Daytona Beach

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June 21, 2013 by Last Star blog

Daytona Beach

Daytona beach bridge.

So…last year when we were racing down south we spent a night anchored in this exact same spot in Daytona Beach, well in the ICW under the bridge that takes you from Daytona Beach proper to the beach.  So, this time it was such a miracle to actually make it to the destination that parking under yet another bridge was a ‘hazaa’ moment.  We woke this morning to clear skies and a slightly less humid day, yeeehaa.  We parked on the east side of the ICW in hopes of beaching our dinghy closer to the beach as we had promised Cole a beach day in Daytona Beach.  And to be honest, I haven’t been to a beach since we left the Bahamas.  The weather was so rainy while we were in Naples we never even thought about heading to the beach, even though it is a spectacularly beautiful beach if you have never been…you should go.  Sorry, I digress.  There was no place to beach our dinghy on the east side, unless we wanted to beach it in someone’s yard.  We debated this idea and Cole was not thrilled with us parking on a multi-million dollar property like squatters.  Hank and I have lowered our standards a bit and this idea wasn’t as horrific as it was to Cole.  He is young, no I take it back, it’s not that he is young,it’s just that he is living in America and not on a boat.  Yes, I know we are back in America but finding groceries within walking distance is proving VERY difficult.  As a matter of fact we walked for two hours today and didn’t find anything more than a 7-11 to purchase food.

We ended up putting our dinghy at the Halifax River yacht club.  The basin and facilities were first rate and the dockmaster was very friendly.  The bar and pool area is worth transient slip prices alone, maybe on the way back it will be a destination.  We walked from the yacht club over the bridge from the west to the east, eyeballing our boat from up there, and then onto the beach.  All in all a short mile and half maybe, from the yacht club to the beach.  I am sorry we didn’t take one picture!   You can drive on the beaches in Daytona.  I hadn’t seen that since leaving Texas.  Of course, there are signs to not lay out or picnic between the cars, hmnnn, that might be self critiquing.  It was jammed packed with families.  For Hank and I that was a real eye opener as the last beach we were on we were the only ones on the beach!  Ok, yes, we are not in the Bahamas.  That little phrase is becoming quite the mantra on the Last Star.  The water here was delightfully refreshing and we all jumped into the water right away. Nice waves for a little body surfing and loads of people watching.  We had taken a picnic lunch and found a shady picnic table to eat at.  We shared it with three lovely older Asian women.  Hank and I sat first while Cole was rinsing off and washing his hands.  They didn’t say much to us, until Cole showed up.  They became very friendly and animated. They suggested he was so good looking he should be in movies and they would definitely go see him in ALL his movies.  I hope they weren’t suggesting the X-rated kind, I was a little suspicious.  After lunch and a little swim we took a trolley tram back across the bridge and into Daytona Beach proper to walk along their renewed downtown.   It is a very cute area with some trendy places to eat.  We were still looking for a small grocery store as the nearest Publix is about 4 miles away.  A bus ride, fersure.    I am not out of everything yet, but getting close.  I can usually go about 10 days before I am desperate for ration replenishing; I am at the 7 day mark.  As usual, our DDM included a quest for ice cream!  The cute little frozen yoghurt place was not going to cut it.  There was a chocolate factory packed with people just off a chocolate tour.  The population density in the store scared us all out. After an additional hour of hiking to a notional 7-11, we see a Jimmy Johns.  Do they have shakes?  One more block.  NO, they don’t.  Try the CVS on the next block.  Oh, but look there is a Burger King on the NEXT block. (this is how they turn from a walk into a death march)  Drumstick from the freezer case (our usually Bahamian purchase) or sitting in some A/C with a shake and a soft-serve?  Winner, Winner—A/C!   Ahhhh, the little pleasures.  We hiked back to the dingy and back to the Last Star.   I had to purchase new flip flops after my all-terrain reef gave out on me.  I picked up some Nike one’s in Naples, but they don’t have near the same support as my others.  L  Ugh.

Back on the boat we rig our shade, turning our boat into a Chinese junk!  Major debate on whether the shade is really cooling off the interior of the boat and is the shade canvas blocking wind in the cockpit, is it worth it?  These are our major dilemmas in our little universe.

Not feeling the breeze!

I can say, it has been wonderful having Cole on the boat with us.  His perspective and his sense of humor is delightful.  We are truly enjoying him.  The only thing better is when the boys are together, they are hilarious.

Goofing off!

I would like to say, another day another beach, but it is hot and humid and yet another thunderstorm is here pissing rain on our shade canvas.  Then there is Cole’s comment:  is that dock getting closer?  Now that is more like life on the Last Star.

Setting up the canvas.