Daytona Speedway Campground & Sun Country Saint Augustine

 Daytona Speedway Campground & Sun Country Saint Augustine

We decided to return to the East Coast of Florida for a few reasons.  We were here last year and enjoyed our visit, but there were a few things we wanted to go back to see.  One of the things on our list was to  see the Merci Train car in Daytona. Since we have learned the story of the Merci Train, we plan to see as many of the remaining trains as possible.  Plus, we wanted to return to St. Augustine.  We were seeking to remain in the warm weather as long as we could before returning home for the holidays.  Neither of us are fans of the cold weather, but Mark really hates the cold.  He advocates fleeing from the possibility of the winter weather as fast as he can flee for as long as he can. We have officially become "snow birds". The beauty of this lifestyle is if you don't like the weather, you simply go somewhere else with nicer weather. Home is truly where we park it.

The Florida Merci/Gratitude train is at the courthouse located north of Daytona.  We find the whole concept of the trains intriguing,  but where the trains are located and how they are cared for is also very interesting. Many of the trains have been placed in areas where the people welcome and maintain them.  The American Legion seems to be the custodian of the majority of the trains, which is a logical resting spot for them. 

There was a veteran's memorial stone at the courthouse near the Merci Train. We always respect those who honor our veterans. These memorials may not mean much to the non-veteran, but to the vets, it means so much.

The ocean was very rough while we were in Daytona. You can access the beach via a break in the sea wall about every quarter mile.  At every entry location, dog bowls were placed near a fresh water spigot.  We were impressed by this very thoughtful gesture, especially considering how many beaches are not dog friendly. Karma was happy he was able to take a walk on the beach and get fresh water. He absolutely loves going to the beach. He still gets excited like a puppy and loves to run in and out of the water. We get such a kick out of seeing him get so excited.  I am not sure who enjoys it more- him or us.

Karma recently got a new mat for outside, but yet he prefers to lay on the rough rocks rather than his nice, new mat. He is perfectly content to just be near us, even if we are just sitting outside. 

Sun Country, St. Augustine

St. Augustine is probably our favorite location in Florida, with the Pan Handle being a close second. We really enjoyed the low key vibe.

He found a basket for disc golf located on a light house. We love light houses and disc golf parks and seek them out. This one is a win-win.

Sasquatch was on the course.  There was an interesting 26 hole disc golf course with several unique features. Disc golf is a huge, new hobby for Mark. All that frisbee playing in the military is paying off.

It is always so interesting to return to places we have been before, like this lighthouse in St. Augustine. We seem to notice and learn new things every where we go.

While visiting the lighthouse, we walked out on the pier and saw this sea turtle just swimming around the area.  We had high hopes of seeing a Manatee on our trip to Florida but we were not that lucky.

  All 3 of us really enjoy walking on the beach and find it very relaxing. It is always a plus when we basically have the beach to ourselves.

Karma was stalking and hunting squirrels. The squirrels won. Poor Karma never even gets close to catching one. It is hysterical watching him hunt flies.  Apparently, having a ball in your mouth is mandatory for fly hunting.