Big Easter Greetings

 

The Grand Opening Of Buc-ees In Northern Colorado

   About a week after the first Buc-ees convenient mart/gas station/ souvenir shop/cafe/snack bar/best bathrooms in America opened up, JER and I decided to make the hour drive up to Johnstown to check it out.

  Yeah, two grown-ass men driving an hour to check out what is essentially a truck stop (that doesn't allow trucks, btw). 

  Let me tell you what, it was well worth the trip. We arrived fairly early in the morning and the place was packed - a week after the grand opening and people were still showing up in droves. Entire families were there, buying everything from snacks to Buc-ees branded pool noodles. 

   It was quite the spectacle. JER and I spent forty minutes or so in the place, and walked away fairly impressed by not only the scale of the operation, but the efficiency of the staff as well. There were hundreds of people in the place, and all those people seemed to be in (polite and courteous) feeding frenzy - so much stuff was being bought that shelves were having to be restocked as we walked through the joint, and it wasn't even 11:00am.

   After we soaked in as much as we could handle, JER and I scooted up to Fort Collins for breakfast at the Silver Grill, a restaurant that has been serving up great food since 1933, and can boast the freshest and tastiest orange juice on the plant (IMHO).

   On our way back south to Denver in the late afternoon we drove past the Buc-ees again, and it was busier then when we left - so much so that the north bound lanes of I-25 were backed up for a couple of miles.

   If you build it, they will come indeed.

      116 gas pumps, and still people were waiting in line to get gas.

      Need ice? They have enough ice at Buc-ees to fill every cooler in Colorado

   And they pay well...exceptionally well.

Meanwhile, In The Middle Of The Desert In New Mexico...

 

Those Boots

Hey oh, she's wearing those boots again

Knee high matte black leather with short tapered heels 

Got me thinking some mighty salacious thoughts 

Got me thinking about some mischievous sin

She knows how to walk in 'em, knows what appeals 

Lord, I'm at her mercy, my tongues tied up in knots

Losing all control my heads in a violent tailspin

That little black dress teases with what little it conceals

Bartender forget that beer I'm going to need a couple of shots

Something wicked strong, maybe straight whiskey or gin

I've heard some good beats but nothing compares to her wheels

Sends a hard shock right through me, I'm talking gigawatts

It's a legato rhythm, smooth and steady, gets under my skin

 I'm not complaining I truly love the way this feels

Sends me to the moon with all those spaced out astronauts

 

Now, What Possible Harm Could It Do To Just Call The Number?

I have no idea what a Frenchie is, though I suppose I could call the number on the sign and find out.

Then again, that could open a barrel-sized can of worms that leads to remorse and regret galore.

Gotta weigh the risk/reward factors first, see what shakes out.

Or just forget about it.

Crossing The Halifax

                    The Dunlawton Avenue Bridge Spans The Halifax River From Port Orange To South Daytona Beach

   The Halifax River, which has got to be the shortest river I've ever encountered (25 miles long flowing north to south) separates Daytona Beach from mainland Florida.

   There are a number of bridges that span the river and every one of them features a pedestrian walkway as well as designated fishing areas. Fishing from bridges is a big no-no in nearly every place I've ever visited, so I somewhat  marveled at the people fishing from the bridge.

   On my last visit to Daytona I walked across the Main Street bridge, one of the two remaining drawbridges that still cross the Daytona section of the Halifax (from east Fairview Avenue to old Daytona where the Daytona Beach Main Street Pier is), so this time I decided to cross the much newer high bridge that crosses the river from Port Orange to Dunlawton Avenue, which, appropriately enough, is commonly referred to as either the Port Orange or Dunlawton Ave bridge.

   Naturally the boating game is strong on the Florida coast, which is heaven for a boat-spotter such as myself. I could waste hours boatspotting from any of the bridges that span the Halifax - heck, in just the 15 minutes I took walking across the Port Orange bridge I spotted a nice twin engine Yamaha jet boat, a Boston Whaler 285 Conquest, a Boston Whaler 160 SS, a Seaborn FX24, and an Everglades 455.

   Boatspotting is either a very revered pastime amongst nautical types, or a term I just made up to explain away my fascination with watching boats.

   Walking over the Port Orange bridge offers one the opportunity to enjoy a 360 degree view of Daytona Beach Shores and Wilbur by the Sea to the northeast and southeast respectively, and South Daytona and Port Orange to the northwest & west.

   Below the bridge there are fishing piers that extend out into the river which allow people the opportunity to fish without having to deal with road noise. The piers look much more inviting than the bridge as far as enjoying a relaxing day with a line in the water goes.

   Dotting the wide Halifax river are numerous sandbar islands that to me look like the ideal place to find a semi-private sunbathing spot - ideal that is if you have a boat or a Sea Doo or are a really strong swimmer and really like to sunbath in the great outdoors, but in semi-private fashion. 

   The speed and direction of boat traffic under and in the vicinity of the bridge is well regulated, something I'm sure fellow boaters, fishermen, and sunbathers alike greatly appreciate. Can't have people boating all willy-nilly, that would be nautical chaos.

   The east and west shores of the Halifax are dotted with private homes in small neighborhoods that have small inlets separating them, somewhat like water alleyways. These little inlets allow for homeowners with boats to moor their boats at small private docks while maintaining 24/7 access to the river and thus the sea.

   Pretty flippin' sweet, that.

The Long Walk In Daytona Beach (Part III)

   As I wanted to see what Daytona Beach looked like along A1A (and because I needed to purchase a beverage somewhere - all that walking made me quite thirsty), I left the beach itself and walked a couple blocks west to the road that runs north-south along the Florida coast, from the small town of Callahan in north Florida near the border with Georgia clear down to Miami

   The A1A is a Florida state road and from where it turns south at Atlantic Ave & So Fletcher Ave in Fernandina Beach it is rarely more than 5 blocks from a beach - that's more than 330 miles of incredible scenic views and a lot of small beach towns.

  Not to be confused with US 1, which is a United States east coast highway that runs 545 miles from the Georgia - Florida border to Key West.

   Anywhatzit, A1A in Daytona Beach is pretty much the walking/cruising strip for tourists and spring breakers, few of which were present this afternoon.

            

   A1A cuts right through the Daytona Beach tourist district, which makes it pretty easy to find your hotel.

   As you might well imagine there are a ton of surf shops, souvenir shops and liquor stores along the route, as well as other pleasant diversions such as small (and I mean, two rides, tops) amusement parks

   

Daytona Beach Screamers Park, for those who really did not like what they had for lunch

    

 

                                                  The Streamline Hotel - birthplace of NASCAR

   While the vast majority of the architecture in Daytona Beach is boring modern condo/hotel/motel/strip mall built on a lowest-cost-per-square-foot basis, there are a few gems like the Streamline Hotel seen above. 

                            Homemade Ice Cream & Karaoke Wednesdays...Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus

   There are also a number of homemade ice cream shops along A1A in Daytona Beach, and not only shops that just serve ice cream, but ice cream shops that are virtually alcohol free bars with entertainment such as featured above. I call these places "Palaces of Pleasure".

                                                         Famous Yes, But World's Most Famous? No.

   After awhile of walking along the shops, convenience stores and small cafes, I decided to get off the concrete and back on the softer (yet still hardpacked) beach. 

   I crossed the street to do that and once again I was struck by the Daytona Chamber of Commerce's boast that it was the world's most famous beach. 

   Sure, it's a fairly well known beach, but if you ask around a bit, and I mean around areas outside of Florida, I'm pretty sure you're going to get answers such as Copacabana, Waikiki, Cabo San Lucas, the French Rivera, Malibu, Bondi, Ipanema, Venice (L.A., not Italy), the Bahamas (literally, any beach on the Bahamas), Tahiti, Bali, Cozumel...

   ...heck, I'm pretty sure most people will say Florida's own Miami Beach or South Beach before they will say Daytona Beach.   

   Not trying to be a hater, as I love Daytona Beach, just sayin'...nice try, Chamber of Commerce (or Tourism Board, whatever).

                                             Daytona Beach does have a lot of pretty flowers going for it

                          Nice home on Daytona Beach. Homeowners insurance rates gotta be a bit high

   Living in a beach house is a dream, right? Though it's not a dream that should be set in Florida, IMHO. I mean, that area of the Atlantic coast is fairly well known for big storms and hurricanes, eh?

                          Daytona Beach beachfront home sans stairway to the beach, removal courtesy of a storm surge.

    Who am I kidding? If I had the money I'd probably buy a place here. It's freakin' beautiful, even with the humidity.

Walked a little past my hotel - probably hiked at least 8 miles today

Next time I think I'll rent a bike though - Dogs are barking!

 

The Long Walk In Daytona Beach (Part II)

 

                                          There it is, the Daytona Beach pier, two hours into the walk.

   After a couple of hours I started to encounter more people than shorebirds, and far more vehicles and tents as base camps were established along the long stretch of hard sand parallel to the seawall. The beach gradually became filled with the clamor of voices and the low rumble of slowly moving cars and trucks (speed limit is 10 mph on the beach).

                                                               Let the party get started

                                  Some people are more dedicated to driving the perfect beach cruiser than others

   Beach culture is a little different on the Florida coast than what I knew in SoCal. For starters, cars and trucks. Oh sure, there are millions of cars and trucks in SoCal, just not on the beach (except for Fiesta Island in SD). 

   Beaches in SoCal tend to be primarily deep, loose sand, and that doesn't work well for most cars or trucks. But beaches along the Florida coast all appear to be hardpacked sand, which is great for parking cars and trucks on.

   It's $20.00 per day to park on the beach, btw, though annual passes are available - those are $25.00 a year for residents, $100.00 a year for non-residents. A bargain at twice the price.

   Second, there does not seem to be any firepits on the beach - maybe that's due to all the cars and trucks.

                 The Daytona Beach Pier - goal reached! Please ignore the swimmers ignoring the No Swimming sign.

   Three and a half miles into the walk and it's still overcast, though the temperature is near 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The beach is far more crowded at this end, though still not a lot of people in the water. For the most part it's people hanging out in cars, on tailgates, or under beach umbrellas and pop ups.

   The Daytona Beach Pier is close to 140 years old and has weathered a helluva lot of storms. The structure has been re-enforced and shored up on a number occasions, but the original structure is intact - fairly remarkable, that.

   As I had earlier posted pictures of a short jaunt on the pier back in February, I'll forgo posting any today. Instead, I'll post this picture of a flower I found on the beach near the pier. I have no idea how it got there.

Mysterious flower found on the beach. Looks to be a chrysanthemum - maybe it was used for a burial at sea and washed ashore after a journey of hundreds of miles (Probably not, but way more romantic than "possibly flew off a table at the Eat at Joes restaurant on the pier").

Mysterious poles forming a line of demarcation a short distance from the Daytona Beach Pier - maybe a "no cars allowed past this point" dealio?

Mysterious young woman who said yes to her picture being taken as long as I obscured her "sh*itty tattoo"

                                                Not a lot of splish-splashers north of the pier, either

   From the pier a wide ribbon of concrete skirts the beach heading north and extends for a little more than a mile. It was built in the late 1920's and expanded and improved upon many times since. 

   Yeah, it's called a boardwalk even though it's concrete, just like the boardwalk between PB and MB in SD.

   The boardwalk features a bandshell that was built in the 1930's. It's a fairly unique structure as it features coquina facing. Coquina is a sedimentary rock made almost entirely out of pieces of shells that have been fused together, so it lends itself well to decoration of structures built near the sea.

   From May to September the bandshell features free concerts, which has to be a lot of fun. Might have to come back in a few months just to check that out.

   The boardwalk is lined with souvenir shops, small cafes, restaurants, arcades, and amusement parks - none of which I ventured toward as I figured it was time for me to start heading back.

                               Tide was coming in and I had to start walking the 3.5 miles back to the hotel