Sunshine and Friends

St. Augustine  

The best alarm clock in the world is bright sunlight streaming through a port in the master. Knowing we had an off day and that it was going to be warm helped even more. I got my stretching in and felt much better. Long overnight passages and days onboard sure take a toll on my stiff joints. The boat hook served as a modern-day trident for Barry as we piled into the dinghy. By the look of the dinghy dock, more than a few other folks were also up and moving. One perfect parking spot was left for us. We walked around a bit before meeting friends Linda and Bill for lunch at Harry's. Eight thumbs up were given for our "modern southern cajun" entrees. I was equally impressed by the beautiful blossoms inside the entrance to the patio. An app on my phone identified the plant as a Hong Kong Orchid Tree.

Following lunch we walked up and down the streets, soaking up the sun and taking in the sights. We made a note to visit the Medieval Torture Museum on a future visit. The eyes of a cute little Namaste Frog pleaded to come back to the boat. Walking the retail district is a whole lot easier when living on boat where there's no place for fragile set-arounds. We have known Linda and Bill for many years -- since our early sailboat days at Regent Point. We have since moved on to a trawler and they have moved on to an RV. All of us find ourselves in Florida for the same reason of avoiding the cold Virginia winters. We swapped stories of destinations, travel lifestyle, and mutual friends before saying goodbye. We'll all meet back in Deltaville in a few months. Barry and I spent a few additional hours wandering around the area. A statue of Pedro Menendez de Aviles, the founder of St. Augustine, stands watch over City Hall.

Across the square were the grand buildings of Flagler College, with the statue of Henry Flagler at the main gate. Grand palm trees were stationed at every corner. Their fronds swayed slightly in the gentle breeze.

City Hall occupies what was formerly the Alcazar Hotel, another Henry Flagler structure. Even the lizards were out soaking up the sun. For as pretty as the day was, the streets were pretty empty and not too many people were out soaking up the sun. Most folks were stoic, like the sentry at the Spanish Military Hospital Museum and the Sons of St. Augustine. 

Hints and clues were everywhere that St. Augustine is the nation's oldest city/first enduring settlement. It was settled by the Spanish in 1565, 42 years before Jamestown. We laughed at The Sunshine State sign knowing that so far, it is completely accurate. We returned to Crossroads in time for a little time on Fiberglass Beach alternating between boat watching, lighthouse gazing, ray soaking, and reading. 

Barry worked on our lazy windshield wiper and got it moving once more. The breeze had picked up during the afternoon so we decided to raise the dinghy back on the upper deck as the sun set in the west, and the lighthouse beacon illuminated the sky to the east. We will depart tomorrow morning and take the ICW down to South Daytona, clicking off a few more miles towards our jumping off point.