More Than A Beach

Our return to Saint Augustine kicked off with a bang, literally. We arrived just in time to celebrate New Year’s Eve at the pier for Beach Blast Off. Food, drinks, live music and to top it off an amazing fireworks celebration all to say goodbye to an incredible 2014 and welcome in all the adventures that 2015 has in store for us. I know I mentioned in a previous post that St. Augustine and I are kindred spirits, the town even functions on my timeline; up with the sun and to bed with the sun. So imagine my delight when the fireworks happened at 8:00 at night! I was over the moon that I could send an epic year off at a fantastic celebration, still manage to hit the sheets early and wake up ready to take on 2015, fully rested and full of zest!

If Beach Blast Off wasn't enough to kick start an amazing 2015, Tom had concocted this unbelievable birthday celebration for me. That’s right, I turned another year wiser on January 2^nd, and Tom managed to outdo himself with a magical weekend escape to the Omni’s Amelia Island Plantation. Not only did we have a great room, but I woke to breakfast in bed, a morning at the spa, lunch in town, upon our return to the hotel the concierge had set up champagne and cake in the room and if that wasn't enough, Tom had one more surprise up his sleeve. He had arranged a private bonfire on the beach for us; more champagne and the makings for s’mores. It was all so dreamy and Tom made me feel like a complete queen, granted he does that on a regular basis, but an entire weekend of it was lovely and so appreciated.

With such an epic kick off to 2015 it got me to thinking about life, our last year and all the wonder that has come with it. I know we are living in this sort of dream world, the travel, the experiences and I am never for one minute not grateful for the opportunities that life and the universe has given us; for taking the plunge and saying what the hell, let’s do it. Life has a crazy way of presenting itself and I feel beyond blessed to live in this fairy-tale that I do and the gratitude I feel for those that have been there for us; to help us make it happen and for those that we get to share it with, our readers! Thank you to you all for growing, learning and living it with us. Okay, enough of my sentimental side, I’ll get back on task and reveal more of our crazy adventures.

Miss Ethel playing on the beach

Saint Augustine takes the holidays to the extreme and then they tack on another month of it, it is the Nights of Lights, which goes from Thanksgiving to the end of January. The entire town is draped in Christmas lights and this year was a little extra special due to the city celebrating their 450^th year anniversary has the oldest settlement in the United States. Of course being us we needed to add a little extra magic to an already enchanting experience, we decided to tour the lights by a private horse drawn carriage. We took to The Tasting Tours lobby, procured a bottle of wine and met with the beautiful Leo (our horse) and Laughlin (Leo’s handler) to hop on board our carriage. Seeing the city at a slower pace and a different perspective just added another level of beauty to the city; also, the sound of a horse trotting along the cobblestone streets, the click, clock and clack,  just made it that much more alluring. If you ever need a moment to feel like Cinderella, this would be the city and the mode of transportation to help you find your inner princess.

El Galeon is also parked in the docks of Saint Augustine until summer for the 450^th anniversary, the full-size reconstructed Spanish sail boat is open for tours and gives a great perspective of what it would have been like for those that crossed the ocean blue all those 500 years ago. A look into what it would have been like to been part of Ponce de Leon crew and the craftsmanship of what goes into building a man-made ship of this size, all truly remarkable.

We also happened to be in town during the “Enemy at the Gates” at Castillo De San Marcos and to be honest is was probably Tom’s favorite excursion upon our return to St. Augustine; he got to watch cannons fire at night, what manly man wouldn't love that! The staff and volunteers provided a living history tour by candlelight; the fort is dark, lit only by candles and we got to watch actors reenact scenes from battles past. Completely enthralled by the history, seeing the fort without electricity and the loud booms of the cannons echoing within the fort walls all added to that otherworldly experience of what it might have been like to have been there during the battles; minus the fear or our lives of course.

Besides adventures and copious amounts of time on the beach, Saint Augustine has this magical way of drawing family to us. Tom has another long lost cousin, Jean. In fact it is Tim’s sister that you might remember from the Ontario Outings post.

Stole this shot from Jean that she took while we were out walking on the beach

Jean and Tom looking through family photos

Jean and her husband, John, live over in Tampa and took the drive to St. Augustine for the weekend to meet up, get to know each other and share history on really the unknown side of Tom’s biological father's family. Jean and her husband were such a delight and it was so wonderful to spend time with them, getting to know them and hear stories about Tom’s grandmother, aunts, uncles and of course little tidbits about a man that helped bring Tom into the world. Jean was so thoughtful that she put together a photo album of Tom’s heritage and we spent the evening browsing photos, listening to stories and learning what life was like all things Lenny.

Sandi, John, Jean, Bonnie and Tom

And if just getting to meet Jean and John wasn't enough, we found out that Tom has another cousin, Sandy, that actually lives in St. Augustine and she joined us all for brunch the following morning and chimed in her stories and memories. Getting to know family along this journey has been such a great and wonderful experience for us and these moments in time that have made Project #Gonewanderlusting worth every mile.

Gavin, Sherry, Todd and Evie

A few days after meeting Jean, John and Sandy, and just before we hit the road for Texas, Todd, Sherry and the kids flew in to Saint Augustine to show Sherry’s parents a town that captivated their hearts as well when they were here visiting us in October (Click here for that visit). Neither Tom nor I had seen Todd and Sherry’s kids, Evie and Gavin, in over two years, so we were just ecstatic about the opportunity to spend time with them and just admire the young adults that they have grown into. The passage of time is mind boggling, days go by way to fast and before we know it the years have slipped by; thank God for Florida, because I am pretty sure we have seen Todd and Sherry more times since we’ve been in Florida than we had in the last two years in Utah.

Our breakfast send off  crew

Meeting up with Todd, Sherry and the kids made for an exceptionally hard send off from Saint Augustine, every piece of my being was dying to stay, to spend more time with them and also knowing that part of my heart was being left there on the beach. This place has captivated us and we can't wait to return again. Until then we have more shots that we took while exploring Washington Oaks, the museums and of course our time spent on the beach.

Lucky shot at Washington Oaks

Washington Oaks State Park

Coquina Beach at Washington Oaks

Lightner Museum

America's Oldest City

When we weren't at the beach or entertaining family in St. Augustine, we were generally off on a history lesson. Like I said before St. Augustine is the nation’s oldest occupied colony, founded in 1565, 55 years prior to the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock and to say there is an abundance to learn here would be an understatement. Not only does this place exude stories of the days of old, it is also rich in architecture and charm coming from mixing the old with the new.

Aviles Street

Old Town St. Augustine sucks you in the moment you walk upon her cobblestone streets; the Spanish style collides with a bit of British influence and it gives you that complete European feel. Aviles Street lies right in the heart of Old Town and is the oldest public street in the USA, today it is closed to cars and lined with cozy outdoor cafes and quaint local shops. Also in the heart of Old Town sits Flagler College, named by the Princeton Review as one of “Americas Best Colleges.” And although the college was built in 1968, the architecture mimic's that of the city and you would never guess it wasn't there from the beginning. Running along the Intracoastal is Castillo Drive; home to Mission Nombre de Dios, Castillo de San Marcos and eventually running into the Bridge of Lions before crossing over to Anastasia Island.  Regardless of your mood, St. Augustine has something to explore.

Flagler College

Starting from St. Augustine’s beginnings we did the same, hitting Ponce de Leon’s, Fountain of Youth. Taking time for a sip of water, alright we guzzled the water and they even let Ethel have a cup of water from the Fountain of Youth! Do I feel younger? Well of course I do, even if it’s all my head, but a girl has got to do what she must to keep herself looking young and feeling vivacious! Ponce de Leon landed in Florida in 1513, prior to its settlement by Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565, and the park gives over 500 years of history of the area and its transition from Spanish, to British, and finally American acquisitions. Of course Tom and I were very giddy about learning the historical aspects, the prospects of life longevity, but Ethel was ecstatic to chase the copious amounts of peacocks in the park.  This place is a definite must if you’re in the area and want to get an extensive history lesson that is fun for the entire family, plus the views of the Intracoastal are spectacular!

Guzzling water at The Fountain of Youth 

Next up was the Mission de Dios, the home of America’s first mission, built in 1567, and often called the country’s “Most Sacred Acre.” Today its massive steel cross is believed to be the tallest in the country and the little chapel is still home to the first American shrine to the Mother Mary, “Our Lady of La Leche.” Walking the grounds you can feel the reverence of the property by the people visiting and preying in the little chapel, you are immediately aware as to why it is cherished and still has so many visitors to this day passing through her hallowed gates. 

Mission de Dios

Mission de Dios

Just a little up the road from Mission de Dios, is Castillo de San Marcos. Ground broke for this miraculous fort in 1672 and it is built solely from coquina (to learn about coquina, click here), which pretty much made the place indestructible.  Considering that this fort is still standing over 300 years of wear and tear, and by wear and tear, I mean the British tossing cannonballs at it and it looks the way it does is amazing. Especially when you consider that you are climbing the same stairs that the Spanish tread all those years ago while defending their claim on Florida, and that they haven’t had to be replaced to accommodate tourists is insane. This place, the stories of Spanish and British rule, the back the and forth and knowing what happened here, it’s spectacular, the history is so rich and I was mesmerized by it. I don’t remember learning about the territory wars in school, you know, it’s all Spanish and British history and predates anything American by a long shot, so being privy to this now, well I feel like I missed out on something in my education. Don’t worry though, I am geeking out on it now for all of us!

Castillo de San Marcos

St. Augustine Lighthouse

Just over the Bridge of Lions and back on Anastasia Island, lies the Saint Augustine Lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse in Florida. We had the pleasure of climbing the stairs to take in the panoramic view of St. Augustine and experiencing what it would have been like to carry the old kerosene pales up to the top of the stairs, needless to say, I need to do more bicep curls, that thing was heavy.

Stairs leading to the top of the lighthouse

View through the lighthouse window

Just outside of St. Augustine we found Tom’s version of heaven, The World Golf Hall Of Fame! This place is a golf lover’s mecca: an extensive museum, two golf courses, putting course, hole in one challenge and an interactive staff to make sure you’re getting the most out of your visit. We have toured a lot of museums, especially over this last year, but we have never entered one that was so much about creating an experience as this one was; not only did we learn, but they made learning about golf fun. If you are a golfer, this place is a must stop and talk about making us miss not having our clubs on the road with us, my hands were itching for a driver in my hands. This place in all honesty made me miss home just a little bit, our golf course view and a club house just around the bend, but then we returned to our beach house and I walked out to the ocean and shook my hankering for home right off!

Just outside of Jacksonville lies Kingsley Plantation and it holds a very interesting story. Zephaniah Kingsley and his wife Anna Kingsley where the owners and it’s the story of Anna that leaves one captivated. Anna was captured from West Africa and sold to Zephaniah as a slave and later became his wife and mother of his four children. He eventually left her in in charge of running Kingsley Plantation, giving her rise from slave, to wife of a plantation owner and then becoming a plantation and slave owner herself. A remarkable story given the time period of the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, granted at this time Florida was under Spanish control, but once Florida was gifted to America, their interracial marriage and her role in the plantation came under scrutiny and they moved to Haiti for some time. Eventually Anna took the issue to court after her husband passed and the court ruled in her favor and honored the treaty with the Spanish and reluctantly gave her back her inheritance. The gardens, the views and the tabby ruins here are amazing, but nothing as fascinating as Anna’s story, the mainstream and progressiveness of the Kingsley’s life was refreshing and encouraging; plus the strength she must have had to deal with any and all persecution she dealt with is just admirable.

Kingsley Plantation

St. Augustine gave us so many facets of life, from learning to lounging. The beach was the focus for much of our time here, the crash of the waves was invigorating and opened up that need to create. I spent many a morning and afternoon combing the beach and creating shell art, reading or running out to jump the waves. This place created so much magic for us that we will be returning after Christmas and for the month of January, a first for us, a return to a place on this trip. I know, still so much to see and do, but this place has captivated us and we can’t wait to spend a little more time here and hopefully y’all can bear with us on a few more adventures in St. Augustine. To hold you over until our return here are a few more photographs of our time here.

Shell Art:

The Beach:

Sunrise and Ethel's paw prints in the sand

The Pier

Bike and shoe drop before heading off to the beach

Trail leading to the beach

Family beach day

Waves crashing in and sunrise reflecting in the sand