Here is an end to all the wishy washy fluffy bits on personal growth and back into the beautiful photos. I needed to get away. I was not writing, no yoga, no photography. For whatever reason I was in a slump. However, for Cinco de Mayo I went to the beach with my friend S and her friend C. I went to college in Melbourne and revisited a few places and just enjoyed resetting my clock on the beach.
Last Saturday I left for Melbourne, Florida at a not so early in the morning hour. I was very nervous because the hotel I had booked was a mom and pop hotel that did not have a lot of information on it. Plus it was more expensive than I was used to. I usually can get a nice hotel on Priceline for cheap. This hotel was not very expensive ($134 after taxes) but was not cheap as I am used to. It also looked a little old. But, after being told my five or six other hotels there was NO availability I was a little desperate. I eventually asked one of the full up motels what was going on. Apparently there was a country music festival with Alan Jackson. The lady said Alan Jackson’s name like a teenager girl might say Justin Bieber’s name.
So Ocean Front Paradise Resort it was. They are actually older one bedroom apartments. It looked very odd from a street view because on each side were 5-6 story motels or condos. It was made up of about 8 or 10 one story units total with a main house that the owners lived in. The woman who owned it is a bit strict about not having any guests other than those registered on the property (cannot invite people to the beach who are not paying customers) and to not open your windows at all. I actually appreciated the empty beach the most, not a lot of noise or litter and I understand they do not want the humid salty air ruining the apartments.
When you arrive (and check in time is flexible, I showed up at 2) and get checked in there are two side walks, one in front of the two rows of apartments. We got the unit right next to the beach on the right. I have no idea what number it is, but ask for it. The windows overlooked the dunes and it was beautiful. And this might be the most amazing part, instead of having concrete built up to the boardwalk, there was actually a grassy lawn that overlooked the dunes and beach and lots of available chairs and loungers. There was even a kayak to borrow (we didn’t).
The apartments are fully stocked with silverware and plates and kitchen ware. The mini fridge did not seem to get things too cold, but that could have been a setting. I did not pay too much attention since the first thing I did was go sit on the beach. When I got to warm I got up and splashed around in the surf. I have not been to the beach in years, it’s a pity, I used to live so close and the expense of gas to get there seems somewhat prohibitive, but I need to balance out costs and benefits. There was a huge benefit of going. However, after trying to figure out why my sunscreen would not absorb I looked at the bottle and realized it was two years expired. Oops.
So, I decided I would walk down to the surf shops about three-quarters of a mile away and get sunscreen. It was a wonderful walk. I tried to be conservative taking pictures because I only had one fully charged and one partially charged battery. All the moving around finally caught up with me, I left the charger and 2 spare batteries at the apartment I house sat for the week before which I could not get back until the next week. I did still get a lot of awesome pictures.
When I walked up to the Indialantic (get it, get it no really it is a town) surf shops I found some sunscreen and a really cute skirt and Coldstone coconut ice cream with almond joy in it. Then I sat on the beach and sat on the beach some more. When my friends called me to come get dinner I might have blown them off and sat some more. I was hoping to snap some of the moon rise, but it did not work out, hunger won.
We ate at a little restaurant in historic downtown Melbourne called Island Pasta Company where I had the seafood coconut curry – yum). The Mahi and shrimp were perfect and I love coconut curry. In fact, I have been on a never-ending coconut kick lately. I love sitting outside at this restaurant because it has a cute out-door corridor with nice lighting and ambiance and a sort of European cafe feel only with Island music.
After a nice night revisiting downtown Melbourne and seeing all the craziness in the clubs down there for Cinco de Mayo (and did not participate), we headed back to the hotel. When S asked what I did all day other than sit on beach I gave a look that conveyed all I was feeling, “why would I need to do anything else?” S and C pretty much collapsed onto the pull out couch while I stayed out in a beach chair for most of the night. After brushing off the third roach (or maybe it was the same roach) from my hair I decided I should get some sleep in the softy comfy bed with springs in it. You have no idea how much I miss a spring bed. Sigh…
S and I got up to watch the sunrise and it was amazing. Dolphins jumping and all. We went to Blue Berry Muffin Restaurant which happened to be across the road, where we all ate too much and enjoyed some really good muffins. I had the Chocolate Chip instead of Blueberry but they were both made of a corn muffin base that was so crispy on top but without so much sugar. It was awesome. I had corned beef hash which was just ok. I make much, much better.
Then we all went and cleared out the apartment and laid on the beach while the lady cleaned the apartment for her next guest. Checkout was a non negotiable 11 AM. That was okay as by 12 we were already sunburned and dehydrated and C had to leave to go to work. S and I stayed and walked around downtown Melbourne, I took her to Holmes Park and Promenade Park which are on Cranes Creek near where it meets the intercoastal water way. S had not seen manatees before. There were no manatees but there were lots of jumping fish and even another dolphin.
Then we went and windowed shopped and ate lunch at Meg O’Malley’s Irish Pub. I love this place because it has the best corned beef sandwich I have ever had. Even better than mine. They use real corned beef roast. It is amazing. After being sufficiently stuffed we walked back toward the car and stopped in a new agey sort of store. S bought a new peacock stone and I bought a fuschite and a couple aquamarines to make a necklace out of. I am not sure if I believe in crystal power, but I like my stones.
On our way back to the express way we got some frozen yogurt and I tried to stay awake for the drive back. I was very happy for a bed and shower that night back into the house sitting gig. I made sure I charged all my camera batteries and put them back in the case.
So here are the pictures (click on the link to see all of them):
Upcycled Bliss 