RhondaK took a Thanksgiving trip to Flagler Beach, Florida to stay at the Si Como No Inn. She expresses gratitude for her family, her work as a Florida folk artist, and her boyfriend. She documents her trip through photos of the inn, local bars and scenery along A1A highway. These include images of her dog Sadie, surf art, signs and buildings. She picks up pieces of wood along the beach to use in her artwork and visits local shops and art galleries.

1. RhondaK’s Thankful Thanksgiving A1A Road Trip 2008 ReMusing on the East Coast of Florida Bars, Cars, Graffiti, Wood, Pug Joy RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

2. Thankful I 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. sicomo no inn .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 Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

3. Happy Pug This 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. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

4. 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. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

5. 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. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

6. 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. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

7. “ I Love This Tiki Hut…” RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

8. 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. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

9. 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. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

10. 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. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

11. 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/ RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

12. 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. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

13. 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. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

17. Daytona Beach Main Street Turkey Rod 2008

18. 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.

19. 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.

20. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

21. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

22. 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.

23. Not only does this wood have a story…it is becoming another one..if not more stories…

25. 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.

26. 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?

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

29. Daytona Beach Boardwalk

30. Daytona Beach Boardwalk These 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.

31. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

33. 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.

34. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com I love docks with old fishing boats. I love old boats. I love docks.

35. 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. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

36. 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.

37. 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. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

38. Back on the Show Schedule..

39. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com

40. RhondaK, Native Florida Folk Artist http://www.rhondakwrites.com