Mosquitoes and Race Cars

After surviving our rough night on the dock we were treated to a beautiful sunny day on Thursday with a nice north east breeze which kept us nice and comfortable on the fly bridge. Our next planned stop was New Smyrna Beach about 50 miles to the north. We had been to the beach area by car with my sister a couple of years ago but never really spent time in the small downtown area on Canal street. 

We anchored just to the south of the south causeway bridge at about 2:30. It was pretty warm but we made the effort to launch the dinghy take the short ride to the town dock. Canal street really had a lot to offer along its live Oak trees lined road. There was a real artsy feel to the place. There was an artist enclave of sorts the had a quite a number of different booths. The art work was definitely upscale.

We ended up having a beer at the waterfront restaurant  and decided we needed another day to fully experience the town. That night somehow our stateroom was invaded by mosquitoes and noseeums which made for a very rough sleep. Now the minute my sister found that out she was pier side by 11am the next morning. She lives less than an hour away so it was great she could come. She sweetened the deal by bringing homemade Tamales.

Boy were they good!. We spent the day exploring by both foot and dinghy with an eventual goal of having dinner at the famed Garlic. Now let me tell you, if you go even close to New Smyrna DO NOT MISS the Garlic. It is a dining experience both gastronomicly and in atmosphere. We had a fantastic dinner filled with stories and laughter. We sat at the bar where the bar tenders took great care of us.  

In Daytona we had a conversation with a general manager of another establishment who knew all about the Garlic. He said there annual gross is over $17 million with a profit margin of 18%. Bottom line is don’t miss it. The next morning we went to the Farmers Market off Canal Street and picked up some fresh produce. After that we were off to Race Town, or so we thought. Daytona about 17 miles north. Our cruise took us past Merritt Island and then Cape Canaveral  followed by Mosquito Lagoon, one of my favorite sections of the ICW. It is one of the few remaining undeveloped sections that probably looks much like it did a hundred years ago. When we go by next time we will anchor out and explore the many little coves and islands along the eastern shore. From there we entered the Halifax River and then our destination, Daytona Beach.

We have been to Daytona on our last trip up the ICW and were not wowed. So this would be primarily an overnight stop. While I was checking out a place for dinner by dinghy I was flagged down by another Looper couple Glen and Janet from Toronto. Well before you know it they came over for Happy Hour. She was actually born in North Tonawanda in the same hospital as I but just 4 years later. Well we really hit it off and went to dinner together. A funny but typical scene occurred when it cam to where we were going to sit, in or out. The women wanted in, the folks from Mars, well wanted out. The waiter over heard and told us not to fret. He brought us to an area where he lifted a large garage door that allowed the girls to sit inside and we outside. Perfect! A good night was had by all.

So you think you might like to Loop? Well we met these folks in Daytona and they are on their 33rd Loop! 30 years ago the Loop would have been truly an incredible feat. They of course hold the record for most Loops. Nicest people you could ever meet. We were sorry we could not spen more time with them. 

Waterfront New Smyrna Beach

                                                          Unlike a car before every cruise I do an engine check if nothing else to just look around. Well I found this broken clamp on a hose that connects cooling water to the engine. I the hose had come off, bye bye engine.