DAY 181: SATELLITE BEACH - INDIAN HARBOR BEACH - MELBOURN BEACH - FLORIDANA BEACH - SEBASTIAN INLET STATE PARK, FLORIDA

Because of the time change - Florida is on Eastern Time - I have not been ready to walk as the Sun rose. This morning was the first in many weeks that we have a "'Sunrise" Photograph.

Most folks never see such a sight...I feel privileged to bring this moment to you.

Many Joggers were on SR A1A and the streets to and from the Atlantic Ocean and the Inter Coastal Waterway. A1A is on a narrow strip of sand, which is actually a "Barrier Island" protecting mainland Florida.

In recent years monumental structures have been erected on the very edge of the Atlantic Surf. I have not seen Miami Beach in a few years, but this Barrier Island must be a close challenger to density of buildings sitting directly on the Ocean.

Photographs of such buildings along A1A could fill a large volume.

This little guy can be found in front of many of the creative homes along A1A. Mounting of mailboxes could be a study in itself...must take more photographs of the creatures holding mail boxes.

Have not spent much time on the Beach. However, am fortunate to come across some rather dramatic photo-ops, such as this Man Under An Umbrella.

Life Guard Chairs are empty as the Life Guards are attending a Florida-wide competition. Michael & Catrell's twins are among them.

As with most things in our modern society, rules, rules, and more rules caution us or pay the price.

A regular sight in Florida...a "triangle" of 2 x 4s supporting young Palm Trees. The soil is sandy with little holding power for the roots. The wind is mostly constant and often quite strong. The TV Weatherman a day or two ago commented that the winds would not be a problem, as they would not get over 50 miles per hour. Really !!

The next few photographs are random selections along A1A. These mega-million $$ homes are so common in many Communities as to think we must have time-warped to another planet.

Florida's idea of Project (or Row) Houses. This is one corner of a large community of similar homes.

A couple communities have nothing but homes with "gated" entrances.

And, I found this young man walking down "Million Dollar Home Street" heading for the Beach.

Of course you can take my photograph...will it be on the Internet tonight????

I slipped our SAM & ME Business Card in an open pocket of his Shoulder Bag...You Bet !

Yes, the Barrier Islands have churches. In fact, unable to find a parking place this morning, I pulled SPIA into the parking lot of a church much like this. I knocked - and tried to open the door - of every door I could find...no one at home.

Finding a parking place even for a couple hours in the midst of communities of these super homes is next to impossible. Before slipping into the church parking lot, we had driven more than five miles down A1A lined with multi-million homes...with no luck.

Even A1A looks expensive.

Not a blade of grass out of place...not a Dixie Cup or a cigarette butt to be found.


Not everyone walks to the beach. These unfortunate folks live on the wrong side of A1A (i.e., there home is not directly on the beach), so they take Daddy's Golf Cart.

Actually, there are many golf carts running up and down the sidewalks and driveways along A1A.

In frustration, I stopped in at a local Fire Department, where I met "Mike" (you may read his message on my SAM & ME FACEBOOK page. Mike directed me to the Sebastian Inlet State Park, which was only two miles further on from the church where SPIA was parked.

I rushed back to SPIA and drove directly to the park, which had RV and Camping facilities.
SPIA is snug - with electrical power - in Space 35. I forgot our water hose at Niece Karen's home, so we have no water hookup.

It was only 4:0 pm local when we got settled, so I decided to hit the road again for a couple hours.

This is what I found:

A sailboat just getting underway after catting his anchor to the Bow.

A rather beautiful bridge - built in 1965 - spanning the Sebastian Inlet which lets Atlantic Ocean water into the Inter Coastal Waterway. The current was running out to the Atlantic at about 3 miles per hour as I took this photograph...the Atlantic Ocean is beyond the bridge.

I give the year the bridge was built because when I last was at Sebastian Inlet, there was NO bridge. A1A ended here...to continue on more Southerly Barrier Islands, but often terminated for lack of bridges, before it finally reached MIAMI, FLORIDA.

Many years ago, I Scuba Dived in this Sebastian Inlet.

During my years in NAPLES, ITALY, I was trained - and myself became a "trainer" - in Scuba Diving. Our equipment was from the British Navy, which in 1957, was certified for depths to 300 feet. The regulators were two stage with a manual by-pass which allowed the diver to insert the mouthpiece under an object, fill it with air from the bottle, and guide it ("it" being amphorae, etc) to the surface.

I became quite comfy with my equipment and many times dove to below 200 feet off the shores of CAPRI ISLAND in the Bay of NAPLES.

I and my Italian friend, Guido, even became the first persons to touch the sunken city of SINUESSA, ITALY, the city where Hannibal - of elephant fame - lived for 12 years during his conquering and domination of Rome. But, that is another story for another time.


and, here again is our constant companion across America, the Blue Heron...standing one-legged on a rock on the shore of Sebastian Inlet.

This fellow was standing on a different rock, not 50 feet from the Blue Heron. While I watched he and his friend (not pictured), he did have a bit of luck...in the Pacific Northwest, we call that "thing" in his hand a "sucker". I won't explain what else we say about such a moment.

Walking over the bridge, I spotted these two flags. These are "Storm Warning" flags. Next to the flags is a sign picturing different flag combinations which knowledgeable Mariners MUST know...for example: two RED flags flying...get ready for a blow...a storms a-coming.

From the bridge, looking West at the mainland of Florida, about 8 miles away.

Standing in the same spot, but looking East out into the Atlantic Ocean.

The rock walls on either side of Sebastian Inlet are the Jettys. Not a good idea to get a boat - or swim - too close to them as the water is shallow and rocky...too often the graveyard of many a unwary Captain.

Looking South along A1A, one can see the layout of the Barrier Island. In the far distance is the mainland of Florida.

These Barrier Islands are the same all the way to MIAMI, FLORIDA. The waters between the Barrier Islands and the Mainland is the Inter Coastal Waterway, which one can sail a rather sizable boat almost all the way to NEW YORK, NY.

Here we find another of the "Falcon" we saw a few days ago. I have since learned they are OSPREY...do a click click and take a look at them-thar claws. This fellow is just slightly smaller than the Bald Eagle, but lives pretty much the same.

And so, we come to the close of another day in the Saga of SAM & ME. It is now quite dark out. The full moon will be along in a few hours. No rain today, but Brucie Baby is just a wee tuckered. The local State Park Manager gave me a pamphlet this afternoon showing all the RV and Campgrounds in Florida, complete with some details and telephone number. It will, I am certain, take some of the psychological "pain" out of our search for places to overnight provided we can afford them. Space 35 is costing us $31.00 tonight. At that rate, in ten nights we would be broke.

DALY UPDATE: Walked 26 miles today.

SEE YOUR IMPACT.ORG: Credit 26 miles @ $0.02 = $0.52 for the day.

Checkout time is 1:00 pm tomorrow. The next overnight spot is nearly 60 miles - according to the State Park Manager -, so we may stay a second night in this Park. I have made arrangements with the Manager to move SPIA to a location without "services", which we can have for $15.00.

Oh dear me...if only I could just walk and leave the logistics to someone else.