The resort was so nice we didn't venture out much. Did get to see the light display at the Daytona Speedway on Christmas Eve, which was cheesy but pleasant (and the one video Brandi shot has me cursing.) Took a two-hour kayak run along the Halifax River, but it was too cold to see any wildlife, just boats and birds, and heavy waves from the wind that kept us paddling hard (Joey, our guide, was lame-o.) And I visited the Daytona Speedway for a track tour one morning on my own. Nick spent most days on his laptop in the condo kitchen, but that's the vacation he wanted. (He was on the beach for one minute, and I got a photo.)
We walked the beach every day. Tide was high most of the time, and the view was generally remaining damage from Hurricane Nicole a couple months earlier, so many barriers and beach washed away. It was only 'warm' (above 65 degrees) on our first and last days, so we ate outside those days, but we still bundled up and got outside as much as possible. We had fish at Riptide, stopped at Landshark and Crabby's on the Beach, dinner at an outstanding Mexican restaurant where Brandi ordered 'the pig', and attempted twice to find decent pizza, being successful once. From experience, Christmas dinner is the toughest, most places being closed, but the hotel had an outstanding chef, so we ate in at the hotel, and they served us in the 12th floor lounge, no one else around. The staff was outstanding, and well organized for the newness of the facility.
Nick got in a couple stops a Buc-ees along the highway, because his brisket sandwiches and candied cashews are the travel priority, and we avoided the bad weather at home.
Jason
