Disappointment turns to Fun

One of our main objectives in Daytona Beach was to take a tour of what is arguably the most famous NASCAR track in the country. Not having done my homework, we found out this morning that the concert that the park staff was talking about yesterday is going to be held at the raceway over the weekend, so tours and site access have been canceled. Called the Country 500, the concert will feature most of the top country performers in the world, including our special favorite, Willie Nelson. Unfortunately, we will be leaving on Saturday morning, and won't get to see the show.

The track is about a mile and a half east of the rv park, and on the same road, so this is a good place to stage if coming to Daytona for a race. Just east of I-95 we saw the famous welcome sign over International Blvd.

We managed to get a quick shot of the bleacher from a service area before being encouraged to move on.

A couple of really nice security guys told us about a hidden place to park just off the runway at Daytona International Airport, so we shot over to check it out.

Well, so-so. It's impossible to show the scale of the track. 2 1/2 miles around with 30 degree banked turns, it is an immense site. We were told that until recently, bleacher access was available for photos of the track and infield, but since a recent $400 million dollar renovation, visitors now have to purchase a tour ticket for entry.

New Smyrna is just a few miles south of Daytona, and called to us. We had visited New Smyrna Beach on a day trip eighteen or so years ago, and we wanted to return. On the way we stumbled upon the Cruger-dePeyster Sugar Mill ruins. This mill was state of the art in 1830 with equipment custom built in West Point, New York, and shipped to Florida. In 1835 Seminole Indians ran off the overseer, and with the help of slaves, burned the mill to the ground. It never produced sugar again. Eventually the equipment was moved to other sugar mills in the area, and this one fell into disrepair. These days, it stands as a reminder of an agricultural venture gone up in smoke.

The structure is built of coquina, a type of building material that contains countless tiny shells, and is virtually impervious to weather, so it didn't need to be whitewashed or plastered. The mill is maintained in a state of arrested decay, so some walls have been repaired. By and large, however, it is original.

We found our way to Smyrna Dunes, a park on the peninsula just across the inlet from the lighthouse we visited yesterday. Our hope was that the dog beach would be available, and it was! This dog beach was suggested to us by Deb from Willow Lakes, and we thank her because Sasha had an absolutely wonderful time!

The dog beach is on the inlet, or river, side of the park, and is kept very clean. For the most part, dog owners mind their manners, and the dogs have a ball.

We were instructed in no uncertain terms to keep our "animal" on a leash. Well, first of all, Sasha is not an "animal", and second of all, she loves the water, so there was no alternative but to risk the wrath of the authorities and Let 'er Rip! Several other dogs were off leash, and they formed an instant pack. Sasha absconded with someones tennis ball, and took off running...

We got to talking with a young fellow on the beach who is a native Smyrnian, and currently works at a senior lifeguard on the ocean side. Dustin was a great guy, and told us a lot about the area. While he talked, he tossed the tennis ball for Sasha and her friends, occasionally getting it out ten or fifteen feet from shore. Sasha learned (again) that she can swim, and retrieved the ball wherever it landed!

That's Dustin in the upper left, lounging on the beach. Almost made me mad that he's 45 years younger than I am!

So, after a bit of disappointment this morning, it turned out to be a fun day. Sasha got a good run, met some friends, and Donna and I got a little beach time!