Eeny Meeny Miny Mo, AAA Style

Having found a home, my next order of business was my birthday trip. And finally, it was time to take advantage of being a long-time AAA member.

I found my local office and sat down with one of the travel agents. And so, we've narrowed the choices to two: Amsterdam or Paris. I've seven days to spend total, translating into five days at my destination. Both offer plenty to do for those five days, and I'm leaning heavily (as of now) toward Amsterdam. I'll sleep on it, read some travel things tomorrow and Friday, and I plan to book it by Monday. In all reality, either way, I don't think I can go wrong. :-)

With that done (and an unbelievable number of travel books in hand---planning also for my likely Christmas trip), I then met with a member services rep to update my info. Before I left, I realized they had insurance specialists there too. My current company does not serve Florida, so I'll need a new company. And so, I sat down for quite a while with an insurance specialist to discuss auto, renters, and yes, flood insurance.

The good news is that even being only a half mile from the river, my home is not in a flood zone. It's still an option for coverage, and one I'll weigh. Considering, though, that I don't yet own, and knowing the elevation from the river (I'll be uphill) and that the house is raised, it's highly likely I'll wait for this one until I buy. (and whew! The house is not in a sink hole area either. yowza---yep! some policies have been denied as being in a sink hole area here.) Still, I have more choices to make---having gotten about four different auto quotes.

Finally, I took advantage of AAA's TripTix service and got maps and details for the long drive from TX to Jax. The prepare a booklet for you, highlighting the route, including markers for rest areas, restaurants, and even descriptions of the terrain. Also, and really cool, they mark known construction areas. And yes, that's all part of my membership!

And so, what a productive day! Tomorrow morning, I plan to drive out to the beaches, clocking it from my new house. I also would like to drive the loop, getting a better feel for that size (making it easier to compare to other cities).

Good trip.