It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood!

Even though we have been taking this Daytona trip for about 34 years and staying at the same condo AND spending a LOT of time thrifting, we somehow only found the Our Lady of Lourdes thrift store just last year.  I bought a pair of bronze cowboy boots on the first visit.  Enough said.  We tried to hit up the store today but instead we found this sign.

WHAT THE HECK IS A GROTTO?

We actually did find the building where we *think* the thrift store is located.  It sounds like it might be a weekend thing so we’ll check back in to it later in the week.  If the store is open, I’ll be sure to ask about the grotto thing.

Another perennial favorite is the Secret Attic.  I found some of these curiosities there:

Ughhhh I just love weird toys.  I may go back for this sunny clown doll.  It was 1/2 off…

Ceramic bell with tabby cat and a gold bow? Tiny little person with luxurious painted on lashes kneeling next an oversize shoe named January?  $4 jar of decorative rotten green beans?  Guess which one is coming home with me…

I saw this store out of the corner of my eye and hollered for mom to whoop it in to the parking lot.  It was worth it for both the signs and the tiny basket of trinkets I picked up there for just a dollar.  PLEASE DO NOT MAKE A MESS.

And then it was lunch time.  Last year while looking up breweries in the area we heard about BJ’s Taphouse.  It’s a chain which I sort of avoid in general, but this place is worth a try.  I mean, just look at these taps!  And this 4-screen Brady Bunch looking tv thing is pretty great, especially for sportsball and/or the political season.  I love multitasking.

During lunch hour there is a $7.99 unlimited soup and salad special.  You can mix and match all the choices you want–sorry I didn’t get a picture of EITHER of the Caesar salads that I ate; they were just that good.  There was also a wedge salad option, and this balsamic reduction Caprese salad.  Tomato bisque was only one vegetarian soup so I can’t speak to the others but the guy sitting next to us at the bar was raving about the chicken tortilla.

After fueling up our bellies it was race time!

Mom read in the newspaper that there was going to be a free fan event at the speedway today.  There was legit free parking in the CLOSE parking lots which made this a totally easy and for real FREE fan event!  I think this year is the 2nd time the speedway has hosted this.  If it happens again next year we will be there–mom and I are already planning drinks and snacks to take with us!  It still boggles my mind that you can walk around drinking out in the open, like you’re in New Orleans or something!

First stop was gift shops, because I love gift shops. Make me exit through one any time.

Water bottles and plushie racing critters!

It was kind of a bummer to discover that there isn’t a merch lot anymore.  It used to be that individual drivers had big rig trucks with all sorts of merchandise for sale.  Now all the merch is sold by one company an there aren’t as many inexpensive and sale items (like bumper stickers, key-chains, and last years shirts).   The one kind of cool thing was the vintage style items from retired or long lost drivers.  These Cale Yarborogh trucker style caps were really neat.

This little die cast car caught my eye because it says “Smith Auto Parts” (my last name).  On second glance I figured out that it’s actually a model of the car driven by a LADY driver named Louise Smith.  I can’t wait to read more about her!  Learn something new every day, y’all.

 

 

AIR CUSHION SEAT: “BEATS THE SIT OUT OF OTHER SEATS”

$8 domestics, $9 premium, $9 mixed drinks, $7 wine, $5.50 peanuts,  $4 water.

(Whew lordy, this is why ya bring your own supplies!)

Here are the rules for the race track!

(Can you bring knitting needles?  I still dunno because they didn’t check my bag!)

Requisite track shots!!!

I hadn’t been to the track since 2003 and boy have things changed.  There have been pretty major improvements made to the entire compound.  Unfortunately, tickets have gotten so pricey that we certainly can’t afford them anymore.  I’ll not get too political on that note–I was really excited to get to see all the changes…for free.  There were even some cars running laps during the fan event so we got to hear the roar!

Oh, rule breakers. NO STANDING.

It was a really fun time.  Thanks Daytona International Speedway for the dang rad freebie.

Here are the spoils of the day! Tiny telephone keychain, 2 tiny blue princess castles, tiny bear in a chef’s hat, troll doll with lavender hair, nekkid kewpie girl, doll spray bottle & milk carton, pop-a-point pencil, 80s pale pink basket, plastic box of 1×1 squares of multicolored paper , baja blast colored falsies with golden polka dots, stretchy black belt with hook buckle, fruity infuser water bottle.

More fun tomorrow!

Holler if you have any ideas for more fun stuff to do in the Daytona area! ❤