked up on the I-95 Exit Guide where we could stop for lodging and food.  We found the information in the guide very accurate and used it on the entire trip.  If you are traveling up and down the east coast, I highly recommend getting a copy of “The I-95 Exit Guide”.

Website: http://www.i95exitguide.com

Books To Purchase: http://www.i95exitguide.com/order

My copy of The I-95 Exit Guide was purchased by me with my own funds.

posted by Jeanne on Jul 15

My husband showed me where to get my driver’s license on Saturday, today is Wednesday…  LOLs.  I’m supposed to go to the Coral Reef Office to get my license. It’s near the Miami Metro Zoo – which in convenient since there signs for the zoo and I’ve been there twice in the past year.  OK, yeah I couldn’t find the road for the zoo.  I practically drove all the way to downtown Miami before I realized I went a bit too far.  Glad I know how to make a good U-Turn!

I finally find the road to the zoo and drive almost all the way to the zoo thinking I must have missed the road for the license place.  Nope, I found it OK.  Phew!  You know driving here in Palmetto Bay is a bit different than Massachusetts. I’m not used to driving in a grid – I used to “Take a left at the big oak tree” type of driving.  This grid thing messes me up!  Numbered streets & avenues don’t mean anything to me.

So I get in line at the licensing office. The line moved quickly, surprisingly.  I get to the check-in desk and explain I want to switch my Massachusetts license to a Florida license. The lady tells me all the documents I need to get my license. I don’t have what I need.  It’s all at home in my little safe box. She handed me a phone number to call to make an appointment.

I drove back home – which was oddly quicker than going to the office.  I call the number and I have an appointment on Monday to get my new license. Yea! Progress!  I can’t do much here without that license. I even need it to get a Post Office box along with my car registration.

Here are the documents you need to convert an out of state license to a Florida license:

• Your out of state license, Marriage Certificate (if appropriate), and 2 documents proving your address (bills, etc)

And two of the following:

• Birth Certificate
• Original Social Security Card
• Passport