Delray Beach RV 2/18 to 2/25 - Part I

Site 18

Was it President's Day, a holiday? Was it a Monday? Or, was it Florida? What a mad rush to get somewhere for these Floridians. 

 The speed limit on the Florida Turnpike is 70 mph, on I-95, 65 mph. Those are the speeds I maintained but to those who blew past me, it must've been a suggestion. I was told by a Floridian a long time ago that you can't call Florida drivers bad drivers because they're all transplants from New York or the northeast. Today, as I pulled into the campground and shared my ride with the owner, a native Floridian, he responded with, "Not so, They're all aggressive drivers no matter where they're from." And so it seemed. Speeding, weaving and failure to use turn signals is probably the way things are all over, not just Florida. Anyway, it was a good four hour trip and relaxation now is the number one item on my agenda. I have a very full agenda that I look forward to sharing with you in two parts as the days go by.  Through most of the drive, the temperature hovered around 88-90° with intermittent clouds. As I had nothing to eat since my wonderful meal at Ray and Kathy's last night, I went right across the street to Tim Finnegan's Irish Pub after setting up and had dinner. 

Check out the menu for their authentic Irish fare. I'm hoping one of my Irish visitors this week will enjoy some time there. Stay tuned.

This is my second stay here at DelRaton. This family owned RV park was established in 1973 and what a piece of real estate they have. It's nothing like the RV parks that come to mind with acres and acres of sites and amenities. There are only sixty sites and the reason why reservations a year ahead are necessary. Their proximity to the beach and shopping is the appeal for these long term or seasonal campers. Since their beginnings, this part of S Federal has grown and they find themselves nestled in among car dealerships. When you turn south off Linton Blvd and drive the half mile to this site you'll pass dealerships for: Chrysler Dodge, Lincoln, Nissan, Cadillac, Buick, Honda, the RV park, and next door, the Ford dealership. That's a lot real estate filled with automobiles and I'm not talking one huge lot with all those brands; each is a business unto itself. With the average income of a Delray Beach resident at $34,339 a year, the median household income at $50,833 a year, I'm wondering who's going to buy them all? 

Tuesday I met long time friends, Missy and Jim from nearby Boynton Beach. Jim (Social Studies) and I (Biology/Computers) worked together at Blue Mountain Middle School. They took me into Delray on Atlantic Avenue to Deck 84, a casual waterfront restaurant (which was packed). You knew it was President's Week and at the height of their season. And with the snow birds in abundance, it was no wonder we had to wait 10-15 minutes for a table...at 1:30 in the afternoon, no less. Well worth the wait, of course.  We had good conversations and the updates on all our kids (and grandchildren) kept us busy...our Margaritas and Mojitos were good too. 

PEAR & BRIE

poached pear, brie, miso bacon brittle,

 lemon-balsamic reduction, baby arugula

BAJA SHRIMP

cilantro-lime coleslaw, house-pickled jalapeño,

crema, charred tomato salsa

PULLED PORK

pineapple salsa

COBB SALAD

Romaine, cave aged blue cheese, grilled chicken,

Tomato Thyme roma tomato, egg, applewood bacon,

avocado, red wine vinaigrette

The massive Atlantic Avenue bridge opening for the Lady Atlantic

The 105' Lady Atlantic, is privately owned by Captain Joe and Kerry Reardon
originally from Massachusetts. The Intercoastal Waterway tour boat gives
Sight Seeing ($27.00 per), Brunch ($51.00 per), Dinner ($63.00 per),
Evening Sunset,  Happy Hour and Live Entertainment cruises;
each with an impressive menu. 

Captain Jim and his yacht.

Thank you Missie and Jim for chauffeuring and
 getting together for a great lunch.

An amazing sight to see; cogs and wheels lifting the
massive amount of steel making up the bridge.
 Click on this link to see how it works.

Same pose as with Winnie I

Wednesday was another thoroughly gorgeous, relaxing day. The temperature was steady at 80° and the stiff 18 mph coming in from the ocean made it feel like sitting in front of a fan. The only 'activity' I had planned for today was to meet friend, Dina, for Happy Hour. We went down the street to Sardinia Enoteca Ristorante located in the WalMart mall. There, we met Dina's sister, Kathy, and enjoyed a Margarita pizza and a bottle of Simi Chardonnay. Delicious and delightful.  

Kathy & Dina

Cheers, Dina and thank you for taking the time to stop by for a visit

This concludes Part I of my Delray Beach Adventure. It continues tomorrow with more of the same: Good food, good company and special memories that last forever. Oh, and back home, please be safe with your "Mixed precipitation. Total snow accumulations of 1 to 3 inches and total ice accumulations of up to one tenth of an inch..