Willie Nelson’s Song “On the Road Again” Takes on New Meaning!

Like most of you, we haven’t taken any chances on trips, indoor celebrations or entertainment, or vacations since the onset of the pandemic. In fact, the only places frequented were outside opportunities such as parks, hiking or biking in wildlife areas and exploring areas we hadn’t experienced before. They were all inspiring, and beautiful, each in its own way.

In preparation for this summer and the vaccines that we acquired, along with the decline in Covid-19 cases, we opted to take our new rescue dog on the road this summer and see parts of the United States we hadn’t seen before. That meant planning new routes and looking for stops along the way that would fill the quest for learning and new experiences away from our Florida backyard.

Don’t get me wrong, the learning that took place via Zoom was incredible! “On-site lectures” sponsored by the Marco Island Historical Society took us many places including the noted Dr. Megan Kassabaum, the Weingarten Assistant Curator for North America, and Assistant Professor of Anthropology at The University of Pennsylvania, who invited us into the museum to view the collections in the American section, including the Key Marco site discoveries. There are artifacts on exhibit at the University of Pennsylvania that we haven’t seen at the Marco Island Historical Museum, so this was a great opportunity to see and learn about them as well as the collections process. If you aren’t on their mailing list, you should be! Just email: administration@themihs.org and ask to be placed on their mailing/newsletter list for news of more events and, it’s free!

Events, classes, and on-line Zoom lectures are sponsored by DPI-SIG Naples Digital Photography Club, which presents a series of special education lectures with noted photography experts each year. There are over 20 distinct membership opportunities which help you learn more about your camera, develop your expertise and more. Membership provides opportunities for you to enter either your mounted or digital photographs in state competitions. The state competition is challenging as there are many photography clubs across Florida, but earning a ribbon and recognition is worth it. 

However, taking advantage and participating in the on-going professional development classes locally will enable you to learn more and perfect your photography skills. Many of the present and past members are well-recognized statewide for their expertise, which they willingly share with other members. If you love photography as I do, this is a friendly group to learn with and from, plus, they have lectures archived for members that you can visit or revisit as desired. Meetings are held close by on the East Trail on the second Thursday of the month. If you want to attend your first meeting, it’s “free.”  For more information, contact: dpi-sig.org. Meetings are held close-by on the East Trail.

The Florida FGCU Office of Continuing Education and Off-Campus Programs is another rich source of programs that allows open access from anywhere at any time. They offer an incredible variety of classes and certificates including healthcare, real estate, personal fitness, legal studies, and many different certification courses. They also offer Ed2go (self-study) opportunities for you to learn on your schedule with instructor guided, career training certificate programs that will help you achieve professional caliber positions for many occupations. Courses range from 12 to 580 hours and cost varies with programs in skilled trades, hospitality, business/professional, healthcare/fitness, information technology, software development, media, and design (This information was taken from the FGCU Continuing Education/Online Learning Programs site). On a personal note, I’ve taken many classes through the Continuing Education selections, including Photography, Bonsai, Ikebana, Religions of the World, Eastern World Spies, Creative Writing, Digital Phones, and many more and have nothing but positive experiences.

Back on the traveling path, I can still attend classes and Zoom lectures via my phone. There was even a virtual wine tasting from a famous California Vineyard that sent the wine ahead of the actual “tasting” along with information. This access to so many opportunities could be one of the best things that transpired during the “lock-down”; programmers were challenged to create new ways to learn while students and others were either not at school or work and, for the most part, they were successful in uniting people across the globe.

One of my favorite traveling habits is to search out small towns, note the architecture, the Mom-and-Pop stores and cafes and their beautification efforts, if any. The vibe of small towns is much more interesting than a city. Having the luxury of great connectivity across the country to check ratings on hotels and restaurants helps no matter where you are. Here’s our first stop on the trip – Cedar Key, Florida. We found the most charming Bed and Breakfast in this small island community and would go back and stay in a heartbeat. There’s so much to tell you about this lovely discovery that I might have to save it for the next article, where I can elaborate to my heart’s content. It’s worth the wait!