Sunscreen? The weatherman and locals keep reminding me that this is cold weather. Yesterday riding down the Space Coast was perfect. My Canadian predilection for accepting this as great riding temperature runs in the face of the weather naysayers. I did however, forgo sunscreen and have a little crispy face as a result.

Daytona lies north of The Kennedy Space Center and Wildlife Refuge. I stuck to A1A and Highway 1 South and took my time easing through this straight but very scenic road. Towns seem just to run into one another. The only thing that keeps you aware that you are in a new area are the city limit road signs. This is not a place you rush through either. Speed limits are low because of the towns and occasional traffic light. Just as well though. You can get some sun and pull off the road to take pictures and enjoy the slow paced ride.

I was not sure how close the military or N.A.S.A would allow me to drive around the space center. I found out at a security post on the south end of the wildlife reserve. The friendly, heavily armed sentry at the gate turned me around and I was happy to take pictures from afar. I tried. I know that forty-five dollars gets you a guided tour, but that idea felt less adventurous.

As I continued through Cape Canaveral and Cocoa Beach, I noticed an odd Floridian biker trait. I do not know if it is a local custom. Nobody gives the customary biker wave. Occasionally you get the underhand left hand wave. This is a global nod to biker culture, but seems to be the exception here. I am not quite sure why. Maybe the lack of helmets makes riders keep both hands on the bars? I am going to stay in a little motel on the beach in Melbourne for a couple days and enjoy the sun and surf….