Daytona Beach to Merritt Island

2 Chicas Visit the Circus at the Daytona Beach Pier

2 Chicas were reinvigorated after the wonderful visit to Tomoka State Park, it would be nice to visit a man made attraction.

Golly gee - were we surprised at how much Daytona Beach has upgraded their pier.

There is a lovely walkway right outside the beach area with a water feature and placards describing the “old” Daytona Beach Pier. The pier had been closed for some time, but the renovation was well thought out.

Chica 2 squeals "Moby Dick" to the shock of those standing nearby. She sheepishly grins and points to the placard that describes the whaling that took place right off of the shores of Daytona Beach.

The beach is the real star here. Miles of compacted sand that can be walked or driven. Yes, you can drive on areas of the beach, just watch out for the sunbathers, posers, and fishing fanatics. There are a lot of people all during the week enjoying this beautiful stretch of beach.

The water on the east coast of Florida isn't as calm as the water on the west coast. There are big waves and surfers regularly testing out their skills here in Daytona.

So be careful should you choose to swim. There are often sad tales of rip tides dragging strong swimmers under.
That said, there is nothing like sitting by this beautiful ocean and listening to the wonderful ebb and flow of the water!

Chica 2 swears she hears the voice of the evil witch beckoning her to come to the sea. Chica 1 bets the voice is more like Charlie the tuna begging her to rejoin the chickens of the sea! Tee hee he 

Anyhoo, on to the area that has the carnival like feel. Chica 2 said she wanted to take a jump off of a high platform. Perhaps she fancies herself a greater diver? Fortunately for her, there is a huge bungee jump as well as a colorful Ferris wheel.  

After much big talk, there was no big jump. Chica 2 kept on walking and looking at the water.

2 Chicas have to say, Daytona has really upgraded the area. Get out there and enjoy the ocean air and stroll under the boardwalk.

2 Chicas and the Mary McLeod Bethune Home

2 Chicas recognize Mary McLeod Bethune (MMB) as one of the most outstanding figures of African-American history. But a little known fact about Ms. Bethune is her role in the United Methodist Church.

Chica 2 was shocked to know that she was approaching a historic home that was recognized as a Heritage Landmark of the United Methodist Church (UMC).

The Cookman name attached to Bethune-Cookman College was an institute founded by the UMC and merged with Mary McLeod Bethune in 1924 and was renamed in 1929.

Chica 1 was interested in grand history of this woman – her Last Will and Testament is one of the most incredible documents in African-American history. READ IT! It documents the greatest lessons learned over a lifetime by this unbelievable woman. You see, MMB was in the White House as an advisor in the 1930s!

 

This was before any significant Civil Rights accomplishment. When she died in 1955, she had written a manifesto that rings true today.

This pilgrimage was more about paying respect to an icon and making her a relevant part of the current fabric of our state of being than about touring a house and admiring old artifacts. Don't forget to stop and pay your respects at her gravesite.

The campus was alive with activity and Chica 2 had to be reminded her college days were long gone. No you can’t run off to class with that handsome young, young man! Chica 2, there is no need to find the student union, you won't be playing games with the freshmen today!

Walking around to the front of the house, Chica 1 was amazed that MMB lived so comfortably. You see, Ms. Bethune lived at a time when abject poverty in the South was the norm for both races. She was such a beacon of hope to those who thought no one even saw them, much less cared.

To think she opened her own school in this area in 1904 is amazing! To know she served as an Administrator for the President of the United States in 1936 is mind blowing! There are no pictures allowed in the house, but be sure to visit the room where Eleanor Roosevelt spent the night.

The history on this campus is a must for anyone in tune with the current status of political history in this country. 2 Chicas say salute you Mary McLeod Bethune and hope that your powerful legacy is recognized well into the future. God is Good!

2 Chicas Race to Daytona International Speedway

Since 2 Chicas were already in Dayton Beach, we decided to swing past the Daytona International Speedway.

This place is huge! It was originally opened by the NASCAR founder, Bill France, in 1959. Today it has become an international phenomenon, and now hosts eight major races each year.

Chica 2 squeals she feels the need to speed! Not on International Boulevard, you will surely get a ticket! Chica 2 does more boasting than Donald Trump after enhaling all that hair spray. She believes she would just burn up the track. Chica 1 agrees, after she wrecks the car and sets the whole place on fire!

Chica 1 shares that the speeday will allow you (for a fee) to drive an official NASCAR race car around the track.  Chica 2 quickly asks what time we were to be at our next destination. So much for that! Seriously though, Chica 2 is quite a good driver so it is funny that she thinks she would be able to exceed any speed limit!

 
2 Chicas know nothing about racing, but we do admire this fine track.  If you are into NASCAR and are ever in Daytona, stop by. There’s a free self-tour and a theme park like experience that charges a fee.

The Richard Petty Experience really would be a must do for those who want to see what it is like to drive the track!  Good luck and God speed.

  2 Chicas Coo Coo for Cocoa Beach?

2 Chicas are head ed south on I-95 and it feels like old times. Singing some innocuous song, laughing and cracking jokes, and discussing big plans about the next stop were just good times.  There was a little daylight left so we decided to do a second pier in a day, so Chica 2 headed the car east to Cocoa Beach. 

We heard a lot about this little pier and were excited for the opportunity to do a little more exploration of the area. The traffic was heavy as we slowly chugged through town and out to the beach. Before you know it we were headed to Port Canaveral! 

Turn her around Chica 2, we’ve missed our destination. By now dusk had transformed to dark and finding the pier became more difficult, but we are two trusty adventurers!
Harken dear Chica 2, yonder a circle in the midst of darkness.  We arrived at the Coca Beach Pier.  Parking was easy enough and free after 4 p.m. Since it was still early, we decided to do a little fishing.

Strolling out on the pier was interesting initially. There were quite a few people waiting for seats at the different restaurants. The signs pointed through one area and around a corner to the fishing pier. 

After we rounded the last corner, Chica 2 quizzically asked if we had died.  It was so dark, you would have thought we suddenly passed into the hereafter. At the end of the pier was a final bar, but between here and there was the fishing area.

We sat on a bench and listened to the sound of the waves crashing on the beach. It was a wonderful experience and when paired with the partly cloudy sky, it was a nice end to a perfect day. Needless to say, it was far too dark to fish, even though we gave it the old 2 Chica try!!

It is time to go Chica 2, who in the pitch dark, cast her line over the side of the pier in hopes of snagging the perfect fish. We can only hope she didn’t hook the Loch Ness Monster! Come on little coo coo bird! 2 Chicas say Cocoa Pier is best enjoyed during the day!


2 Chicas Find Merit on this Island

 2 Chicas were refreshed and headed to the first adventure of the day. As we pulled off the exit to Merritt Island, just thinking about this bird sanctuary had Chica 1’s juices flowing.

What might we see Chica 2?  Maybe we would get a glimpse of something exotic and out of the ordinary for Florida. What in the world would that be?

Chica 1 started singing “I want a hippopotamus for Christmas”. You win again, Chica 2, a hippopotamus would be different! 

Merritt Island has a National Wildlife Refuge within eyesight of John F. Kennedy Space Center. Yes, eagles and space shuttles soar within the same rarefied air and zip code!

The birds and other wild life from sea turtles to manatees is a wild life lover’s dream. There are bald eagles and falcons, ducks and wood peckers, the rare wood stork and the common egrets and herons.

At different times during the breeding season, birds are in their full breeding plumage. It is an incredible sight!

2 Chicas always begin at the Visitor Information Center, and this trip is no different. There are always extremely helpful rangers who know the lay of the land and can point out details that you are sure to miss when venturing out on your own.

The kind ranger pointed out unique features of the area, including the exact location of a nesting eagle.

So off we go to explore the varied habitat. Chica 2 was her normal excited self, pointing and squealing at the different birds sitting on electrical wires and flitting back and forth in front of the car. What’s that? She would ask and

Chica 1 would look through the bird book to try and identify the species.  It was great fun!

Out on Wildlife Drive, it was obvious we had entered the home of the animals. The gravel road and wetlands all around were filled with various species of birds relaxing or feeding. They were amazing unfazed at the car grumbling down the road with two passengers peeking out to take pictures.

We drive all over this island – over to a canal that often has manatees enjoying the warm water.  We end our journey at the Canaveral National Seashore.

Surely you have seen the hundreds of people on the seashore taking pictures of the space shuttle taking off for some long journey into the unknown.

If you look north, you will see the buildings used to house the space shuttle. The platform is also visible, but it was a little overcast the day we were out on the shore.

The peacefulness of Merritt Island and Canaveral Seashore are best enjoyed during the week. 2 Chicas were pretty much alone on many of the roads.

We could pick our spot for fishing, hiking or just sitting and watching a great heron hunt and dine. Come on over – you won’t be disappointed!

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