A Deeper Dive Into The Pool

St. Augustine   

Sunrise this morning coincided with a strong flood tide as seen around the vacant mooring. Our dinghy was stretched tight on the two lines attaching it to Crossroads. Several boats departed the field and I took the opportunity to get an unobstructed shot of the lighthouse. The morning was the best we've had so far this year as it was warm enough to sit out on Fiberglass Beach and read for a couple of hours. After lunch we headed back into town to follow up on several points we learned of on yesterday's trolley tour. We walked down King Street and spotted the original door handles from the Woolworth's. The department store once anchored the Ponce de Leon Shopping Center which opened in 1955. This store was the site of several sit-ins during the Civil Rights Movement. 

A sign on the doors of Trinity Parish welcomed visitors to enter for a tour. We did just that and stepped inside the beautiful sanctuary of the oldest Protestant church in Florida. There are 28 unique stained glass windows lining the perimeter, the first one installed in 1859. Ten windows were crafted in Munich, Germany and one was made and signed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. As usual I also asked about the organ. The current model with 2,349 pipes was installed in 1967 and renovated in 1996 to be a hybrid pipe and digital organ. The carillon plays a song daily on the quarter-hour. At 12:30 and 5:00, it plays a 30-minute program. We've had the pleasure of hearing the extended version several times. Today's ultimate destination was the Lightner Museum which is housed in Henry Fagler's former Hotel Alcazar. The entrance through the courtyard is nothing short of spectacular. A fountain takes centerstage, and long arched corridors run along each wing. Inside the four-story casino, historical photos tell the story of the hotel's glory days. Folks back in those days did not travel light.  

I admit that my main curiosity with this property was the indoor swimming pool, the world's largest at the time of construction. A large historical photo serves as the backdrop for the museum entrance. Water filled the basin from artesian wells. Divers jumped from the second floor Ballroom balcony. Today the pool is dry and home to the restaurant Cafe Alcazar.

Hotel Alcazar closed with the onset of the Depression in 1931, then was reopened in 1948 by publisher and collector Otto Lightner. He was an advocate for hobbies and amassed a large personal collection of fine and decorative art and natural specimens. There was an exhibit of early bicycles, including this 1886 model that had a 42-inch rear wheel. Of course there were more Tiffany lamps. This massive secretary has over 200 drawers. I'd never be able to find anything with that many stashing options. Winston Churchill's lion is preserved in a case on the first floor. 

One exhibit that surprised me was the glass gallery. I had not seen such a large collection since my mom cleaned out her hutch. Seriously, though, there was an interesting hands-on display that explained the difference between Blown & Cut, Pressed & Cut, and Pressed glass. We exited back through the courtyard and a large azalea bloom caught my eye in the warm sunshine. Back on Crossroads, I took advantage of another hour in the sun and watched as a new group of boats arrived. A loon enjoy a vigorous bath in the still water.

Soft swirling clouds made for an interesting sunset that began as yellow and orange and transitioned to pinks and purples.