Trips of Discovery

Make the best of your journey, make some memories.

Tagged: Boat trips

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Pick your inspiration — 1902, 1958, 1960s, or 1999

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes – As they say, the horizon is not a boundary but an invitation for discovery. My blog, Trips of Discovery, is based on that invitation of the horizon, any horizon when I look into the distance. However, I never forget Dale Carnegie’s quote, “One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today.” Inspirations and discoveries are all around us and I do take advantage of that, every day, really. At the same time, I...

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In search of green waters

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes – *SBFL 1 – PLANNED – Here in the midst of winter in the upper Chesapeake Bay, with nighttime temperatures dropping down as far as 14 degrees Fahrenheit, I started planning my first stop of the Slow Boat to Florida (a.k.a. SBFL) round-trip journey. (See my blog post: SBFL – Slow Boat to Florida.) I estimate I will do 30 or more stops by the time I come back home to SBFL 0, perhaps after 6 months or so. Ambitious — maybe or maybe not, we’ll see. One of my two inspirations for this journey is a 1958 National Geographic essay titled, “Slow Boat to Florida,” by the late Dorothea...

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Milliarium Aureum – Golden Milestone

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes – SBFL* Stop 0 – PLANNING – The Milliarium Aureum, also known by the translation Golden Milestone or Zero Milestone, was a monument, probably of marble or gilded bronze, erected by Emperor Caesar Augustus near the Temple of Saturn in the central Forum of Ancient Rome. All roads were considered to begin at this monument and all distances in the Roman Empire were measured relative to it. It is believed to be the literal origin for the maxim that “all roads lead to Rome.” On it, perhaps, were listed all the major cities in the empire and distances to them, although the monument’s precise location and inscription remain matters of...

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Slow Boat to Florida

Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes – SBFL* – THE START OF A DREAM – Years ago, I remember asking my local boatyard owner and trusted mechanic if we could go from our home port in the northern Chesapeake Bay to Florida with my then first powerboat, a 25’ Rinker Cruiser, Happy Time.  His response was, “Sure, why not?” That surprising answer provoked a strong exclamation from me, saying, “Really!?” and sparked a huge curiosity on my end. I said, “Do you know of anyone who did that with a 25’ powerboat?”  His response was even more surprising. He said that in the late 60’s and early 70’s, some people actually went to Florida with their 16’...