[Flagler Beach] * Winter Escape 2023 - Week 3

  Monday, February 6th we left Orlando making our way northeast to Beverly Beach Camptown RV park which will be our home for the next three weeks.  It was an uneventful trip beyond a bit of wind that keeps a RV driver alert.  Once we started north on I-95, we made our second stop at Buc-ee’s Daytona.  Words are hard to describe just what's at Buc-ee’s.  We did pick up a Buc-ee’s Mardi Gras t-shirt and some lunch which we ate in the parking lot.  Once at Beverly Beach, located just north of Flagler Beach, check in was quick and set-up even more so.

After setting up, we went to Ormond Beach and grocery shopped at Perrine’s a combination of a discount grocery store, full-service meat market and supplied with Amish products.  From there we went over to Port Orange and bought some fresh meat at Gaff’s Meat Market a full-service meat market with some additional groceries.  Being late in the afternoon, we stopped at Aunt Catfish’s in Ormond Beach for dinner and were pleased with the food and service.  This restaurant is just off Florida’s US Hwy 1 and sits on the Indian River.  The rest of the evening was spent hanging out at the RV.

Tuesday, February 7th was a quiet day at the RV park.  Spent some time at a gym doing a workout that my trainer from Lawrence had put together for me.  And then, being just about 50 yards west of the Atlantic Ocean there was time spent looking for shells on Flagler Beach and hanging out at the RV.  Of course there’s always time for afternoon naps.

Wednesday, February 8th after a quick trip to the gym, we caught up with my brother, Tom and his wife Beth from Ohio – who are staying at an Airbnb in Flagler for a week.  We then went 30 miles north on A1A to St. Augustine Beach and had lunch at Salt Life, and we weren’t disappointed with the food or service.  Shrimp in some form or other is the go-to menu item, and if there’s a splurge, it’s Key Lime pie.  From there we went to Bee’s Quilt Shop for some looking and buying.  Then it was back to Flagler and spent the evening at the RV and Airbnb.

Thursday, February 9th we made our way to Ormond Beach City Hall for their farmer’s market.  It’s a small market in which they are trying to find a balance between food and products.  However, the booths were good and they had some great finds.  From there we went on down to New Smyrna Beach for a flea market, an antique mall, a Re-Store and another Perrine’s.  Lunch was on our way back to Flagler Beach / Beverly Beach, stopping again at Aunt Catfish’s.  The food was amazing.  On our way back to Flagler we stopped at Buc-ee’s to show Tom & Beth what it is.  Spent some time doing afternoon naps and then ran a few errands before heading back to the RV.

Friday, February 10th started off as a slow morning of errands.  Dropped some mail at the Flagler post office and spent some time at Planet Fitness with training program in hand.  After working through my session, I stopped at Great Clips, located in the same strip mall and got a quick haircut.  After lunch and a nap, we spent the afternoon with Tom & Beth going to Titusville to check out an antique mall.  We then drove over to the Manatee Observation Deck located at Courtenay Pkwy N, Mims, FL.  We spent some time there to no avail as there were not a manatee or dolphin to be seem.  On our way out, we did see a kayak tour group come into the cove, but for us it was time to move on.  Went to New Smyrna Beach to check out Blackbeard's Inn, a restaurant – being a Friday night on the weekend before Valentine’s Day – there was an hour + wait time.  We decided not to wait and went on to Ormond Beach and had dinner at Aunt Catfish’s.  This was the end to another amazing day on the Winter escape.

Saturday, February 11th, I started off by checking out RV parks across the central Florida, trying to locate sites for Winter Escape 2024.  After finding a number of them already booked full, I ended up with sites at Tarpon Springs, Orlando/Kissimmee, Beverly Beach and St. Augustine.  We then went to Veteran’s Park in Flagler Beach for a craft show and found some items for our home in Lawrence and for a couple of the grandkids.  

Then, in mid-afternoon we made our way to RiverGrille on the Tomoka (950 US-1, Ormond Beach) for our Winter Parker Cousins’ Gathering.  Seven of the Parker cousins with children and grandchildren met up for reconnecting and dinner.  Thirty-four of us gathered for a great 4-5 hours spent with family that originates out of the siblings of Otis Thomas and Mattie Mae (Hildreth) PARKER.  Each time we gather it continues to create new connections and renew old connections from memories of the summers spent together at 3116 Parker Street in Mims, 1069 Hampton RD in Daytona and 29 N Oxalis in Orlando as well as other homes and locations in Florida.  It was good.  God is good.

Sunday, February 12th we met-up for brunch with Tom & Beth and our cousin David Parker and his wife Sandy at Aunt Catfish’s for brunch.  David works 6 days a week from dawn to dusk helping to build a rocket for the Space X program – and was not able to be at the Saturday gathering.  We left early morning, with some amazing sunrise photos on the Atlantic Ocean along US Hwy A1A.  Stopped to get a few of the sunrise and then as we left with Tom & Beth's Airbnb the west wind was whipping the tops of the white caps on the waves creating more amazing photos.  

We made it to Aunt Catfish’s and they had one of the best and largest Sunday brunch spreads that I had seen anywhere, all for $10.99/adult if you got there before 10:00 o’clock.  Eating and conversation commenced for an enjoyable brunch with cousin David and his wife Sandy.  And then a God moment.  Cousin Gary and his significant other and his daughter Stephanie along with her three children were eating brunch in another section of the restaurant.  Gary spotted us and came over and I went over to their table for a bit.  They live in Port Orange but hadn’t been to this restaurant in forever and decided on a whim to do brunch not knowing that we would be there.  Truly a blessing and a God moment in the midst of this Winter Escape 2023.  

We spent the morning catching up and exchanging photos – before deciding on another dinner in New Smyrna before February is over.  Then it was a drive along a windy A1A back to Flagler/Beverly Beach for afternoon naps and putting some things away.  The wind this afternoon was around a constant 20 mph with gusts of up to 40+.  

Because of logistics at this RV park, we need to move our RV to a different site at Beverly Beach Camptown RV park on Monday for our next two weeks in Florida.  

It’s Super Bowl Sunday and we went over to Tom & Beth’s Airbnb to watch the Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles game.  It was a great game that was for the most part close until the end of the game.  Kansas City won Super Bowl LVII by a score of 38 – 35 on a field goal by Harrison Butker.  Kansas City has now been to three Super Bowls in the last four years and have won two of these three Super Bowls.  And that is a great way to end another week of Winter Escape 2023.