"Floridays"...at last!

Okay, those of you who know Jack know that he has something of a Jimmy Buffet complex. Ah, to be in the tropics with no schedule or agenda. Well, after 4-1/2 wonderful months on the road, we sailed into St. Augustine, Florida yesterday. It was 74 degrees, sunny and really, really beautiful.

Our campground (they all seem to call themselves "Resorts") is among the most beautiful we've seen. It's actually on an island and right across highway A1A from the Atlantic, and set in a dense jungle of live oak trees and Palmetto palms. You drive in through a veritable tunnel of trees, and our campsite is right on the sand, nestled in a little clearing. Last night we sat outside with margaritas, Jimmy Buffet playing just to set the mood.

The place backs up onto the inter coastal waterway. We went exploring just after sunset and found a quaint little restaurant called Aunt Kate's located back in the jungle and right on the water. They serve alligator. Tonight we're going there for dinner.

We saw this little retro motel near the beach (The Magic Beach Motel) with neon bunnies jumping from a neon top hat, and the requisite pink plastic flamingos in niches in the walls, and just steps from the beach.

Our first stop was, of course, the Fountain of Youth. We fear that no one will even recognize us when we get home! Juan Ponce de Leon, who (did you know this?) came to the West Indies WITH Christopher Columbus, sailed on to discover Florida.  St. Augustine has been around since 1513 (yes, 500 years).

Stacy and Ponce (this is her "Before" picture. She had the water later.) We think he looks really good for a 500 year old, huh? So it must work.

This was the landing site of the ships (I don't think the pier was here then)

A recreation of the Indian villages that were in the area

We walked through the Castillo de San Marco, a fort established by the Spanish in the 1500's and still beautifully preserved. An interesting factoid: This fort was built from a rock called Coquina, which is composed of tiny little sea shells. It is comparatively soft. Instead of shattering, the walls would absorb the energy of cannon balls fired into it. That made the fort remarkably indestructible. Hence, it is still there.

Firing of the cannon across the Bay

A view of modern-day St. Augustine. It is a lovely city, easy to walk around, and full of interesting places.