Detour Before A Detour

6-4-2025

I mentioned a detour to Orlando to see my cousin. However, I didn’t mention the detour before the detour. Nearing Orlando, we were set to pass by Daytona, yes the town that houses the famous Daytona Racetrack. Arleen began to talk about visiting there many years ago, 35 years to be exact. So, we got off the freeway and made our way to the beach, passing by the racetrack. I was glad it was not a race week. I could not imagine the traffic if it were.

We got down to the beach town and looked for parking. HaHaHa! We finally found a parking lot with one space and paid $20 for the last available space on a weekday, in a non-summer, no-race-week town. Arleen could not walk by the T-shirt shops without going in, so JoJo and I continued our walk, well, I walked, down to the beach. The beach was not busy at all. There was a single line of beach chairs lining the shore.

The waves were gently falling over each other as if they were playing leapfrog. The sand looked clean and bleach-white. Everywhere there were shell fragments and tiny pebbles scattered, evenly; each piece given its individual place to rest, adding a little color and visual interest to the white sand. The month of May had just finished but the day was warm and overcast. To a Northern Californian, that is amazing.

I gently lowered JoJo to the beautiful, white, wind-swept sand. His tiny feet disappeared. He refused to move. Period! So, I carried him down to the wet, packed sand just short of the water ebbing and flowing onto the shore. He decided that was okay. Whew! We had a lovely, short, walk to the pier under the boardwalk where we stood on the shady, cool sand, out of the overcast (yet hot sun.)

My mind became lost in memories and I began to hum, “Under The Boardwalk” – a song Dominic and I used to sing at the top of our lungs whenever we heard it played. Truly a bittersweet moment.

When Arleen had located her treasures, she came down and found us. We were easy to spot. I was the only one wearing pink shorts, standing there with a teeny tiny dog. The three of us walked for a few minutes more. Arleen was deep in her own personal memories. And then, we were back on the road to make it to our hotel in Orlando.

The next day my cousin, Marty, came to see us at the hotel. Marty is a cousin I spent many holidays with as a child. He had escaped California and moved to Florida decades ago. We went out to lunch and got caught up on those decades of both our lives. Since we didn’t have time to visit the “parks” he gave us a driving tour, driving by the Millennia Mall. When Arleen saw the IKEA her eyes lit up. So, we parked and she trotted off, disappearing through the doors into the vast darkness, promising to return, eventually. After all, she was only going in for one item. HaHaHa! Marty and I sat in the car and talked some more. It will have to hold us until our next meeting.

Later we met for dinner with Marty and his wife, Katie. Katie and I have never had a chance to really get to know each other so it was wonderful to re-meet and bond. I met her when she was a new bride and one time since. Now her children are grown and she is an accomplished woman with a PhD.

Tomorrow we would once again go North. This time towards my goal – Wilmington.

See you then. #ontheroadagain

JoJo’s Corner: Now I want to talk about traveling with a pet. I can’t imagine travel with something other than a dog. Having a dog, and especially an older dog, is sort of like traveling with a baby. Instead of a diaper bag, you have a doggy bag – and I’m not talking leftovers. Instead of baby formula, you carry dog food. JoJo is on a special diet and I carry it in a freeze-dried form which makes it super light to carry, but it still takes up room. Since he is old, I carry male wrap diapers for him to wear in the hotel. When you come in with a dog they charge you anywhere from $60 down to $10. Sometimes it is a one-time fee and sometimes it is a nightly fee. You can usually expect to be put on the bottom floor of the hotel to help you with quick escapes to the doggy relief area. I like being on the bottom floor anyway. You meet a lot of people who love animals and wish they had brought their dogs. He is a great icebreaker. I cannot imagine having to deal with a large dog who can escape your tightly held leash. I like my four-pound boy who is old and doesn’t run anymore. If he actually tries to wander far from me, I can just pick him up. You can’t do that with a Golden Retriever. I would not recommend dog travel to everyone. If you have a small dog, who is decently well-trained, and you, yourself, are not in a hurry, and you have room for him and doggy luggage, that takes up three times the room he does, then Go For It!

Be sure to bring his/her proof of rabies vaccine, even if he is old and has almost no teeth.