When we first started talking about taking on America's Great Loop, we envisioned great cruising and seeing a lot of things from all of the various waters we would navigate. But we also anticipated layovers in interesting places that we would be unlikely to get to know otherwise. We've had a number of those in Chicago, Port Charles, MO., Port St. Joe, FL, Tarpon Springs, FL. but St. Augustine proves to be one of the more interesting.
Founded in 1565 and the oldest, continuously occupied, European settlement in North America , St Augusine passed back and forth between the Spanish and English before the US acquired Florida in 1819. It prides itself on its history and lots of "oldness", i.e., the oldest this and the oldest that. Below, Jackie stands by the city gates, built by the Spanish out of coquina in 1808. Coquina is a sedimentary rock composed wholly or almost entirely of the transported, abraded, and mechanically sorted fragments of shellfish. Coquina was the building material for many early homes and the Castillo de San Marcos Fort, built over 23 years and finished in 1695. The fort overlooks St. Augustine inlet and was constructed by the Spanish to protect against English disruption of shipping and commerce.
I include a number of historical pictures below which you can peruse quickly or leisurely at your pleasure. Together, they provide a sense of St. Augustine's long history. But please skip down because, as always, there's more!
Commemorating Ponce de Leon who sailed into what is now St. Augustine in 1513 and claimed it for Spain, the lion below is one of two marble statues guarding the west end of the Bridge of Lions, a drawbridge built in 1913 that connects St. Augustine proper to Anastasia Island and St. Augustine Beach.
We are docked just south of the bridge which opens for boats every 30 minutes.
But, enough of that. We've had a great time in St. Augustine and there's more to come in the next couple of days. In the very small world category, an 88 year old Italian-born stylist cut my hair on Saturday. I found Mario's story interesting and shared it with the family on our messaging FamJam only to find out that he used to cut our son-in-law John Henry's hair at the same salon. Who knew? Born in 1937, Mario immigrated to
Montreal when he was 18 and to the US 10 years later. He owned salons in Santa Barbara and then New Jersey and for a time traveled with various actors and actresses as their roadie sytlist. He and his wife of 60 years raised three daughters. As a five or six-year old Mario remembers the end of World War II when the Canadians and Americans liberated his Italian village. He said being freed was great but having food was even better.
Afte Mario cut my hair and trimmed my beard and another stylist took an interminable amount of time doing unspeakable things to Jackie's hair, we headed to the Beachcomber Restaurant for lunch "where A Street meets the beach." You can't go to the beach without a walk and at least one of us dipped our toes in the surf.
Then, it was on to the Alligator Farm, founded in 1893. We enjoyed seeing both American and Chinese alligators (the world's only two species) and innumerable species of crocodiles. We also enjoyed the bird life that the alligator habitat attracted. Please enjoy the few pictures below or skip ahead for the rest of the story.
The Admiral also jam-packed our schedule on Sunday. We started with church at
Trinity Parish Episcopal that was originally built in 1825. Good (well?) Congregationalists, we found the service a bit "high" for us but enjoyed being in a large, beautiful sanctuary in which, on just a normal Sunday, bottoms filled every pew.
Then it was on to the Trolley Tour--a 20 stop, two hour ride around historic St.
Augustine. The tour gave us the lay of the land and a more comprehensive sense of St. Augustine's history although capturing good pictures proved a challenge. We enjoyed an avenue completely lined with Live Oaks and seeing one 600 year old specimen
which has obviously benefited from its proximity to Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth.
I leave you with a pic of our marina friend who hangs out at the head of the dock.
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Great pictures! Thanks.