Libations: The Libators go Corner to Corner: From Key West on Halloween to a Rocket Launch in Titusville.

It felt a bit melancholic to leave the Keys, but it took us half the day to drive out on Highway 1, so the sad feeling sort of dissipated as we drove along. We pulled over at a turnout near a state park to grab something for lunch from the trailer. It was a quiet Halloween for us, no eating out, no trick-or-treaters getting candy at our door, no special TV or movies, just driving and vibing. Scary.

We chose to go to Titusville on the Atlantic coast, since we have a friend who grew up there. It turned out to be a great decision, because we managed to catch a Space X night launch at 1 am (on our first night there). Looking at the schedule, it was the only opportunity to watch any launch for several weeks, so we timed that perfectly. Because of the government shutdown, we were unable to go to the Canaveral National Seashore, so we chose a local beach instead and enjoyed it without the National Park Passport stamp I would have gotten. We thought about going to the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, but it seemed like it would take up most of our time, and it was nice to just hang out and see Titusville.

Leaving the Florida Keys.

Stopped for lunch.

They were burning the fields as we drove through central Florida (sugarcane, mostly).

Maintenance on the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail.

Lake Okeechobee from the trail (it was on the levee, all the way around the lake).

The R-Pod as seen from the trail.

It was a nice evening.

Sunset over the lake.

On the public fishing pier in Titusville.

Space X launch of Bandwagon 4, Falcon 9 Block 5 from Cape Canaveral SFS.

Sidewalk detritus in Titusville.

Smyrna Beach.

The Atlantic Coast.

I put my feet in the Atlantic Ocean.

Selfie with shoreline.

The drive out of the Keys took up half of our day... all morning. We ate lunch on Long Key near a state park. I took pictures from the other side of the highway on the way back to the mainland. There were more of the old bridges with broken sections and storm damage, too many to post them all. I got a good photo of the pastel row houses that we admired on our way out; Russ called them the Easter eggs. How many times did I mention that I like the architectural style of the islands?

Our first stop as we drove north was the South Bay RV Park in South Bay, Florida. It was the right distance to travel in one day, and there was a nice county park to stay in. The park was right next to the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail, which runs on the levee surrounding the lake. There were a few mosquitos, but not many, and the warm evening was perfect for a walk after a long day of driving. We walked to and along the trail, taking way too many pictures up until sunset. They warned us about alligators in the small lake at the park, but we didn't see one alligator the entire time we were in Florida-just lucky, I guess.

Broken dreams.

We didn't take the turn-off, but parked in a gravel area next to the highway.

Storm threatening.

The Easter egg houses.

Burning the sugar cane fields.

The lake at South Bay RV Park.

It was a warm day, but no swimming!

The boat launch and the trail sign.

There we a lot of boats using the lake.

The trail.

The R-Pod from the top of the levee.

There were lots of these irrigation ditches.

Lake Okeechobee attracted a lot of birds, too.

Long shadows.

Time to race home.

Stop!

Bird and moon on a wire.

Walking back to the R-Pod.

Sunrise the next morning.

Low fog on the lake at sunrise.

Glory to the new day.

We drove into the town of South Bay for gas and Waffle House.

Not healthy, but delicious.

The next day's driving was more of the same until we reached the coast. Our friend (from the first day of the trip) grew up in Titusville, so we chose to stay there. The RV Park was small, cute, cluttered with signs and art, and well located across the street from Space View Park. We walked to the public fishing pier for dinner at Pier 220, an outdoor bar and restaurant with surprisingly good live music and reasonably priced food. We sat at the bar and enjoyed our beer and the great views of the water.

I had no expectations that we would be able to watch a launch during the two short days were were in Titusville. We got lucky, though, and were able to set an alarm for the 1:09 am launch of the Space X Bandwagon 4 (dedicated mid-inclination rideshare) Falcon 9, Block 5 from Cape Canaveral SFS. This smaller rocket has a first-stage return, too, which was the most impressive part for me.The sonic boom was stunning. I tried hard to not worry about taking too many photos or getting video, and instead just tried to live in the moment and experience the launch. I will probably never get to see another one, so I didn't want to experience it only through my phone screen as I recorded everything. Consequently, I don't have the sonic boom recorded, and I'm ok with that.

Indian River RV Park has a sense of humor.

Cedar needs a moment.

Florida moon over the palm trees.

I love how every state has a different roadside memorial sign.

Predator waiting for prey.

The A. Max Brewer Bridge was impressive.

The Pier 220 Bar and Restaurant was under the bridge.

All the wires were covered in fishing gear.

The local beer was easy drinking.

Our server struggled with the sun in her eyes.

The music was excellent. Mostly country.

We prefer to sit at the bar to eat when we can.

Fish burger and coleslaw.

Sunset from our seats.

The final gasp of the day.

Reflections on the day.

Moon over the A. Max Brewer Bridge.

If they pointed in the correct direction, it was a mistake.

Sunset over Titusville, FL.

Cape Canaveral. You can see the rocket as they prepared for the launch.

Ignition.

Reflections.

Rising.

Contrails.

Stage 1 Separation.

Stage 1 decent.

Stage 1 landing with shadows.

We slept in the next day, and got up to walk to The Living Tree, a Cuban coffee house, for breakfast. I'm sure I had never tried Cuban bread or breakfast food before this, because almost everything was new to me. The coffee was especially good, but I liked the bread, too. We had a phone call with Russ' mom, gushed about the launch, then packed up a bag with water and snacks and went to the beach. It was a bit of a drive north, to New Smyrna Beach.

Parking was expensive (again, still), but the beach was lovely and not too crowded considering that this was Sunday. The sun was hot, but the breeze kept things comfortable, and the waves were pretty big. Several families were enjoying the day and fishing in the surf. I collected some shell fragments that I can use as picks for playing my dulcimer, and we walked the shore. I also made sure to dip my feet into the Atlantic. I've only ever been to cold-water Atlantic beaches, or ones on the other side (the UK, Spain and Portugal).

We returned to have dinner next door to the RV Park at the Sugar Shack BBQ. I did some chores; I got ready to pay bills and did my nails. The next morning we walked over to the Broad Street Diner for an excellent diner breakfast before leaving town.