Our Generation Florida

By Phyllis W. Zeno

Have you ever dreamed about being cast away on a desert island, but found yourself wading through St. Thomas, along with 20,000 passengers from nine other ships? In that case, “Out Islands” are your dream come true!

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By Sandra Friend

Since it lies offshore between Tea Table Key and Lower Matacumbe in Islamorada, few motorists driving US 1 to Key West give it a second thought. But for those who plan ahead, a morning at Indian Key can be a fascinating ramble on a lonesome 11-acre island where you might be the only visitor. Read More »

By Sandra Friend
With summer comes thoughts of cool water and cool breezes and just plain staying cool, which you might think would nix most outdoor activities in Florida, but you’d be wrong. There’s a cool corner of our state that feels a lot like Appalachia, with high bluffs overlooking swift rivers and shallow waters riffling over rock rapids. It’s Blackwater River State Forest, more than 190,000 acres of forests, marshes, and waterways between the Alabama state line and the towns outlying Pensacola, and a prime outdoor destination for our Florida summers. Read More »

By Phyllis W. Zeno
For decades, a seven-day cruise from Florida to the Eastern Caribbean meant a day in Nassau, a day in St. Thomas, and an overnight in San Juan, Puerto Rico. A few cruise lines still offer that itinerary, but with the addition of private Out Islands (those islands in the Bahamas, leased by the cruise lines for the private use of their passengers), the majority of the cruise ships now visit an Out Island, St. Thomas, St. Maarten,  and another new discovery, Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands. Read More »

By Sandra Friend
In 1936, Winter Haven resident Dick Pope knew he had a gold mine when visiting servicemen showed up to see this new-fangled idea called water skiing that his wife, Julie, choreographed and his kids and their friends put on. Pope mined that vein for all it was worth, creating the first Central Florida theme park, Cypress Gardens. Read More »

By Phyllis W. Zeno

When Do We Eat?
Early or late sitting? Dinner is at 6 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. on most of the major cruise lines, and you can state your preference to your travel agent at the time you book your cruise. Read More »

By Sandra Friend

Sitting in my rocking chair on the second floor veranda, reading with a good book as live jazz drifts up from the front porch below—it doesn’t get more relaxing than this. Well, okay, maybe it does, when I can take an afternoon nap as the lightly-draped windows let in a salt-scented breeze. Apalachicola is a timeless beauty, and it’s somewhere you can get lost in time. But I’m on a mission, too. I’m in search of the Holy Grail, the oyster. There are none better than those that come from Apalachicola, or so I’ve discovered from years of haunting seafood restaurants along the Gulf. Now, I’m finally at the source. Read More »

By Jack Schrock

Fifty years ago I was transferred from the Martin Company Test Facility in Littleton, Colorado, to Pad 16 at Cape Canaveral, Florida. We packed our one baby and all our possessions into the back seat of a small convertible and “lit” out for the Sunshine state. But in Dallas we ran out of space and patience so bought the very first fiberglass boat ever seen in order to carry our possessions (the baby stayed with us in the car). Read More »

Groundbreaking AAA report shows traffic crashes cost American motorists $164.2 billion per year

WASHINGTON, D.C., March 5 - The societal cost of crashes is a staggering $164.2 billion annually, nearly two and a half times greater than the $67.6 billion price tag for congestion, according to a new report released today by AAA.

The report, “Crashes vs. Congestion: What’s the Cost to Society?,” demonstrates that traffic safety issues warrant increased attention from the public and policymakers, particularly as Congress prepares to reauthorize federal transportation programs in 2009.

“Most Americans will be surprised to learn that motor vehicle crashes cost more than the congestion they face on their daily commute to work,” said AAA President and CEO Robert L. Darbelnet. “Great work has been done by the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) to quantify the costs of congestion, raise awareness for the problem and offer solutions. We feel safety deserves a similar focus.”

According to the study conducted by Cambridge Systematics, the $164.2 billion cost for crashes equates to an annual per person cost of $1,051, compared to $430 per person annually for congestion. These safety costs include medical, emergency and police services, property damage, lost productivity, and quality of life, among other things.

The report calculates the costs of crashes for the same metropolitan areas covered by the annual Urban Mobility Report conducted by TTI. In every metropolitan area studied, from very large to small, the results showed crash costs exceeded congestion. For very large urban areas (more than 3 million), crash costs are nearly double those of congestion. Those costs rise to more than seven times congestion costs in small urban areas (less than 500,000) where congestion is less of a challenge.

“Nearly 43,000 people die on the nation’s roadways each year,” said Darbelnet. “Yet, the annual tally of motor vehicle-related fatalities barely registers as a blip in most people’s minds. It’s time for motor vehicle crashes to be viewed as the public health threat they are. If there were two jumbo jets crashing every week, the government would ground all planes until we fixed the problem. Yet, we’ve come to accept this sort of death toll with car crashes.”

The report includes several recommendations to improve safety, including support for a national safety goal of cutting surface transportation fatalities in half by 2025, as recommended by the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission.

For additional information and to download a full copy of the report, visit AAA.com/news.

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides nearly 51 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at http://www.AAA.com

SOURCE: AAA Press Release