Sunny Afternoon in Cocoa Beach

The day did not have a great beginning (http://hennesseytkr.blogspot.com/2010/02/airport-2010.html), and the announcement on Delta 2248 to Orlando was jarring: 34 degrees in Orlando! We half expected an unpleasant arrival but we were wrong: the sun was shining and the chilly weather was fine for us. We had a fairly long walk to pick up our car and I remember sweating profusely under similar circumstances in the past. Instead, we were very comfortable walking to the parking garage to pick up our midnight blue Chevy Impala.

It is always breathtaking to cross the Indian River, and then the Banana River. People were fishing and everything just seemed to be unfolding as it should on this brilliant Florida late morning. Cocoa Beach didn't seem as shockingly shabby as we found it several years ago, after the hurricanes did a lot of damage on the Space Coast. We were both feeling a little spaced out, so we stopped for lunch at McDonalds for a tasty lenten fish sandwich.

The Hilton parking lot was fairly empty, not the way I remember it from previous visits. Luckily, we got a great parking spot using my Minnesota disability tag. Our room was ready -- a good thing because we were both very, very tired. Both my knees were killing me, and I was afraid that I would be moaning and groaning all afternoon but such was not the case.

A lot of the hotel seems dated, including our room. However, the bathroom is newer and our view is absolutely stunning: miles of beach, light surf, and the lovely green of Fischer Park just south of the hotel. The seabirds were fishing and warmly dressed beachwalkers were simply enjoying a beautiful, if somewhat cold, spring afternoon.

We found a warmish corner on the hotel deck, where we spent most of the afternoon. I was thrilled to see people gathering for a beach wedding. Most of the guests were in black, and many of the women had not jacket or sweater of very light summer dresses. The idea of wearing very high heels on the beach seemed ridiculous to me, but not surprisingly, Bob very much enjoyed being a spectator.

We have nothing left in us tonight, and I can't even muster the energy to go for a swim. We' ll have dinner in the hotel restaurant and then watch some Olympic highlights. Tomorrow promises to be cold and rainy, at least for part of the day, so our activities may be indoors rather than on the beach. I'm not cracking open the sunscreen yet!