DIXIE CROSSROADS, OUTLETS, AND WISCONSIN FRIENDS!

 Wednesday, January 14, 2025
Wyndham La Quinta Oceanside
Cocoa Beach, FL
69F

After a car wash this morning, we hit the St. Augustine outlets for super deals at Tommy Bahama and Chico's.   Friend Ann, you did not steer me wrong and I made purchases at Chico's sister store, if you get my drift.  

Before noon we were on the road, headed to Buc-ee's in Daytona Beach.  That was when we spotted a Tanger Outlet Mall across the road with Trader Joe's and many other stores, but we only made purchases at Trader Joe's. TK loves their ground coffee, which will make it back to Pennsylvania.  About that time we realized that Donna and Lawrence were headed to Cocoa Beach today too!  

So, we met them at Dixie Crossroads, the restaurant we had planned to go to when TK took his tumble and broke his upper femur last  year.  Dear Donna and Lawrence stopped at the hospital soon after his surgery as they were headed to the cruise too. BUT this year, we are sure  hoping to board the Enchanted Princess with them on Friday!  By the way, the Enchanted Princess was the ship we were supposed to be on last year.

Today I drove the Acadia for the first time--it is so much easier than the truck that felt like I was driving a semi tractor trailer blindfolded with my hands tied behind my back.   That is all in the past, but I should  have been driving the new car sooner.  

We are   calling it a night, more malls and shopping tomorrow. Cruise begins on Friday!

The view from our La Quinta balcony

pool is straight down

Atlantic Ocean in the distance

TK and Janie at Dixie Crossroads

We forgot to get a photo with Donna and Lawrence

Brother Bill and Marge were at the

PA State Farm Show in Harrisburg

last Friday and Saturday

Photo by Marge

I love this butter sculpture!!!

TK's Takes: Good weather, cloudy today. Janie gets a passing grade for her driving.

BUC-EES ENCORE, RONJON’S, AND SPACE LAUNCH IN CAPE CANAVERAL!

Thursday, January 18, 2024
Hampton Inn
Cape Canaveral, FL
74F

It was 56F when we left St. Augustine this morning, and by the time we checked into our hotel for tonight,  it was already 74F. I hate to say that when our Erie/Jamestown area family and friends are anticipating a blizzard and cold conditions tomorrow. We hope they stay safe and warm!

Today we learned how to turn a 2 hour drive into 4  hours. First, TK could not handle his dirty truck any longer, so we went to Tidal Wave Car Wash in St. Augustine. The truck really does look better.

TK and his treasured clean truck

Since we were so smitten by Buc-ees in St. A, we decided to head to the one in Daytona Beach. I learned that this chain started in Texas in 1982, and there are only two in Florida at this time. I asked how many gas pumps there are at the Daytona location and the cashier said, “104.”  Again, we were spellbound by the size and amount of offerings, and we did purchase a few things like barbecue sauce.

Can you tell there are 104 gas pumps?

A wall of jerky

Close up of jerky in another section

Our family's brand of coffee essentials!

Job opportunties--pays well with health, 

401K, and vacation benefits!

Following U.S. A1A was a treat because we could get glimpses of the Atlantic, the tall buildings like hotels and condos on the beach, and all the interesting homes and tourist shops alongside the grocery stores and drugstores.

 We decided to stop at the Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, a military cemetery in Brevard County, Florida established in 2016 and covers 318 acres. It is beautifully maintained.

Cape Canaveral National Cemetery

Beautifully kept gravestones

Origin plaque

Reflection 

As we continued our travels on the very interesting U.S. A1A and U.S. 1, we had a little conversation about when we are driving on a four lane road, there is a power lane and a gawking lane.  If the driver is gawking, he or she should not be in the power lane.  Readers probably can probably figure out who is driving and gawking in the power lane, aka the passing lane.  I could not find an image to share but imagine Rt. 20 with four lanes, going toward Fairview with lots of interesting things to see on both sides of the road.

We arrived in Cocoa Beach and went straight to RonJon’s, a favorite stop because it is a large, interesting store with everything imaginable for visiting the beach or Florida, swimsuits, tshirts, sunscreen, surfboards, sunglasses, why are we so fascinated? Colors! Sounds!  I cannot explain myself.

By 2 p.m. we decided to check in at the Hampton Inn, Cape Canaveral, before we headed to Titusville, FL, to eat at Dixie Crossroads, another favorite.  The seafood restaurant that runs its own shrimp boats was not busy and soon we were enjoying fried cornbread balls, Krabby Bites, and fried rock shrimp.

The outdoor area for feeding fish and turtles

Somehow we learned that there was going to be a space launch today.  The Ax-3 mission, Axiom Space's third commercial spaceflight with SpaceX, was scheduled to send four astronauts to the ISS from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida aboard a Falcon 9 rocket and its Dragon spacecraft Freedom. Liftoff was scheduled for 4:49 p.m.

We were on the 4^th floor of the hotel and a window near the elevators faced toward the launch pad and luckily no one was there. While TK was resting, I kept an eye on the area despite the clouds. I didn’t actually see the spacecraft, but I felt one distinct “earth shaking” and heard two booms! I was so happy to know that the crew seemed safe.  “The first all-European commercial crew is on its way to the International Space Station.” Friend Ann was on the phone with me and watched the launch on TV.

Today's launch of Ax-3 Mission -January 18, 2024

https://www.space.com/spacex-ax-3-private-astronaut-mission-launch-success

TK, Randy, Brian, and I saw the Space Shuttle Discovery launched in June 1985.  An Erie East HS graduate of the 50s who worked for NASA gave us launch passes and we were as close to the launch as civilians could get.  That sight was beyond belief. Sound and Smoke and Fire!  In January 2018 TK and I saw a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch when we were leaving on a cruise ship out of Port Canaveral.  Seeing a launch is the sight of a lifetime.

That was the end of the excitement for today!

TK’s Takes:  He got nervous when the bus full of families with lots of kids pulled up to the hotel as we were checking in. People arriving for a Disney cruise tomorrow.  We live in fear of children running up and down the halls and hollering. [Janie’s note: I think we ae going to be OK, so far, no running!]