As is always the case we had to finally leave Florida and return home. We had to wait a few extra days more than we had planned for our new RV water heater to be installed but it is now in and working fine. Having said our farewells to Brenna and a final visit with Dad in Spring Hill we went out one last time with Don and Lyn for supper at Applebee's. Then very early the following morning, with the day just breaking and the air cool and refreshing, and before the household was up, we pulled out of the driveway and headed east to the Atlantic coast. We planned to drive along the coastal highway A1A from Daytona Beach to St. Augustine and spend the first night in this historical 450 year old city. I had been there years ago but had just driven through back in the 70s with Diane on our way to Washington.
 |
| early morning, Brooksville |
 |
| driving on the ocean's edge, Daytona Beach, Florida |
 |
| A1A, near Flagler Beach, Florida |
Years ago we had driven our old Ram campervan here and it was time to do it again: take a picture on the "World's Most Famous Beach". Beach driving is one of the most iconic activities beach goers do when they are here (other than the races) and you are charged $10 for the privilege to drive along the 23 miles of hard-packed sand and spray salt on your car. But as we only wanted a picture the attendant let us in as long as we were quick and came out again. From Daytona we headed north along A1A stopping for a stroll on the almost deserted beach. It was cooler than the west coast of Florida and the Gulf but the sea breeze was refreshing. We passed through Flagler Beach and the traffic and tourists traps became more evident as we entered St. Augustine, the oldest permanent settlement in America. But first we had to find a place for the night and settled on a campground on the barrier island, one side the Atlantic, the other Tolomato River, part of the Intracoastal Waterway.
 |
| Atlantic ocean side, North Beach Camp Resort, St. Augustine |
 |
| Tolomato River side (Intracoastal Waterway), North Beach Camp Resort |
We were a couple of miles from St. Augustine so we took an Uber cab to the downtown, crossing over the Bridge of Lions onto Avenida Menéndez , named for the cities founder, Don Pedro Menéndez de Aviles who landed here in 1565 with 800 Spanish and African colonists. A short history lesson is in order here...Florida had been claimed by Ponce de Leon for Spain in 1513 and King Philip II had sent out Menéndez to drive out the French garrisons that had been established there. He successfully destroyed the French Fort Caroline 40 miles north and ended the French incursion into Florida. Pirates and Indian attacks made life treacherous for the early settlers and in 1586 Francis Drake burned the village and its wooden fort to the ground. It wasn't until 1672 that a new fort was constructed, Castillo de San Marcos, made of coquina, a locally quarried soft shellrock still evident today.
 |
| The Fountain of Youth |
 |
| Nombre de Dios Mission, St. Augustine |
 |
| Father Francisco Lopez de Mendoza Grajales |
 |
| Our Lady of Guadeloupe |
 |
| Castillo de San Marcos |
 |
| The Alcazar Hotel and statue of Don Pedro Menéndez de Aviles |
 |
| The Villa Zorayda, an exact copy of one wing of the Alhambra Palace in Granada, Spain |
In 1702 British troops from South Carolina burned the town but the Spanish rebuilt and fortified the walls of the Castillo, the coquina walls absorbing cannon balls and holding off another British attack in 1740. After Spain's defeat by the British in the Seven Years War Florida was transferred to English control in 1763 but returned to Spain as part of the negotiations ending the American Revolution in 1783. They ruled until 1821 when the Americans took over. Hostilities rose between Seminole Indians and the Federal Government but after the Seminole War in 1837 Florida was finally safe again and visitors returned, including Henry Flagler, co-founder of Standard Oil who built the Hotel Ponce de Leon and the Hotel Alcazarar. We tried to see as much as we could in the few hours we spent walking about, stopping outside Ponce de Leon's legendary spring, the Fountain of Youth. Marie had been there as a teenager with her parents. We visited the Mission Nombre de Dios, Shrine of our Lady of La Leche, America's first mission. Here in 1565 Father Lopez offered the first Mass in St. Augustine. We figured this would be an appropriate time to drop in to a local winery, San Sebastian Winery and taste a few of their sweet wines before having a late lunch at a good Greek and Polish restaurant tucked away in one of the art areas. We took another cab back to the campground, grabbed Ben, our wine and two glasses and watched the sun set over the river, ending another memorable day... gws
 |
| a Florida oak tree, St Augustine |
