Friday, February 25th, 2011
Nothing happened. Too hot to do anything but stay inside in the air conditioning and out of the sun.
To our readership that can only appreciate the heat wave in an imaginative form we sincerely apologize.
Saturday, February 26th, 2011
Golf and Fire
Today we had a golf game scheduled for 10:30 a.m. at the Southridge Golf course located in Deland which is approximately 30 minutes drive from our resort. The weather forecast called for mid 80s and a few clouds. Not a problem because we had a riding cart! I was a bit concern with the quality of the golf course because after all what can one expect when the green fee was $20 per person with a riding cart? Well I can now say that you get what you pay for. The fairways were a bit rough and sometimes lacking in grass, but at least the greens were fine but a bit slow to my liking. Dee will attest that the sand traps were numerous and in good shape! The important thing we learned was to enjoy the round of golf because it was cheap and the weather was great.
Tonight was a designated campfire night. Dee and I decide to join in because our neighbour Glen was asked to bring his guitar to entertain the residents. When we got there we saw that there was actually a band! One guy brought part of his drum set, another had an accordion and two had their guitars. It made for a very pleasant evening listening to some surprising talent. Now if only they knew the words to “When the Sun Says Good Day to the Mountains” it would have been a perfect night!
Sunday, February 27th, 2011
The Oscars
Another day of sun and mid 80s! Guess it’s a good day for Dee to hit the pool in between doing some laundry (kidding, I did my share). The air conditioners are humming and people are starting to get ready for Bike week in Daytona Beach. RVs and trailers have been coming into the resort since Saturday and they all have motorcycles. Today I noticed that most of them are busy shining the chrome on those machines. Makes me envious, especially when 90% of the bikes are Harley Davidson! One day when Dee wins the lottery I am certain I will get one! Right, Tyra?
Tonight is Oscar night and Dee has commandeered the large TV screen for the evening. The stars will be patting themselves on the back for a good year of incredible performances and great movies. BTW, why is the carpet red? I think it clashes with all those overpriced gowns. I better quit before Dee takes exception to my opinion!
Tomorrow is our last day in Daytona Beach and I will be starting the process of getting us ready for the move to Clermont.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Launch of Discovery
Thursday, February 24th, 2011
We woke to a beautiful blue sky and knew that it was going to be literally a blast at the beach.
First task of the day was my visit to the dentist across the street for my post surgery check up and then I returned home to prepare the picnic for our big day in New Smyrna Beach. With a full picnic basket and a well stocked cooler, Denis and I headed for the beach to view the last launch of Discovery! We left the RV around 11:30 to make certain we had a good spot to view the launch.
We spend the day in gorgeous sunshine, no cloud in the sky and a westerly wind blowing which kept the heat down to a reasonable 80 degrees! Keisha was finally able to run on the beach to heart’s content and enjoy running into the water! We watched many boats head around the point to the open Atlantic sea where they would wait like us for the launch. At 4:48 Denis and I stood ready with camera and binoculars and nothing happened. I said to Denis what happens if it’s a no go!! How will we know? We don’t have a radio. But before he could answer the question there it was, a huge fireball in the sky. As you can see from the pictures it was big considering we were about 25 miles from the launch pad.
We saw the external fuel tanks fall from Discovery, and at that moment I thought of Challenger almost 25 years ago. I thought of the people watching from beaches, boats, piers, backyards and balconies like we were today, what most believed would be a normal launch only to see the horror of the Challenger exploding before their eyes.
With the sun setting behind us we looked into a dark blue sky to see this shuttle head into space for the last time. There are two more missions, one in April and another in June. We will be home in Canada but as I watch I will think about our day and our experience.
This is another life experience to scratch off the bucket list. Enjoy the pictures.
We woke to a beautiful blue sky and knew that it was going to be literally a blast at the beach.
First task of the day was my visit to the dentist across the street for my post surgery check up and then I returned home to prepare the picnic for our big day in New Smyrna Beach. With a full picnic basket and a well stocked cooler, Denis and I headed for the beach to view the last launch of Discovery! We left the RV around 11:30 to make certain we had a good spot to view the launch.
We spend the day in gorgeous sunshine, no cloud in the sky and a westerly wind blowing which kept the heat down to a reasonable 80 degrees! Keisha was finally able to run on the beach to heart’s content and enjoy running into the water! We watched many boats head around the point to the open Atlantic sea where they would wait like us for the launch. At 4:48 Denis and I stood ready with camera and binoculars and nothing happened. I said to Denis what happens if it’s a no go!! How will we know? We don’t have a radio. But before he could answer the question there it was, a huge fireball in the sky. As you can see from the pictures it was big considering we were about 25 miles from the launch pad.
We saw the external fuel tanks fall from Discovery, and at that moment I thought of Challenger almost 25 years ago. I thought of the people watching from beaches, boats, piers, backyards and balconies like we were today, what most believed would be a normal launch only to see the horror of the Challenger exploding before their eyes.
With the sun setting behind us we looked into a dark blue sky to see this shuttle head into space for the last time. There are two more missions, one in April and another in June. We will be home in Canada but as I watch I will think about our day and our experience.
This is another life experience to scratch off the bucket list. Enjoy the pictures.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Deland Flee and Farmer Market
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Deland Flee Market
This morning we headed out early to the Deland Flea Market with our neighbours Glen and Carol and their friends Dick and Carol. At the Deland Flea and Farmer Market only opens one day a week and attracts the true blue “junk” vendors. I estimate the number of vendors to be around 1,000 and they had their wares on tables, on tarps, in bin and boxes, you name it they had it! If you are looking for that one obscure item, I am certain you would find it there! In addition the fruits and vegetables vendors were also out in force. We did buy some trinkets and some very reasonably priced oranges, strawberries, grapes, beans and even potatoes. There must have been at least 10,000 visitors at this Market and you can imagine the chaos when the market closes around 1:00 p.m!
We left the market around noon and headed for lunch at the Daytona Ale House where we enjoyed food and cheap drinks ($1.00) on the patio and shared stories and laughs with new found friends. Denis was even able to watch is beloved Leafs play the New York Islanders on one of the pub’s many big screens. Of course it was a replay of the game played on the previous night (which the Leafs won 2-1), but hey, you take what you can when it comes to hockey in Florida.
It’s hard to believe that we will be ending our stay at the Daytona Beach RV in five days and head to our next destination which is slightly further south. We have been on the road for a month now and it feels like two weeks.
Tomorrow’s a big day. In the morning I have to go to the dentist to have a check-up of the tooth extraction and then it’s off to a place anywhere along the Atlantic seaboard to see the Discovery space shuttle take off for the last time at Cape Canaveral. We will take a picnic and enjoy the afternoon at the beach then see the shuttle go up around 5 p.m. and it will be the close of another day here in paradise.
Deland Flee Market
This morning we headed out early to the Deland Flea Market with our neighbours Glen and Carol and their friends Dick and Carol. At the Deland Flea and Farmer Market only opens one day a week and attracts the true blue “junk” vendors. I estimate the number of vendors to be around 1,000 and they had their wares on tables, on tarps, in bin and boxes, you name it they had it! If you are looking for that one obscure item, I am certain you would find it there! In addition the fruits and vegetables vendors were also out in force. We did buy some trinkets and some very reasonably priced oranges, strawberries, grapes, beans and even potatoes. There must have been at least 10,000 visitors at this Market and you can imagine the chaos when the market closes around 1:00 p.m!
We left the market around noon and headed for lunch at the Daytona Ale House where we enjoyed food and cheap drinks ($1.00) on the patio and shared stories and laughs with new found friends. Denis was even able to watch is beloved Leafs play the New York Islanders on one of the pub’s many big screens. Of course it was a replay of the game played on the previous night (which the Leafs won 2-1), but hey, you take what you can when it comes to hockey in Florida.
It’s hard to believe that we will be ending our stay at the Daytona Beach RV in five days and head to our next destination which is slightly further south. We have been on the road for a month now and it feels like two weeks.
Tomorrow’s a big day. In the morning I have to go to the dentist to have a check-up of the tooth extraction and then it’s off to a place anywhere along the Atlantic seaboard to see the Discovery space shuttle take off for the last time at Cape Canaveral. We will take a picnic and enjoy the afternoon at the beach then see the shuttle go up around 5 p.m. and it will be the close of another day here in paradise.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Cape Canaveral / RV gets a Wash
February 21 2011
Cape Canaveral
This morning we awoke to another beautiful day. We decided we would travel down to Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach to see where we could sit during the space shuttle launch of the Discovery on Thursday.
The Cape is only about a 45 minutes drive from Daytona Beach so we were there before we knew it.
The Kennedy Space Station is located near Titusville and we stopped there to take some pictures. We didn’t take the tour because we had Keisha and although the Kennedy Space Station accommodates large RV’s and travellers with animals we just didn’t want to put Keisha in a kennel while we took the five hour tour. We will head back down another day before we leave Daytona Beach.
On our drive to Cape Canaveral we passed by Canaveral Port. This is where the big cruise ships dock. There were two cruise ships docked today, one of which was a Disney ship. The actual Cape Canaveral is more like a town than just a launch pad like I thought. It is a town and when you drive down Atlantic boulevard you go from Cape Canaveral right into Cocoa Beach.
There are lots of young people in Cocoa Beach and it is true beach town. I kept thinking all the way through the town that when I was a kid watching the show I Dream of Jeannie I thought that Cocoa Beach was a beautiful town with mansions and palm trees. Yes, there are palm trees and the beach is the same as any beach along the Atlantic shores but it was the lack of spacious glamorous hotels similar to those in Myrtle Beach that I was expecting not what I saw. In fact the more south you get on this Atlantic side of the beaches is gets more dismal and seedy for lack of a better word.
We came home and made dinner and settled into an early night as the day was hot and long we find it hard to adjust to the heat.
February 22, 2011.
RV Wash
Even on extended holidays one must still do some mundane chores. On Tuesday and Saturday the Resort allows the residents to wash their cars, motorcycles, and RV’s. Denis took the opportunity to wash the RV and it took him most of the day. The Eagle is now bright and shiny and looks wonderful. When Denis finished he had to go to Wal-Mart to buy a great product that our neighbour Larry gave Denis to clean the RV. It is called “Simple Green” and it easily removes the black streaks. During that time I took the opportunity to take a swim and I saw people that I met through Keisha (Putter is a cute dog and her parents are from Buffalo). I talked with them for about a half an hour while in the pool and when I returned to the trailer our neighbours Glen and Carol we entertaining Keisha and feeding her chicken. Keisha is very lucky to have such wonderful neighbours who are becoming very fond of her and I must say she is becoming very fond of them as well. I sat down to some wine offered by Glen and an hour and a half later Denis and I had met two more people Joe and Barbara from Long Island New York. They farm and sell vegetables and told us that in October Canada has the best and biggest carrots and they sell out of them fast. Hey who knew????
Carole and Glen want us to make a trip the New York State this summer so plans are being contemplated for a trip to Fish Creek near Lake Placid in August (a place that Denis and I have planned to go one day). Glen and Carol also attend the the fiddle festival in Pembroke Ontario and we might join them there.
We have met many nice people at this RV resort and some are disappointed that we will be leaving in just over a week. Seems that our friends Glen and Carol are starting to miss us already. This is a wonderful life, meeting people who become friends and travelling towards each other doing things that we all enjoy. This is the life of RV and it just doesn’t get any better. Just ask Keisha and she will tell you.
Cape Canaveral
This morning we awoke to another beautiful day. We decided we would travel down to Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach to see where we could sit during the space shuttle launch of the Discovery on Thursday.
The Cape is only about a 45 minutes drive from Daytona Beach so we were there before we knew it.
The Kennedy Space Station is located near Titusville and we stopped there to take some pictures. We didn’t take the tour because we had Keisha and although the Kennedy Space Station accommodates large RV’s and travellers with animals we just didn’t want to put Keisha in a kennel while we took the five hour tour. We will head back down another day before we leave Daytona Beach.
On our drive to Cape Canaveral we passed by Canaveral Port. This is where the big cruise ships dock. There were two cruise ships docked today, one of which was a Disney ship. The actual Cape Canaveral is more like a town than just a launch pad like I thought. It is a town and when you drive down Atlantic boulevard you go from Cape Canaveral right into Cocoa Beach.
There are lots of young people in Cocoa Beach and it is true beach town. I kept thinking all the way through the town that when I was a kid watching the show I Dream of Jeannie I thought that Cocoa Beach was a beautiful town with mansions and palm trees. Yes, there are palm trees and the beach is the same as any beach along the Atlantic shores but it was the lack of spacious glamorous hotels similar to those in Myrtle Beach that I was expecting not what I saw. In fact the more south you get on this Atlantic side of the beaches is gets more dismal and seedy for lack of a better word.
We came home and made dinner and settled into an early night as the day was hot and long we find it hard to adjust to the heat.
February 22, 2011.
RV Wash
Even on extended holidays one must still do some mundane chores. On Tuesday and Saturday the Resort allows the residents to wash their cars, motorcycles, and RV’s. Denis took the opportunity to wash the RV and it took him most of the day. The Eagle is now bright and shiny and looks wonderful. When Denis finished he had to go to Wal-Mart to buy a great product that our neighbour Larry gave Denis to clean the RV. It is called “Simple Green” and it easily removes the black streaks. During that time I took the opportunity to take a swim and I saw people that I met through Keisha (Putter is a cute dog and her parents are from Buffalo). I talked with them for about a half an hour while in the pool and when I returned to the trailer our neighbours Glen and Carol we entertaining Keisha and feeding her chicken. Keisha is very lucky to have such wonderful neighbours who are becoming very fond of her and I must say she is becoming very fond of them as well. I sat down to some wine offered by Glen and an hour and a half later Denis and I had met two more people Joe and Barbara from Long Island New York. They farm and sell vegetables and told us that in October Canada has the best and biggest carrots and they sell out of them fast. Hey who knew????
Carole and Glen want us to make a trip the New York State this summer so plans are being contemplated for a trip to Fish Creek near Lake Placid in August (a place that Denis and I have planned to go one day). Glen and Carol also attend the the fiddle festival in Pembroke Ontario and we might join them there.
We have met many nice people at this RV resort and some are disappointed that we will be leaving in just over a week. Seems that our friends Glen and Carol are starting to miss us already. This is a wonderful life, meeting people who become friends and travelling towards each other doing things that we all enjoy. This is the life of RV and it just doesn’t get any better. Just ask Keisha and she will tell you.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Race Day and Flea Markets
Saturday, February 19th, 2011
The Farmers Market and Flea Markets
Today we decided to visit the renowned Daytona Beach Farmers Market and Flea Market. It is located near the dog track in Daytona Beach. It is also not far from the Speedway. To give you a sense of how big this Market is for those who are familiar with the Masson Flea market, I would say it’s at least 10 times as big. In fact it’s so big that after a few hours strolling through we probably saw one half of the market. The market is normally open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We made the mistake of choosing to go during speed week so you can imagine how crowed and busy the market was. We bought a few nicks and knacks and decided to leave with the promise to come back next week when the racing crowd will be gone. That should give us more time and less crowded to enjoy the finer things of a market, like a good deal for some junk!
Sunday, February 20th, 2011
Race Day
Race day is finally here and you can feel the excitement in the RV Park. The local television station was providing a list of alternate routes for those who had to bypass the Motor Speedway because of the 150,000 spectators would have the whole area around the Speedway congested to almost a standstill. With the blue sky and over 80 degrees temperature, the beer will be flowing!
At the Park groups of people setup outdoor TV screens and it was party time! After the customary flyby and the national anthem which we could be heard at the campground, we got the “Gentlemen start your engine” call and settled for an afternoon of great racing. It’s an event that should be in most people’s bucket list. I was certain that Dale Earnhardt Jr was going to pull it out but by the 30th lap, Dee picked the rookie Trevor Bayne to win and guess what, he did! We had dinner with our neighbours Glen and Carole and we met a nice couple, Dick and Carole who live near Lake Placid.
We were reminded that in a few weeks it’s the Daytona Beach Bike week which means approximately 500,000 people make their way to the city for the 10-day event. The festivities include motorcycle racing, concerts, parties, and street festivals. I understand that there will be motorcycles everywhere!
Next week is our last full week in Daytona Beach and we have a few must activities that we need to see and do so look forward to our upcoming reports. One of those events is the launch of Discovery on Thursday afternoon. We are headed down to Cape Canaveral on Monday morning to scout out a good spot to view the afternoon launch.
The Farmers Market and Flea Markets
Today we decided to visit the renowned Daytona Beach Farmers Market and Flea Market. It is located near the dog track in Daytona Beach. It is also not far from the Speedway. To give you a sense of how big this Market is for those who are familiar with the Masson Flea market, I would say it’s at least 10 times as big. In fact it’s so big that after a few hours strolling through we probably saw one half of the market. The market is normally open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. We made the mistake of choosing to go during speed week so you can imagine how crowed and busy the market was. We bought a few nicks and knacks and decided to leave with the promise to come back next week when the racing crowd will be gone. That should give us more time and less crowded to enjoy the finer things of a market, like a good deal for some junk!
Sunday, February 20th, 2011
Race Day
Race day is finally here and you can feel the excitement in the RV Park. The local television station was providing a list of alternate routes for those who had to bypass the Motor Speedway because of the 150,000 spectators would have the whole area around the Speedway congested to almost a standstill. With the blue sky and over 80 degrees temperature, the beer will be flowing!
At the Park groups of people setup outdoor TV screens and it was party time! After the customary flyby and the national anthem which we could be heard at the campground, we got the “Gentlemen start your engine” call and settled for an afternoon of great racing. It’s an event that should be in most people’s bucket list. I was certain that Dale Earnhardt Jr was going to pull it out but by the 30th lap, Dee picked the rookie Trevor Bayne to win and guess what, he did! We had dinner with our neighbours Glen and Carole and we met a nice couple, Dick and Carole who live near Lake Placid.
We were reminded that in a few weeks it’s the Daytona Beach Bike week which means approximately 500,000 people make their way to the city for the 10-day event. The festivities include motorcycle racing, concerts, parties, and street festivals. I understand that there will be motorcycles everywhere!
Next week is our last full week in Daytona Beach and we have a few must activities that we need to see and do so look forward to our upcoming reports. One of those events is the launch of Discovery on Thursday afternoon. We are headed down to Cape Canaveral on Monday morning to scout out a good spot to view the afternoon launch.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
The Tooth Must Come Out
Thursday, February 17th, 2011
The Tooth Must Come Out
Today was a day spent by the pool. The temperature was in the mid 70s and very humid. Dee had a tooth pulled out at 3:30. The dentist’s office was just across the street so it was not far to go. The dental office is rather impressive and with a touch of class. the service was exceptional and thorough. The tooth that she had to have removed was a baby molar that was capped in Gatineau just before we left on this trip. Not many people can claim to still have a baby thooth in his or her 50s! The cap broke and she decided to have the tooth removed and when we get back to Gatineau she will have an implant. Apparently it will NOT be done by the dentist who did the cap! She will have it done by her regular dentist.
So after the dental work, Dee was not up to do much in the evening. After picking up some drugs for the pain, we decided to watch the final disc of the first season of Lost. Very interesting! I wonder what’s down the hole.
As part of race week, the Resort has an RV dealer coming in tomorrow with some equipment to show such as motorhomes and trailers. Not sure where they plan to put all these toys. The park is almost full with the Daytona 500 Race coming up Sunday. The daily rate and the weekly rate at this RV Park are rather expensive during the week of the Daytona 500. I understand that the same thing happens during Bike Week in March. In fact during Bike Week the Park has a 24 hours manned gate. Even the long term guests are required to carry special passes to enter the Park.
The Tooth Must Come Out
Today was a day spent by the pool. The temperature was in the mid 70s and very humid. Dee had a tooth pulled out at 3:30. The dentist’s office was just across the street so it was not far to go. The dental office is rather impressive and with a touch of class. the service was exceptional and thorough. The tooth that she had to have removed was a baby molar that was capped in Gatineau just before we left on this trip. Not many people can claim to still have a baby thooth in his or her 50s! The cap broke and she decided to have the tooth removed and when we get back to Gatineau she will have an implant. Apparently it will NOT be done by the dentist who did the cap! She will have it done by her regular dentist.
So after the dental work, Dee was not up to do much in the evening. After picking up some drugs for the pain, we decided to watch the final disc of the first season of Lost. Very interesting! I wonder what’s down the hole.
As part of race week, the Resort has an RV dealer coming in tomorrow with some equipment to show such as motorhomes and trailers. Not sure where they plan to put all these toys. The park is almost full with the Daytona 500 Race coming up Sunday. The daily rate and the weekly rate at this RV Park are rather expensive during the week of the Daytona 500. I understand that the same thing happens during Bike Week in March. In fact during Bike Week the Park has a 24 hours manned gate. Even the long term guests are required to carry special passes to enter the Park.
Going to the Movies / Thrift and Pawn Shops
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Going to the Movies
Today was the postponed Valentine day. After searching the internet for movies playing in the Daytona Beach area, Dee selected Secretariat. At the last minute she changed her mind and decided we should go see The King’s Speech with Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. Now for those who know me, it would probably not have been on my list of movies to see but since it was Valentine, I bit my tongue and off to the movies we went. Since this was a Tuesday night we lucked in to the “Tuesday night special” of $5.00 per ticket and free parking! At least it would not be a total lost!
We went to the Ocean Walk 10 theatre located near the Beach. Yes, there are 10 screening rooms. It is part of a complex where many entertainment establishments are located. After paying the tickets and getting the mandatory popcorn, we found the theatre were the King’s Speech was to be screened. I noticed at the entrance that this screening room had a limit for 250 patrons. As we entered we were surprised to find only one another couple! A whole theatre for four patrons! It was not difficult finding the best seats in the house.
As for the movie, I was very surprised with the acting and how the movie was directed. Who would have thought that a movie based on one speech could be so interesting and I must say worthy of its Oscar nominations. On a scale of 1 to 10 Dee and I agreed it deserved a solid 8! To think that some people would not believe I have an open mind!
We ended the evening at Applebee’s for a late dinner. We finished our meal before the Karaoke started so unfortunately or fortunately, we probably missed some Idol type performances.
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011
Thrift Shops and Pawn Shops
Today we woke up to some rain showers, sunshine and 70 degrees. Not certain what the weather would be during the day Dee suggested that we visit a few thrift shops and a few pawn shops. I was looking for nothing in particular but was hoping to find a deal on tools. At our first stop a pawn shop, I found the tools overpriced and I ended up buying two DVDs. Our next stop was a thrift shop and it was heaven for Dee! How many purses does a woman need? Dee found a trove of them at a thrift shop and bought some! How many? I don’t know but if she continues to acquire more, she will be known as the Imelda Marco of purses! Oh yes, we also acquired a lamp, and a few trinkets. At the next thrift shop, Dee found two glass mugs and a few more trinkets. When we got home Dee decided to make coffee and use the new mugs. Well apparently these mugs should have been used for beer and not coffee! The glass on both cracked at the handles and they ended up in the recycling bin! I guess a loss of $1.00 is bearable.
Going to the Movies
Today was the postponed Valentine day. After searching the internet for movies playing in the Daytona Beach area, Dee selected Secretariat. At the last minute she changed her mind and decided we should go see The King’s Speech with Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. Now for those who know me, it would probably not have been on my list of movies to see but since it was Valentine, I bit my tongue and off to the movies we went. Since this was a Tuesday night we lucked in to the “Tuesday night special” of $5.00 per ticket and free parking! At least it would not be a total lost!
We went to the Ocean Walk 10 theatre located near the Beach. Yes, there are 10 screening rooms. It is part of a complex where many entertainment establishments are located. After paying the tickets and getting the mandatory popcorn, we found the theatre were the King’s Speech was to be screened. I noticed at the entrance that this screening room had a limit for 250 patrons. As we entered we were surprised to find only one another couple! A whole theatre for four patrons! It was not difficult finding the best seats in the house.
As for the movie, I was very surprised with the acting and how the movie was directed. Who would have thought that a movie based on one speech could be so interesting and I must say worthy of its Oscar nominations. On a scale of 1 to 10 Dee and I agreed it deserved a solid 8! To think that some people would not believe I have an open mind!
We ended the evening at Applebee’s for a late dinner. We finished our meal before the Karaoke started so unfortunately or fortunately, we probably missed some Idol type performances.
Wednesday, February 16th, 2011
Thrift Shops and Pawn Shops
Today we woke up to some rain showers, sunshine and 70 degrees. Not certain what the weather would be during the day Dee suggested that we visit a few thrift shops and a few pawn shops. I was looking for nothing in particular but was hoping to find a deal on tools. At our first stop a pawn shop, I found the tools overpriced and I ended up buying two DVDs. Our next stop was a thrift shop and it was heaven for Dee! How many purses does a woman need? Dee found a trove of them at a thrift shop and bought some! How many? I don’t know but if she continues to acquire more, she will be known as the Imelda Marco of purses! Oh yes, we also acquired a lamp, and a few trinkets. At the next thrift shop, Dee found two glass mugs and a few more trinkets. When we got home Dee decided to make coffee and use the new mugs. Well apparently these mugs should have been used for beer and not coffee! The glass on both cracked at the handles and they ended up in the recycling bin! I guess a loss of $1.00 is bearable.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine Day at Pelican Bay
Monday, February 14th, 2011
To each and everyone, we wish you a Valentine ’s Day filled with love.
Somehow one loses track of time when one is retired or pretend retired (Dee). And yes today was the day it happened. Like all the guys I know who will do something special on Valentine day, I had planned for dinner and a movie (Dee’s choice). Next thing I know, Dee told me last night that she booked a golf game at the Pelican Bay South golf course for today. So much for my romantic plans!
Anyway, we got up this morning to a gorgeous day with the temperature in the low 70s; just right for golfing. We arrived at the Pelican Bay South and found out there was a early frost delay so everyone was backed up for an hour. I went in the pro shop to register and the attendant could not find a record of Dee’s booking for today. No matter, since it was probably their fault, they slotted us in and we had only a 30 minute delay from our original tee-off time. With the frost delay and the beautiful day I was no wonder that there was a delay at every hole for all 18 holes! It took five hours to play the round.
As for the course itself, Pelican Bay South is built in a gated community therefore the fairways are narrow. The course has the potential to be very nice to play. We found the quality of the fairways and the green a bit disappointing. The greens had many bare to almost bare spots and the fairways, especially the edges were bare or unkept. In fact we never saw any course maintenance people out taking care of the course. We were a bit disappointed with the quality of the course and we most likely not play there again especially after playing the 14th hole Dee realized that the reservation to play here was not for today but for tomorrow!
After our round I went to the pro shop and ask the attendant to check if we had a reservation for the next day. Of course they had! Oops, no wonder they did not find our booking for today! After profusely apologizing, (especially after he had blamed the other attendant for the screw-up) I asked that they cancel the booking. I guess it was a good think I did not make any comments about the course condition.
The valentine day plans has been postponed until tomorrow!
If a beautiful day like today is what retirement is and spending winter down south, bring it on!
Enjoy the pictures of Pelican Bay South.
Denis
To each and everyone, we wish you a Valentine ’s Day filled with love.
Somehow one loses track of time when one is retired or pretend retired (Dee). And yes today was the day it happened. Like all the guys I know who will do something special on Valentine day, I had planned for dinner and a movie (Dee’s choice). Next thing I know, Dee told me last night that she booked a golf game at the Pelican Bay South golf course for today. So much for my romantic plans!
Anyway, we got up this morning to a gorgeous day with the temperature in the low 70s; just right for golfing. We arrived at the Pelican Bay South and found out there was a early frost delay so everyone was backed up for an hour. I went in the pro shop to register and the attendant could not find a record of Dee’s booking for today. No matter, since it was probably their fault, they slotted us in and we had only a 30 minute delay from our original tee-off time. With the frost delay and the beautiful day I was no wonder that there was a delay at every hole for all 18 holes! It took five hours to play the round.
As for the course itself, Pelican Bay South is built in a gated community therefore the fairways are narrow. The course has the potential to be very nice to play. We found the quality of the fairways and the green a bit disappointing. The greens had many bare to almost bare spots and the fairways, especially the edges were bare or unkept. In fact we never saw any course maintenance people out taking care of the course. We were a bit disappointed with the quality of the course and we most likely not play there again especially after playing the 14th hole Dee realized that the reservation to play here was not for today but for tomorrow!
After our round I went to the pro shop and ask the attendant to check if we had a reservation for the next day. Of course they had! Oops, no wonder they did not find our booking for today! After profusely apologizing, (especially after he had blamed the other attendant for the screw-up) I asked that they cancel the booking. I guess it was a good think I did not make any comments about the course condition.
The valentine day plans has been postponed until tomorrow!
If a beautiful day like today is what retirement is and spending winter down south, bring it on!
Enjoy the pictures of Pelican Bay South.
Denis
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Daytona 500 Qualifications
Editors note
We did not anticipate that maintaining a blog would be so time consuming so if we post a few days together, accept our apologies.
Friday, February 11th, 2010
Do nothing day
This was a do nothing day because the day was cloudy, rainy and cold. So we spent the day inside, reading and watching a few more Episodes of Lost. Saturday is supposed to be better weather wise.
Saturday, February 12th, 2011
Port Orange Municipal Grounds
We woke up to a beautiful sunshine and the temperature in the low 60s. Today was a day to walk to the Port Orange municipal grounds which is about 2 km from the RV resort. The grounds include a number of facilities such as the municipal offices, a library, a grandstand and even a lake. The municipality build a walking exercise path around the lake with various exercise stations. The total distance around the lake is one-half mile. We saw dozens of turtles sunning themselves on the shore of the lake and some large birds that looked like white herons. Unfortunately we did not bring our camera so I have no pictures to share with you! I will bring one along on our next outing and get those pictures.
We sat outside in the afternoon working on our suntan and we could hear the rumble of cars doing their practice runs on the newly re-surface track of the Daytona International Speedway. Tonight is the first event, the Budweiser Shootout which is a no-holds barred non-points race with the top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars.
The Resort has a campfire planned for tonight. I guess they prefer managing the campfires themselves. The RVs are parked so close to one and others that I could see how some people would be upset if one was allowed to smoke out the neighbours with a campfire at your own site!
Sunday, February 13th, 2011
Daytona 500 Qualifications
The day was sunny, not a cloud in the sky. We headed out as fast as two people who have been on vacation for three weeks could possibly get out the door. Around 11am we were on the road headed to the nearest IHOP for breakfast. We are done with IHOP; we won’t be going there again. Just not good enough for the money they charge. On the way to the speedway the gas light came on and we stopped at the nearest gas pump. Most gas stations requires upfront payment for gas or one can use a credit or debit card at the pump. As soon as Canada converts to zip codes we just might be able to use our credit cards without to much hassle! As for debit cards, well that's another story!
Now for the best part of the day! The Daytona 500 What a terrific time we had. We had heard that parking was a difficult at the speedway and when we drove along International Speedway Ave and we turned onto NASCAR Ave we were redirected across the street to a parking lot where there was free parking available. This was awesome because we discovered that today there was free parking all day.
We took our cooler (yes you can bring your own beer and soft drinks, water), camera and binoculars and headed to the entrance to buy tickets. Again the best thing happened – when Denis was walking towards the ticket booth a fellow asked him if he wanted a ticket. He explained that his wife didn’t come with him this morning and rather than see it wasted he gave it to Denis! Free parking and now a free ticket!! WOW. Once we entered the gate we walked underneath the grandstand and we came up into the speedway at the entrance to pit row and that is where we decided to stay for the day. I took a walk to the souvenir shop and bought Denis and I Daytona 500 ballcaps that we will wear golfing tomorrow.
When we were leaving Denis and I stood by the fence to see what it would be like when a car drives by and what a shock we got. The energy that came off that car going 185 miles an hour scared the silly out of us and we both almost fell backwards we looked at each other and laughed really hard.
Here are the pictures we took of the day.
We did not anticipate that maintaining a blog would be so time consuming so if we post a few days together, accept our apologies.
Friday, February 11th, 2010
Do nothing day
This was a do nothing day because the day was cloudy, rainy and cold. So we spent the day inside, reading and watching a few more Episodes of Lost. Saturday is supposed to be better weather wise.
Saturday, February 12th, 2011
Port Orange Municipal Grounds
We woke up to a beautiful sunshine and the temperature in the low 60s. Today was a day to walk to the Port Orange municipal grounds which is about 2 km from the RV resort. The grounds include a number of facilities such as the municipal offices, a library, a grandstand and even a lake. The municipality build a walking exercise path around the lake with various exercise stations. The total distance around the lake is one-half mile. We saw dozens of turtles sunning themselves on the shore of the lake and some large birds that looked like white herons. Unfortunately we did not bring our camera so I have no pictures to share with you! I will bring one along on our next outing and get those pictures.
We sat outside in the afternoon working on our suntan and we could hear the rumble of cars doing their practice runs on the newly re-surface track of the Daytona International Speedway. Tonight is the first event, the Budweiser Shootout which is a no-holds barred non-points race with the top NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stars.
The Resort has a campfire planned for tonight. I guess they prefer managing the campfires themselves. The RVs are parked so close to one and others that I could see how some people would be upset if one was allowed to smoke out the neighbours with a campfire at your own site!
Sunday, February 13th, 2011
Daytona 500 Qualifications
The day was sunny, not a cloud in the sky. We headed out as fast as two people who have been on vacation for three weeks could possibly get out the door. Around 11am we were on the road headed to the nearest IHOP for breakfast. We are done with IHOP; we won’t be going there again. Just not good enough for the money they charge. On the way to the speedway the gas light came on and we stopped at the nearest gas pump. Most gas stations requires upfront payment for gas or one can use a credit or debit card at the pump. As soon as Canada converts to zip codes we just might be able to use our credit cards without to much hassle! As for debit cards, well that's another story!
Now for the best part of the day! The Daytona 500 What a terrific time we had. We had heard that parking was a difficult at the speedway and when we drove along International Speedway Ave and we turned onto NASCAR Ave we were redirected across the street to a parking lot where there was free parking available. This was awesome because we discovered that today there was free parking all day.
We took our cooler (yes you can bring your own beer and soft drinks, water), camera and binoculars and headed to the entrance to buy tickets. Again the best thing happened – when Denis was walking towards the ticket booth a fellow asked him if he wanted a ticket. He explained that his wife didn’t come with him this morning and rather than see it wasted he gave it to Denis! Free parking and now a free ticket!! WOW. Once we entered the gate we walked underneath the grandstand and we came up into the speedway at the entrance to pit row and that is where we decided to stay for the day. I took a walk to the souvenir shop and bought Denis and I Daytona 500 ballcaps that we will wear golfing tomorrow.
When we were leaving Denis and I stood by the fence to see what it would be like when a car drives by and what a shock we got. The energy that came off that car going 185 miles an hour scared the silly out of us and we both almost fell backwards we looked at each other and laughed really hard.
Here are the pictures we took of the day.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Dog Heaven / Sears-JC Penny-Macy’s and more
Wednesday, February 9th, 2011
Dog Heaven
Today we took a drive to New Smyrna Beach which is about 20 minutes from Daytona Beach. The weather was beautiful, with temperature in the low 70s. Unlike Daytona Beach, New Smyrna has a section of the beach reserved for dogs and Keisha was in dog heaven! After paying our 5$ to access to the beach, we took the path to the “dog” beach. It was a 15 minute walk along a sandy path and a raised boardwalk. Yes, Keisha met many dogs along the way and behaves like she always does; bark and run away! Oh well, maybe one day she will have this social thing figured out.
Once on the beach which is covered with fine white sand Dee was able to let Keisha loose (when there was no other dog around) and have her chase her ball all over the beach and into the water. Like I said earlier, Keisha was in heaven. This was her day out! We stayed in New Smyrna for a few hours and got home around 3 p.m.
Since we had a day pass for accessing the beach, Dee and I decided experience driving on the real Daytona Beach! What a feeling it was driving on this strip of sand that goes on for miles and miles along the Atlantic Ocean. We could not leave Daytona Beach without doing this! Hope you enjoy the pictures.
Denis
Thursday, February 10th, 2011
Sears/JC Penny/Macy’s
Guess what! Dee found a new shopping mall! Yes a big shopping centre with who knows how many stores (to many for me!). The mall is located on Speedway boulevard, across from the Daytona International Speedway, home of the Daytona 500 race on February 20th. We had lunch in the food court and contemplated how we were going to manage our time at this mall. During our meal a pleasant young lady who works at one of the fast food kiosk, struck up a conversation with us and informed us that the mall is getting busier every day leading up to the day of the race. In fact, we were told that to park in the mall parking lot on the day of the race cost $50. If you intend to shop at the mall you can park for free but you are given a time stamp ticket that if you exceed the time, you pay the 50$! I think we will not be shopping there on that day.
You can sort of feel that the city of Daytona is getting excited for the Race and I hope I can get a few pictures of the racing team rigs that have already arrived. You can spot various team members around the area.
Denis
Dog Heaven
Today we took a drive to New Smyrna Beach which is about 20 minutes from Daytona Beach. The weather was beautiful, with temperature in the low 70s. Unlike Daytona Beach, New Smyrna has a section of the beach reserved for dogs and Keisha was in dog heaven! After paying our 5$ to access to the beach, we took the path to the “dog” beach. It was a 15 minute walk along a sandy path and a raised boardwalk. Yes, Keisha met many dogs along the way and behaves like she always does; bark and run away! Oh well, maybe one day she will have this social thing figured out.
Once on the beach which is covered with fine white sand Dee was able to let Keisha loose (when there was no other dog around) and have her chase her ball all over the beach and into the water. Like I said earlier, Keisha was in heaven. This was her day out! We stayed in New Smyrna for a few hours and got home around 3 p.m.
Since we had a day pass for accessing the beach, Dee and I decided experience driving on the real Daytona Beach! What a feeling it was driving on this strip of sand that goes on for miles and miles along the Atlantic Ocean. We could not leave Daytona Beach without doing this! Hope you enjoy the pictures.
Denis
Thursday, February 10th, 2011
Sears/JC Penny/Macy’s
Guess what! Dee found a new shopping mall! Yes a big shopping centre with who knows how many stores (to many for me!). The mall is located on Speedway boulevard, across from the Daytona International Speedway, home of the Daytona 500 race on February 20th. We had lunch in the food court and contemplated how we were going to manage our time at this mall. During our meal a pleasant young lady who works at one of the fast food kiosk, struck up a conversation with us and informed us that the mall is getting busier every day leading up to the day of the race. In fact, we were told that to park in the mall parking lot on the day of the race cost $50. If you intend to shop at the mall you can park for free but you are given a time stamp ticket that if you exceed the time, you pay the 50$! I think we will not be shopping there on that day.
You can sort of feel that the city of Daytona is getting excited for the Race and I hope I can get a few pictures of the racing team rigs that have already arrived. You can spot various team members around the area.
Denis
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Tornado / Golf at Spruce Creek
Monday, February 7, 2011
Florida may be known as the Sunshine State but it does rain in Florida. Today Dee decided to sit out in the sun to work on her suntan. For some reason the weather went from a mid 60’s to 80 in a matter of an hour! Seem strange to me until the park personnel came around and informed us that there was a Tornado warning and that we had about 18 minutes to have everything secured! What does one do to prepare for a pending tornado? Looking around the little neighbourhood we see everyone putting things away and securing their RVs! So everything was put away including the awning and then we waited inside as the temperature dropped from 80 down to 55 in a matter of minutes! The hurricane missed our area and where it did hit; there was minimal damage (rooftops, sheds, patio furniture, etc.) I guess the lesson learned from this is that if one is away from the RV for an extended period of time and that this type of weather condition crops up with little warning (?) it would be a good idea to make certain that at least the awning is retracted, otherwise we may be in for an expensive vacation! We were a good neighbour we had to store our neighbour’s (Glen and Carol) outside furniture because they were out! Good thing their big bus h has automatic retractable awnings that is activated whenever the wind blows at a certain speed! Would love to have one of those big boy toys!
That night it poured rain and I got to join some of the residences for game night. I found out that game night was an occasion for people to gather and play board games, card games and video games. Who would of thought! I did play some Wii games and enjoyed the company of my fellow resort residences.
On a personal note for Tyra, yes we are watching the “Lost” series and yes your mother is really getting into it! It raised so many questions and so few answers until probably the last episode of season 7? We can’t just watch one hour we usually do two hours three times a week.
Denis
Tuesday, February 8th, 2011
Belated happy birthday wishes (February 2) to my brother Maurice and happy birthday to my other brother Luc. I hope he and Frieda enjoy their trip to the Dominican Republic. I understand that Maurice and Madeleine have also made a trip to the Dominican Republic. I also wish them a great trip.
Today we had a tee-off time booked at the Spruce Creek country club. This course is built around a landing strip for private planes owned by the residences of this gated community. We were told that at one time John Travolta was an owner in this community and had a hangar for his plane attached to his house. We did see quite a few of those houses and it looks strange to see these high “garages” in a neighbourhood. I could easily park the RV inside!
As for the golfing, well the sun came out, the temperature was in the mid 60s and the scores for both of us were in the low 100! We enjoyed the experience at Spruce Creek, but after a while it got irritating having the planes taking off and flying around the course throughout the round! That must be the reason I could not focus on my golf game!
Tomorrow, we are planning on visiting New Smyrna Beach which is about an hour away for the Resort.
Denis
Florida may be known as the Sunshine State but it does rain in Florida. Today Dee decided to sit out in the sun to work on her suntan. For some reason the weather went from a mid 60’s to 80 in a matter of an hour! Seem strange to me until the park personnel came around and informed us that there was a Tornado warning and that we had about 18 minutes to have everything secured! What does one do to prepare for a pending tornado? Looking around the little neighbourhood we see everyone putting things away and securing their RVs! So everything was put away including the awning and then we waited inside as the temperature dropped from 80 down to 55 in a matter of minutes! The hurricane missed our area and where it did hit; there was minimal damage (rooftops, sheds, patio furniture, etc.) I guess the lesson learned from this is that if one is away from the RV for an extended period of time and that this type of weather condition crops up with little warning (?) it would be a good idea to make certain that at least the awning is retracted, otherwise we may be in for an expensive vacation! We were a good neighbour we had to store our neighbour’s (Glen and Carol) outside furniture because they were out! Good thing their big bus h has automatic retractable awnings that is activated whenever the wind blows at a certain speed! Would love to have one of those big boy toys!
That night it poured rain and I got to join some of the residences for game night. I found out that game night was an occasion for people to gather and play board games, card games and video games. Who would of thought! I did play some Wii games and enjoyed the company of my fellow resort residences.
On a personal note for Tyra, yes we are watching the “Lost” series and yes your mother is really getting into it! It raised so many questions and so few answers until probably the last episode of season 7? We can’t just watch one hour we usually do two hours three times a week.
Denis
Tuesday, February 8th, 2011
Belated happy birthday wishes (February 2) to my brother Maurice and happy birthday to my other brother Luc. I hope he and Frieda enjoy their trip to the Dominican Republic. I understand that Maurice and Madeleine have also made a trip to the Dominican Republic. I also wish them a great trip.
Today we had a tee-off time booked at the Spruce Creek country club. This course is built around a landing strip for private planes owned by the residences of this gated community. We were told that at one time John Travolta was an owner in this community and had a hangar for his plane attached to his house. We did see quite a few of those houses and it looks strange to see these high “garages” in a neighbourhood. I could easily park the RV inside!
As for the golfing, well the sun came out, the temperature was in the mid 60s and the scores for both of us were in the low 100! We enjoyed the experience at Spruce Creek, but after a while it got irritating having the planes taking off and flying around the course throughout the round! That must be the reason I could not focus on my golf game!
Tomorrow, we are planning on visiting New Smyrna Beach which is about an hour away for the Resort.
Denis
Monday, February 7, 2011
Pizza Night at the Park / Super Bowl Sunday
Saturday, February 5th, 2011
Pizza Night at the Park In the afternoon, we had a few errands to do, so Dee took the opportunity, as promised on Friday, to record the truck trip to Wal-Mart (which I will post as soon as I find out how!) that left her and the GPS at odds end on how to get there!
The RV Park organizes activities during the week and on Saturday, it was Pizza Night. For the cost of $4.00 per person, you had basically all you can eat pizza and cake! It was also a BYOB. To top it off the Resort provided a DJ with Karaoke. Mix it all together (food, booze) and what do you get? A bunch of “people of a certain age” line dancing and taking the mike like Idol contestants! If I was Simon Cowel I would have quit the judging panel! However, I must say that our neighbour Glen who did sing a few songs is very talented and I suppose you could say he saved the evening from total embarrassment. Dee could attest to this but her recollecting is bit foggy after a bottle of wine and a few beers and partaking in the line dancing exhibition! We did meet some very nice people such as Rich and Irene from New York. As mandated by the resort rules, the festivities ended at the quiet hour of 10:00 p.m. By the way the extra pizzas were raffled and I won the first one! Guess what he had for dinner on Super Bowl Sunday?
Denis
Sunday, February 6th, 2011
Super Bowl Sunday We went for brunch with Rich and Irene to the Spruce Creek (Fly in) Country Club where we will be playing golf Tuesday. Apperently it was for members only but we didn’t know that until after the girl and poured the water and coffee she asked what our number was and we then found out it was for members only. Opps... The web site should have mentioned that. I guess we should have suspected something was wrong when we got to the gate of the community and was ask for our pass? Denis said we were playing golf there and after providing his driver's licence they let us through. Regardless of our faux pas, the Club kindly allowed us to stay and enjoy muffins, fruit, omelettes, homemade fries and sausage, bacon and Eggs Benedict and all the fruit juice we could drink for just $9.95 per person. It was a bit strange seeing the landing strip in the middle of the community and roads from the landing strip for planes to taxi to their home! The setting was very nice and the company was enjoyable and then we came home to the trailer where I slept for 3 hours and upon awaking realized it was time for dinner. Dinner was Pizza from the night before. I don’t want to look at pizza again for 3 months. I don’t like the way they prepare it here. One thing Canada does well is Pizza. We watched the Super Bowl and the wonderful commercials except for one the Doritos commercial was gross and I won’t even go into it here on the blog. I loved the commercials way better than in Canada. Liked the half time show with the Black Eyed Peas and then it was off to bed. It rained all night and there is nothing more soothing to sleep as being in a trailer with the rain falling.
Dee
Pizza Night at the Park In the afternoon, we had a few errands to do, so Dee took the opportunity, as promised on Friday, to record the truck trip to Wal-Mart (which I will post as soon as I find out how!) that left her and the GPS at odds end on how to get there!
The RV Park organizes activities during the week and on Saturday, it was Pizza Night. For the cost of $4.00 per person, you had basically all you can eat pizza and cake! It was also a BYOB. To top it off the Resort provided a DJ with Karaoke. Mix it all together (food, booze) and what do you get? A bunch of “people of a certain age” line dancing and taking the mike like Idol contestants! If I was Simon Cowel I would have quit the judging panel! However, I must say that our neighbour Glen who did sing a few songs is very talented and I suppose you could say he saved the evening from total embarrassment. Dee could attest to this but her recollecting is bit foggy after a bottle of wine and a few beers and partaking in the line dancing exhibition! We did meet some very nice people such as Rich and Irene from New York. As mandated by the resort rules, the festivities ended at the quiet hour of 10:00 p.m. By the way the extra pizzas were raffled and I won the first one! Guess what he had for dinner on Super Bowl Sunday?
Denis
Sunday, February 6th, 2011
Super Bowl Sunday We went for brunch with Rich and Irene to the Spruce Creek (Fly in) Country Club where we will be playing golf Tuesday. Apperently it was for members only but we didn’t know that until after the girl and poured the water and coffee she asked what our number was and we then found out it was for members only. Opps... The web site should have mentioned that. I guess we should have suspected something was wrong when we got to the gate of the community and was ask for our pass? Denis said we were playing golf there and after providing his driver's licence they let us through. Regardless of our faux pas, the Club kindly allowed us to stay and enjoy muffins, fruit, omelettes, homemade fries and sausage, bacon and Eggs Benedict and all the fruit juice we could drink for just $9.95 per person. It was a bit strange seeing the landing strip in the middle of the community and roads from the landing strip for planes to taxi to their home! The setting was very nice and the company was enjoyable and then we came home to the trailer where I slept for 3 hours and upon awaking realized it was time for dinner. Dinner was Pizza from the night before. I don’t want to look at pizza again for 3 months. I don’t like the way they prepare it here. One thing Canada does well is Pizza. We watched the Super Bowl and the wonderful commercials except for one the Doritos commercial was gross and I won’t even go into it here on the blog. I loved the commercials way better than in Canada. Liked the half time show with the Black Eyed Peas and then it was off to bed. It rained all night and there is nothing more soothing to sleep as being in a trailer with the rain falling.
Dee
Friday, February 4, 2011
Ponce Inlet and Lighthouse / Finding Walmart
Thursday, February 3rd, 2011
Today when we woke we decided it was time to check out the beach. Here in Daytona Beach you can drive right on the beach. We took the road that led us over a bridge and just ahead we could see the Daytona Beach strip. This is a thin strip of land where all the hotels are situated. The road is called Atlantic Drive and is very narrow. We found the turn that took us to the beach and the women in the booth that wanted to charge us 5 bucks for the day told us that dogs are not allowed on the beach. How did she know we had a dog, because Keisha was barking at this women like a rabid freak. I have to literally cover this dog’s eyes so that she would stop barking. Drives me nuts!! We couldn’t go on the beach but we did drive on it for 30 seconds as we turned around. It was kewl, even for 30 seconds. We will return when the sun shines warm but it won’t be with the mutt.
We drove down Atlantic Ave until we reached Ponce Inlet and we paid the 5 bucks to park the car in the parking lot and we took a walk down the road that led us to the lighthouse. See pictures.
I found a bunch of pelicans (Fred, Sam, and Harry) that had beaks that were totally amazing. See pictures.
It was a chilly day as you can tell by the clothing. Daytona Beach has been really warm one day and the next day pretty darn chilly. For our family and friends in Ottawa/Gatineau/Sturgeon Falls we won’t say cold because it would be just wrong.
Friday, February 4th ,2011
Friday the 4th February was spent like any other Friday around the house. We puttered and cleaned and laid out in the sunshine. I have started to notice a bit of a tan already. I plan daily tanning sessions in my lounge chair with my cocktail and book. Speaking of cocktail, I have a membership card at the local ABC store (liquor store) I bought a 1.75 litres bottle of vodka 80% proof for less than $11.00. My new cocktail is Cranberry and Orange in a tall glass with 2 shots of vodka. I have one of these and I am just happy. I only have one because of the carbs but I enjoy every sip. Ok, well, gulp.
We are very close to all shopping. Wal Mart and Home Depot. It is really strange and I will tell you why.
Normally you see Wal-Mart’s and Home Depots from a mile away because they are so large and in the states they are absolutely huge. But, here in Daytona the two stores are almost across the street from each other and I had a really hard time finding them. The stores are hidden by trees. The Wal-Mart is tucked in this residential area that has lots of trees and I didn’t see it. The GPS had me making U turns and I just couldn’t figure it out, so, I came back to the trailer and I told Denis and he came with me and when we found it I was shocked that this huge superstore was hidden away like that(I will provide a video as proof!). I really like Daytona Beach.
I planned the next golf round at Spruce Creek Country Club for Monday at 11am. The course is 6894 yards. We are going on Sunday for the buffet brunch that they are putting on. It is not far from where we are staying the Daytona Beach RV Park. See the links below for the Golf Course and our RV park.
Well, another week of vacation has gone by and the days I just don’t see. I get up and the next thing I know it is time for supper. I was afraid of this. Denis and I are having a great time and appreciate all the comments that family and friends are leaving on our blog. Thanks for following us and stayed tuned for more.
Dee
Today when we woke we decided it was time to check out the beach. Here in Daytona Beach you can drive right on the beach. We took the road that led us over a bridge and just ahead we could see the Daytona Beach strip. This is a thin strip of land where all the hotels are situated. The road is called Atlantic Drive and is very narrow. We found the turn that took us to the beach and the women in the booth that wanted to charge us 5 bucks for the day told us that dogs are not allowed on the beach. How did she know we had a dog, because Keisha was barking at this women like a rabid freak. I have to literally cover this dog’s eyes so that she would stop barking. Drives me nuts!! We couldn’t go on the beach but we did drive on it for 30 seconds as we turned around. It was kewl, even for 30 seconds. We will return when the sun shines warm but it won’t be with the mutt.
We drove down Atlantic Ave until we reached Ponce Inlet and we paid the 5 bucks to park the car in the parking lot and we took a walk down the road that led us to the lighthouse. See pictures.
I found a bunch of pelicans (Fred, Sam, and Harry) that had beaks that were totally amazing. See pictures.
It was a chilly day as you can tell by the clothing. Daytona Beach has been really warm one day and the next day pretty darn chilly. For our family and friends in Ottawa/Gatineau/Sturgeon Falls we won’t say cold because it would be just wrong.
Friday, February 4th ,2011
Friday the 4th February was spent like any other Friday around the house. We puttered and cleaned and laid out in the sunshine. I have started to notice a bit of a tan already. I plan daily tanning sessions in my lounge chair with my cocktail and book. Speaking of cocktail, I have a membership card at the local ABC store (liquor store) I bought a 1.75 litres bottle of vodka 80% proof for less than $11.00. My new cocktail is Cranberry and Orange in a tall glass with 2 shots of vodka. I have one of these and I am just happy. I only have one because of the carbs but I enjoy every sip. Ok, well, gulp.
We are very close to all shopping. Wal Mart and Home Depot. It is really strange and I will tell you why.
Normally you see Wal-Mart’s and Home Depots from a mile away because they are so large and in the states they are absolutely huge. But, here in Daytona the two stores are almost across the street from each other and I had a really hard time finding them. The stores are hidden by trees. The Wal-Mart is tucked in this residential area that has lots of trees and I didn’t see it. The GPS had me making U turns and I just couldn’t figure it out, so, I came back to the trailer and I told Denis and he came with me and when we found it I was shocked that this huge superstore was hidden away like that(I will provide a video as proof!). I really like Daytona Beach.
I planned the next golf round at Spruce Creek Country Club for Monday at 11am. The course is 6894 yards. We are going on Sunday for the buffet brunch that they are putting on. It is not far from where we are staying the Daytona Beach RV Park. See the links below for the Golf Course and our RV park.
Well, another week of vacation has gone by and the days I just don’t see. I get up and the next thing I know it is time for supper. I was afraid of this. Denis and I are having a great time and appreciate all the comments that family and friends are leaving on our blog. Thanks for following us and stayed tuned for more.
Dee
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Ground Hog Day
February 2nd,2011
On Tuesday morning we left Myrtle Beach at 7:30 am. I took my last early morning walk with Keisha on the beach. It was a cloudy chilly morning but I won’t complain because our family and friends reading this blog that live in Ottawa and Gatineau are living very extreme cold weather this past week. Keep warm up there!
We started the pack up the day before. Denis packs the stuff outside the trailer and I pack the things inside the trailer. The morning of travel he disconnects the sewer and water connections and with this campsite we have telephone and cable to disconnect. I clean the inside and secure all cabinets and make sure doors are secure (bathroom shower door and bedroom door) not doing this results in REPAIR at the end of the journey. I then pack Keisha’s things into the truck and as soon as her crate goes in the truck she has to be inside the truck even if we are not leaving for an hour she has to be inside.
By then Denis is ready for me to back up the truck to the hitch. I do this extremely well. In fact I am always in awe when sitting in the driver seat how much this man must trust me!! It requires quiet foot pressure on the gas pedal. That’s it.
It was a long day ahead. We didn’t follow the CAA trip tick, we followed the GPS. It led us down a road that was longer than we wanted to travel to the I-95. We got there eventually and it was get out of South Carolina’s back country to Georgia. Well Georgia was uneventful – until- the semi tractor trailer that was travelling in front of us lost a tire. I saw the tire wobble and wobble more. I said to Denis this truck is blowing a tire and to “SLOW DOWN” ( ok, I was panicking) hey ... when you see little black tire parts flying off the back end onto your vehicle and the pieces just keep on getting bigger and bigger well that is just scary. We got hit with small debris which didn’t damage the truck. Fortunately Denis slowed enough to get further back from the truck and made the move into the left lane. We passed the truck as it was signalling his 4 ways and slowing down.
When we entered Florida the temperature was 23 degrees and the air conditioner was turned on. We got the Daytona Beach RV Resort around 5:00pm. We were tired but glad to be here. We slept with the windows open last night.
Wednesday Morning – Ground Hog Day
Spring will be early! But, here in Daytona Beach it is summer!! We brought out our summer clothes and went grocery shopping. We met the neighbours and Keisha met at least 8 new friends this morning.
We are really with the big boys. Two Motor Coaches and a huge 5th wheel surrounds us. (See the pictures) The motor coaches are from Ohio and New York State. Up the road are 3 sites that have Quebecers and Ontario represented. They all are very friendly and I know where I will be sitting during the Super Bowl. The Motor Coach right behind our trailer is owed by Carol and Greg and they have a TV on the outside of the bus; one of 4 TV’s in the Coach.
We cruised by the speedway this afternoon. WOW! It is huge, the grandstand is very big. Also is the parking lot with all the big johns. 150,000 people I can just imagine how many they will need and how often they will be used.
After supper I took a swim in the heated outside pool and just to let you know there are mosquitoes in Florida, they don’t live in hot heat so in the summer they travel north to Algonquin Park.
Tomorrow we will continue to explore Daytona Beach and as always continue to update you on our experiences and travels.
Thanks for following us.
Dee and Denis
On Tuesday morning we left Myrtle Beach at 7:30 am. I took my last early morning walk with Keisha on the beach. It was a cloudy chilly morning but I won’t complain because our family and friends reading this blog that live in Ottawa and Gatineau are living very extreme cold weather this past week. Keep warm up there!
We started the pack up the day before. Denis packs the stuff outside the trailer and I pack the things inside the trailer. The morning of travel he disconnects the sewer and water connections and with this campsite we have telephone and cable to disconnect. I clean the inside and secure all cabinets and make sure doors are secure (bathroom shower door and bedroom door) not doing this results in REPAIR at the end of the journey. I then pack Keisha’s things into the truck and as soon as her crate goes in the truck she has to be inside the truck even if we are not leaving for an hour she has to be inside.
By then Denis is ready for me to back up the truck to the hitch. I do this extremely well. In fact I am always in awe when sitting in the driver seat how much this man must trust me!! It requires quiet foot pressure on the gas pedal. That’s it.
It was a long day ahead. We didn’t follow the CAA trip tick, we followed the GPS. It led us down a road that was longer than we wanted to travel to the I-95. We got there eventually and it was get out of South Carolina’s back country to Georgia. Well Georgia was uneventful – until- the semi tractor trailer that was travelling in front of us lost a tire. I saw the tire wobble and wobble more. I said to Denis this truck is blowing a tire and to “SLOW DOWN” ( ok, I was panicking) hey ... when you see little black tire parts flying off the back end onto your vehicle and the pieces just keep on getting bigger and bigger well that is just scary. We got hit with small debris which didn’t damage the truck. Fortunately Denis slowed enough to get further back from the truck and made the move into the left lane. We passed the truck as it was signalling his 4 ways and slowing down.
When we entered Florida the temperature was 23 degrees and the air conditioner was turned on. We got the Daytona Beach RV Resort around 5:00pm. We were tired but glad to be here. We slept with the windows open last night.
Wednesday Morning – Ground Hog Day
Spring will be early! But, here in Daytona Beach it is summer!! We brought out our summer clothes and went grocery shopping. We met the neighbours and Keisha met at least 8 new friends this morning.
We are really with the big boys. Two Motor Coaches and a huge 5th wheel surrounds us. (See the pictures) The motor coaches are from Ohio and New York State. Up the road are 3 sites that have Quebecers and Ontario represented. They all are very friendly and I know where I will be sitting during the Super Bowl. The Motor Coach right behind our trailer is owed by Carol and Greg and they have a TV on the outside of the bus; one of 4 TV’s in the Coach.
We cruised by the speedway this afternoon. WOW! It is huge, the grandstand is very big. Also is the parking lot with all the big johns. 150,000 people I can just imagine how many they will need and how often they will be used.
After supper I took a swim in the heated outside pool and just to let you know there are mosquitoes in Florida, they don’t live in hot heat so in the summer they travel north to Algonquin Park.
Tomorrow we will continue to explore Daytona Beach and as always continue to update you on our experiences and travels.
Thanks for following us.
Dee and Denis
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Daytona Beach
February 1, 2011
We left Myrtle Beach at 7:30 a.m. and arrived at the Daytona Beach RV resort at 5:00 p.m. The weather on arrival in Daytona was +24 Celsius. A bit warm for a long sleeved sweater! The drive down was almost uneventful for the I-95, one of the busiest truck roads. We were behind a tractor trailer keeping a safe distance at the legal speed limit of 70 mph. Suddenly we saw small pieces of rubber flying behind the tractor trailer. We backed off a bit and then the bigger pieces started to fly! We were lucky not to be hit by the flying rubber! The tractor trailer finally pulled off the road and we had clear sailing to Daytona.
The RV resort appears to be nice, we have not yet had the chance to explore our new surroundings. The major difference here compared to campsites we normally travel to in Canada is the size of the lots. I think the expression people use is suburbia camping. Everyone is packed into their lots and there are not much room left once your site is set up! Oh well, at least the weather is nice.
We left Myrtle Beach at 7:30 a.m. and arrived at the Daytona Beach RV resort at 5:00 p.m. The weather on arrival in Daytona was +24 Celsius. A bit warm for a long sleeved sweater! The drive down was almost uneventful for the I-95, one of the busiest truck roads. We were behind a tractor trailer keeping a safe distance at the legal speed limit of 70 mph. Suddenly we saw small pieces of rubber flying behind the tractor trailer. We backed off a bit and then the bigger pieces started to fly! We were lucky not to be hit by the flying rubber! The tractor trailer finally pulled off the road and we had clear sailing to Daytona.
The RV resort appears to be nice, we have not yet had the chance to explore our new surroundings. The major difference here compared to campsites we normally travel to in Canada is the size of the lots. I think the expression people use is suburbia camping. Everyone is packed into their lots and there are not much room left once your site is set up! Oh well, at least the weather is nice.
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