Not your typical day at the beach

Sometimes you get what you pay for.

 

     I went to the beach today, I’ve felt exceptionally tired this week and there is nothing as rejuvenating as a day at the beach. For the last year and a half I have had to move north from Traders Beach to Deerfield Beach to make way for progress. Yes they tore down the hotel at one of my most favorite places on earth to build high-rise luxury condos L (but that’s a story for another day). When I got to Deerfield Beach they were holding an annual festival on the beach. Ordinarily I would want to be right there in the middle of it all but today I just wanted to get oiled up from head to toe and relax in the sun. (I didn’t even bring a book, only music to chill by). That beach was very crowded, and they were asking $10.00 for parking. So I decided to go north which is something I have not done in years, I always  go south.

     I had my new snorkeling gear in the car so I thought I would go and check out a park that I’ve planned to visit with some people at work to snorkel on its reef. (One of the few easily accessible spots near here). I figured if I was going to pay $10 bucks for parking it should at least be the park with the reef. Now I would not ordinarily consider my self cheap but when I found out they were charging $18.00 for parking, I thought I would shop around for a better deal. This is the beach not Disney World. I went to the next park and it also was $18.00 for parking. I asked if their were yearly passes available and was told yes $30.00 for the year and today’s $18.00 would go towards the yearly pass. Now that’s more like it, right?

     I decided that if I was going to pay the $30.00 it should at least be for the park that has the reef, so back to Red Reef I went, (this is so not like me). When I got to the gate I asked the attendant about the yearly passes and he asked if I lived in Boca and I said yes, then he asked if I lived in East or West Boca and I said West. He said Oh, then you will have to use the other park in order to get the pass.  

     OK, now I live in beautiful Boca Raton Florida but I’m considered the other side of the tracks. If I lived in East Boca My $30.00 would get me a yearly pass to all 4 parks but being I am from lowly West Boca the same $30.00 only gets me 1 park and not the one of my choice.

     The game was getting old and I was supposed to be relaxing, right? I asked about the reef and the attendant said that there is good news and bad news. The bad news is that there were rip current warnings out along with jellyfish and sea lice warnings as well and that there would be no snorkeling on the reef today anyway. The good news was the 1 park that my pass would be good for was right next door and if I would park at the very North side of the park then the reef was only about a 300 yard walk down a boardwalk. By now I had enough and daylight was a wasting so I went down to still another park and was delighted to find that parking was only $5.00.

     I would recommend to anyone that was considering which one of these beaches to go to that you not choose the South Inlet Park. Although it seemed a better deal, this time you really do get what you pay for. I just kept looking around saying Ewwww this beach is so dirty. The sand was blackish and your feet got dirty if you walked on it. I was just so ready to get somewhere that I decided to stay but Yuck, I’ll never go back there again. I did get my Friday photo “ Parts” there but give me Deerfield beach anytime. This was defiantly not your typical day at the beach. I think I was more tired when I left there than I was before I got there.

                                             *** Coy ***