March 6-31, 2007 - Slipping down from northern Florida, we arrived in
Daytona just in time to watch the Daytona 200 motorcycle race. When we first
stepped into the grandstand and heard the motorcycles go by I had to brace
myself. I could feel the roar of the engines in my chest. The speed was
shocking -- and exciting. It was a duel between a pair of Honda riders and a
pair of Kawasaki riders. The Honda rider #1 led every single lap, trading pulls
with #98 for the first third of the race. Then #98 had a mechanical problem
and #1 was on his own. The crazy thing about this race is that the leaders lap
the losers many times during the race, and it is absolute mayhem as the
leaders weave through the pack of slower riders.
#1 held out
and won the race handily -- only to be disqualified the next day
for having illegally polished part of his engine. Mark caught the
checker flag moment with his camera -- quite a feat given that
the bike was going 180 mph! The winner took a victory lap and
we staggered away breathless. What a thrill !!
We wandered down to Daytona
Beach and discovered it was the peak
of Spring Break. What luck!
Daytona Beach has several areas where you can drive your vehicle
right on the beach. This is where the "cruising" action is. Parked cars,
beach towels, and vendors line the breakwater below the hotels, while
the kids cruise up and down the strip of sand just beyond the waves.
It was a study in
showing off your
assets while
pretending not to
care if anyone
noticed.
The girls banded
together in an
impenetrable group --
-- while the boys
hung out with each
other a healthy
distance away.
The girls strutted.
The boys tossed a
football. It was the
mating ritual of the
college crowd.
Even the pelicans
cruised the beach in a tightly
packed formation, twenty feet
above us.
We noticed a bevy of beautiful babes approaching us on the beach. They had
caught our attention going the other way twenty minutes earlier. Without doubt,
they were the hottest things on the beach that day.
We were delighted when these bathing beauties
surrounded Mark for a photo.
As the angels radiated youth and promise, the pelicans soared in the heavens above.
Not far from Daytona we looked to the heavens once again as we
watched a rocket launch at Cape Canaveral. We stood four miles
from the launch pad, but the rumble from the rocket shook the
ground. This particular rocket was launching a satellite that would
support a new startup company's venture. The company was
planning to provide satellite based music and movie entertainment
as well as GPS, internet and telecommunication to drivers across
the US. The launch was broadcast on TV monitors throughout the
viewing area, showing the progress of the rocket as it flew through
the sky towards the equator where it finally unleashed its load into
orbit.
The pride of the Space Coast was evident everywhere, with
Space Shuttle icons displayed all over the place, from McDonalds
to convenience stores. It is a close-knit community of people who
work in a really cool industry.
We returned to Daytona Beach for a post-Spring Break stroll.
Our punk-rock friend, the Royal Tern, surveyed the ocean views
while a sandpiper played in the wave.
Like clockwork, the waves swished on the sand and the birds
dashed in and out of the foam. It was a pattern that seemed
relentless in its consistency.
I turned and looked at the highrise behind me hanging over
the beach. It held a similar pattern, manmade, rhythmic...and
relentless in its consistency.
It was a beautiful day on a
beautiful beach, and we happily
left our bare footprints in the sand.
From Daytona we ventured to
Miami and the sights of south