When 140 Characters Just Doesn't Cut It...

2014 NAS Jacksonville Air Show

2014-10-28T08:43:00.004-04:00

After seeing the US Air Force Thunderbirds a few weeks ago at the Wings & Waves Air Show, I just had see the US Navy Blue Angels, and the F-22 Raptor perform this weekend at the NAS Jacksonville Air Show. Early Saturday morning I made the trip to Jacksonville Naval Air Station with my Cousin, who just happens to be an air show expert. We were armed with an HD video camera, a digital 15x optical zoom point-and-shoot camera, and a digital SLR camera with telephoto lens. Those of you who follow me on Instagram may have already gotten a preview of some of the cell phone pictures & videos I took during the air show. Here are some of the better photos & videos we took at the 2014 NAS Jax Air Show... Enjoy!

The US Navy Blue Angels

F-22 Raptor

(click to enlarge photos)

A couple of short video clips...

The Immortals: Skip Stewart, Kyle Franklin, and the School Time Jet- Powered Bus
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJnQCvYGTB0

F-22 Raptor demonstration flight
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O68prJ0sZoc

Some of the static display, and more pictures from the 2014 NAS Jax Air Show...

What a great air show! The Jacksonville Naval Air Station Air Show is FREE, and open to the public, so bring the family out to the air show next time it's in town. It's fun for all ages. Don't forget to bring your cameras, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, and folding chairs. Preferred Seating at air show center on the flight line can be purchased for $10/person if you want to get up close to the action. There are plenty of vendors selling food, drinks, beer, and souvenirs at reasonable prices. Jumbo hot dogs were $3, burgers and pulled pork sandwiches $4, Sodas $2 for 20oz. bottles of Coke products, and Budweiser & Bud Light 16oz drafts for $4. I can't think of a better way to enjoy a Saturday. I had a great time watching the Blue Angels, the F-22 Raptor, The Immortals, and others perform.

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Wings & Waves Air Show

2014-10-12T23:09:00.002-04:00

I attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Wings and Waves Air Show on Saturday. Now I've seen a few demonstrations, and plenty of fly-overs, but this was my first time going to a real air show... And I think I'm hooked!

The Wings & Waves Air Show is free for spectators on October 11th & 12th from the Daytona Beach Hilton Oceanfront Resort (between the Main St. Pier & the Bandshell). The show starts at 11:30am each day, and the schedule of performers is the same both days.

Bring a chair, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a camera with plenty of batteries... I didn't bring enough batteries for my Nikon 16x optical zoom camera, so most of my pictures were taken with my cell phone (until I filled the memory card up). There are plenty of vendors onsite selling food, drinks, and cold beer.

Here are a few videos I shot during the air show...

If you like these videos, subscribe to my YouTube channel.

And now for the still photos...

(click on photos to enlarge)

I'm already making plans to attend the NAS Jax Air Show in two weeks. Subscribe to my blog, and stay tuned for my next post!

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Red Bull Global Rallycross - Daytona

2014-08-23T21:02:00.007-04:00

I've been a fan of Red Bull Global Rallycross racing for a few years, so when I found out the series was coming to Florida for the first time ever, I had to go see it live. Round 6 of the Global Rallycross Championship was held at Daytona International Speedway on a purpose built track in the infield of the speedway. The 13-turn course is about 70% asphalt / 30% dirt, and includes a 70 ft. tabletop jump. Like all GRC tracks, there is a shortcut built into the course called the "Joker Lap". Each driver can take the Joker only once per race. The cars are 600 horsepower, all-wheel drive supercars built from production models off of the showroom floor. They can accelerate from 0-60 MPH in 2 seconds! On race day, small groups of cars compete in 6-lap heat races where the top finishers move on to the main event, while the others battle it out in a LCQ (Last Chance Qualifier) race for the remaining positions in the 10 car main event.

Daytona Red Bull Global Rallycross Track Map

Unlike some of the more popular racing series, Red Bull Global Rallycross has an open paddock policy. Fans can walk right up to the team haulers, watch the mechanics work on the cars, and interact with the drivers. This alone is worth the price of your ticket. Bucky Lasek & 3-time GRC Champion Tanner Foust took time to pose for pictures before going out for their first heat race.

How's this for a selfie?

With a cooler full of drinks, and lots of sunscreen, I headed out into the scorching summer heat on Friday to check out all the action. Here are my pictures and videos from Red Bull Global Rallycross Day 1. Sorry, I forget to bring a camera, so all the pics/vids were taken with my cell phone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34Ovxt5ykSQ
Video of Red Bull GRC open practice

click on any of the photos to view them full-size

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO3my5mwkRc
Video of Global Rallycross final practice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceWubjjdJ4A
Red Bull Global Rallycross Daytona - Heat 1C

I had a great time at my first Red Bull Global Rallycross race! I hope they come back to Daytona International Speedway again next year... If they do, DON'T MISS IT!

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Crockpot Cajun Boiled Peanuts

2014-07-27T15:37:00.001-04:00

I was at home enjoying a cold beer after a long week at work when I got to thinking, what snack goes best with beer? Peanuts. Not just regular peanuts though, Cajun boiled peanuts! The kind found at roadside stands, hole in the wall gas stations, and sporting events throughout the southeast United States. My favorite Boiled P-Nut stand is located across the street from the Eagle's Nest bar on SR-44 in Samsula, FL on the way in to New Smyrna Beach. I have friends & family that will drive an hour just to get some Cajun Boiled P-Nuts from this place because they are so good. The only problem is, this boiled p-nut stand is only open on weekends. The solution, learn how to make Cajun boiled peanuts at home in your crockpot. Here is my secret crockpot Cajun boiled peanut recipe-

Ingredients
2 lbs of raw peanuts
1/2 cup salt
1/2 cup crushed red pepper flakes
1 oz. concentrated liquid shrimp & crab boil
4 jalapeno peppers (seeds in, sliced into thick rings)
1/2 an onion (quartered)
2 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/2 Tbsp. onion powder
1/2 Tbsp. black pepper
cut broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower (optional)*

When you go shopping for peanuts to make boiled peanuts at home, you may have some options. You'll need to buy peanuts in the shell, but make sure they are NOT the dry roasted & salted peanuts that you would find at a baseball game. Your looking for RAW peanuts in the shell. If you happen to live in the southeast United States during the summertime, you might see green peanuts. While some people only use green peanuts to make boiled peanuts, I don't care for them. They are tiny, and just not that available. I purchase Raw Jumbo Virginia Peanuts. Yes, they are a little more work to make boiled peanuts from, but the final product is worth it. I buy my peanuts from my local produce market, but I have also seen them for sale in Publix, Walmart, and Winn-Dixie in the produce section.

After gathering all of your ingredients, you will need to wash your peanuts because nobody likes dirty nuts. Peanuts grow in the dirt, and need to be soaked in a big bowl of water to knock the dirt off. Change the water a few times during this process. Depending on how fresh your peanuts are, they may have a very low water content. Soaking your nuts will help to re-hydrate them some. I let my peanuts soak overnight. You can skip this step, but your cooking time will be increased.

Now, pull out your crockpot. I use a 5 quart pot. It holds 2 pounds of peanuts. If you wanted to make 10 pounds of boiled peanuts for a BBQ, a bonfire, or in my case a family gathering at the beach, you can adjust my recipe, and use an outdoor propane cooker. Fill your pot about 1/4 full with water, and add 1/2 cup of salt, 1/2 cup of crushed red pepper flakes, 4 jalapeno peppers (sliced into rings, leave the seeds in), 1/2 of an onion (quartered), 2 Tbsp. cayenne pepper, 1 Tbsp. garlic powder, 1/2 Tbsp. onion powder, 1/2 Tbsp. black pepper. Crank your crockpot to "High", and stir to dissolve seasonings. This couldn't be a secret recipe without a secret ingredient. The secret ingredient I use to give these Cajun boiled peanuts a kick is Zatarain's Concentrated Liquid Shrimp & Crab Boil. The keyword here is "concentrated". This stuff has a kick! Unlike the dry seasoning, you'll only need to add 1 - 1.5 ounces of the liquid shrimp & crab boil to your water.

Add your raw peanuts to the pot, and fill with water to float the peanuts. The peanuts will float for the first few hours of cooking. I like to place a small plate on top to keep the peanuts down in the water. Put the lid on your crockpot. If you have a hole in the lid, plug it with a small piece of paper towel. Let the peanuts boil on high for 24 hours. You will need to add warm water a few times during the boil to keep the water level up. After 24 hours has passed, sample one of your boiled peanuts. It should be soft, but not mushy. Once your boiled peanuts have reached the desired texture, remove the lid, kill the heat, and let them soak in the brine until the boiled peanuts reach your desired level of heat / saltiness. If you want to kick it up another notch, try adding cut broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower during the soak time for a spicy Cajun veggie treat!

Enjoy your fresh hot & spicy Cajun Boiled P-Nuts with your favorite beer! If you have any leftover boiled peanuts, refrigerate them in a freezer bag for up to 1 week. Leftovers can be warmed up in a bowl of water in the microwave. If your making boiled peanuts for young children or people not fond of spicy foods you can omit the spices, and boil your peanuts with 1/2 cup of salt in the water for plain boiled peanuts.

Now crank up those crockpots, and get to boiling some Cajun Boiled Peanuts! Then come back here, and let me know how they turned out.

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Red Snapper Fishing out of Port Canaveral

2014-07-18T11:43:00.000-04:00

Last Friday, I hit the water with some friends for the opening day of Atlantic Red Snapper season. During the 2 1/2 weekend season in July this year the government was kind enough to let us keep ONE "endangered / over-fished" Atlantic Red Snapper per person, no size limit, for purpose of gathering data from the carcasses back at the dock. After loading the boat up with gear, ice, frozen squid & sardines, and beer, we launched from Sunrise Marina at Port Canaveral as the sun was coming up. After a quick stop to catch some live bait, we headed out for our target fish, Red Snapper. We fished, caught fish, laughed, drank some beer, and had a great time! I brought the GoPro along to document our trip. Check out the HD video on YouTube-

... There was no shortage of Red Snapper. ;)

Watch in Full screen HD & subscribe to my YouTube Channel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkdsMVwcKl0

We caught our limit...

Back at Sunrise Marina feeling sore, tired, and hungry, we cleaned our catch, and headed home.

Saturday night, I made lemon pepper baked red snapper with roasted green beans & red potatoes for the Wife & I for dinner.

If you have any good Red Snapper recipes, please send them my way. I have another big fillet in the freezer, as well as some scraps that I plan to use to make fish soup out of.

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SCUBA Diving the Blue Heron Bridge (west site)

2014-07-05T16:24:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week, I dove the Blue Heron Bridge west site. The Blue Heron Bridge was named #1 on SportDiver Magazine's Planet’s 50 greatest dives! For more information on SCUBA diving the Blue Heron Bridge, refer to my old post from two years ago: SCUBA Diving the Blue Heron Bridge.

During our dive we saw all the usual snapper, grouper, flounder, lobster, eels, crabs & tropical fish as well as some very rare creatures like batfish, banded coral shrimp, arrow crabs & stone fish. The Blue Heron Bridge is an underwater macro photographers dream. We took a GoPro Hero 3 camera for video, and a Sony Cybershot 14 megapixel camera with housing for still shots... And now for the video. Enjoy!

(Watch it in Fullscreen HD)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UcfhgVJdzfI

Want to see more of my videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel.

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SCUBA Diving with Nurse Sharks!

2014-07-01T16:00:00.001-04:00

I had the opportunity to go SCUBA diving with nurse sharks last weekend. It was a shore dive in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, FL with a max depth of less than 15 ft, located near the Anglin's Fishing Pier just 1 block south of Commercial Blvd. Parking is limited, and cost $1.50/hour. A dive flag is required for divers & snorkelers. If you need to rent gear or get air fills, I recommend Gold Coast SCUBA. They are friendly & very knowledgeable.

As we were unloading our gear, I talked to a diver that was just coming out of the water. She told me they didn't see much. I asked about sharks, and was told their group didn't see even one... That was not the case for our group. We saw about 10 nurse sharks, and I was able to get some great footage on my GoPro. Here is the video (watch it in Full Screen HD). Enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LSMdCY0xUJo

Want to see more of my videos? Subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Keep an eye out for my next post: SCUBA Diving the Blue Heron Bridge (west site)

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2014 New Smyrna Bike & Bar Tour

2014-06-23T08:43:00.000-04:00

I rode in the 22nd Annual New Smyrna Bike & Bar Tour over the weekend. According to the group Facebook page, the tour started out with just 2 bike riders, and has grown over the years to a whopping 1600! (I heard the count was up to 2,495 this year!) Stops on this years tour included J.B's Fish Camp, Moe's, Chases by the Sea, Sea Vista Tiki Bar, Off the Hook, PJ'S, Beachside Tavern, Gnarley Surf Bar, Clancy's Cantina, Om Bar, Trader's, Tayton O'Brians, Flagler Tavern, The Breakers, Barracuda's and Peanuts. Not on the list, but the last bar we stopped at was Toni & Joe's Patio. A great time was had by all! Here's the video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fEm71SuQhY

I'm looking forward to next year's event. Maybe I'll see you there!

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Rolex 24 at Daytona - Tudor United SportsCar Championship (Photos & Video)

2014-02-01T11:14:00.000-05:00

I had a hot pass for the first ever Tudor United SportsCar Championship race, the Rolex 24 at Daytona! These are my views from the garage, pit road, the roof, the flag stand, the grandstands, and the infield. All video was shot with a GoPro Hero 3, so be sure to watch it in HD. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHSQdUTpuE4

- - -

Also, check out my photos from the race here: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.623982844244.1073741831.302300445&type=1&l=9e28d125c6

More information on the new IMSA sanctioned Tudor United SportsCar Championship racing series can be found here:

http://www.imsa.com/inside/united-sportscar

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Kayaking Wekiva River & Rock Springs Run with Gators!

2013-04-07T01:17:00.002-04:00

I finally got the kayak back in the water for the first time this year!

It's been 11 months since I have been to Wekiva Springs State Park & Rock Springs Run. (Read about my last trip, here.) Last time, I forgot to put a memory card in my camera, and didn't have many pictures to share. This time, I didn't make that mistake.

My Dad & I got off to a late start this morning due to the cool weather overnight. With our cooler full of drinks, and subs we headed to Wekiva Springs State Park a little before 10:30am. The park was pretty quiet for a weekend. We were on the water at 10:40am. Today's goal: see 10 gators.

Right off the bat we saw 3 small gators sunning on a log in the lagoon.

The turtles were out catching some rays too...

Another gator... and we haven't even made it out of the lagoon yet!

Moving on to the Wekiva River, and what do we see? Another gator. #5 of the day!

And while we are on the topic of gators, how about a giant snapping turtle? Not a great photo because it was on the move, but this thing was big.

I wonder what this gator is thinking? Turtle stew?

All these gators must have scared this little turtle...

Look! Another gator. #7 of the day.

It pays to get out on the water early to beat the crowds on the weekends. Later in the day the Wekiva River will be packed with tourists in canoes going around in circles, and running in to everything.

About half a mile downstream from the Wekiva Springs State Park launch site on the left is Rock Springs Run. If you continue down the Wekiva River further you will come to Wekiva Island (a good place to stop for a beer). I usually take a left, and head against the current up Rock Springs Run. The upstream paddle is a good workout, but you will be rewarded with a nice float out on your return trip.

Dad managed to find (and get stuck on) almost every underwater log on the water today. Hahaha!

On our way up to Otter Campsite (our turn around point), we saw this sign. I believe this is the 6 mile marker for those who put in upstream at King's Landing. I'd like put in up there one day, but the launch fee from King's Landing, and the shuttle fee back from Wekiva Island are too much for this cheapskate.

There were a few fallen trees that might cause problems for anyone paddling a canoe, but we were able to slide over one, and duck under another without portaging.

We made it to Otter Camp, but it was occupied by some hardcore campers. I'm not sure how they hauled all that gear to the campsite. After a short chat with the campers we turned around, and took advantage of the current to carry us back downstream back towards the Wekiva River.

Since the campsite was full we stopped on the way back at this unofficial site for lunch, and a much needed stretch. This site isn't listed on the map.

Time to sit back, and relax while the current takes us back down Rock Springs Run...

We only saw one gator on Rock Springs Run. It was bigger than Dad's kayak, and walked along the bottom right under the kayak deep into the weeds... I didn't get a picture of it, but it was huge! Big gators are very territorial, which explains why we didn't see any other gators in the area.

Meanwhile back on the Wekiva River... Tourists going in circles, and running into everything.

If they could control their canoes for a while, they might see a gator...

Or two...

More turtles...

More gators...

Look closely. There is a good size gator in this next picture.

(click to enlarge)

Back in the lagoon at Wekiva Springs State Park...

(Note to Self: Invest in a kayak cart. The long trip up the canoe trail to the parking lot is killer.)

The total gator count for the day was 13 today! Not a bad day on the water.

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