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!

Florida Spring Break!

                           We're seeing signs of Spring Break here on the beaches of Florida.

                        This is Vero Beach - beautiful fine sand and lots of people to enjoy it.

Check out the background!!  Now, when I was their age Spring Break meant driving a tractor 10 hours a day, working for a former neighbor.

She enjoys the seashore, wiggling toes in the sand, walking, catching the waves as they hit the shore.
Water Temp - 68 degrees.  Air temp - 85 degrees.  Sunny and warm.

Gateway to the Tropics, so I guess we're leaving the tropics now - more Spanish Moss, orchids and ferns growing in the trees, less Palm trees.  We are heading up the East coast of Florida.

Beautiful homes and estates along the waterway.

From our view on the water you sure can't tell that we have been in a recession for the passed three years.  But I suppose some of these Mcmansions are in foreclosure just like homes in more modest neighorhoods.  

Rough seas kept us, unexpectantly, in Sebastian, FL for 2 nights.

But that was okay because after the manager and I traded some "Dutchman" jokes he gave me a free   t-shirt.  Hey, I'm not proud, a free shirt wears just like the ones you pay for. 

Now we are in Titusville, FL, across the bay from Kennedy Space Center where the manned space shuttles were launched for the past 25 years.  But no more, only unmanned launches occasionally now.

It seems this town is almost deserted.

The marina has several huge manatees here - we keep taking pictures of them and watching them.  They love fresh water and sea grass, but it is illegal to feed or water them.  If you are washing the boat, they will come right over for the run-off.  They can be injured by the propellers on boats, as you can see on the one above.  They are sometimes called sea cows - grow to 13 ft. in length, weigh 2,000 lbs. and eat 100 lbs. of vegetation daily.  They are air-breathing mammals that reside in the water.

(He's along a dock, his head is toward the left of the picture.)

After having to slow down to NO WAKE speed thru so many manateen areas for the passed several months it's interesting to finally see them up close and personal.   I scratched one's back but he didn't seem to like it.  Probably thought I was a boat prop.  Their skin has a very rough texture. 

 

Fort Pierce, FL Highlights

We've had a fun time here in Ft. Pierce - it's been a busy, enjoyable week.  Summertime in February here with unseasonably warm weather.  Daytime temps in the 80's and cool nights.  This is known as the Treasure Coast of Florida - Each part of Florida has their own special coast designation.

Pelicans - our constant companions and friends??

Friend?? He tried to bite me!!

Spending time with Don's cousin, Dick and Linda B. at their condo about 3 miles from our marina.

Cookouts, fix-it projects, enjoying the pool, IA Girls State Basketball (our alma mater - Pella Christian) on the internet, out for seafood, out for a cruise on the Atlantic Ocean (watching dolphins play in the inlet), dinner with former and current Pella folks and Sunday services at an outdoor bar (Archies) near the beach.

This is a cool place - ate supper here one night - come as you are - No shirt, No shoes, No problem.

And it's a church on Sunday mornings !!  Very casual. Great music.

                                   
                               Mini Birthday Celebration for the 70 and soon to be 70 year olds!

Can you believe it - 70 years old. It seems like a short time ago Dick and I were chasing around Pella in our Mercurys checking out the girls and getting traffic tickets. (I think I got more tickets, not because Dick didn't have a heavy right foot, he was better at not getting caught.)  Now we sit around with our aches and pains.  But we really can't complain.  We have been blessed and have so much to be thankful for.







                  

           Are they done?  No, not quite...     



Dick knows his way around a barbecue grill.





                
There has been work on the beach ever since we arrived - moving sand from about 5 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean to the beach by Ft. Pierce.  It's something for us to check on every day.  The beach was actually 4X bigger when we got back from the Keys!  This project should be done here in a couple of weeks.  In fact, the beach was open today, for the first time since we've been here.  There are open beaches all up and down the coast, so we can walk there and wade in the surf.
                

                                                                The NEW beach!

They're working on the street right by our marina also, so we get to hear and see the progress.

Ocean Village (Dick & Linda's Place) from the Ocean.

Goodbye, Fort Pierce........