We
normally don't travel over the New Year, but this year brought a special
opportunity. Our friends from Oregon visited us and we enjoyed several
days of exceptional dining and a road trip to St. Augustine, our Country's
oldest city! We also visited Blue Springs State Park where we saw over
200 manatees that live in the warmer waters of the springs during the winter
months.
On New Year's
eve, our good friend Charlie, our neighbors Lance and Astrid, and Steve and
Debbi from Oregon joined us for dinner in Sanford. We ate in an
antique shop - a unique venue for dinner. If you ever venture there,
definitely try "Two Blonds and a Shrimp" as a great place to eat.
Then it was
off to St. Augustine. The four of us stayed in the old historic
section of the city at the Casa Monica Hotel. We had a wonderful view
of the Lightner Museum which was the original Alcazar Hotel. The
exhibits at the museum are diverse and eclectic. We especially enjoyed
the antique music player demonstrations. During our visit, we went to
the Fountain of Youth where Ponce De Leon first landed and settled in what
is now Florida. Back in the early 1500's, he named his settlement "La
Florida" which means "land of flowers". We saw one of the last
presentations of a 1950's era planetarium.
We then
visited the Castillo de San Marcos fort which is in wonderful restored
condition. The Portuguese defended the city from here. Live
cannon firings enhanced the visit but the day was very cold. Following
lunch, we strolled down historic St. George Street in the old Spanish
Quarter. There you will find the oldest wooden school house in America and
lots of shops to take your money.
On our return
trip home, we traveled down the coastal A1A route and visited the Ponce
Inlet Lighthouse. It is the second tallest lighthouse on the East
Coast. There are lots of photos of our excursion. Click on
ST. AUGUSTINE to view the
photos and enjoy!
