[Rick] We are about 15 miles from downtown Jacksonville FL and technically in the town of Isle of Palms. There is little to checkout in this area without a car. I contacted one of my college classmates but he had to work and could not meet us for dinner. So, we spent the day reading and watching the Olympics and going to Publix for some groceries.
The marina, Palm Cove, is a busy one. They have a large dry stack and they spent the day loading and unloading boats for their clients. Of course, they use a huge forklift and I often wonder just how many boats they have dropped in the past. But, the process looks very safe and simple.
While I have some spare space, let me tell you one of the funny stories from our trip.
We were in Oswego, NY and were discussing our passage to Clayton with one of the other boats. We were hunched over a set of charts planning the route. Another man, who we did not know from a 40 ft boat came over and was watching us. Finally he said to us, “What is the deal with all these maps?”. We looked at him kind of funny and he indicated that he did not have any charts. “How do you navigate?” I asked. He replied that he has a placemat from a restaurant that has a drawing of Lake Ontario on it. Sure enough, the next morning, he was headed out to go across Lake Ontario. Sure made my captain’s license look like overkill.
02-19-10 Jacksonville, FL
[Rick] We finally left St Augustine. We had a wonderful visit there and have placed the city on our list of places to return and visit again. We motored to Jacksonville, 31 miles up the ICW and are staying at Palm Cove Marina. They have a very nice marina with laundry and a very nice boater’s lounge.
We took no pictures today and Betsy spent the afternoon riding her bike to Wal-mart, about a mile away. I caught up on some housekeeping chores and took a spectacular nap. On the third Friday of the month, the marina sponsors a get-together for all of the people in the marina. Since we happened to be here, they invited us to attend. They had Chili and brownies and various types of drinks including wine, beer, and soft drinks. It was very nice and we met several residents of the marina.
On the way up this morning, we noticed about 1100 that there were no boats or people on the waterway. We passed Ponte Vedra FL at that time and realized that all eyes in the area were on Tiger Woods and his press conference, held just a few miles from us at PGA headquarters. We caught the highlights on the evening news.
Since there is so little to report, perhaps a small history lesson is appropriate.
Most people, if asked, will say that America was started when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620 and taht Plymouth is the oldest European settlement in America. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is true that the first ENGLISH PERMANENT colony was settled by the Pilgrims. Here is the actual chronology of settlements:
1559 – Pensacola is settled by Spaniards. However, a hurricane wiped it out after a few years and it was not rebuilt for 100 years. Thus, it is not the oldest PERMANENT settlement.
1565-St Augustine is settled by Menendez of Spain. St Augustine is the oldest PERMANENT settlement of Europeans in the US.
1583-Sir Walter Raleigh settles on Roanoke Island. After 3 years with no provisions, the colony disappears and is forever named the Lost Colony. Virginia Dare is the first ENGLISH child born in America.
1607-Jamestown Virginia is settled by the English.
1620-The Pilgrims arrive at Plymouth Rock.
The reason you never hear about St Augustine is that the winners write the history books and England, after defeating the mighty Spanish Armada, had Florida ceded to England via the Treaty of Paris. Thus the history books teach that England settled America. As Ripley says, “Believe it or Not”…….
We took no pictures today and Betsy spent the afternoon riding her bike to Wal-mart, about a mile away. I caught up on some housekeeping chores and took a spectacular nap. On the third Friday of the month, the marina sponsors a get-together for all of the people in the marina. Since we happened to be here, they invited us to attend. They had Chili and brownies and various types of drinks including wine, beer, and soft drinks. It was very nice and we met several residents of the marina.
On the way up this morning, we noticed about 1100 that there were no boats or people on the waterway. We passed Ponte Vedra FL at that time and realized that all eyes in the area were on Tiger Woods and his press conference, held just a few miles from us at PGA headquarters. We caught the highlights on the evening news.
Since there is so little to report, perhaps a small history lesson is appropriate.
Most people, if asked, will say that America was started when the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620 and taht Plymouth is the oldest European settlement in America. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is true that the first ENGLISH PERMANENT colony was settled by the Pilgrims. Here is the actual chronology of settlements:
1559 – Pensacola is settled by Spaniards. However, a hurricane wiped it out after a few years and it was not rebuilt for 100 years. Thus, it is not the oldest PERMANENT settlement.
1565-St Augustine is settled by Menendez of Spain. St Augustine is the oldest PERMANENT settlement of Europeans in the US.
1583-Sir Walter Raleigh settles on Roanoke Island. After 3 years with no provisions, the colony disappears and is forever named the Lost Colony. Virginia Dare is the first ENGLISH child born in America.
1607-Jamestown Virginia is settled by the English.
1620-The Pilgrims arrive at Plymouth Rock.
The reason you never hear about St Augustine is that the winners write the history books and England, after defeating the mighty Spanish Armada, had Florida ceded to England via the Treaty of Paris. Thus the history books teach that England settled America. As Ripley says, “Believe it or Not”…….
02-18-10 St Augustine FL – Lighthouse
[Rick] We continue our tour of St Augustine today. We have seen the Oldest House, The Old Jail, The Old School, The Oldest Fort, The Fountain of Youth, The Oldest Church in America, The Old Wall, and the Oldest Putt-Putt Golf Course in Florida (:-}). The best news is that all of this can be seen very easily reached from the marina. One can walk to each of these places and many others. St Augustine is easily navigated on foot or bike. We suggest that one take the $17 tour trolley that stops in 22 different locations. Hop on and off. The tour is good for 3 days, so you have a great chance to see everything. But, if you do miss something, walk back and take it in. St Augustine is a must stop on the loop and one cannot ask for a better location than the marina to be in the middle of it all.
Today, we hopped on the trolley and went to the stop to shuttle over to the lighthouse. Along the way, we passed “The Old Senator”. This tree is over 600 years old and was here when Ponce de Leon arrived in Florida in 1513.
We passed under the canopy of Live Oaks on Magnolia Street. Once, these trees were Magnolias, but were killed off by frost. The city replanted with Live Oaks as they are heartier.
While waiting for the shuttle, we ambled across the way to an Old Drugstore Museum. It was filled with really unique stuff, medically speaking, from the 17-20th century. It was like stepping back in time.
R&B on the top of the lighthouse.
219 steps to the top...
Today, we hopped on the trolley and went to the stop to shuttle over to the lighthouse. Along the way, we passed “The Old Senator”. This tree is over 600 years old and was here when Ponce de Leon arrived in Florida in 1513.
Ponce De Leon was looking for the mythical Fountain of Youth. He did not find it, but it is now located in St Augustine! Tourists flock by the busload to visit the grounds and taste the water. It is just down the street from Ripley’s Believe it or Not. Believe it or Not. Betsy and I don’t believe it because we visited the fountain last time we were here about 8 years ago, and we’ve definitely aged since then!
We passed under the canopy of Live Oaks on Magnolia Street. Once, these trees were Magnolias, but were killed off by frost. The city replanted with Live Oaks as they are heartier.
While waiting for the shuttle, we ambled across the way to an Old Drugstore Museum. It was filled with really unique stuff, medically speaking, from the 17-20th century. It was like stepping back in time.We finally caught the shuttle and went to the St Augustine Light Station, which contains the lighthouse, the caretaker’s home and other necessary buildings. The station was completed in 1884 and was finally automated in 1968. We trudged up the 219 steps to the top and looked around. It was very windy, gusts to 30mph, and cold. We did not stay long, but it was a very clear day and the view was spectacular. The lighthouse has a red cap with black and white stripes on the tower. The light signature is one long every 30 seconds. The lighthouse houses a First Order(the largest) Fresnel Lens, invented in 1822 by a Frenchman, Augustin-jean Fresnel (the “s” is silent so the pronunciation is “FruhNEL”).
The Lighthouse.
R&B on the top of the lighthouse.
219 steps to the top...
The Lens
View from the Lighthouse
We spent the afternoon revisiting some of our favorite places, like the Old House and Flagler College. Remember, Flagler College was once the Ponce De Leon Hotel and has the largest collection of Tiffany Stained Glass in the world, a priceless collection. Ironically, the collection surrounds the college dining hall.
Just a word about Ponce De Leon. He sailed with Christopher Columbus on his voyage to the new world in 1492. He then came back and landed in Florida in 1513. While he did not discover the Fountain of Youth, he found something more important, if that is possible. He found and documented “The Gulf Stream”. A Ship could leave Cuba, ride the Gulf Stream, and get back to Spain in record time. This was a big help in bringing the New World treasures to Spain and the King. De Leon was the largest member of his ship and he was 4 feet 11 inches tall.
As I said before, we highly recommend St Augustine to all boaters and one day is not enough. Plan to spend at least 4 days and maybe more.
02-17-10 St. Augustine, Ash Wednesday
Betsy speaks: Well, it really should be Rick doing the blog tonight because he’s a lot better with history than I am, but he’s up in the boater’s lounge watching a ball game or something and it’s getting late, so I’ll go ahead and do it!
We started the day off by going to what is known as “The Oldest House.” Built about 1702, it was originally a one story Spanish style house, built of coquina stone which is very popular here. Over the years it had a second story added and served as a tavern for a period of time. Archaeological study has shown that this property has been continuously occupied by Europeans since the early 1600s. The period furnishings were very interesting, but no photography was allowed inside. One family owned the house for over 90 years during the 1800s.
Leaving that site, we walked to Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church. Built by Henry Flagler as a memorial to his daughter Jennie who died tragically in 1889, the church is patterned somewhat after St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice. In addition to his daughter and granddaughter, Flagler himself is buried here along with the first of his three wives. There is a vault for his third wife, but it is empty as her family wanted her buried in her hometown of Kenansville, NC, not far from where we live.
We were there not only to tour the church but also to hear an Ash Wednesday organ concert. The church sponsors a concert each Wednesday during lent beginning today, with a different organist each time. This week the organist was from nearby Trinity Episcopal Church, and he did a wonderful job. One thing I really liked was that they had a projector set up so that you could actually see his hands on the organ. It was set up so you could see the top of the organist’s head, his hands and the full keyboard, all the stops on each side and part of the foot pedals.
After the concert we had a bite to eat and a quick check on Beamer on the boat. Then we went to the Castillo de San Marcos, a well preserved example of a coquina built fort that is over 400 years old. This is the oldest structure in town. For more on its history you can look it up on the internet! It is still the place to go during hurricanes if you are looking for protection!
We got there just in time for a live presentation by a park ranger dressed in authentic Spanish costume of the 16th century.
Rick then went back to the boat for his afternoon nap while I browsed the shops. St. Augustine is just a great town to stroll around in. I began by walking through the City Gates, then down a nicely restored street full of pubs, shops and historic homes.
Tonight at 6:15 we went back to Flagler Memorial Presbyterian for an Ash Wednesday service. It seems Ash Wednesday is being recognized more and more in recent years, and today starting at about noon we saw many people with ashes on their foreheads. In addition to the imposition of ashes there was Holy Communion by intinction. Overall, we enjoyed the service very much.
We started the day off by going to what is known as “The Oldest House.” Built about 1702, it was originally a one story Spanish style house, built of coquina stone which is very popular here. Over the years it had a second story added and served as a tavern for a period of time. Archaeological study has shown that this property has been continuously occupied by Europeans since the early 1600s. The period furnishings were very interesting, but no photography was allowed inside. One family owned the house for over 90 years during the 1800s.
Leaving that site, we walked to Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church. Built by Henry Flagler as a memorial to his daughter Jennie who died tragically in 1889, the church is patterned somewhat after St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice. In addition to his daughter and granddaughter, Flagler himself is buried here along with the first of his three wives. There is a vault for his third wife, but it is empty as her family wanted her buried in her hometown of Kenansville, NC, not far from where we live.
As with many churches, the most striking thing is the stained glass windows. A series of windows depict the Apostle’s Creed and they are truly breathtaking. Also striking are the beautiful hand carved mahogany pews and the chandeliers in the shape of crosses.
We were there not only to tour the church but also to hear an Ash Wednesday organ concert. The church sponsors a concert each Wednesday during lent beginning today, with a different organist each time. This week the organist was from nearby Trinity Episcopal Church, and he did a wonderful job. One thing I really liked was that they had a projector set up so that you could actually see his hands on the organ. It was set up so you could see the top of the organist’s head, his hands and the full keyboard, all the stops on each side and part of the foot pedals.
After the concert we had a bite to eat and a quick check on Beamer on the boat. Then we went to the Castillo de San Marcos, a well preserved example of a coquina built fort that is over 400 years old. This is the oldest structure in town. For more on its history you can look it up on the internet! It is still the place to go during hurricanes if you are looking for protection!
We got there just in time for a live presentation by a park ranger dressed in authentic Spanish costume of the 16th century.
Rick then went back to the boat for his afternoon nap while I browsed the shops. St. Augustine is just a great town to stroll around in. I began by walking through the City Gates, then down a nicely restored street full of pubs, shops and historic homes.
Tonight at 6:15 we went back to Flagler Memorial Presbyterian for an Ash Wednesday service. It seems Ash Wednesday is being recognized more and more in recent years, and today starting at about noon we saw many people with ashes on their foreheads. In addition to the imposition of ashes there was Holy Communion by intinction. Overall, we enjoyed the service very much.
02-16-10 St. Augustine and Cousin Scott
Betsy speaks: We are at the St. Augustine, FL, Municipal Marina, right next to the historic Bridge of Lions. I’m not sure if it’s the weather, the economy, or the fact that there is lots of construction at the bridge, but we are practically the only boat in this very nice marina. The Bridge of Lions, which crosses the Intracoastal Waterway, is nearing the end of a five year, multi-million dollar renovation. Actually, the bridge has been almost completely redone with new material, but will look exactly the same as the old bridge once work is complete. Right now the famous lions are in storage somewhere. The bridge is completely closed to traffic, and a 
temporary bridge was erected right next to it to handle traffic while the renovation is ongoing. Once the renovation is complete, that temporary bridge will be torn down and the material that was used for it will be put out to sea as a fish haven. As the renovation nears completion, the waterway was scheduled to be closed this week and we originally thought that might affect our travel plans. As it happens, they are a couple of weeks behind schedule so the closure hasn’t happened yet. We found out once we got here that we might not have been affected anyway because the shallow draft and low clearance of our boat would have allowed us to go under the bridge outside the main channel that would be closed.
This morning we purchased tickets to do one of the trolley tours around town. These tickets are good for 3 days for us to hop on and off at the many historic locations around town. It is still very cold, mid 50s, and the trolleys are open, so our initial tour was cold! Our plan was to ride all the way around once, then go back to the places we were most interested in seeing up close. We did hop off about half way through when the trolley stopped near a Walgreens. We needed a couple of grocery items, and figured we could get them there since there is not a grocery store near the marina that we’ve found yet. We also ended up getting the H1N1 flu shot! Then we hopped back on the trolley and returned to our starting point right in front of the marina. 
We unloaded the groceries and had a quick bite to eat on the boat. We decided we wanted to take the 2pm tour of Flagler College, which is an easy walk from the marina. Industrialist Henry Flagler had decided that St. Augustine should become the “Newport of the South” for rich Yankees to come during the winter months. He built three magnificent hotels, the first and grandest of which was the Ponce de Leon Hotel, completed in 1888. It was built in only 18 months, which is unbelievable when you see its grandeur! The dining hall has the largest collection of Tiffany stained glass windows in the 
world, worth many millions of dollars. The walls have hand painted murals by George W. Maynard that are absolutely breathtaking. The rotunda is a four story dome with gold accents. This luxury hotel was the first public building in Florida to have electricity, and it was personally designed and installed by Edison. The building launched the careers of architects John Carrere and Thomas Hastings who are noted most for the New York Public Library and the House and Senate Office Buildings adjacent to the Capitol in Washington, D.C. It is the first major poured-in-place concrete building in the US.
world, worth many millions of dollars. The walls have hand painted murals by George W. Maynard that are absolutely breathtaking. The rotunda is a four story dome with gold accents. This luxury hotel was the first public building in Florida to have electricity, and it was personally designed and installed by Edison. The building launched the careers of architects John Carrere and Thomas Hastings who are noted most for the New York Public Library and the House and Senate Office Buildings adjacent to the Capitol in Washington, D.C. It is the first major poured-in-place concrete building in the US. 
In 1968 one of Flagler’s heirs founded Flagler College, and the girl’s dorm and the dining hall are what is now located in the old hotel. Begun as a four year liberal arts women’s college, it became co-ed by 1971. Over 43 million dollars have been spent on renovations and the addition of new buildings. Daily tours of the historic hotel portion of the college are now offered by students. The building is truly beautiful and we thoroughly enjoyed our tour by junior business major Alyssa. 
After our tour we returned to the boat to rest up for a much anticipated visit from my cousin Scott Makepeace. Scott and his wife Pat live in Jacksonville, Florida, but come to St. Augustine frequently because their two daughters live here. I hadn’t seen Scott in several years and the only change I noticed was that his once blond hair is now a beautiful white. He took us to dinner at a restaurant on the other side of the waterway called Osteen’s, and what a treat it was. Osteen’s is very small, I’d say less than 20 tables total. We arrived shortly after 4PM and there was already a line to get in…it is very popular and with good reason.
Once we were seated, Scott told the waitress we all wanted shrimp! He had asked ahead of time if we liked seafood and we said yes, but we were surprised that he just ordered for us before we even had a chance to read the menu! Then he did give us a chance to say we would prefer something else and I must say I did hesitate when I heard they had Mahi. But he convinced us we should stick with shrimp, and I’m glad we did. I must say it was the best fried shrimp I’ve ever eaten! I seldom eat fried food, but this was truly superb! This restaurant has been in the same family for many years and they refuse to expand it. They do not take reservations, and they do not take credit cards. Apparently they have SRO crowds every night. When you arrive you give your name, then wait in the parking lot or in your car until your table is ready. They serve no alcohol, but there is a bar a couple of doors down. You can wait at the bar and they will call you there when your table is ready! They have a brisk takeout business as well. The service was excellent.Tomorrow we will do more of the hop on hop off tour. We hope to be at Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church for an organ recital at 12:15, which is the first in a series of organ recitals there during lent. I stopped in there today looking to see if they had an Ash Wednesday service and found out about the recitals, so that sounded like a special treat.
02-15-10 St Augustine, FL
[Rick] Since it looked like a good day to move, the sun was shining and it was about 60 degrees, we decided to leave Daytona and go to St Augustine FL. Since we got here late, there is little to talk about. Tomorrow, we will take the trolley tour and see the city. We have relatives coming for supper. We will have a lot more to discuss then.
02-14-10 Daytona Beach, FL
Happy Valentine’s Day!!
[Betsy] We usually try to go to a nearby church on Sunday morning, but we didn’t get here in time to check out the neighborhood yesterday so were going to forego church this morning. However, I stepped off the boat mid-morning and heard hymn singing in the distance. I was getting ready to take a bike ride to the beach, which would take me by where it sounded like the music was.
Passing by Jackie Robinson Ballpark across the street from the marina, I saw the congregation seated around the picnic tables in the concourse of the stadium. I quietly slipped in and sat down just in time to hear the sermon from the beginning. Later I talked to the preacher and learned that this was put on by Christ Community Church. They have a large congregation and a large church building near the Daytona Speedway. Every year on race weekend they hold their service here at the ballpark rather than fight the crowds near the speedway. It being Valentine’s Day, the sermon was about love, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The rest of the 
congregation stayed after the service for hotdogs and fellowship at the ballpark, but I opted not to stay for that.
Instead, I hopped back on the bike and rode the mile or so across a bridge over the intracoastal waterway and to the beach. Yes, they are still having record lows here in Florida, but the sun was bright today, and there was little wind. The high was 54 degrees (I think normal temps this time of year are in the 70s). So, bundled up and wearing a hat, I was not too cold. Of course Daytona Beach is famous for allowing any and all vehicles to ride on the beach, which is very hard packed sand. So I took the bike right out onto the beach and rode up and down. It was a beautiful day and a fun experience. Rick had not joined me on this jaunt, so I had fun taking my own picture using the timer on the camera and setting it on top of 
traffic signs on the beach!
Passing a hotel, I saw that some people weren’t as bundled up as I was. Still, it was 54 degrees!!!
Rick spent the afternoon making minor repairs on the boat and in the marina lounge watching the race. We also walked the docks a little bit trying to enjoy the relative warmth and sunshine. Today is supposed to be the warmest day we have for a while.
There is a very nice and reasonably priced restaurant here at the marina, as well as a full service West Marine store. One thing I really like about the restaurant is the menus that light up when you open them, making them so easy to read!
We may head on up to St. Augustine tomorrow or we may stay over here another day. We’ll decide in the morning. We have decided that we’re fed up with the weather and we just give up on it getting any better. So we’re going to skip the St. John’s River side trip and head straight for home, planning to arrive at Topsail Beach about March 12 or 13, and complete our loop by crossing our wake in Sneads Ferry on Sunday, March 14.
[Betsy] We usually try to go to a nearby church on Sunday morning, but we didn’t get here in time to check out the neighborhood yesterday so were going to forego church this morning. However, I stepped off the boat mid-morning and heard hymn singing in the distance. I was getting ready to take a bike ride to the beach, which would take me by where it sounded like the music was.
Passing by Jackie Robinson Ballpark across the street from the marina, I saw the congregation seated around the picnic tables in the concourse of the stadium. I quietly slipped in and sat down just in time to hear the sermon from the beginning. Later I talked to the preacher and learned that this was put on by Christ Community Church. They have a large congregation and a large church building near the Daytona Speedway. Every year on race weekend they hold their service here at the ballpark rather than fight the crowds near the speedway. It being Valentine’s Day, the sermon was about love, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The rest of the 
congregation stayed after the service for hotdogs and fellowship at the ballpark, but I opted not to stay for that.
Instead, I hopped back on the bike and rode the mile or so across a bridge over the intracoastal waterway and to the beach. Yes, they are still having record lows here in Florida, but the sun was bright today, and there was little wind. The high was 54 degrees (I think normal temps this time of year are in the 70s). So, bundled up and wearing a hat, I was not too cold. Of course Daytona Beach is famous for allowing any and all vehicles to ride on the beach, which is very hard packed sand. So I took the bike right out onto the beach and rode up and down. It was a beautiful day and a fun experience. Rick had not joined me on this jaunt, so I had fun taking my own picture using the timer on the camera and setting it on top of 
traffic signs on the beach!
Passing a hotel, I saw that some people weren’t as bundled up as I was. Still, it was 54 degrees!!!Rick spent the afternoon making minor repairs on the boat and in the marina lounge watching the race. We also walked the docks a little bit trying to enjoy the relative warmth and sunshine. Today is supposed to be the warmest day we have for a while.
There is a very nice and reasonably priced restaurant here at the marina, as well as a full service West Marine store. One thing I really like about the restaurant is the menus that light up when you open them, making them so easy to read!
We may head on up to St. Augustine tomorrow or we may stay over here another day. We’ll decide in the morning. We have decided that we’re fed up with the weather and we just give up on it getting any better. So we’re going to skip the St. John’s River side trip and head straight for home, planning to arrive at Topsail Beach about March 12 or 13, and complete our loop by crossing our wake in Sneads Ferry on Sunday, March 14.
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