Catch up time: Our Jonathan Dickinson/Space Coast adventure - Day 2

Jonathan Dickinson Day 2 (January 15)

Michigan washed down the drain

Since 30 seconds after we left Lapeer on Wednesday the Tahoe has been covered with a layer of salt and mud. My first priority today (Saturday) was to find a car wash and rinse Michigan down the drain.

On our trips back and forth to Judi and Pete’s we looked for a car wash but were unable to find one.

So I called OnStar and they found us one just a few miles in the other direction. It took awhile but I scrubbed 99 percent of the grime off the Tahoe and I, and it, feel much better.

Now we just have to borrow a spray nozzle so I can do the same to the trailer, which is equally coated in Michigan salt and mud.

After the car wash we headed to Aunt Judi’s to pick her and her sister-in-law Jean up for a trip to West Palm Beach and a tour of “The Breakers,” a five-star hotel on the ocean. All I can say is “wow.” Make that “Wow.”

On our budget we would never be able to stay there, heck we didn’t even stay for lunch ($25 for starters) but we did have an hour or so to look around and tour the place. I did make a purchase at one of the shops in the hotel, a $5 pack of postcards.

Then we headed downtown for a walk down Worth Street where the other half not only lives, but shops. You know when you go into a store and they don’t have price tags on anything that you have ventured into a world where you don’t belong.

You know, $500 slacks, $700 sweaters and $5,000 dresses, are a little beyond the Smith budget. But it was fun to walk along the street and watch the fashion models working the restaurant crowds with their attractive ensembles.

Following our Worth Street tour we headed back to Uncle Pete and Aunt Judi’s place for dinner.

Pete, who is a top notch chef, stayed home to prepare a special dinner for us. Marinated Cornish Game Hens, “potato negro” (a variety of potato that are black in color), a Caravella family recipe string beans, homemade bisquits (Aunt Judi made these) and a homemade sugar free dessert.

My Aunt Judi is always looking out for me.

We watched a little football and Joan and I headed back to the campground about 9 p.m. in our spanking clean Tahoe.