Yesterday, the weather in Daytona Beach was terrible for walking. People who braved the rainstorms felt like they were going to get blown away. They were drenched, couldn't walk on the beach, and seemed miserable, but proud they had persevered.
This morning, the weather was much more moderate but still windy and cold in Daytona Beach. I had to make a decision and I decided not to walk. Susan wanted to walk so I drove her a half-hour to the New Smyrna Beach, Florida, starting point. When we arrived, the weather was gorgeous: sunny and not too windy. I was tempted to walk. However, I did not come prepared with sunscreen, a hat, or a jacket. My loss.
I said, "Hi," to Klaus and Gale Waibel, Leslie Murphey Stone, and the other volunteers. Then I headed back to the hotel.
On the way back, I stopped at The Omelet House for a Belgian waffle, bacon, and fried eggs. That made me feel a little better.
Normally, I am very good with directions to places. However, driving back to our hotel from New Smyrna Beach, I drove five miles past the hotel. I kept thinking I should have come to it already! (In my defense, we arrived after dark on Thursday so I didn't see what the hotel looked like. Then, on Friday, it rained so hard, the hotel towers were hidden by the downpours.) Nevertheless, when I finally figured it out, I turned around in a church parking lot (which was 75% a lake from the previous day's storm).
On my way north, I had seen a great place to watch the surf which is one of the entrances to famed Ormond Beach where land speed trials were set in 1903-1910. The Birthplace of Speed Park was there as well. That became my destination. Sometimes, your unplanned time becomes one of your best times.
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| Ormond Beach & the Atlantic Ocean. |
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| Ormond Beach & the Atlantic Ocean. |
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| No car racing today! |
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| Dramatic stormy sky. |
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| Ormond Beach in Volusia County, Florida. |
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| The shower is not accessible. |
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| The water came up past the parking pay booth! |
The Birthplace of Speed Park had informative historical markers. Read up!
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| Ormond Beach, Florida. |
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| The Ormond Garage. |
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| Ormond Beach, Florida. |
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| A pavilion in the Birthplace of Speed Park. |
Here's a video of the wild waves:
My afternoon was spent relaxing and reading. From the pool deck at the hotel, I photographed the Atlantic Ocean. I even saved a baby lizard (gecko?) from a hall inside the hotel.
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| Looking at the Atlantic from the hotel's pool deck (Daytona Beach). |
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| Looking at the Atlantic from the hotel's pool deck. |
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| The hotel where our walking weekend was headquarter in Daytona Beach. |
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| Looking at the Atlantic from the hotel's pool deck. |
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| A baby gecko stranded in the hotel hall. |
I caught the gecko and took it outside. It was only the size of my little finger.
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| Baby gecko next to my shoe. |
At 5:45 pm, Susan Medlin and I went to the room that had all the walking information and packed up the IML/TTR table. At 6 pm, the event's social hour took place at the Lobby Bar. Susan Medlin and I enjoyed Mai Tais!
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| Susan Medlin and me. |
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| Susan with her Mai Tai. |
Our banquet was at 7 pm in one of the large event rooms. Dinner was good. Awards were given. We got to meet new people and learn about their travels.
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| Travelers from Mazatlan. |
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| Dave Bonewitz thanking the volunteers. |
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| John McClellan presented awards. |
The door prize baskets were given away. Then it was time to call it a night.
It ended up being a good day even though I missed the two walks earlier. Tomorrow is a new day.
Keep Smiling and walking for the fun of it
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