The 17th saw us
getting off to a very early start as we had booked onto a day trip to St
Augustine, and our pick up time was 7.20am –yikes!! But we were ready and on
the bus on time (even though it was early). There were 8 of us on the small
mini bus, and much to my joy once the last couple was picked up we set straight
off to St Augustine. In the past we’ve
had the experience of being taken to some central point and having to change
buses etc. It’s very annoying and time
consuming! Our trip to St Augustine took about 2 hours, and we were there by
9.30am, which meant we actually had several hours there. On arriving, the other passengers waited to
collect their trolley passes or tickets for a boat trip. The bus driver seemed
perplexed that we didn’t want to purchase trolley tickets, and kept telling us
how we would see nothing if we walked. But we didn’t cave in, and we set off to
explore. Ok, the trolley tickets are $20 per person and last 3 days. If you are
staying in town for 3 days, it would be well worth buying. However if you’re
there for the day, don’t bother. Face the fact you are not going to see
everything, not even the tip of the iceberg!! SO save your $20, and spend it on
something fun. St Augustine is a beautiful city, we fell in love instantly! It’s
much more laid back than Orlando and so pretty. There are loads of museums,
lovely shopping areas etc. I would personally rather see part of the city
properly, than rush around like a mad person, and take nothing in!!
So, first we walked to the
Castillo de San Marcos, a fort built on the water front. This is how their web
site describes it –
America Begins Here
A monument not
only of stone and mortar but of human determination and endurance, the Castillo
de San Marcos symbolizes the clash between cultures which ultimately resulted
in our uniquely unified nation. Still resonant with the struggles of an
earlier time, these original walls provide tangible evidence of America’s grim
but remarkable history.
Bear in mind that St Augustine is America’s oldest
city, and this is where the story started! We were lucky to have visited on
Presidents day, as entrance fees were waived. It’s well worth a visit, even if
you have to pay. The views across the water were wonderful, and you could just
feel the history around you.
We stayed there about an hour and a half (we would
have liked a lot longer!!) and then went on to the pirates museum we had
noticed on the way in. I knew instantly that Paul would want to visit it. And I
have to say it was fun and very interesting. They gave you a treasure hunt to
do, and if you found all the clues you got a little prize and were made an
honorary pirate (yo ho ho me hearties!!). Your prize was a little piece of
pirate treasure (aka shiny coloured glass!!) The museum was full of interesting
exhibits, and information about all your favourite pirates – Blackbeard,
Captain Morgan, and Anne Bonny etc. We both thoroughly enjoyed it.
Next we had a wonder around the Colonial shopping
area, full of crafts stores, museums, little restaurants etc. Absolutely
wonderful, I could have spent days just looking around. As it was we didn’t
have enough time and I felt a little cheated. But we did look around a few
shops and I bought a couple of lovely things. It was a lovely area, and I so
wish we could go back again. We had lunch at a burger joint called Cruisers –
great burgers. Again, would have been nice to have time to have a more
leisurely lunch. But sometimes you just have to go with the flow. After lunch
we decided to make our way to the Fountain of Youth, I really wanted to visit
the place! It was a longer walk than I’d expected, but we found the place ok
and I am so glad we went. It was much more than I expected. There was a little
theatre show, a planetarium which sadly we didn’t have time for and various
other exhibits. There was lots of open space to explore and it was beautiful.
And there was a lovely white peacock roaming the grounds. It was stunning! Of
course the high light was the Fountain of Youth, which you can actually drink
from. I had 3 glasses of water, so I have high hopes....watch this space....or
should I say....watch this face!!!
We left St Augustine at 4pm, and arrived back at
our hotel at about 6.15pm. It had been a wonderful day and I was very sorry to
leave St Augustine. We hope to go back there again, but for an extended stay. We
had a coffee and sat by the fountain, one of the few times I got to do it on
this trip. It was a nice way to unwind. Next we decided brave The Tilted
Kilt!!! We really didn’t want to eat in there so decided to sit at the bar and
have a drink, I chose a Caribbean Kilt, which was lace with rum....very
heavily! I was surprised to see that most of the customers were older couples
or families, probably not what I was expecting or the clientele the owners were
aiming at! Call me old fashioned, but I wouldn’t want my daughter working
there. They were all pleasant young ladies, but they were so young! When we
left the bar, I was extremely merry but we made it across the road to the
Chinese buffet restaurant for dinner. It wasn’t very busy, but we had a very
nice dinner. The food was good! Finally it was back to the hotel...and beddy
byes!
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