Historical Florida

We have spent most of the week touring the historical venues of St. Augustine, FL (the oldest existing city in the US.)  It's been very enjoyable and the marina we stayed at was very nice also.

St Augustine was founded by the Spanish and has restored buildings that are 300 years old.  Most of the streets in Old Town are only wide enough for one car.  Many are closed only to pedesterian traffic.  This is a town you can spend serveral days in and still find intersting things to see.

This is the Lightener Museum (originally Flagler's 2nd hotel called Alcazar, which had a huge swimming pool and spa for the guests to enjoy). The pool was 120 ft. by 50 ft. and is now a restaurant.

There were many collections here - we spent 1/2 day taking it all in.

Let me explain who Flagler was.  He was Rockefeller's oil partner and had money to burn.  He discovered St Augustine in the late 1870's and decided to build a very expensive winter resort for his rich friends from the north.  It was only the 2nd hotel in the world to have electric lights and were personally installed by Edison.  A three month stay cost $250,000 in todays money.  He even built a railroad from Jacksonville to St Augustine so his guests had an easy way to get to the hotel.  He built a second hotel across from the first which was more modestly priced.  It still was not inexpensive but was more for "active" people and when built had the largest indoor swimming pool in the USA.  He eventually built the railroad all the way to Key West with a string of resorts along the way.  He is considered by many to be the father of Florida tourisum.  Both hotels are still standing and are in excellent condition.  One is now a private college, the other a musuem.

The largest collection of Tiffany glass in the world is here in these 2 hotels - worth millions of dollars and it is gorgeous!

Gorgeous is an understatment!!  Pictures do not begin to show the beauty of these hotels or of the churches that Flagler donated the funds for.

Flagler College (originally the Hotel Ponce De Leon) - a beautiful structure built by Henry Flagler - the first luxury hotel for the rich people from the north to winter in Florida.

 

Castillo de San Marcos defending northern Florida - quite a structure, built of Coquina (a mixture of seashells and cement - a very strong substance)

This fort was build by the Spanish in 1670 - 1693 to protect Florida from pirates, France and England.   

Daytona at night, from the anchored boat. (It was motorcycle week - Yeah!)

Daytona Beach was before St Augustine.  We only anchored out there one night and then moved on as we had done the Daytona thing a few years ago. 

We capped off the week with a wonderful dolphin show in the inlet where we were anchored on Saturday morning.  There were 12 - 14 of them performing for us.  What a show!

We are now in Jacksonville at a very interesting marina.  The facilites are not very good but the people living here on their boats are interesting.  The whole marina is made up of old hippies, artists, authors and burned out business people who have thumbed their nose at conventuial life.  The boats run the gamut from nice to barely floating.  The appeal of the marina is it's low slip fees and a live and let live attitude by it's clientel.  Hang around here long and you'd have material for a book or two. 

Once again we will be travelling to IA next week to do income taxes, Drs. appointments, see family, etc.  So we won't be posting a blog till later.  Happy Spring to you all!

Scenes and insights from the Miss TeRae 1st mate & captain

It's been another great week in Florida!  There's always something happening and something new and interesting which we had not anticipated.  I guess that's life too, isn't it!  Beautiful and intersting wildlife, scenery and birds await us at every turn.  Blessings abound!

Manatees feeding on Romaine Lettuce in the South Florida Aquarium (we have not seen them in the open water yet, but have had to watch our boat speed often for them), because they are an endangered species.

Long stretches of the ICW are "no wake zones" because of Manatees and our boat doesn't like to go slow.  However that does give us more opportunity to enjoy the scenery. 

                      Birds like to nest  or perch on the signs along the waterway.  Why not!

Don with his cousin, Richard B.  He sure does favor Grandpa Herm, don't you think??

We had a delightful lunch with them again last Monday.

A resident we shared space with at the Marina - saw him every day!

We name him "Pete".   I really don't know why.  He just look like his name should be Pete. 

 Another picture perfect home along the Waterway - we've seen so many!

We arrived in Ft. Myers on Wednesday and plan to stay a week.  Thursday evening we enjoyed a potluck here at the marina with other boaters.  Friday afternoon was spent with a DM friend, John Memmelaar and friends touring Sanibel Island and beach, followed by a tour of Ft. Myers Beach.  Thanks, John! 

Theresa does most of the research on which marinas to stay at.  She did another good job with Legacy Habour Marina.  We're close to a grocery store, restaurants, shops and the marina has a heated pool and nice boaters lounge, all at a reasonable price.  Had a few "hairy moments"  north of Ft Meyers when we missed a buoy and ended up in "skinny" water.  Touched bottom but didn't do any damage.    

And we certainly enjoyed John's hospitality.

  This is the Edison Winter Estate - Toured this historic treasure yesterday.  What an amazing man - Thomas Edison had over 1,000 patents registered in his lifetime!  He also did a lot of research on trying to grow trees to produce rubber, therefore there are lots of interesting trees and plants on the spacious grounds.

This huge Banyan tree does produce a type of latex and it is an acre in diameter, the largest in the US.  It was given to Edison by Firestone in 1925. 

This needs explaining.  The tree grows branchs down from it's primary branches. 

When they reach the ground they root and grow to the size of trunks but are really attached to and support the primary branches.  Over the years this keeps happening and you get a forest of what first appears to be several trees but are really just one tree with several trunks.  I  probably didn't explain that very well so if you don't get it don't worry about it.

We finished out the week with a car show in downtown Ft. Myers, much to Don's enjoyment. 

 There was also a Celtic Music Festival in the park earlier in the day and a fantastic Farmer's Market earlier in the week.  Yum, those stawberries melt in your mouth!  And the oranges and grapefruit are huge!
Today is Sunday and I miss Crossroads Fellowship.  We can't be too choosy about the churches we attend as we are limited by how far we can walk or bike.  We've had the opportunity to attend services at several different denominations.  Some services and worship syles we appreciate more than others.  Some were so dead I wondered if a hearse would be waiting in the parking lot after the service.  But we are united in that we all serve the same God and are saved by the same Lord Jesus Christ.

But I still miss Crossroads.