Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Well, we wore ourselves out yesterday! I took a gazillion photos but by the time we got back to Say Good-Bye last evening, we were tired.  The Captain made us each a nice bowl of oatmeal, we watched the news, and went to bed. 
 

So, a recap:  On Wednesday, April 24 we cast off from Marineland, FL at 7:00 AM and arrived in St. Augustine at 9:30 AM -- 18 miles.  There is a very nice well-spaced mooring field at Matanzas Inlet along the coast of St. Augustine with a complimentary launch that runs every two hours from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.  We changed into shorts, gathered up our dolls and dishes and caught the 10:00 AM launch and went ashore.  It was a balmy day, sunny and breezy in the 70s.  Perfect weather for hob-nobbing around doing touristy things.

St. Augustine is stunning -- it's the oldest city in the United States and in 2015 will celebrate it's 500th birthday!  Its history begins in 1513 when the Spanish sailed from Puerto Rico and claimed Florida (land of flowers). 

We took the Red Train hop on/hop off trolley tour -- 23 stops throughout the town which takes about an hour-and-a-half.  We rode the entire route, then got a few recommendations for lunch.  We had lunch at Harry's in their outdoor garden reminiscent of the outdoor Biergartens in Germany.  Ralph enjoyed a shrimp Po'Boy and creamy sweet corn grits which I tried and I must say, were delicious -- he thought so, too.  I love soup and enjoyed a cup of she crab soup which was very good and an order of fried green tomatoes with chipotle sauce which was wonderful.

After lunch we walked to the Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest and best preserved masonry fort in the US which was built in 1672.   The masonry, called "coquina"  is unique in that it contains broken pieces of shell and other invertebrates. It's beautiful and very different.  We took a tour of the fort and picked up the trolley and continued on to the Fountain of Youth -- which is a legendary landmark about Ponce' de Leon's discovery in St. Augustine when he was commissioned to sail to the Island of Bimini. 

From there we walked to a few other attractions and then caught the trolley to St. George's Street and walked around the shopping and eatery mecca of the city and strolled through the beautiful historic campus of Flagler College.  

Here are some photos of our travels yesterday:

Approaching St. Augustine

In the mooring field off the coast of St. Augustine

Touring the Castillo de San Marcos

 There are 2 drawbridges -- the grass was originally the moat

Heading up to the top of the fortress

One of the original cannons

"Coquina"  masonry with shells and other invertebrates

A peacock at the Fountain of Youth

This peacock is on a roof -- I didn't know they could fly

The legendary Fountain of Youth or so they say

Magnolia Street -- featured in the Forrest Gump movie

Coquina wall along Magnolia Street -- razor sharp shells protrude

Two mannequins from Woolworth's at the Old Town

The original jail

I don't know if this is a gallows or what...

Last night's back yard