Of course while we were home for two weeks we attended Olivia Leonardi's college graduation on April 26th. This is the same little girl that played with dolls on the front of our sailboat so many years ago when she was 6 years old. So many memories ago. And now she is grown and eagerly looking forward to a very successful life.
May 7th we returned to Cape Canavarel. We managed to get the bottom painted, the hull cleaned and waxed from the gunnels to the waterline, replaced zincs on the hull and the engine block, biked all around the area, visited friends and tried almost all the restaurants.
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| Remember this view? From our friends 4th floor Condo. We have looked around the area, and others, and this looks pretty good. Lots of activities always going on around the Cape, Never anymore big developments possible, Traffic not bad. Big Park close, biking trails, fishing pier, good restaurants, space launches occasionally, excellent marina nearby. We shall see. |
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| Visited this local establishment, Good fun, Good Beer and the neat thing about the place you can bring your own food, sit around and play cards or a number of other games they have around. Of course all while drinking beer |
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| Also you may become very well versed in the fine attributes of BEER! |
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| Ha! Didn't know that! |
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| Just a simple modification by the famous Parker Brothers! |
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| Just down the road from the Marina. |
May 17th we cast off to the fuel dock to load our bikes that we couldn't do at the short finger dock and left for the Canavarel Lock toward the Intercoastal waterway. While in the lock I realized I had forgot the load of laundry in the dryer. Bill said "What?" I said "Yeah, you heard me." So we turned around right in the lock and went back the other way. The Lockmaster just shook his head! All was well and it was "Another Beautiful Day"
We arrived in St. Augustine, Florida on the 18th and stayed 3 nights. That beautiful city is celebrating their 450th anniversary of the founding when Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Father Francisco Lopez and their crew landed and conducted the first Catholic Mass in what would become the United States of America. St. Augustine is the oldest city in the U.S.
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| Bucco and his friend on the water taxi into the city from our mooring. |
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Castillo de San Marcos
Spanash began construction in 1672, 23 yrs to complete, never taken in battle in spite of wars, invasions and pirate attacks. Primarily because it was constructed entirely out of coquina stone, a mix of shell fragments and quartz grains, that is soft and easy to cut but hard when cured in the sun. This makes cannon balls sink into, rather than shatter the walls of the fort.
By the way, every day was ABD! |
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| This is coquina stone. All the old houses, walls, gates of the city, fort, made of this material. Still strong and lasting as in Centuries past. |
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| The entire city was once surrounded by a walls of coquina and also log outer walls. This gate is the only entrance and was a draw bridge. |
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Huguenot Cemetary1821-1884 Legend has it that many expressions we use today originated here. "Dead Ringer" (bell tied to a string above ground in case the "deceased" was buried alive) and when they were dug up they were "Saved by the Bell"
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| This beautiful old Live Oak is called the Senator because he is bent, crooked and shady! |
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Just one of the many churches that Henry Flagler build in honor of his deceased daughter and her infant daughter. You should really look up Henry Morrison Flagler. Partner with J. D. Rockefeller in the founding of Standard Oil; builder of magnificent Hotels all up and down the East Coast of Florida and the Railroad from St. Augustine to Key West to bring the people to fill the hotels. Of course, these accomplishments literally grew Florida.
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Yep, we had to visit the distillary. Their Gin and Vodka were ready but we have to wait til 2016 for the Bourbon. We didn't miss the winery either. Another must see in St. Augustine is the Lightner Museum. Mr. Lightner was a collector of collections. Sorry, no picture, but it was a very interesting place. We thought we would be in and out and actually spent the entire afternoon there.
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| This is our mooring just after sunset in St. Augustine. |
May 21st finds us on our way to Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach. A lovely resort town and Island. Great Place to visit. Maybe live!! Ha! The Beach is beautiful, not overdone Condo sites, Quaint village and fascinating Olde Towne.
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| Fabulous home along the way. Just when we think of downsizing. . . . . . . . ??? What were they thinking? |
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| Anybody see the movie "Pippi Longstocking"? Here is her house right in Fernandina beach! |
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Horatio enjoyed the trolley tour also.
May 23rd, Bill and Emma's Birthday! we crossed the Georgia Florida border at 8:25am. The terrain and passage took on a completely different look. Miles and miles of salt Marsh and twisty turny rivers and creeks. St. Andrew Sound Inlet was the first inlet that gave us any kind of trouble. There were 15 to 20 knot winds, 4 ft seas on the nose for the 5 miles we needed to cross. The boat handled it well as did we - - but it was exciting! Horatio plastered himself against Bill's side til we were in the calmer waters of the ICW. We actually anchored off Jekyll Island for an hour, had lunch and rested!
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| This is Hampton River Anchorage - right in the Marshes. For some reason INSECTS love me!! Just take me along on your camping trips as repellent and you won't get bit. So I sprayed myself, thank heaven the wind was pretty strong. Strange, the tide and current was stronger than the wind - - - the stern is into the wind. Grilled steak tonight! Yumm! |
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| Cattle Run Creek, last night's anchorage. |
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| We had to get out of his way on the twisty turny. |
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| And this is where Horatio likes to be when we are underway. |
We are at the moment anchored in St. Augustine, Georgia just 11 miles from Savannah. Looking forward to daughter Sandra joining us for a few days til we get to Charleston, SC. Don Gordon and son are going to meet up with us also while they are visiting Savannah. Don and April caught up with us in Tavanier, FL a while back.
So, there you have it. Hope I am a little better about posting from now on. But, I have had some picture downloading, backing up, internet issues. Technologically Challanged! I know, excuses, excuses!!
