Floridian Stay pt. 1

Warm greetings from the ever-so-tropical Lake Worth! It’s been quite a ride the past few days. I hope you find some of my recent travels interesting and take away some of the dos-and-don’ts of Florida.

Day 1 (Post-Disney): Travel and Exploration

Upon leaving Orlando and our questionable hotel, Mom and I grabbed another easy, tasty breakfast from Starbucks. (Do: Try their oatmeal with cinnamon and yogurt in it; it tastes amazing!) We then took the scenic route southbound towards my grandparents’ condo. The car ride was pretty uneventful for the first couple of hours until we hit Cocoa Beach, where I insisted we stop and explore. You see, I’m basically your typical Arizonian novice, “wanna-be-pro” surfer, and Cocoa Beach is on my list of “must visit for fantastic beginner’s waves” surf spots. First-off, we scouted around for parking lots that wouldn’t require us to pay $15 to stay for an hour. (Yes, they really were that expensive. Don’t: Park in a metered public parking space and lose a load of dough if you are only visiting for a short period of time.) We found a great spot next to a gas station and close to the beach. There was colorful street art, imaginative surf stickers, and gorgeous greenery everywhere. But the beach. Oh my, those waves! They were perfect; I could almost feel myself grabbing a board and taking it out for a spin! A really long board, that is, with plenty of buoyancy for my inexperienced self. :’) Cocoa Beach is home to long, calm, rolling waves that crash a ways out from where the water meets the sand. I was obsessed and proceeded to run straight into the ocean as far as I could go without getting my clothes entirely soaked. (Yes, I got half of my shorts wet in the first 20 seconds, but who cares, right??) Definitely a do: Head to the ocean! The waves are beautiful and calming, perfect food for the soul! After snapping a couple of gymnastics/what-I-hope-are-semi-artsy photos to reminisce on, I reluctantly headed back to the car, taking photos the entire way. Upon driving, we came across a huuuge surf shop that I just HAD to take a look at, so we made a quick stop to visit the Ron Jon Surf Shop. The different surf boards were fun to look at for someone like me, and we bought a couple bracelets for my sisters and were given a couple decal stickers as a bonus. After leaving, we drove for about ten minutes down a cute, local road until I spotted an adorable café/store, where we treated ourselves to a smoothie and an acai bowl. The shop is called Surfinista, and I highly recommend it! Their food looks fantastic, the atmosphere is very laid-back, and, of course, a dog bowl resting outside their coastal stickers-covered doors is set into and adorable mini-surf board holder. The acai bowl was also incredibly delectable, although I may be biased due to my illogical love for all things fruit. Do: Visit the local shops and cafes in Cocoa Beach area. They are unique and have much to offer. Also, Cocoa Beach has a fantastic surfer vibe to it, making it an awesome place for those of you who enjoy the destinations where everyone seems to just enjoy life. 

Once back on the road, we continued to head south towards our destination. Finally, we pulled into the parking lot of my grandparents’ quaint, lovely condo, where they were waiting for visitors. We were greeted with welcoming hugs, as most grandparents love to give and receive freely from loved ones. After unloading our bags from the car and into the spare room, my mom and I drove to the car rental place to drop it off as my Mummi and Pappa (Grandma and Grandpa for all you non-Finnish folk) followed. We then rode back with them to their place. Do: Check and see if a car rental agency allows you to drop off the car in a different city than you picked it up from if you are visiting relatives. It saves a lot of trouble! The skies were a bit cloudy that day in Lake Worth, but the ocean was safe to swim in. Therefore, I obviously had to be swimming as soon as possible! My mom and I walked to the ocean, which is less than a mile from the condo, where I dove headfirst into the waves. The first ocean swim of the season is always so, so sweet! (Excluding the salty water.) Don’t: Hesitate to head into the water, providing safe conditions. The Atlantic is warm, so embrace the chance to swim even if it isn’t 100% sunshiny and gorgeous out! We finished off the day with a delicious home-cooked dinner prepared by my Mummi. It was a pretty fun, slightly adventurous way to start out our Floridian stay.