Space Coast > America's Oldest City (Day 1: SE > NW Cross-Country)

Wayne, looking at our Prius' bulging interior: "Damn, I guess you did manage to fit it all in."
I did not optimize so expect this mess will get better as we go and "eat down" dowe of its contents. We don't eat out a whole lot even when we're on the road; a good portion of what got packed into the car was food. Ever the provisionist, I told Wayne if we got stranded we still probably had more than enough food for a week!

It wasn't pretty. We deliberately slept in and took our time getting up, clearing out our apartment and loading up the car.  When we moved out, we needed to get it done in eight days, in time for Wayne to start a new job on time.  This time, we're giving it about two weeks, with an ETA of June 1st or sooner; we enjoyed feeling we could get a more leisurely start.

The downside.... In the 91 degree heat plus high humidity we sweated like pigs as we loaded up for our trip from "Space Coast" Palm Bay Florida to Portland Oregon. We sweated some more as we dragged off our last bit of furniture, an ugly but comfortable lounger to outside the dumpster where freebies await rescue or their final resting place. A neighbor who told me she wanted it a month ago forgot to tell me she no longer did... I found out when checking in about it the day before moving.

The old fashioned drug store in New Smyrna's Historic Downtown Area.

I've always been a sucker for lighthouses and recently came across an image for an attractive lighthouse in the Ponce Inlet area. Wayne figured we could see it with a slight detour on our path to St. Augustine,where we planned to spend our first night. It also gave us an excuse to pass through the New Smyrna's historic downtown  again, which charmed us when we anchored there, cruising.

Unfortunately, it seems they roll up most of their sidewalks for Sundays, when we arrived. 

The soda fountain inside Little Drug Company in New Smyrna's Historic Downtown Area. Alas it was closed.

We peered, longingly in the windows of The Little Dug Company as Wayne figured that blistering hot day was the perfect time for him to try an old fashion soda for the first time. That please, sadly will have to wait for some other day as it too was closed.

Ponce Inlet Lighthouse on a rainy day.

Getting to the lighthouse turned out to be a much bigger detour than we anticipated. That was due more to the simultaneous desire of droves of beachgoers to flee the beach when the previously hot sunny afternoon suddenly delivered a drenching downpour. That 15-minute downpour also coincided with my lighthouse shutterbug time, but I was able to get some photos anyway, thanks to knowing where I stashed my umbrella. My car may be overstuffed, but  I was making good use of what I chose to bring!

Flagler Beach, with its picturesque pier and orange beach sand.

It was all I could do to resist asking Wayne stop several times to take the over-the-top hokey plastic statues that populated Spring-break mecca, Daytona Beach. Instead we took a brief break at Flagler Beach, one of the few places uncluttered by condos and hotels so  we could actually see the water on the coastline-hugging highway. 

Bob's Big Boy statue repurposed for a Flagler Beach Whaam! Burger joint.

Truth be told, it was the Bob's Big Boy statue that beaconed. It was my consolation prize for not stopping in Daytona Beach.

St. Augustine's lighthouse.

Wayne must have been feeling very indulgent, as he offered to stop one more time at yet another lighthouse -- in St.Augustine. This one at least was only a few moment's detour and this time it wasn't raining when we stopped. Usually I climb to the top of these when given the chance, but this time I was too cheap and too pooped.

Bleeding heart window decor at Jule's cosy yet hip AirBnB in stylish Lincolnshire neighborhood, St. Augustine.

Jule Meyer graciously hosted us at her AirBnB in St. Augustine. It was a stone's throw from downtown but we hung out and enjoyed a meal we made together. It was a full day.

Jule's comfortable bed. Much appreciated!

Ahem, though, we only drove about 130 "crow flies" miles out of the at least 3400 we had to make. We plan to rush through some areas and linger longer in others. Our first day, we figured it was ok to not push ourselves too hard, so we didn't.