Morning Cup Of Coffee And Weather

I think that's the same place although the area has grown up significantly. When we were there it was kind if isolated from everything else.

I see there is a PJ's sea shack --- but I can't tell if it is dead or alive. The address on allmenus takes you to a Starbucks, which certainly isn't it. It was right on the waterfront....

Oh, the sands of time

 

If I’m not mistaken, PJs has closed and a new Starbucks is there now. The Garlic is across the street and is a good choice.

 

That would match what I saw then. The address I found somewhere, mapped to Starbucks today --- I'm sure that area must have changed a LOT since we were there last.

The trouble with desireable areas I suppose.

 

My latest coffee addition is a Caffè macchiato -- double -- heavy cream. If that doesn't get your blood pumping nothing will.

I see a good amount of teardrops --- although most are T@Gs. It gets really exciting when you see another CampInn In my travels except for the camp-inn camp-outt and Crossroads gathering, I've only ever seen 2 others. One at Brown County State Park, just this summer, the other on my way to Louisville last year. Its a rare occurance.

One of my colleagues just moved northeast of Atlanta. Some nice houses down there. But the prices today would severely take a bite out of my camping budget.

 

Day 4 and 5: After spending a day in Atlanta visiting relatives yesterday we drove to Daytona Beach today and arrived about an hour ago.

868C5B62-CC46-4A28-960B-571BCE420544 by Tour 931 posted Dec 9, 2022 at 2:42 PM

1B4C41D3-66FC-4C6A-80B1-6EB1B92A6F60 by Tour 931 posted Dec 9, 2022 at 2:42 PM

 

Beautiful pics, Tour!

 

Yes Daytona Beach. We are here now.

F613AF9C-011E-406E-8A8E-C382B9DC92AA by Tour 931 posted Dec 12, 2022 at 4:22 AM

This trip is no longer Driving Miss Daisy. It turned into Thelma and Louise and Norma, 97 just qualified 3rd for the Daytona 500!

26AFDAFB-4EDB-4DFD-9889-546A6D0F44F8 by Tour 931 posted Dec 12, 2022 at 4:22 AM

Norma says Merry Christmas.

2CEE205B-3FB2-47AA-89B5-303CEADE171F by Tour 931 posted Dec 12, 2022 at 4:22 AM

 

Very nice! Which hotel/resort is this?

We've never stayed at a beachfront before a couple years ago - we were coming back from a family visit in southern Florida but lingered too long along the way...Taking A1A and it took a lot longer than usual to get out of Flordia. We stopped at one the resorts after dinner and they had a room....a cheap room. So we stayed. It was something like a hundred bucks a night. Too long ago, I can't recall its name...

After sitting on the beach and watching the tide come in, a nice adult beverage, and the warm fire in the slightly chilled winter night air was not a bad way to say farewell to the state before hitting sub freezing temperatures when I got home...

Needless to say --- I'm jealous

EDIT: Looks like a couple young girls having the time of their lives If you're up for broken bones, there's a nice shop down there that rents e-bikes Thats where I bought ours. Electric Bike Rentals in Daytona Beach - Daytona Adventures - Book Now!

 

Nothing as exciting as a trip to Daytona --- but I broke winterization last Friday Wait, you just winterized last week? Yah --- but my garage is never freezing and the camper is safely stored there...in its cocoon waiting for a warm weekend.

Only a 1 nighter at Potato Creek State Park in South Bend Indiana. I've done winter camping before either with heavy ice and rain (when we picked up our camper in Necedah) or after the weather event, setting on a snow covered pad.

This weekend though I had a special treat. The temperatures were in the low/mid 30's, so I lit a fire to sit by while I had my evening meal. Shortly after the sun set completely, andit began to snow -- not heavily, but more than flurries. Small falakes, fast falling, so probably more like ice. But, sitting by a warm fire listening to the sound of the snow in the dark was pretty amazing.

Unfortuantely this weekend the temperatures begin to fall and by this time next wee we'll be near single digits at night. So the games begin.

 

Dat 8: we spent the day at the Wyndham Beach Resort.

9D22F241-8011-471A-BEB0-7A0292AF9A82 by Tour 931 posted Dec 12, 2022 at 4:15 PM

This is the life! 72F and sunny compared to -10 and snow.

91429512-45D2-40E1-8367-6E5A8ACBD528 by Tour 931 posted Dec 12, 2022 at 4:15 PM

 

The locals call it Ocean Walk. It’s all decorated with Christmas lights now. I never miss a chance to stop at Cold Stone Creamy!

 

We will be here till Thursday if you would like to meet for lunch somewhere.

 

Cold stone -- hmmm....a guilty pleasure indeed! We moved far enough away from the one closest to us that it isn't practial

Actually, ice cream in general There's a technique that freezes the mix with Liquid Nitrogen. I think there's a shop there that does it (Nitro Cream Cafe) but I've never had it from that shop. The place near me is in Amish country called "Rocket Science" that uses the technique. REALLY good.

There's another shop down there near "The Villages" called "Mystic Ice cream" which makes theirs with ... shall we say, adult additions? The Bananas Foster is my personal favorite The shop changed hands a few years ago -- Jeff, the former owner is an acquaintance.

OH Man, I wish I could get down there Love Florida winters!!!

 

I’m thinking of buying these pots and pans. I have an induction cooktop after 40 years of using a gas range. It took me awhile to learn how to cook on it and I’m finding it needs the correct pans. My old Revere Ware won’t work and I replaced them with cheap stuff that works but doesn’t cook even. I do have one higher quality pan that is much better. It makes me think I need these.

https://www.amazon.com/Hestan-NanoB...-Set/dp/B08KZ7MJXK?ref_=ast_sto_dp&th=1&psc=1

 

I've been considering induction. My stove/oven is an old Jenair that is on its last leg --- the knobs are all breaking, and the valves are "twitchy" --- The flame goes from 0 to 10, making temperature control difficult.

The only induction I've used is one of the tabletop models --- It heats FAST, is Faster than gas, and gets hotter. But I found the heat to be spotty --- probably because it was $80 model. We use it for wax melting and soap making primarily but have had to use it for 'emergency' use a couple of times. Open flame and waxes/oils -- not a big fan.

That cookware looks nice, but a bit pricy. Have you looked at cast iron - I hear there are some real fans of it out there This has been the route we've gone and I can tell you --- it works BEUTIFULLY on induction and it costs about 1/10'th...

There are some much better than Lodge stuff out there too....

I'm really disappointed with their quality in the past 15 years

 

I have cast iron and use it mostly in my outdoor kitchen. I bought this set for the pots and won’t use the pans all that much. Buying individual for fewer items was almost twice as much. Some of the pots are $500 each.

Titanium is far better than stainless steel for heat transfer. Even better than aluminum and copper. These are the best I could find.

 

I've NEVER been a fan of stainless steel pans --- I have a family member who loves it. But to me, its the single worst cookware I've ever used. Yuck!

 

SERIOULSY! What I we do to deserve this O' Lord!

UGH!

View attachment upload_2022-12-14_18-24-16.png


This aside --- I got a new job assignment today --- It looks like 6 weeks+ of 40 hour week training. Not sure I'm glad it winter --- but maybe after I'm "trained" it will be camping season again.

Going to be a rough couple of weeks.

 

what else besides aluminum and cast iron which for the gauzes I bought would weigh too much.

 

I have seen some lighter-weight cast iron. Though I haven't looked at it since I already have all the cast iron I need, and most of ours is 'vintage' and been in the family for generations. The couple of new pieces I own are not of the same quality the old stuff is. I stripped the seasoning off of a new mass-produced cast iron skillet and found all kinds of grainy and pitted metal under the pre-seasoning. Sad.

If you can find vintage Griswold iron, the walls are a lot thinner, and as such lighter. Looking for cracks and contamination is the only concern have buying old --- I like older a LOT better than new.

If you want new, in addition to big box brands, a quick search on google should yield new castings. I've seen several enter the market in the past years --- pre-covid. I'm not sure who's still in business today. I think I have a homework assignment now