We stopped in Jacksonville, FL, to have dinner with the Harvey family. Friends from Seattle (Ava and Michael went to preschool together) who moved away seven years ago, it was wonderful to catch up with kindred souls. We hadn’t seen them since our last visit in February which we had tied to our Disney trip. Gracious hosts, as always, Sue cooked a great dinner, Tom broke open his special after dinner sipping beverages, Reed and Michael played football and video games, and Bridget and Ava talked all about art. What a wonderful evening! We hope to see them again as we return north one last time in the spring. From there, we headed south toward St. Augustine. The last time we passed through St Augustine, we had a schedule that didn’t allow for us to stop and explore. We’d all agreed that it was one of the places we’d see that we’d like to explore so this time we stayed for a couple of days. Our first stop was the Castillo De San Marcos– aka the Fort. Started in 1672, it was built by the Spanish in defense of the port. Coquina blocks were used and in some places, the walls are 20 feet thick. The Fort has a commanding view of the St. Augustine inlet and the Matanzas River. Coquina is a type of rock uniquely found in this area, layers of hard sandstone embedded with sea shells. It is porous yet strong. The Fort has stood all this time and was never taken by force. The following day, after visiting a local food/produce market to reprovision, we explored the old section of town. Spanish architecture dominates, many of the old buildings made of the same coquina as the Castillo De San Marcos. The highlights were the Flagler Museum building, Flagler College, and the Presbyterian Church. Henry Flagler started Standard Oil Company and his contributions to the city of St. Augustine as well as elsewhere in Florida were numerous. The church was built in honor of his daughter, who died during childbirth. It also houses the family mausoleum. We also explored the shops of the old town, stopping for delicious handmade treats at the Hyppo Popsicle Company. Highly recommended by the Harvey family, Ava had blackberry/goat cheese, Eric and Karrie split a spicy Mexican Chocolate, and Reed opted for peachy peach. Yum! We stayed on a mooring ball there so being a bit further from shore meant the views of the holiday lights on the Bridge of Lions and back toward town were sparkling and festive. It was a great stay and we were happy we made some extra time to explore. Thanks for following and enjoy! | |
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AuthorsWe are Karrie, Eric, Ava, and Reed Sanderson. Our house is in Seattle but our home is wherever the four of us are...and for the next two years, our home is Night Music, a Tartan 37 Sailboat. Archives
June 2016
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