Easter Sunday Beaches

Day 21:  You know the trip is going well when you see the U.S. President on Easter Sunday less than 30 feet away from you.  Whether you like or don’t like, the idea of being in the presence of the leader of the ENTIRE country completely by accident is pretty rare/cool.  

I, Katie, was very crabby and it was the first time on the trip that I really was a grump. We woke in a town called Homestead (just south of Miami) after coming back late last night from the Keys day trip. Maybe the sleep wasn’t as awesome as I thought?

We drove passed Miami (drove through on another vacation) and Fort Lauderdale to hit West Palm Beach with the intent to go beaching. Happy Easter! We made it onto Palm Beach and I had to use the restroom. Everything was closed and I was mightily frustrated now.

The parking by the beach was also roped off, police were on each street, and they turned cars around if they went too far up. Huh…must be an Easter marathon or beach event taking place. I found a Starbucks that seemed to be open, we parked the car and made our way on foot.

The environment was extremely high end and everyone around us was wearing their Easter Best++. We found the Starbucks inside a beach-style mall with designer stores all around. I was relieved (finally) and Chad asked the staff why the road was blocked off.

“It’s Trump.  You didn’t know?”

Oh.  I guess President Trump has a home on Palm Beach (way before he was President) and was going to be attending noon Mass (or so we were told).  For him to get from his home to church, they must close off the road, barricade the streets and have police force keeping pedestrians out of the way of the car brigade.   Then, there is a straight shot to church without any interruptions.  Apparently, Trump comes to visit Palm Beach almost every other weekend in the summer, so this happens a lot.

The Coast Guard boats patrol the waters and boat traffic must reroute around them. The airspace above Trump’s home is also protected and the major airport must divert plane routes. Thanks Starbucks for telling us the inside scoop! We had no idea. Chad and I then walked on foot to the road that was blocked off and crossed to the ocean side. The sand was beautiful, and I was able to touch the water. Might as well wait to see if we could see Trump…it’s so coincidental.

Later, we realized Trump had already gone to Mass and we were able to see him on the way back when it got out at noon. We walked as close as we could to the church and met another traveling couple that wanted to see what the fuss was all about. Our party was told to wait 30 feet away from the street and could stay to watch.

The area we stopped at was the staging area (two black, dark window tinted secret-agent-like squad cars ready to lead the way) and we chatted briefly with the guys sitting in the front car (completely dressed in full gear) and the radio went off signaling Trump was on the move. They scooted out and floored it. Then, a brigade of black vehicles came whizzing by.

I was able to see Trump!  Chad was recording and couldn’t see firsthand but was able to see in the video later.  What a crazy amount of secret service and military reinforcements.  The only thing he was missing was a helicopter (maybe a cloaked, silent one was there!).  There were probably snipers in the bushes too.  The bushes all ran away.   

Below are pictures of the Church of Bethesda-By-The Sea where Trump attended Mass.

Now feeling better and myself again, Chad and I had a pleasant rest of the morning looking at the homes (billionaire row was closed because of Trump’s adventures, so maybe next time) so we went up the other way. I guess Dr. Oz has a house here too.

Heading north towards St. Augustine, we stopped for a quick lunch at a Boston Market in Vero Beach.  We drove through a massive fly breeding ground and killed a whole bunch on the windshield.  YUCK. 

Boston Market was meh.  Now, I can say I have been there!  We also tried to stop at a Starbucks for me to get a post out but decided I can do it on the road instead.  So, I hide under a towel to deflect the sun and went to work while Chad drove towards Daytona Beach.

We hopped onto the Daytona Beach area and drive all the way to the southern end to see the tallest lighthouse in Florida (3^rd tallest in the U.S.).   There was some free parking on the street and we wandered down the beach. 

There were cars parked on the beach!  After reading, the sand is so packed that it made for great racing back in the early 1900s.  The is where massive car races would take place on the beach!   The water was also cooler than the east side of Florida….

Food was at Caribbean Jack’s. We loved the coconut shrimp and special pineapple dipping sauce. The chicken and pineapple nachos were also pretty good. I guess we didn’t fill Chad up, but he said he could wait until tomorrow for another yummy. What a crazy, unique, relaxing day and we ended in good spirits with good food.

I had mapped out a nature-surrounded Cracker Barrel in Palm Coast, which would put us close to St. Augustine for the morning’s explorations. When we arrived, there was a sign in the lot saying, “no overnight parking”. Uh, say what? We checked out their Wal-Mart and there were signs posted there too.

I checked the City ordinances and in 2016 they decided to prohibit all overnight parking, including trucks and RV campers, from retail locations and streets. They also have crazy regulations for home owners like requiring ALL commercial vehicle parking/storage to take place OUTSIDE of city limits, unless on a service call. Say what????!? Chad was appalled.

“Their rules are so nuts, Katie!”

See ya later posh rules!  We found a Flying J (it also had Denny's attached) and made camp with all of the tossed-out car campers, RVs and trucks.  It was the homiest we have ever felt on the trip.  The night air was cold, blankets were tucked in and we fell asleep instantly.  Happy Easter everyone!