Historical St Augustine – Dec 2
Our next port of call was St Augustine. We were warned about very busy anchorages in fast current with poor holding for the anchors. We arrived just after lunch and were lucky to find a good spot to drop the anchor, with a stiff wind blowing. We hung around on the boat for a while to watch what the wind and current would do. When all seemed well we once again piled into the dinghy and docked over at the municipal marina. They charge $10/day to dock and you get use of the showers, laundry etc. Everything about St Augustine is historical. It claims to be the oldest settlement in the country dating back to 1565, which Christopher knew already from the boat schooling unit he had started on Florida. The architecture is fabulous and every other building seems to be a significant something. And you could pay to go into almost anywhere. An impressive fort with moat guards the entrance to the city and we watched one of our fellow boaters come in as we sat by the walls, with the cannons aimed at them. We took a very long walk to a grocery store and grabbed a cab back. Our driver was great and took us on a bit of a tour. She was a younger women and told us she is a descendant of some of the original settlers – the Minorcan’s (from Minorca in the Mediteranean, owned by Spain). That was quite interesting. At the marina there was a mini golf course, which we were told was also somewhat historical since it was still the original, well maintained, course built in 1949. Christopher was quick to point out to the attendant that it was built the same year as our house in Mono Centre. We’ll be offering tours after we return home…
One really nice part of town is the old narrow streets that have been closed to traffic and are open to pedestrians. Most of the shops are housed in the old original buildings providing a wonderful atmosphere for wandering around.
December 3 today. My brother (way older brother) Steve’s birthday - #52!! Happy Birthday bro!
Our next port of call was St Augustine. We were warned about very busy anchorages in fast current with poor holding for the anchors. We arrived just after lunch and were lucky to find a good spot to drop the anchor, with a stiff wind blowing. We hung around on the boat for a while to watch what the wind and current would do. When all seemed well we once again piled into the dinghy and docked over at the municipal marina. They charge $10/day to dock and you get use of the showers, laundry etc. Everything about St Augustine is historical. It claims to be the oldest settlement in the country dating back to 1565, which Christopher knew already from the boat schooling unit he had started on Florida. The architecture is fabulous and every other building seems to be a significant something. And you could pay to go into almost anywhere. An impressive fort with moat guards the entrance to the city and we watched one of our fellow boaters come in as we sat by the walls, with the cannons aimed at them. We took a very long walk to a grocery store and grabbed a cab back. Our driver was great and took us on a bit of a tour. She was a younger women and told us she is a descendant of some of the original settlers – the Minorcan’s (from Minorca in the Mediteranean, owned by Spain). That was quite interesting. At the marina there was a mini golf course, which we were told was also somewhat historical since it was still the original, well maintained, course built in 1949. Christopher was quick to point out to the attendant that it was built the same year as our house in Mono Centre. We’ll be offering tours after we return home…
One really nice part of town is the old narrow streets that have been closed to traffic and are open to pedestrians. Most of the shops are housed in the old original buildings providing a wonderful atmosphere for wandering around.
December 3 today. My brother (way older brother) Steve’s birthday - #52!! Happy Birthday bro!
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