St Augustine Fl.

Anastasia State Park sits on the beach on the barrier island that protects St Augustine from the storms of the Atlantic.  The day we arrived, the west side of St Augustine was sunny but the island was enveloped in thick ocean fog.  By 10:30 am the next morning the day was sunny and warm.  The fog was nowhere to be seen!  H ditched his long pants and donned his Bermudas for our bike ride thru the park - Up and around each campground loop – taking attendance.  During H’s truck drive on the beach just south of the campground, the angry tide was high and was sending huge crashing waves on shore, in some areas all the way up to the one way-driving lane.  A few times it was a “One – two – three - GO!”  situation.  The most well known symbol of St A is the tall stately, black and white peppermint striped lighthouse, which sends her beacon out across the waves each night.  Her other well-known attraction is the restored 1500’s Spanish fort, the Castillo de San Marcos and adjoining “Old Towne”.    Each year when we visit, we make our pilgrimage to town at dusk to stroll the streets, have an ice cream cone, people watch and enjoy the twinkling Christmas lights.   The horses, decorated with large jangling bells and still pulling their overloaded white carriages, look so very tired as they steadily plod along on their tour routes that surround the pedestrian areas.   The center of the enclosed garden behind the cathedral is filled with large dark red Christmas Poinsettias.  The trees and bushes are strung with thousands of tiny white lights that illuminate the area with a soft glow.  The historic public park across from the stately church is also full of lights on trees, lampposts and the gazebo.  A multicolored Christmas tree surrounded by oversized gifts complete the Holiday scene!   The families with their excited children, the young lovers holding hands as they strolled and the old folks with their canes and silly flashing Christmas necklaces were all out enjoying the evening just like we were!   The time had come, however, to head back to the awaiting condo and settle in for the remainder of the night because the next day was a moving day.  We were moving to Salt Springs in the morning!

South Again

Have you seen the storms that have been stomping across the entire nation?  Our plans originally were to leave the semi frozen north and head south on Friday but with the impending threat of the raging storm – we tucked our shirttails in and latched on to the over loaded “condo” and headed south.

Hopefully we were going to make it south of the “Mason Freezin Line” before the ice and snow caught us.  Instead of stopping at our customary Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, we forged on to Tennessee and found the Volunteer RV Park just south of Clinton and just north of Knoxville.  Steve was unable to meet us for supper so we drove the 30 miles – up down and around the extremely narrow back roads to his little home nestled on the side of the hill on Old Harriman Rd!   It’s not fun driving in the dark - at our age - on headlight absorbing blacktop like that!  Oh, yes - did I not mention that it was raining?   Another problem was that H put in “fastest time” for the GPS to get us back to the “condo” which took us all the way down to US 40 in Knoxville and then back up 75.  Oh, well, we made it.

Friday was still wet but we pressed on thru the Smokey Mountain National Park.  Add thick FOG to our list of fun weather situations!  By the time we exited the park in Cherokee NC – the sun was shining.  Alas – but not for long.   Commerce Georgia was the final stopping place that evening at the Georgia RV (?) Park.  Yes, it rained AND the bathroom facilities are STILL spooky!  But it was the perfect place to stop so we could call our dear friend Bobbie who lives just down the road in Milledgeville!  We had met her and her husband Gene on many of our stays at Moss Park!   SPFBs!!    Gene has since gone on to be with his Lord and on this trip; dear Bobbie was available to meet us for breakfast Saturday morning!  It was GREAT to see her again.

Georgia US Rt 441 is mostly rural and at this time of year, winds thru white fields of cotton all the way to the Okefenokee Swamp.  The Laura Walker State Park is still a great place to park along the peaceful smooth lake.  Met a couple who towed a turquoise blue restored 69 VW bus!

Sunday noon and we crossed the Florida line!  Home for 2 days is now the jungle of Anastasia State Park on the barrier island off of St Augustine.  H is in his tee shirt and Bermuda shorts.   We can hear the ocean from our site!

Now the big question is:  Did Michigan State beat Ohio State last Saturday?