St. Augustine

I arrived at Faver Dykes State Park, near St. Augustine on Saturday.  This is a very nice campground with private shady sites. My assigned space had a very narrow opening with several trees placed in such a way that it was very difficult to back in.   I must be getting better at it, since got lined up and backed in perfectly on the first try.  After setting up, I spent the day re-arranging my living room.  Since I took out the couch, I have much more space.  After all that hard work, I decided to spend the afternoon playing my new Wii games. 

Sunday I hiked the nature trail in the park.  Basically the trail wanders through pine and scrub brush, but it ends at a beautiful lake.  This park is a gateway to a state canoe trail, Pellicer Creek.  It’s supposed to be one of the most beautiful creek systems in northeast Florida, and on my list of things to do while I’m here.  As I was headed back to camp, I heard some rustling in the brush.  I looked over and saw an armadillo.  When I was growing up in Lake Worth Fl, we had an armadillo that lived under a tree in our yard.   We named her ‘Attila the Armadilla’.  We used to follow her into the woods as she foraged for food.  Armadillo’s are pretty mellow creatures.  Like Attila, this one never missed a beat as I got right up in its face to take pictures.  The problem was, I couldn’t get its face out of the leaves long enough to get a good shot.  I tapped it on the back and it basically just bucked my hand off.  I thought it was jumping, but again, its face never left the leaves, just the hind legs.  I finally gave up and left it to its lunch.

Monday I decided to check out some local bike rides.  There is one that is supposed to go straight up the east coast.  I never heard of it, but I discovered some of my favorite trails in DC were part of the same system.  When I got there, I realized it was no trail at all, rather I would be riding on the shoulder of A1A.  I figured what the heck, it was a nice day and I was riding along the coast.  Traffic wasn’t too bad, so I headed north.  It didn’t take long to realize I was headed directly into the wind.  I just wasn’t feeling it, so I turned around and headed back after only a few miles.  Unbelievably, the wind also changed directions and I was still headed directly into the wind!  How the heck does that work!!??

On Tuesday my mom and her dog Max came for a visit.  We took a ride into St Augustine and checked out the lighthouse and the museum.  On Wednesday we were going to take a boat ride, but the weather was chilly and windy.  We opted for a trolley tour instead.  In spite of 2 jackets, my poor mother almost froze to death.  She sure does hate cold weather!  There are some really interesting things to see and do, it will take more than just one day.  After the trolley tour, we went back to the shopping area and poked around in the little shops.  I bought a few things and Mom bought a t-shirt.  When we got back on the trolley, I realized I left my bag sitting on the bench.  Of course, by the time we drove back to the spot it was gone.  I couldn’t believe I did that, I’ve never left a bag behind.  All I bought was a skirt and a little sun face mask.  After I dropped Mom off at the hotel I headed back to the campground.  I was kicking myself because I really wanted that skirt!  I had made up my mind to go back the next day and get another one, when Mom called.  She said you won’t believe it, but I have your skirt in my bag.  Apparently, we switched bags at the last store and it was her t-shirt I left behind on the bench.  Guess I’m headed back for another t-shirt instead.

After spending Thursday morning at the outlet mall, Mom and Max headed home after lunch.  On Friday the weather was much warmer as I headed back to St. Augustine to finish my tour.  My first stop was the Fountain of Youth. The grounds were very nice but the actual fountain was pretty underwhelming.  Of course I had to drink from it, but the water both smelled and tastes like sulfur.  Magnolia Avenue, in front of the park, was beautiful!  In fact, it was named one of the most beautiful streets in the United States because of the arching live oak canopy and Spanish moss.  The entire street looked almost like a tunnel made of trees. 

My next stop was the city jail.  Henry Flagler basically built St. Augustine.  He built some fancy hotels, one of which was near a jail.  He wanted to tear down the jail because it detracted from his neighborhood.  He build the city a new jail on the other side of town and made it look like a house.  Once inside, the conditions were horrific of course.  There were few windows and the cells were small and always overcrowded.  The prisoners worked as chain gangs for 12-14 hrs a day in the intense heat.  Once a month the warden put a bathtub in the yard and all the prisoners got a bath.  Using the same bathwater.  The next day, any women incarcerated got a bath as well, again, using the same water.  They may have had a better deal though, overnight the dirt and mud would have settled to the bottom. 

I intended on going back to the little shops to replace my Mom’s t-shirt, but I couldn’t find any place to park within miles of the shopping area.  It was a gorgeous day and it seemed like everyone was out enjoying the sights.  The entire downtown area was jam packed, so I gave up and headed back to the campground for some peace and quiet. 

I really enjoyed St. Augustine and Faver-Dykes State Park, but it’s time to move along.  Next stop, Blackwater River State Park, near Pensacola. 

Pictures:

https://plus.google.com/photos/118205599704530902363/albums/5820519756582573521?authkey=CI_j2afThYfBwQE