Over-the-river and By-the-Beach to Orlando We Will Go.

"On the Road Again, Paying Sales Tax, on the road again… I'm on the road again!" Yes, it is that time of the month, the Avalara Sales Tax Trip Tuesday for August. In this trip of my imagination, I'm combining memories from a road trip of long ago with a more recent road trip as I traveled to Orlando, Florida, for this year's Scaling New Heights conference.  

But before I get our road trip underway, I want to take this opportunity to let you know that tomorrow, Wednesday, August 20, 2025 we are having our QBTalks show at 2:00 PM Eastern time. And this month's topic just happens to be the "Top 5 Reasons Avalara Belongs In Your Tech Stack, Beyond Sales Tax."

Joining me will be three representatives from Avalara, John Sallese, Roger Ingalsbe and Jamee Dunn speaking on the wealth functionalities Avalara has to offer. If you thought Avalara "only did sales tax", you really need to tune in to tomorrow's QBTalks show.  If you are not already registered for QBTalks, you can sign-up HERE. 

Now, let's get back to our trip. We have a long distance to cover and only a short time to cover it in. I will be starting from my home in Moore, Oklahoma, and taking what I refer to as the 'southern route.' This route will take me through Dallas, TX, and Shreveport, LA, with a stop in Natchitoches, LA, for lunch. I will then be headed down toward Lafayette, Louisiana, where I catch Interstate 10 that runs along the Gulf of America (also known as the Gulf of Mexico) until I reach Gulfport, Mississippi, where I plan to stay the night. Then I will be departing Gulfport to drive the remaining 10 hours or so with a stop at "The Villages" just north of Orlando to visit with my long-time friends Laura and Victor.  

On this trip, I will be traveling through multiple states and local jurisdictions, seeing some of the sights, dining at some great places, and paying sales and other jurisdictional taxes (like hotel/motel) all along the way. Thanks to Avalara, the sponsors of these trips of my imagination, I will have the most accurate and up-to-date tax information, down to the physical location. 

So, let's get started on this 20+ hour, two-day drive from central Oklahoma to central Florida. I'm in my Ford Pickup, which gets excellent gas mileage, so when I fill up, I can travel about 500 miles, which is more than it takes me to Natchitoches. However, I will likely stop somewhere in Texas for a fill-up just to play it safe and pick up a few snacks for the road.  

In preparation, I filled up last night so I could get an early 6 AM start without having to get gas immediately. The price of E-10 gasoline was $3.39 per gallon, and my truck has a 33-gallon gas tank, but it only required 29 gallons, totaling $98.31. According to Avalara, there is a flat $0.19 per gallon excise tax on gasoline in Oklahoma, which means that $5.51 of the total is Oklahoma's gas tax. 

I'm now heading south on I-35, but I'm a little hungry since I didn't have time for breakfast at home. I plan to stop at a fast food joint in Pauls Valley, just a little less than an hour's drive. There is a McDonald's right off the highway at the main Pauls Valley exit. Ordering through their App, I get one Breakfast Burrito for $2.69 and a second Burrito for $1.00, plus two large senior coffees for $1.99. That's a total of $5.68 before tax, $6.23 after sales tax. According to Avalara, the sales tax in Pauls Valley is 9.75% total; 4.5% Oklahoma State Sales Tax, 0.75% Garvin County Sales Tax, and 4.5% Pauls Valley City Sales Tax. The amounts all match up, so we are good to go… "back on the road again." 

We are cruising along at 75 miles per hour, but it is [should this be “isn’t”] too long before we reach Denton, Texas, where I-35 splits. We take I-35 East headed toward Dallas. Just south of Carrollton, Texas, we are taking the exit for Interstate 635 that loops around the north and east sides of Dallas. I hate this long, steep, high bridge that crosses over the lanes of I-35. I've taken it a thousand times, and every time I imagine myself driving off the bridge and crashing into the traffic below. Even in this trip of my imagination, I am imagining such a crash. (Enough of that, Murph, "get over it", you have a long drive still ahead of you.) 

On the east side of Dallas, we head east-southeast on Interstate 20, which will take us to Shreveport, LA, where we will catch Interstate 49 south to our lunchtime destination of Natchitoches. But before we get there, I plan to stop for gasoline and snacks in Marshall, Texas, which is about 400 miles from home.  

It is just turning noon when I pull into the Shell Station just off Interstate 20 in Marshall. The gas here is only $3.00 a gallon for E-10, and my fill-up takes a total of 27 gallons. The pump registers $81.01. According to Avalara, the gasoline fuel tax is $0.20 per gallon, so I am paying $5.40 in state gasoline tax. Now, let me mention that in this case, my earlier fill-up at home didn't include a discussion about the totals, including the federal fuel tax. We have not computed those amounts separately in any of our trips since the federal gasoline tax of $0.184 per gallon remains the same across the USA.  

Now, I'm headed inside for a fountain drink, a bag of something crunchy, and perhaps a chocolate bar. I'm not sure why I didn't pack snacks for the four-day drive to and back. By the time I get to the checkout, I have amassed $10.26 in munchies, now for the sales tax. According to Avalara, the sales tax in Marshall, TX is 8.25%, comprising 6.25% for Texas state sales tax and 2% for Marshall city sales tax. But I don't intend to chow down on these things right now; some of them are for the four-plus hours of today's trip remaining after I have my lunch in Natchitoches. 

Speaking of Natchitoches, perhaps you've never heard of it. It just happens to be the oldest European settlement in Louisiana, along with Fort St. Jean Baptiste. Today, visitors can meander along the waterfront of Natchitoches and see a replica of the original fort along with a chapel, mercantiles, and cabins like those the first settlers would have constructed more than 300 years ago.  

     Image source: Natchitoches, La. Tourism (adapted from on-line source, for informational and educational purposes only.)

But perhaps you tell yourself, "I know that name," that town seems familiar somewhere in the back of your mind. If that's the case, you likely recall the town being mentioned in connection with the 1989 film Steel Magnolias, which features six Southern women.  

     Image source: Natchitoches, La. Tourism (adapted from on-line source, for informational and educational purposes only.)

You can take tours to see the various locations associated with the movie's production, including the Steel Magnolia House, the Cemetery where the funeral for Julia Roberts' character 'Shelby' was set, along with the city park along the Cane River Lake, where the Easter Egg hunt was held near the film's conclusion.   

But we are not here for Steel Magnolias on this trip of my imagination. No, we are here to visit Merci Beaucoup Restaurant located on Church Street in Natchitoches. More specifically, we are here to eat a couple of Po'boy sandwiches for our well-deserved lunch after having driven 8 hours already. Now let me see, am I going to have the fried oyster Po'boy, or am I going to have the grilled shrimp Po'boy? OK, I've decided, one of each.  

          Image source: Merci Beaucoup Restaurant, Natchitoches, La. (adapted from on-line menu, for informational and educational purposes only.)

Let's see now, two deluxe Po'boys at $14.99 each, plus a large sweet tea at $2.49, that's a pre-tax total of $32.47. According to Avalara, the Sales tax is a total of 10.5%, comprising 5% for the Louisiana State sales tax and 5.5% for the City of Natchitoches sales tax. That means the $3.41 in Sales Tax on my tab is right in line with the Avalara app. I guess it takes a lot of sales tax to be a 'famous movie city?'  

But the best part of this meal is still having half of each of my two sandwiches to take with me. I can either munch on them along the way or eat them for my supper. I will slide them into my insulated lunch box and set my sights on Gulfport, Mississippi. 

Saying goodbye to Natchitoches, I have about four more hours of driving ahead of me, and I'm anticipating being there in time to see the sunset from the pier. So I need to stay focused on my driving since traffic seems a bit heavier than I would expect for this time of day.  

A little less than two hours south of Natchitoches on I-49, I reach the junction with Interstates 10 and 12, which are running together to the east. And that is the direction I am heading. Shortly, I will reach Baton Rouge, where I-10 veers south to New Orleans, but I-12 continues east around the north side of Lake Pontchartrain. I've got about 90 more minutes before I reach Gulfport, and all is moving along well. I wish I could say this is a beachfront highway, but it isn't. The Interstate rarely gets close enough to the coast to give you a glimpse of the water.  

I arrive in Gulfport, Mississippi, and check into the Holiday Inn Gulfport just off the Interstate. Years ago, this was a little two-story Holiday Inn Express, which was quite nice because of its immediate proximity to the Krispy Kreme donut shop; however, after Hurricane Katrina, the Holiday Inn Express was torn down, and this new five-story Inn was built. I've got a clean, comfortable room with a King bed to stretch out in at only $109.00 per night plus taxes. I'm sad because Krispy Kreme was rebuilt after the Hurricane, but the company recently closed the location here in Gulfport, along with several other locations. Now, where am I going to get a dozen "heaven with a hole" donuts for my breakfast on the road?  

But breakfast is a long time off, and between now and then is supper, so I am heading down to the beach to check out the approaching sunset and enjoy one of the beachside restaurants adjacent to the pier.  

Image Source: Gulfport Tourism (adapted from on-line source, for informational and educational purposes only.)

And for supper, the answer is simple: Shaggy's, where you can devour seafood the way a Great White Shark does. Shaggy's is located at 1724 E. Beach Blvd on Gulfport Beach, and they have consistently been rated one of the best 'all-around seafood' restaurants on the Mississippi coast.  

  Image source: Shaggy's Restaurant, Gulfport, Ms. (adapted from online content for informational and educational purposes only.)

When was the last time you had your picture taken being eaten by a Great White Shark? "Well, that's too long, you'd better get yourselves to Shaggy's." And speaking of seafood, I'm going to 'pig out' on the "Captain's Catch." Absolutely luscious fried fish, oysters, shrimp, gator-bites, crabcakes, and more, not to mention all the fixin's. They serve this, like many restaurants, in single or double orders. "I bet you can't guess which way I ordered it (hint, I mentioned 'pig out')?   

Image source: Shaggy's Restaurant, Gulfport, Ms. (adapted from online menu for informational and educational purposes only.)

Good thing they offer 'doggie-bags' for take-home leftovers. I should go for a walk on the beach after supper, but I'm so stuffed, I might collapse, and someone might think me a 'beached whale.' 

With the jug of sweet tea, my double platter costs $43.99 before tax. So let me get my Avalara app back in gear and compute those sales taxes. As it happens, there is only the Mississippi State sales tax here, no local jurisdictional taxes, so the tax on my tab is $3.08, bringing the total to $47.07. What can I say but, "very best seafood I've eaten 'tonight'." 

I'm ready to check out of the motel bright and early the next morning. Remember, my rate was $109.00 per night for the room. According to Avalara, the combined sales and lodging tax rate here is 12.0%, which means that my total bill is $122.08, and that checks out perfectly upon checkout. By the way, I forgot to mention that the Holiday Inn had complimentary breakfast, and that was a wonderful surprise. I filled my mug and took an extra donut to sweeten up life along the road. 

But before I jump onto I-10, I'm filling up at the Shell right next door to the hotel. My F-150 needed 25 gallons of gas, and E-10 is $2.43 per gallon, so $60.75 for my fill-up. According to Avalara, the fuel excise tax here $0.184 per gallon, which means that I had $4.60 of Mississippi gasoline tax included in the cost of this morning's gas.  

Enough of this messing around, it's time to head to Orlando, so I'm back traveling east on Interstate 10 with Mobile, Alabama, in my sight. It would be nice to stop and take the tour of the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial, but that will have to wait until the trip back.

Actually, there is a lot to do in Mobile; you can take a sunset dinner cruise on a Riverboat or visit a Haunted Ghost Mansion.  

But, I can't really focus on things to do, there is a lot of driving ahead of us. This is a full day of driving with two fixed destinations in mind. While I intend to get to Orlando for the conference, which starts tomorrow, I have planned to stop and see my friends at "The Villages." It's a lot to accomplish, but reservations are awaiting. 

A few hours go by, and I am approaching Tallahassee. This will be a good place to stop for a stretch and to refuel. I don't want to be in a position of needing gasoline after I depart from The Villages and get to the Orlando World Center Marriott.  

I'm stopping at one more Shell on the Northwest side of I-10 because of its convenience. The gas is also about a nickel less per gallon than at other Shell stations near town. This time, I only need 20.5 gallons to fill my tank back up, and the gas is $2.95 per gallon. That means my total is $60.48. According to Avalara, the Florida excise tax on gasoline is now 18.925% so I ended up paying $3.88 in Florida gasoline tax within that $60.48 total.  

I continue east-southeast on I-10 to just north of Lake City, Florida, where I turn south onto Interstate 75. The trip down Central Florida is unremarkable. It's green, but mostly it's just Interstate driving with heavy traffic sometimes, not so much traffic at other times, and a few traffic jams along the route due to construction or accidents. Heck, I didn't even get to see any game attempt to cross the highway, the way you commonly do in Oklahoma. Despite the number of times I've driven south on I-75, I have yet to see an alligator scurry across the pavement.  

After a few more hours, I reach "The Villages," and fortunately, my friends Laura and Victor live just a short distance off the highway. We spend a short time reminiscing about days gone by, then hop in their golf cart to head down to one of the restaurants in the central hub of their village. Guess what? It's an excellent seafood place, and I would tell you the cost and sales tax, except Victor picked up the tab, so I have no idea.  

       Source images: The Villages, FL (adapted from snapshots, used for informational and educational purposes only). 

The villages are a 55+ community that's perfect for a retirement, or semi-retirement lifestyle. It's really a collection of small neighborhoods with a variety of entertainment, recreation, shopping, dining and of course 'golf.' The facilities are perfectly maintained, with its own security force and speeding is strictly enforced... "no golf carts over the set speed limit." I was most impressed the first time I saw this place, and I can certainly understand why my friends chose to leave the hustle and bustle of one of the fastest growing areas in North Texas and move to this land of enchantment. 

But, as much as I would like to call it quits for the day, I have to jump back into the pickup, drive out the back entrance of their village, and head down the Florida Turnpike the rest of the way to Orlando. This is smooth sailing, especially at this time of late evening. The rush hour traffic is gone for the most part, and what is left is headed in the opposite direction. It hardly takes an hour for me to reach my exit for the Orlando World Center Marriott.  

     Image source: Orlando Marriott World Center as reflected in Scaling New Heights promotional content (adapted for informational and educational purposes only.)

This trip is over for the next five days, and the conference awaits. Then I have the return drive is ahead of me. Who knows, maybe I will take the long, long way back home via the Bahamas, or Bermuda. I think I purchased the 'underwater' option on this F-150. 

Thanks to our friends at Avalara for making this series possible. If you have sales tax issues, need answers to sales and use tax questions, or want to find the best way to always remain accurate in your sales tax administration, whether you have 'Nexus' situations or not, reach out to Avalara… "Tax Compliance Done Right".

Lastly, don't forget that Insightful Accountant is holding our monthly QBTalks show tomorrow, Wednesday, August 20, 2025 at 2:00 PM Eastern time. Featuring the "Top 5 Reasons Avalara Belongs In Your Tech Stack, Beyond Sales Tax."  If you are not already registered for QBTalks, you can sign-up HERE. 

Disclosures:

Content published by Insightful Accountant is furnished for educational purposes only. Some content, including graphics may have been artificially generate by GenAi. 

 All 'Sales and related taxes' discussed herein were verified (or otherwise provided) from Avalara sources and were current at the time the story was composed. Tax rates and amounts may vary in some cases during different (seasonal) periods of the year and by location, and may have changed after publication. Do not rely on 'any' amounts (for goods, products, services, or taxes) specified here when planning travel. 

This story depicts a fictional 'trip; it does not reflect an actual trip or excursion. Content is a fictionalized account of persons, places, and activities used only for informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. Any similarity to actual persons is purely coincidental.

Trade names or references used herein (including those in bold italics) may refer to registered, trademarked, or copyrighted materials held by their respective owners and have been included herein for informational and educational purposes. 

Note: Registered Trademark ® and other registration symbols (such as those used for copyrighted materials) have been eliminated from the articles within this publication for brevity due to the frequency or abundance with which they would otherwise appear or be repeated. We attempt to credit such trademarks or copyrights within our respective article footnotes and disclosures.