rhondak thanksgiving road trip -- remusing on the east coast

RhondaK’s Thankful

Thanksgiving A1A RoadTrip 2008

ReMusing on the East Coastof Florida

Bars, Cars, Graffiti, Wood,

Pug JoyRhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist

http://www.rhondakwrites.com

ThankfulI used my Thanksgiving 2008 break to go to Flagler Beach and stay at

the Si Como No Inn. The Inn is still for sale.

www.sicomonoinn.com I am thankful that I’ve done well this year, that my family is well, that my odd Florida art has connected with some people, that I have a happy fantastic pug and am seeing an interesting man that I laugh a lot

with.

RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artisthttp://www.rhondakwrites.com

Happy PugThis is Sadie standing on our bed at the Si Como No Inn. She loves

sleeping in strange beds. The hotel is right on A1A, my favorite Old Florida road. The beach in

front of the hotel is dog friendly as long as you keep your dog on the leash. Apparently it is a $150 fine.

But it is also nice to keep the dogs out of the Turtle egg nests, too. The flora, fauna and feel of

this place is so special. There’s so much beauty. Peace. Quite.

Shrimp boats. Harleys. Fun beach bars seconds away.


Surf art on the wall of Room #4

of the Si Como No Inn. Flagler Beach has an active surf culture. The Inn is

connected to major surfers in

the area and also runs a Summer

Surf School. Surfing lessons can be arranged while you stay

there. This painting has a signature that says BONIT or

BONITZ.


This is the big sign out front of the Si Como No Inn. It has strong purples, orange and yellow. It is mere feet from A1A.


This is the Tiki Bar. Now it is available for rental for special events like reunions,

weddings or other things. Much of the interior wall is covered in graffiti. A lot of bars and public spaces on the East Coast area are

covered in handwriting of people who visited the area. The green sign on the left is mine.


“ILoveThis TikiHut…”


This is the view looking from A1A back to the Si Como No Inn. It has cottages that have two rooms in each. Most have connecting doors so that an entire

cottage could be rented. The second image is of the Atlantic Ocean. This is what it looks like across the road from the hotel.


Signs for the Gift Shop at the Si Como No Inn. To the left, new signs I left at the Inn to

earn me all important “Si Como No Inn” dollars. Quite a few

signs have sold.


I LOVE THESE BARS

A1A and East Coast bars I love. Some odd bits about them. Also,

while I was in town, Daytona Beach had its annual Turkey Rod event. Lots of hot rods, restored cars on the roads.


Boothill Saloon Daytona Beach Florida…Serial Killer Aileen Wuornos’ bra is one of the many bra’s on display at the Boothill.

www.boothillsaloon.com/


This is my signature I added to the bathroom of the Boothill Saloon bathroom. It is covered in graffiti …notes about a

trip…slander….love….hate….being drunk…being happy…finding yourself in this black marker scribbled memorial by

women.


This is the leather vested alligator on display at the Iron Boot. This is a bar right on A1A in Beverly Beach. It is a odd

combination of bikers and trailer park retirees.


Surf Culture art, T shirt, drift wood at Snack Jacks High Tides Restaurant that hangs over the beach right off A1A between Flagler Beach and Ormond

Beach.

Main Street Station is on Main Street. It’s walls are covered in writing and pictures.

While I was there, Main Street had a lot of cars. I like Main Street Station because it is an outside bar with lots of bike parking. I met a blind man there who told

me to go skydiving. He’d just gone and he felt it ripped all his bad karma from him.

I had an odd moment of contemplating what sort of bad karma a blind man might accumulate.

RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist

http://www.rhondakwrites.com

Daytona Beach Main Street Turkey Rod 2008

Finnegan’s is now Finn’s. I’m not sure why there are lifesize Blues Brothers statues on the top deck. The top deck looks down on A1A…the Atlantic is visible in all its rum loving intensity. Rum

loving? Oh yeah.

While I do like to go to beach bars, biker bars and tiki bars to ReMuse…I also use the time to pick up wood, take the pug out on the beach and check out the

local stores and artists.

I prefer to use found wood for my Old

Florida style Folk Art. I’d sold most of the wood I’d found in

Flagler Beach at my November shows.

Mostly at Villagefest in Tampa, Florida. I

picked up a lot of new customers who loved my particular

style. I think it shows through I love found wood….but I really LOVE LOVE LOVE

finding wood. These images are of wood that will be in my art

in 2009. A lot of square rusted nails. Curved worn wood.

Bamboo washed and pitted by the sea.

Pieces of a boat that was broken up.

Not only does this

wood have a story…it

is becoming another

one..if not more

stories…

Flagler Beach has a small downtown with a lot of

shops that sell local artists. But art can be found in many places

from bathroom graffiti to the Dollar General Store.

These $3 cups are excellent samples of

Florida art. The cup on the left is a

stick/directional sign like the one in front of the Si Como No Inn and also in

front of some shops in Flagler Beach. The happy crab is also a basic beach

image.

Captain Brodie of Pegasus Books. I picked up some image books of old boats and the sea. Who can NOT BUY from a place with a Captain Brodie salesman?

Commercial space for rent in Flagler Beach. I would like to do something like this in 5 years.

Daytona Beach Boardwalk

Daytona Beach BoardwalkThese are a few pics from Daytona Beach’s Boardwalk which is undergoing a slow moving renovation. Only two of the old amusement game rooms remain. The Ferris Wheel is gone. The sky lift is still there. It was one of the first places I kissed a boy. Senor Slims has opened there. This is a MUST for a person on a budget that likes

beachfront eating and drinking. Delicious food. Serious drinks.

On the way home from my little vacation I went to pick up my man from Manatee Fish House. He was out on a boat for 14 days. These are the grouper longline boats of the Manatee Fish House. This dock is run by a man called Pop’s and his son. They’re originally fishermen from Louisiana. They’re real old school fishermen. I am proud to date a fisherman that is part of the Florida seafood economy.

I love docks with old fishing boats. I love old boats. I love docks.


Then…back to work. Christmas orders, 5 shows…back to the

Key. Back to work.Back to a lot of things I love just

where I’m at.


Welcome to the Tzu…a custom

sign with 6 dogs I did for a woman in Bradenton Beach. It is going in front

of her mom’s home.

Custom Christmas Sign for friends of a customer. I call

these FEIN CUSTOM SIGNS. That’s the lady’s name who came up with

this style.

Family members are various sea creatures. The background has metallic

palm tree doodles.

These are on cedar planks that was an Old Florida

house.

I mailed them to Old Florida ex pats that now

reside in the Georgia somewhere around Atlanta.


Back on the Show Schedule..

rhondak thanksgiving road trip -- remusing on the east coast

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flagler beach

east coast of florida

beverly beach

ormond beach

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