When trying to decide where to start in writing the blog, I guess the best place is the very beginning of our adventures. A time when we didn’t even know if we really liked each other and the adventure that ultimately led us to where we are now. One of my dear friends and fellow adventure seeker, Cecile, told me about a kid she knew that went from one side of the Florida coast to the other in one day to see the sunrise and sunset. Before Cecile was done explaining the story, I was already asking questions and planning our adventure.
Because this was the beginning of Joffrey and my relationship, it wasn’t a guarantee that he was going to join us on this magical escapade. In fact, when I asked him if he wanted to go he hesitated and told me he didn’t think so. WHAT…Did I hear that correctly, he didn’t think so?! Who would turn down the chance to do something that many don’t even have the option of doing?! Should I even continue to date this dude?! All of this was through text, so of course the responses were delayed and thoughtfully drafted/proofread before sending. Joffrey consulted one of his friends at the time and I of course consulted Cecile. I finally came to terms with the fact that Joffrey was no fun and was not joining us. A few hours later, Joffrey messaged and said he was on his way over and he was coming with us! WHAT….. Did I hear that correctly, he’s on his way right now?!
5:00 am the next morning rolled around much too early for all of us. But hey, that’s the price you pay to see the sunrise. We had an hour drive to our first stop, New Smryna Beach, where we arrived just in time to see the sunrise! It was a bit anticlimactic because there was so much cloud coverage, but we all enjoyed listening to the waves and watching the wildlife.
Once sunrise was over, we piled into the car and headed to our next stop, The Florida Aquarium (https://www.flaquarium.org). We had so much fun exploring and playing around like small children. My favorite part of this stop was the huge tank filled with various sea life. Watching the sea turtles, sharks and all of the colorful fish swim around in the tank was mesmerizing. We also enjoyed touching some of the sea life in the designated areas. This included horseshoe crabs, sea stars (aka star fish) and my favorite: stingrays!
Next we headed to Clearwater Beach to watch the sunset. Once we got there, we headed straight to the Palm Pavilion Beachside Grille and Bar for some drinks and a bite to eat. There was a bit of a wait, so we headed to the powdery sand and walked down to the water to hang out before dinner.
Back at the restaurant our view of the sunset was spectacular. The sunrise may have been a disappointment, but the sunset made up for it. After sunset, we hung out on the beach for a couple of hours taking it all in.
It’s now 9:30 pm and home is three hours away, we’ve been up since 5:00 am, but we are all still wide awake from the day’s adventure. We jump in the car and hit the road. 15 minutes into the ride Cecile is fast asleep in the back seat and sleep is trying to take over my body as well. Joffrey eventually falls asleep and I am left to my own devices to keep myself entertained and awake, well maybe just awake. We are now two hours into the drive and I am wondering why we didn’t just stay the night in Clearwater. I am exhausted… I don’t remember a time when I was more tired than that night. I rolled down the window to get some air on my face, sang along with songs on the radio and slapped myself in the face a few times (because self abuse should keep you awake, right?!). In the end we made it home safely and I crashed as soon as we walked in the door. The memory of this still makes me laugh and wonder why we never considered spending the night. Oh well, you live and you learn, right?!
We loved our day of chasing the sun so much that we decided to make it an annual thing. Each year we visit new beaches and have continued the tradition for the last 7 years!
The down and dirty of it all….
| Sunrise New Smyrna Beach, FL | One of my favorite beaches on the East coast of Central Florida |
| The Florida Aquarium Tampa, FL https://www.flaquarium.org | Fun place with lots to see and do, especially for those with children |
| Palm Pavilion Beachside Bar and Grille Clearwater Beach, FL | Awesome view with good food and drinks |
| Sunset Clearwater Beach, FL | Beautiful beach about 45 minutes from Tampa |
No Regrets! (except for maybe…)
- Stay the night in Clearwater Beach
- Hang out on the beach longer for sunset
Where will your next adventure take you?
2 Comments
Hi guys. LOVE THAT YOU ARE DOING THIS. You two are so special and fun. Now I can see what you are up to.
Thanks for following us Linda! We can’t wait to share all of our stories!