Category Archives: Musings

Musings

Rally to Restore Sanity

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Rally_to_Restore_Sanity

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I happened to be in Washington, D.C. for the Online News Association 2010 conference when the Rally to Restore Sanity took place. Needless to say, I took a little walk down to the National Mall to see what all the fuss was about. There wasn’t much fuss, just a few hundred thousand people blowing mainly positive steam on a beautiful fall day in the nation’s capital. I’m neither a Democrat or a Republican, but I do need satire and sarcasm, and John Stewart and Stephen Colbert certainly fit the bill.

I produced the above collage from a few pictures I took that day.

Musings

Happy Halloween Deadpool

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Deadpool

This is a little taste of dark geek humor. I originally took this photo in Philadelphia about a month ago at the Christ Church Burial Ground. Benjamin Franklin is buried here along with some other original signers of the Declaration of Independence. I had a little fun with it and added the names of a few technology companies that recently met their maker (click here for a larger view).

Musings

Danes and Gators

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Alligator

Because Scandinavians do not have alligators in their neck of the woods, it is important to get them nice and close when canoeing.

Musings

Oceanfront Getaway at Sebastian Preserve

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If you turn south from Cocoa Beach and wind down A1A you will notice the tropical blue waters of Florida turn a shade more brilliant just before the entrance to Seashell Suites. This little eco-retreat is nestled in the maritime forest that clings to a narrow strip of land defying the periodic pummeling of Atlantic hurricanes.

I like it down here. The beach is natural and beautiful. The only litter on the sand is that of newly hatched turtle shells. Fishermen catch pompano and permit while surfers ride waves through streams of bait fish. Nothing but the sound of waves and wind.

There is something very much removed about Seashell Suites. Maybe it is the good surf, sauna, or comfy beds, but I always feel something loosen within me. While there are many different hotel accommodations dotting the coastline from Cocoa to Vero Beach, I never achieve the same level of relaxation that this oceanfront resort provides.

Seashell Suites also has new managers. Don and Joanna have instituted some welcome changes. Apart from the usual onsite amenities, they have added subtle but important touches like good coffee and continental breakfast. They are also good company. Through many years of experience they know how to strike that important balance between giving you enough space while also making sure your needs are met.

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In the morning when the tide is right, I quietly crawl out of bed, careful not to wake my wife. I walk towards the ocean deck past the cupola where last night a Great Horned Owl landed above me. Down the beach I see beautiful blue waves cresting on the outer reef. The wind is offshore and no one is out.

Musings

Golf is Not My Game

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Robert_Golf

Growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, one would think I would have learned how to play golf. Family play. Friends play. Colleagues play. But I do not play. Not well anyway.

After graduating from Clemson University, I made my way out West. I peddled, paddled, climbed, hiked, and some times even crawled across all kinds of varying terrain, but never once did my trajectory meet a fairway.

Then came graduate school. I was studying business. And you know the saying, a lot of business gets done on the course. Fair enough. So I turned to a classmate who had actually competed in high school and was nothing short of a pro. He gave me some old clubs and took me under his wing….for an hour or two. At least I learned how to keep score and drive the cart.

Directly after obtaining my MBA, I took up a job in marketing and public relations. It wasn’t long after I had gotten over the initial discomfort of being in a new company that my boss  announced there would be an upcoming golf tournament where my participation was required. Yes!

The morning began bright and beautiful as I looked out across the well manicured fairways at Lakeridge golf course. My boss, Jennifer, and I were paired with Charles and Melissa. They worked at a creative agency in town. Charles was also the president of the local advertising association.

It is important to note that while I was at least dressed to be outside, the other three were costumed in outfits cut directly from a golf catalogue. But I didn’t feel awkward at all. Nope, not a bit.

Continue reading Golf is Not My Game →

Musings

Tropical Storm Colin

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Tropical_Storm_Colin

Tropical Storm Colin didn’t turn out to be what many Florida surfers wanted, but for early August when waves are typically nonexistent, who can complain about head high, glassy waves with offshore winds? This narcissistic pic is from Saturday morning. It got bigger and better throughout the day.

We are entering the peak season for hurricanes in the Atlantic. Let’s see what the next couple of months bring…

Musings

Banshee Bungee

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Banshee_Bungee

I post this image of some guys working a Banshee Bungee at Lori Wilson Park in Cocoa Beach, Florida, not so much because it is a fun photo, but because of what a stranger came up to me on the beach and said after I took it. He joked,  “Most folks would think it is pretty crazy to launch yourself in to the air on a skim board with a bungee cord, but I want to shake the guy’s hand who decided it was safe enough to get in their way and take some photos.” Ha! I turned 36 this weekend. Guess I still haven’t learned.

Musings

The Emperor’s New Clothes

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Hands

On Saturday I fueled up my far-from-fuel-efficient SUV and burned my way out to Upham Beach for the Hands Across the Sand demonstration against offshore oil drilling. I’d never been to Upham, but my Droid’s operating software navigated the asphalt-covered roads flawlessly. It was already a scorcher by 10:30am, so I ran the car’s AC while generously applying sunscreen. I grew thirsty, but fortunately I brought my plastic water bottle, and I tipped it to my lips before striking out to the beautiful white beach and shimmering blue water that millions of tourists travel to Florida every year to see.

The Suncoast Chapter of Surfrider Foundation had their tent out, so I stopped in to sign the petition, peruse their marketing material, and find out when we would be lining up and joining hands.  I was a bit early, so I headed out for a swim. I thought, what the hell am I doing here? From the looks of it, a number of Gulf Coast surfers had driven over to the East Coast to take advantage of some rare summer swell. Why hadn’t I done the same? This little demonstration isn’t going to achieve a single thing. And regardless, we’re all hypocrites.

Continue reading The Emperor’s New Clothes →

Musings

Sit, Rover…Good Dog.

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Rescue

Every year Dr Beach comes out with his top 10 list of “The Best Beaches in America,” and hard-hitting journalists the world over breathe a collective sigh of anticipation resolved. Moments after the press release hits their inboxes, and they’ve diligently copy, pasted, and published it (of course, with a little twist of their own journalistic integrity), they are on the first flight out to Dr Beach’s promised land.

Coopers Beach, the main beach in the village of Southampton on the east end of Long Island, New York took top honors this year. The fact that the water is cold and dark most of the time apparently didn’t factor in to the equation. But congratulations to them. May they be blessed with a bounty of disposable income wielding tourists with bouncy beach balls and boom boxes.

Inevitably, a Florida beach makes it on to the exclusive top 10 list as well. Sneaking on at the enviable number 2 position – Siesta Beach. Right outside of Sarasota, Florida, and just a mere one hour drive south of Tampa, I couldn’t imagine why I had never been there before? Of course, the moment I became privy to this secret little gem, I set out to see what the rest of America was surely drooling over. And there America was.

This is what Siesta Beach was like on a Saturday in early June.

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This is what a beach just north of Sarasota near Tampa/St. Petersburg looked like on the very same weekend.

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I think we can all agree that PR works; but that doesn’t always mean you should believe the hype.

Musings

Cocoa Beach Boutique

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Residing in Tampa, Florida, Robert Payne is a frequent visitor to the “Space Coast” where he reports on various hotels and accommodations in the area.

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Beach Place Guesthouses

Many beach hotels promise luxury, relaxation, and an unforgettable experience you’ll cherish for a lifetime. But after you stand in line at the reception desk for what seems like forever, wield a carrier full of effects to your room, and then take the elevator down to find the pool packed with screaming kids, you’ll wonder why you’re spending a paycheck on a vapid space in a big beehive. And no, a chocolate chip cookie upon check-in doesn’t make it any better.

Even so-called luxury hotels will often feel crowded, corporate, and sprawling. I like a little personality, and preferably some originality, that provides a natural and organic experience as you flow from one space to the next. It should have a salubrious air about it that removes the common every day annoyances, and replaces them with a laid back ease.

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These are some of the attributes I’ve found with Beach Place Guesthouses in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Owners Joseph and Hernando have taken special care to create an alternative to Cocoa Beach hotels that combines convenience and comfort without pomp or circumstance. It is just south of Cocoa Beach, so you remove yourself from the blur of kitschy tourist trappings and traffic, but you are still in close proximity to all the shopping, restaurants, and sightseeing you may want.

Because I travel with an insane amount of gear for parenting, beaching, surfing, and kayaking, I very much like the safe and easy access to my car that Beach Place Guesthouses provides. I can easily load and unload the car, but then at the same time forget it is even there. I prefer to stay in the bottom two rooms, in the front, where I can spill out on to the grass and the verandah whether I am striking off for the beach, taking a swing in the hammocks, or carrying some food to the grill.

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The other big plus is the layout of many of the rooms. You’ll be hard pressed to find many places around Cocoa Beach, that aren’t condominiums, but do offer 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. This is ideal, of course, for splitting the cost with another couple. Want to checkout a little late on Sunday? Maybe take a long walk? Joseph and Hernando hardly seem to mind.

If you are a diehard pool person, then this place is not for you because, well, they don’t have one. For me, I hardly miss it. The warm ocean waters of Florida are all the pool I need. Even better, Beach Place Guesthouses conveniently sports a great surf break just to the north of the property.

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Beach Place Guesthouses is a little home away from home. Stay a week or a weekend, either way, you’ll leave rested and ready to return.

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The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of Robert Payne.