Daytona Beach

While Omar and I waited for my parents to arrive to check in we walked around on the beach. The water was perfect - it felt like how it did at South Beach. The water isn't nearly as pretty though. It after 4pm when my parents were all settled and we didn't want to get into swim suits with it being so late. I almost wish we had looking back on it, because a cold front came in and it was cold going into the water the next day.

We drove around for about an hour looking at the different houses and sites while trying to find a restaurant that my mom went to with one of her teacher conventions that she thought was really good. We finally were able to find it, "Aunt Catfish's" and it is right on the inter-coastal. We sat outside which was nice and cool and there was live music. The view was pretty too. The food was so yummy. They have this incredible salad and fixin' bar to go with it with good old southern favorites like cheesy grits, baked beans, cornbread, etc. We had a nice time here. 

We were stuffed by all the food and then we decided to go to a movie. My parents have seen pretty much everything out except the new Taylor Lautner movie that just came out called "Abduction" so we went and saw that. No one but my dad even knew what it was about. I don't think I have ever watched a movie in a theater without knowing what it was about first. It was pretty good. After that we walked around the pier area of Daytona Beach. They have carnival rides there, but it is like $5/ride. Too expensive for my blood. The pier is closed for renovations, but it was neat going to that area. 

Saturday we woke up and took a walk all the way down to the pier. 

We then went to breakfast in the morning. We went to Mike's Galley. It was SO good!!! They bake their own bread and baked goods. I think we had a little of everything. Eggs Benedict, french toast, cinnamon roll, pancakes, eggs, grits, home style potatoes, potato casserole, fish sandwich, etc. It was a place I would definitely return to. The prices were pretty good too I thought. 

After eating there we went and relaxed at the pool reading and talking.

After a few hours of that we went to the Ponce de Leon Inlet Light Station Museum. It is home of the 2nd largest lighthouse in the country. It was really nice. They have done an incredible job restoring the place. They even have the original buildings that the lighthouse keepers used to stay in restored into a really great museum. It was very interesting learning about their lives there are Mosquito Coast (that is what Daytona Beach used to be called). 

We walked up the 203 stairs to the top of the lighthouse. Can you imagine climbing that with 40 pounds of kerosene? I can't. The view was incredible and the breeze was so nice and refreshing. It would have been really scary to be up there at night with a storm or hurricane though. The lighthouse keepers would take shifts every night of 3 watches to make sure that light would not go out and stuff. What a boring job. This was well worth the $5 we paid to enter. 

We then went and had a late lunch at BJ's on the water. It was recommended to me by a friend. It is more like a bar, and boats can dock there and you walk up to order. The food was good though. 

We went back to the hotel and hung out at the beach some more. We then had the debate to leave or stay and decided to go that evening to Buffalo Wild Wings for a late dinner and to watch the UF vs Alabama game. We stayed for the first half. That was my dad's first experience ever going to a sports bar. 

The next day dad and I went for another long walk together and then we packed up and left. Omar and I drove on the beach when we left just so I could say that I had done it. I don't think I will be coming back to Daytona in the near future. If I do, I think it would be just a day trip and I would drive my car on the beach.