Daytona International Speedway

The day is young, but the air is hot; you can feel its stickiness on your skin.  The pavement only radiates the heat making it worse, but for some reason, this discomfort vanishes as you see movement across the track.  You hold your breath and your heart begins to race as the vehicle approaches and roars past in the blink of an eye leaving only fumes in its wake.  You look at your friend and just like a child you beg, "Again, again!"

     I was never a fan of sitting in front of a television to watch cars circle a racetrack for hours upon hours at a time.  To me, NASCAR was for the rednecks of America the beautiful, and in many ways, it certainly is; however, my visit to the Daytona International Speedway changed my opinion of the sport (I guess you would call it a sport?).
     On Daytona Beach day, I put on my cutoff jean shorts (to better fit in), and Doubles Shark Whisperer and I headed for the racetrack (check it off the bucket list).  The Speedway only hosts a few events throughout the year, the most important being the Daytona 500.  On all other days, tourists are allowed to take tours (NASCAR facts don't interest me....who's Dale Earnhardt Jr.?), do ride-alongs with professionals (are you crazy?), change tires (I have triple-A for that), and drive yourself around the track (no, seriously, are you crazy?).  Basically, you name it, they will allow you to do it for a price.  However, very few people know that you can walk right out to the racetrack for free, and that is precisely what we did.
     On this particular day, the professional drivers were taking tourists on ride-alongs, which allowed us to experience what it's really like to see a car on the track going well over 160mph.  I have to say that after feeling that rush, I am definitely more open to NASCAR, but you probably won't see me wasting my afternoon away on watching cars circle a track.  Buy me tickets though, and I'll be there in a pit stop......is that the saying?.....or maybe in a jiffy.

Daytona International Speedway (said in the most redneck voice possible).

"America is about speed--hot, nasty, badass speed.-Eleanor Roosevelt"  (From Talladega Nights)

Where's Jdub?  Similar to Where's Waldo but more female and less striped.

"I like to picture Jesus in a tuxedo T-shirt because it says I want to be formal, but I'm here to party."  (From Talladega Nights)

"If you ain't first, you're last."  (From Talladega Nights)

"Shake and bake!" (From Talladega Nights)

Sweet home 'murica!

No words.

Cruisin' Daytona Beach with these hot pups.

Daytona Beach.

Motorsport Terminology

Bridesmaid:  A driver who finishes the race or racing season as runner up. Derived from the expression 'always the bridesmaid, never the bride' referring to someone who frequently comes close to success without ever achieving it.
Buschwhacker or Claim Jumper:  A driver who regularly races in the first tier NASCAR series, the Sprint Cup Series, who makes guest or semi-regular appearances racing in the second-tier NASCAR Nationwide Series. The term was named originally for then sponsor of the second-tier series Anheuser-Busch brewery. The newer term references insurance abuse (from the current sponsor).
Door-slammer:  Drag racing term used to group vehicles, usually sedan bodied, that still have functional doors for driver access to the vehicle, as opposed to Funny cars which have a single lightwight outer body draped over the racing chassis.
Flopper:  Funny car, short for "fender flopper." Coined by dragster crews in the late 1960s to separate Funny Cars, which had fiberglass bodies with fenders, from dragsters. Erroneously attributed to flip-top bodies of Funny Cars.
Hung-out-to-dry:  Typically used in context to pack racing; a car that pulls out of the "draft train" to make a pass, but ends up losing many positions. Numerous cars drafting closely together normally drive faster than one car by itself. The lone car hung out to dry sometimes falls all the way to the end of the draft train.
Kitty litter:  Informal term with two possible meanings. It is either a nickname for a gravel trap, or for a material applied to the track surface to clean up a leaking fluid.
Lollipop:  A sign on a stick used in pit stops, which is held in front of the car and raised when the pit stop is completed. Though the same basic device is utilized in NASCAR and IndyCar, generic terms such as pit board or sign board are preferred as the sign is not round, but sometimes square, and often is in a specific design unique to the driver or team (such as Kevin Harvick's happy face logo, or a team's number stylised as it fits on the car). In addition, in NASCAR & IndyCar, the sign is usually only used for the driver to locate their pit box. It is pulled back, and not normally used to signal departure as it is in Formula One,.
Marbles:  Pieces of rubber from tires that accumulate on the racing surface outside of the racing line that are slippery like toy marbles.
Meatball:  A specific racing flag used in some countries to indicate to a competitor there is a defect with the car which has the potential to cause a safety risk to the competitor or to another competitor. Most usually applied to trailing smoke or loose bodywork. The flag is black with a large orange dot in the centre of the flag, looking vaguely like a meatball.

And now it's time for my victory lap.....

Florida Sunrises

     I have mixed feelings about waking up to see the sunrise.  You start off hating yourself for setting the alarm when it does go off.  You cuss out the dogs for even thinking it's acceptable to stand on your chest and lick you face when you don't get out of bed on the first alarm.  You drag yourself, your dog, and your luggage out the door and simply sulk that it's still dark outside and your bed is still warm inside.  You hit the cold, sandy beach and as the sun peaks out just above the endless ocean, you finally feel the thrill and the joy of why you're up early.  The morning seems to drag on, as after only an hour, you wonder if it's lunchtime yet.  You thank the lord (or whomever/whatever) for letting this day, filled with many adventures, be the longest day ever.  Is it bedtime yet?

I'm ready for my opening number.....entitled "The Beginning of a New Day."  Vocals by Maya and choreography by Phoebe.

As I Piered into My Future.  Hehehe.  I blame you, dad, for my stupid jokes.

Sun's up.  Surf's up.

Why, hello.  Remember me?  We met yesterday....and the day before.....and the day before that.

Just a girl and her dog.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse at the crack of dawn.  Said to be haunted, but I don't think ghosts like mornings much either.

An hour later we stopped for breakfast at this beach.  There was a pelican party happening out there......in the air.

There were many others who shared in viewing this sunrise.  From the surfers to the early morning walkers, my favorite was the older man sitting cross-legged and meditating......with a cigar hanging out of his mouth.  I look forward to retirement.

St. Augustine--Ponce de Leon Hotel

     It was 1888, and Henry Flagler, a co-founder of Standard Oil with Rockefeller, had opened the Ponce de Leon Hotel in St. Augustine (the first structure to be built out of poured concrete), where people could experience electricity designed personally by Thomas Edison, enjoy the murals by George W. Maynard and architecture by John Carrere and Thomas Hastings, watch the sun's rays hit glass made by Tiffany, and drink running water imported and stored in the two towers.

     Staying at this luxurious resort was for the wealthy at over $5 per day.  People like Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt, Somerset Maugham, and Babe Ruth came to stay.  Hotel staff were available to turn on and off the lights, as this was the first public place to have electricity making naive guests nervous of switches (no blow dryers in the tub please).  Staff was also there to change the light bulbs every 8 hours, as that was their lifespan.

     The hotel was eventually transformed into what is today, the center of Flagler College.  The ballroom now serves as the cafeteria, and the hotel rooms have been transformed into dorm rooms.  Students of the college give tours and share a little of the history to travelers like myself.

On the campus of Flagler College.

They appeared to be land mines, but with the lack of explosion after touching them, it was concluded they were not.

Ponce de Leon Hotel entrance with two very important people: Henry Flagler and JDub.

Ponce de Leon Hotel has now been converted into a residence hall for Flagler College.

The fountain was built to look like a sword inserted into the ground, surrounded by four turtles (for the seasons) and 12 frogs (for the months of the year).

Oh so pretty.

The hotel was in every aspect perfect, so Henry decided one mistake must made for good luck..  Can you spot it?

The architects used the capitol building in Washington D.C. to design the hotel.  The similarities are very distinguishable (wait, does that make sense?).  The rotunda (said in a very deep voice).

In the ballroom surrounded by Tiffany glass.  May I have this dance?

A close-up of the Tiffany windows.  What did they do pre-Windex era?

Thomas Edison built the clock above the mantel.  It no longer works and would only be broken if fixed.  Total bummer!

Oh Scarlet, I would be forever delighted to dine at your place.  Lunch after our tour.

Finally some beach time!  Maya digging to China.  I placed my order for some crab rangoon.  Did you want anything?

St. Augustine--Fort Castillo de San Marcos

     While everyone else had a three-day weekend of relaxation, pool-time, and grilling over Memorial Day, I was stuck indoors helping the future of America pass their chemistry finals.  In between my tutoring sessions, I was throwing things into a suitcase in my own preparation for a slightly delayed vacation.  Tuesday morning and after 15 hours of gas laws and periodic table trends, I drugged my dog (like any good parent should do with their pet.....or child) and boarded a plane.  Destination: Florida.  Purpose: Beach Hopping.  First Stop: St. Augustine.

     Most people think the first colony in America was Jamestown, but they would be wrong.....and how do I put it?  Not smarter than a 5th grader.  The first colony was actually settled by the Spanish in 1565 and named St. Augustine.  The city would become Spain's capital of the new world for two hundred years.  Like any strong colony, protection was needed, so a military base was constructed and named Fort Castillo de San Marcos.

     The Spaniards first built their fort out of wood.  Now I'm no expert and have never been to battle, but I am pretty sure "wood" is not the best fort material.  Holding true, the fort was burned several times (even once by its own unhappy soldiers) and finally rebuilt with a local material called coquina, completely made out of shells.  Surprising enough, the shells acted as a sponge when hit with cannon balls, a very useful defense mechanism.  Today, the fort still stands and has become a National Park.

Doubles Shark Whisperer, my travel buddy, at the entrance to the oldest standing structure in the United States.

From afar, the fort appears to be tiny, but in all actuality, it is very big.  A perspective used to confuse enemies.

I'm pretty sure I could take this fort in a matter of hours.

The moat never had water or sharks (with lasers on them).  Instead, it allowed for the structure to be built lower into the ground, giving that tiny perspective when seen from afar.

The central courtyard of the fort.

Dolphins!!!

What'd I do to you?

Pondering......if I should've eaten that fourth cupcake or not.

Considered one of the best views in the city.  I'd have to agree.

Thoughts.....by Doubles Shark Whisperer.  A very scary thing.

Tasty drinks with some live music to cool off a hot afternoon at the fort.  The singer would announce when the drinking part of the song was.....for every song.  That wasn't annoying at all.

And to finish off the evening, I scarfed down some waffles covered in BBQ pulled pork with berries and maple syrup.  One word: YUM!  (Or is that even a word?)