Jetty Park and Kennedy Space Center FL

From Ovieda, we take the toll roads to Florida's Atlantic coast.  Our final destination is Mac's favorite campground Jetty Park. Mac has reserved several campsite and cabins for a general family reunion of cousins (more on the reunion on a later blog page). Since we are driving a rental car on this trip, we rent one of the park cabins adjacent to Mark & Jill's RV spot.

Our home for 2 nights

Mark, Enzo, & Jill + their Navion next door

After settling in, I explore the park, jetty, and nearby beach. Just outside the northern side of the park is a deep channel to a large cruise ship harbor. With both the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral and Walt Disney World in Orlando nearby, this cruise ship harbor does a steady business.  In fact, seeing cruise ships over the tops of the trees close to our cabin is a common if surreal experience.  Not to miss the opportunity, I grab my camera and follow a cruise ship out the channel next to jetty and into the Atlantic.

Cruise ship smoke stack passes Jetty Park

down the channel and into the Atlantic.

The next morning, a group of us decide to explore the Kennedy Space Center about a 20 minute drive to the north.

Turn-off to Space Center

Walkway from parking lot to Space Center

Photo op for visitors

Just inside the park is a large fountain celebrating former president John F. Kennedy's Sept 16, 1962 speech at Rice Stadium voicing his intention to explore space. The quote on the fountain is still inspiring today. Too bad our national resources are being diverted to less noble pursuits.

"For the eyes of the world now look into space, to the moon and the planets beyond,
and we have vowed that we shall not see it governed by a hostile flag of conquest, but by a banner of freedom and peace."

Needless to say the emphasis of the Space Center is on space exploration, not only by the United States but also international projects.

International space exploration

Of course all kinds of missiles and rockets

Even "Space Balls" ice cream

We board one of the bus tours that comes with our admission. The tour guide points out the main NASA building. Like much of the Space Center, this building is massive. The painted flag on the left upper part of the building alone is 15 stories high.  The special tractor/trailer used to transport rockets to the launch pad is also massive. The height of the tractor treads is over the height of most men.

NASA building

Rocket transporter

Treads are over 6' high

The bus tour drops us off at the Apollo/Saturn V Center.  While there we watch an excellent simulation of a launch sequence.  This simulation was so realistic it gives us a good taste of the tension and excitement people must experience during an actual launch. If you're interested in seeing a real launch, the Kennedy Space Center website is sure to post the date and time of the next live launch. Later we learn Jetty Park is also a great place to watch launches; however, if you're planning to stay at the park, you'll need to reserve EARLY.

Sign at entrance to Apollo/Saturn V Center

World stations checking in before a launch

Countdown above engineers' monitors - 5 secs to go

BLAST OFF!

The rocket's off and on it's way - all monitors are now engaged

After the simulation, we take more time to inspect the exhibits. I'm especially fascinated by one display of newspaper headlines from around the world announcing the first successful moon walks.

Rocket booster

Italy Il Messaggero

San Francisco Chronicle

Another fascinating exhibit contains actual space suits worn by the astronauts as well as one of the capsules they flew in (claustrophobics need not apply). Both the suits and seats are individually designed and created to fit each astronaut's body like a glove (gloves included).

Astronaut suit

Wow - that capsule is pretty cozy for 2 or 3 people

Hand casts for gloves

One of the Space Center's buildings is dedicated to space stations and the shuttles.

Jill, Astronaut, Me & Holly have some fun. "The sky calls to us." Carl Sagan

Space Station arm sporting solar panels

A boy tries his hand at controlling robotic arms. Maybe playing video games are worth something.

The Shuttle Atlantis

Robotic arm - and shuttle cut away.

Earthbound shuttle bus

That evening we all (west and east coast cousins) troop down to Coco Beach to Mac's favorite local dive - the Sandbar Sports Grill. We enter through a front door decorated to appear as the mouth of a Tiki God or gorilla. This place is a real kick and as a matter of fact the food's pretty good too.

Entrance to the Sandbar Sports Grill

If you drink in the sand, you will talk to the Man!

This sign isn't kidding - their fish tacos are really good.

We've had a great time at Jetty Park and Cape Canaveral. We plan to return.

Cruise ship heads out to sea off Jeffy Beach

Sunset over Jetty Park

Clearwater, Tampa, and Ovieda FL

From Silver Springs we cut across to Clearwater on Florida's western shore on the Gulf of Mexico. Clearwater holds the record for the most consecutive sunny days (361) according to the Guinness World Records. This general area is where several of Peter's relatives from Massachusetts have migrated to in their retirements.

Large condo development near Clearwater beach

Tractor grooming the sand

Peter has promised me sugary white sands on Clearwater Beach and the sand is every bit as fine and white as imagined. We take advantage of the low tide for a stroll up and down this beautiful beach.

I get a kick out of a flock of Royal Terns (with a few sea gulls thrown in for good measure). They are all facing the same way and are surprisingly tame as I am able to get quite close to them for photos.

Royal Terns at Clearwater Beach

Earlier as we were parking, we noticed a colorful dive bar right at the edge of the beach. For a treat after our walk we decide to check it out. You got to love Florida's beach dive bars... they are full of good drinks and colorful characters.

Rockaway Gill on Clearwater Beach

Mark, Peter, Jill, and me

Baseball player taking a break?

From Clearwater we follow the coastline south to Saint Petersburg and St Pete's Beach, my favorite of the beach towns along this stretch of the Florida coastline. In St Pete's Beach we stop for lunch at the Grand Plaza Hotel.
After parking, we wander through the hotel to Bongos Beachside Bistro which Yelp lists as one of the best places around for lunch.  Yelp got it right this time. It is right on the sand and serves great fish tacos and umbrella drinks.

Me & Peter beach side

Yummmm

Mark & Jill

We saddle up and skirt Tampa Bay into Tampa.  As we near Tampa I watch spectacular thunderheads building towards the east. By the time we are passing downtown Tampa, the clouds start to look more menacing.  Then all of a sudden we're hit by a downpour - a true cloudburst. I keep asking Peter to turn the windshield wipers up faster, but they are cranked up all the way. Motorcyclists and small cars pull off under overpasses. We are just about to do the same when suddenly the downpour tapers off and stops. Wow - it's rare we see these kinds of clouds and downpours around coastal California. 

That's a big thunderhead brewing up ahead

Those clouds are looking dark

Cloudburst!

Later we learn these fast strong storms are common around Tampa and Ovieda, our destination for the day. We are staying with Aunt Ann. Her house is in an "old Florida" neighborhood on the outskirts of Ovieda. Peter's aunt and cousins inform us Ovieda is the lightning capitol of the nation. With all the houses sporting lightening rods and the storm we just came through, I have no trouble believing them.

In front of Aunt Ann's

Ann's lightening rod

and guest bedroom.

This homes in this neighborhood are dwarfed by large trees festooned with hanging Spanish moss. Yes - I'm a sucker for Spanish moss.
That evening Peter's cousin Mac and family invite us to dinner. They have made a large pot of gumbo (a dish I grew up eating at my Cajun's grandmother's). My first taste of Mac's gumbo immediately transported to my grandmother's kitchen. Thank you - it was truly wonderful.

Mac's house - a few blocks from Ann's

with a screened in back swimming pool.

The next morning, Aunt Ann treats us to a great breakfast at the Townhouse Restaurant, an Ovieda favorite since the 1950's. It's there we learn about Ovieda's chickens. These feral chickens are legally protected by the town. Local traffic stops to let the chicken(s) cross the road safely. Determined to see them, we cruise town until we come to a fast food parking lot where they like to hang out. Sure enough, the parking lot is literally clucking with Ovieda chickens. They are all look very healthy and well feed from local bugs and handouts.  Also hanging out with the chickens are two large healthy Sandhill cranes. Thus Ovieda is known for both its foul lightening storms and its fowls.

Ovieda chickens

Sandhill cranes