Florida

One thing that was developing as the days and weeks rolled by was an increasing synergy with sun. We were now regularly waking when it peeked above the horizon and we were going to bed when it grew tired of the day. This meant that on many occasions we found ourselves going to bed early before the temperature dropped and once our necks began to ache from staring at the stars.

Flagler Beach Campsite Just Before Sunset

Camping was becoming second nature now. The space within the Beast had been utilised so effectively that we essentially had a portable little house, with storage, a cooler, a larder and a perfectly comfortable bed that could be set up in a matter of minutes. We also had a laptop and a movie library to keep us entertained when the sun went down. Tonight, this was proving to be a godsend after an early sunset and a consuming darkness left us with few alternatives to satisfy our active minds.

Waking up in the Beast is a confusing experience. First of all, early morning sunlight floods-in through the nightly build up of condensation. Then, very slowly, the temperature rises just enough to make you stir. Finally, you open your eyes, and in a moment of genuine confusion you ask yourself why on earth you are lying, shivering in a Korean SUV on a remote stretch of the American coastline. Thankfully this feeling doesn’t last long and as you tear yourself from your sleeping bag and slide out into the open air, everything immediately swings into focus…

As you breath, the crisp cleanliness of the air tickles your nostrils. As you look up, the vast open sky hangs uninterrupted above your head, and as you appreciate your surroundings, you are able acknowledge nature in all its unconfined glory. It is then that you realise how lucky you are, and everything makes sense.

I really can’t imagine a better way to start a day.

So now in Northern Florida, we progressed south, first through a deserted and uninspiring Daytona Beach and then inland away from the wallet aching campsites that line the coast. Soon, we ended up on the side of Interstate 95 where we found a cheap space to set up camp in between the various orange farms that give this state its identity. Then, after a cold but ultimately successful nights sleep; I awoke early, excited and eager to fulfill a childhood ambition. You see today, we would be going to Cape Canaveral, the home of the Kennedy Space Center.

Rockets

After a moderately short drive from our campsite we reached a causeway. From here, dolphins could be seen rising and dipping their way through the rough waters that separate Cape Canaveral from the mainland. On the other side of this, remnants from historical space endeavours stood as monuments that poked their way through the wide state park that surrounds this popular tourist destination. Eventually, we found ourselves in a wide almost endless car park, where we left the Beast and continued our passage on foot the to the large imposing entrance to the space center itself. From here 'Spielbergian' music blared out, loudly and tediously. Rapidly, my enthusiasm for what lay within was eroding, and after a needless long wait in a short queue, my mood was reduced again as I was liberated of a small fortune at the ticket desk. Then we were granted access to what ultimately was a disappointing and sparse tourist attraction. Still, the historical significance of this place is its real appeal, and I felt lucky to see the spot from which man first set course for the moon.

After a few hours we returned to the Beast and once again headed inland toward the large and calm waters of Okeechobee, the lake that feeds Everglades. Here we cooked, ate and camped under a sun which set slowly and colourfully in the distance.

This was exactly the sort of experience I was looking for.

Okeechobee At Sunset

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