Altoona, FL
This morning was a bit chilly, but it warmed up to the mid 70's.
George and I decided to take a drive to the Atlantic ocean.
New Smyrna Beach is a little over an hour's drive from here.
I was in the mood to see some water!
It was a nice drive along SR42 & SR44 to get there.
George drove over the causeway and found a place to park,
and we walked over to check out the waves.
We walked along the main street,
there were a lot of cool shops to see.
There was a great place to have lunch,
right on the Halifax River.
They seated us outside,
with a great view of the drawbridge.
We both got salads, and they were terrific!
After sitting there and enjoying the view,
we walked down the other side of the street,
and back down to the ocean.
The waves were pretty rough..
One of George's former co-workers, Ray, lives in this town,
so we gave him a call.
It was perfect timing, he had just gotten off work.
We met him at his house, and he took us for a short tour of the area.
He drove us to Smyrna Dunes Park, where we took a quick walk on the boardwalk.
We could see the Ponce inlet lighthouse in the distance..
The boardwalk goes through some protected dunes,
where there are breeding grounds for turtles..
Ray then drove us into Daytona.
His son, Ray Jr. wanted to show us his favorite restaurant.
What a great place!
It is out at the end of a pier..
..and the dining tables are on the pier deck,
so that the ocean is right below your feet!
The waves were crashing against the pilings, making the whole pier shake..
It was great to meet Ray and Ray, Jr.
George and he got caught up..
We'll definitely be back to visit,
and go to some other great places with he and his wife.
Looking forward to it!