Days are getting shorter

And shorter, and shorter. Sunset dips ever earlier and night sneaks up on ya.

Here we are at Burger Inn in Melbourne. Thanks Nick, our best selfie snapper!

There’s a great vibe at the open air diner Burger Inn in Melbourne.

It was a Merritt Island weekend last Friday through Sunday and that meant a road trip with pockets of downpours, which were quite unnerving, and a stop at Cracker Barrel in Fort Pierce (or maybe it was Stuart, I can’t remember), where my food was NOT good, the taste was really off and that’s never happened at Cracker Barrel before. Dinner however, was a whole different story. We ate at Burger Inn in Melbourne where I had a delicious gyro and sweet potato tots. On the way home, we stopped in at Grills Riverside nearby for a drink and to enjoy the view while listening to a live band.

Spooky Halloween display I spotted while we walked through Cocoa Village.

Saturday, Vance and I headed to Cocoa Village to meet up with Vance’s trivia friends Ed and Carolyn who are snowbirds from Cleveland. Ed and Carolyn’s friends Mary and Barry were there too. We all enjoyed food and beers while watching college football at Time Out Sports Bar and once we were done there, Vance and I walked around the Cocoa Village Arts & Crafts Fair and then picked up some sides at Cryderman’s Barbecue which we enjoyed with dinner Vance made at home on the flattop grill.

Disco volador from Cuba Bistro.

This guy greeted us at Rotary Park in Merritt Island.

Vance on the Rotary Park nature trail under some spooky spider webs.

This is what nature trailing is all about, encountering grand trees like these. It’s a beauty!

Sighting on the trail at Rotary Park.

The trail awaits, offering shady, shadow-playing views.

Sunday I had to pick up a disco volador sandwich at Cuba Bistro, something that’s become a tradition while I’m up there. It’s just so nostalgic and takes me back to my Mom’s kitchen table where I used to watch her make them for me. I picked up a few croquetas too. And the weekend wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t visit a park so after a little research I found a nice one nearby, Rotary Park and Vance, who is not a fan of nature, did indeed join me. We walked through the nature trail, which was still decorated for their Haunted Trail and then afterwards popped into Sugar Aunt’s, a quirky catering business/alfresco restaurant where although their lunch buffet was over, looked like a place we want to return to.

Nick takes a selfie with his medal at LoanDepot Park Special Olympics event with the Marlins.

Thanks to Sandra DeLucca and Nick’s Special Olympics coaches for capturing this pic of Nick at LoanDepot Park Marlins event.

Monday and Tuesday were pretty quiet days, just getting work done, doing my usual food rescues. On Tuesday, Nick participated in the annual Special Olympics event with the Marlins at LoanDepot Park, check out the picture above.

Wednesday I took a fantastic walk up and down South Miami Avenue, something I used to do often when I lived at home. I was hoping to walk through Simpson Park but they were closed, preparing for their Halloween event today.

And today is the most exciting day of the week (yes, you read that right), because I’m headed to New York. All five Gulliksens will be spending the weekend in the Big Apple. The only planned event so far is going to the Dolphins vs. Jets game on Sunday, the rest we’ll make up as we go along!

That’s why you’re receiving this blog today instead of on Friday, I’ll be too busy enjoying the MUCH cooler weather in the “city that never sleeps.”

I hope you have a great weekend and enjoy South Florida’s cooler weather. I’ll see you next Friday.

Peacocks in Biscayne Park