Florida Drivers Brace for Gas Prices Surge

Fasten your  seatbelts Florida drivers, because we're about to take a wild ride through the treacherous terrain of gas prices! It's like a roller coaster, but not the thrilling kind  love at your favorite theme park. Nope. This is the real deal, my friends. According to WFLA, gas prices in sunny Florida have skyrocketed by a heart-stopping 11.6 cents in just one week. Yikes!

Now, I can hear you asking, "How much will this highway robbery cost me?" Well, right now Gas Buddy says the cheapest gas in Lee County is around $3.19 a gallon. Not too bad because the average price of gasoline in the Sunshine State has reached a mind-boggling $3.43 per gallon. Sure, we're down a measly 2.3 cents compared to last month, but hey, at least it's something, right? And let's not forget the silver lining in this cloud of financial despair—it's a jaw-dropping 144.2 cents cheaper than this time last year.

Our friends in Tampa got an extra punch in the gut with a whopping increase of 17.7 cents per gallon. Ouch! Tampa, my heart goes out to you. Just take a deep breath and try not to faint when you see those numbers spinning like a damn slot machine that you're never going to win.

Now, let's talk about the extremes. Clearwater has got the cheapest gas price in the entire state of Florida at a somewhat reasonable $2.49 per gallon. Not too shabby, right? But hold onto your monocles, folks, because the most expensive gas will leave you gasping for air at an eye-popping $4.79 per gallon. I mean, DAYUM! Does that come with a personal butler to wipe your tears? It better!

And if that's not enough excitement for you, the national average gas price decided to hop on this insane roller coaster too, going up by a nerve-racking 5.6 cents per gallon in just one week. Somebody needs to tell those prices to take a chill pill before we all end up with permanent heart palpitations.

Brace yourselves because The Fed might throw us a curveball by increasing interest rates again. So hold onto your wallets, and let's all pray for a moment of sanity in this chaotic gas price universe. And if all else fails, remember to carpool, ride your bike, or invent a teleportation device. Anything to escape these wild gas prices that seem to be on a never-ending joyride.

We’re so lucky to live in paradise, and two Florida cities have landed on a list of the best for a staycation.

Even though living in Fort Myers, Naples or Cape Coral are places where other people vacation, it's still nice to get out of town from time to time. It seems that this is the year that people are traveling most since the pandemic. I don't know if it's that people finally feel safe or have realized they haven't left home in a few years or what. Around 85% of Americans are planning to travel this summer, but of course with the costs of so many things going up, it's making travel more expensive. Staycations offer a great way to "get away" without getting TOO far away.

Staycations are also much more convenient than traditional vacations too. Forget about passport dramas, airport queues, and the hassle of packing. With a staycation, you still have an opportunity to relax and take a break from the stress of day-to-day life in a more affordable way.

WalletHub has put together a list of the best cities for a staycation. They looked at more than 180 cities nationwide in areas of recreation, food & entertainment and rest & relaxation.

For their full list, click here. Below are the top 5.

Salt Lake City took the top spot for most coffee & tea shops per capita. Other things to do in the summer include the Tracy Aviary, the Red Butte Botanical Gardens and biking on the Jordan River Parkway.

Tampa tied for first place for most zoos and aquariums per capita. The Florida Aquarium is something to definitely check out, along with the Lowry Park Zoo. Tampa also tied for first place for ice cream and frozen yogurt shops per capita. Perfect to cool down on a hot Florida day!

Vegas in the summer is a blast! I actually booked a trip there myself for the 4th of July. The pool parties are top notch, but there's also plenty of indoor activities if you need a break from the desert heat.

Orlando would be a great staycation destination all year. Of course there's always great weather, plus plenty of theme parks to have all the fun your heart desires. But if relaxing the day away is more your speed, there's lot of resorts to lay by the pool or unwind at the spa.

I picture Honolulu being a place I would never want to leave. Lots of lazy days on a beach chair under the palms. But plenty of water activities and hiking if you prefer a more active trip.