DAY 176: TITUSVILLE - COCOA, FLORIDA

Walking in non-rural areas, I look forward to sitting down to a breakfast of 2 Scrambled Eggs, Hashbrowns, Rye Toast, and Ice Water.

This morning, I found it at Steve's Diner on US 1 a mile South of TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA.

Please say HELLO to Alberta and Sheryl. These two lovely ladies bought me breakfast this morning. Must mention Tim, with whom I spoke about walking across America - hope I didn't get him into Dutch.

This is the home of Niece Karen and Bob. A massive moss shrouded Oak Tree dominates the entire front.

Park Avenue, TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA. I walked this avenue yesterday and this morning before switching to US 1.

In the distant mist in center right of the above photograph is the famous MAB - Missile Assembly Building - of Cape Canaveral. The Apollo Saturn 5 Moon Rockets and now the Shuttle were assembled inside this massive building. At the top of the inside is a monster "bridge crane". Working in Seattle Tide Flats at the Lockheed Shipbuilding Corporation, I was Contracts Administrator for that crane inside the MAB. The crane can lift 300 tons - using twin trolleys - to a height of 300 feet in the air, spanning a width of a football field - 300 feet wide.

The crane actually lifted the missile components into a vertical position and placed them on the "Transporter" for their travel out to the Launch Pad.
Stopped to chat with this gentlemen - a TITUSVILLE City Employee putting finishing touches on a new City Park. I asked him about Snakes...you might see one every 3 or 4 months...not many around any more. I also asked him about Alligators...none on this side of the Indian River (The Indian River is the water in the background which separates Cape Canaveral from the Mainland)...but you might get a glimpse of one in the pond next to McDonalds.

I walked clear around McDonald's Pond...water only a foot deep and NO Alligator. There was a pipe at one end leading to the Indian River...probably got out when the water was higher a few days ago.



But, the City of TITUSVILLE still warns illegal swimmers to "BEWARE OF ALLIGATORS".

Trees along US 1 lining the shoreline of the Indian River. All those trees are Palm Trees.

From the Pacific to the Atlantic - including the waterways of the Deserts - I met up with this big fellow...the Blue Heron.

TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA has the front row seat for Cape Canaveral Missile Launches.

One fellow I spoke with today estimated that over one million people lined the TITUSVILLE and COCOA BEACH Causeway to watch the Shuttle ATLANTIS launch a couple days ago.

For the final Shuttle Launch, a premium was charged for Parking in TITUSVILLE.

Look closely for the "deleted" $20.00 fee; upped to $40.00 for ATLANTIS.

This J.C. Penny store sits in a mall on US 1 and Henderson Street in TITUSVILLE. The parking lot would easily hold many thousand cars...today there were perhaps 50 cars.

I took out a minute and purchased a $55.00 pair of walking shorts for $19.99.

I have walked through TITUSVILLE Business District 4 times in the past two days. More than half of the stores sit empty...many others with product displayed were closed.

The end of the Shuttle Program has already hit TITUSVILLE hard. It's promises to get worse.

This delightful home is For Rent. It is located on Park Avenue, TITUSVILLE, FLORIDA.

When I returned North on US 1 from my walk today, my City Employee friend made the perfect foreground for this photograph of the MAB and Launch Towers with the Indian River in the middle. The worker told me that all the "gators" have moved out to Merritt Island (local name for Cape Canaveral). Want to see gators, go to Merritt Island. The shoreline is covered with the critters out basking in the Sun.

DAILY UPDATE: Walked 20 miles today...nearly 6 hours South on US 1 and back.

SEE HOUR IMPACT.ORG: Credit 20 miles @ $0.02 = $0.40 for the day.

Many probably wonder what the heck is 'SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG". It is a "cause" sponsored and managed by Microsolf employees. I chose SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG because every red cent donated to the program reaches the designated recipient. No $$ are skimmed off for overhead, employee salaries, or other expenses. EVERY dollar reaches the goal YOU choose. In two weeks time, the "donor" receives an e-mail with photograph of the recipient of your choice.

SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG truly is a cause that "works"

In the morning, I will drive North toward BUNNELL, FLORIDA, from where I drove to TITUSVILLE two days ago. I must walk 62 miles from BUNNELL South on US 1 to complete that portion of my walk. I will probably stay on the road overnight, returning to Karen & Bob's home Wednesday for our planned dinner out.