Our day to "look" YOUNGER!

Man.....they do have "firm" beds! but, we slept well and breakfasted in the room.....we are deep in peaches (Georgia that is).

First stop of the day is Barnes and Noble (which was not easy to locate). Their wireless service is not free but it clearly tops the nearly non-existent service at the room. We caught up on yesterday's blog and "happened" to buy some stuff too.

The plan for the day is a work-in-progress but the focus is St. Augustine. As we are still avoiding interstates, we went down on Highway 1 and back on A1A along the ocean. Lots to look at en route. On arrival there, we began our quest for the Visitors' Center. It became a walking tour in the historic section. We did about a mile.....unless you add on the zigzagging in/out of shops and alleys. It is very Spanish (not Mexican) as expected. St. George Street is the heart of the shopping and sightseeing. We enjoyed seafood at the "White Lion". It looks across to the very old fort (Castillo de San Marcos) on the other side of the highway. It made me think of El Morro in San Juan. The Fort (and many other places) are constructed of COQUINA. This is a soft, shell rock embedded with oyster shells. We chose not to patronize the endless small museums.....how many arifacts can your brain assimilate????? Many restaurants and food boutiques and tons of little shops. Many are down covered alleyways....which is a blessing because the midday sun was brutal. We walked as far as the oldest Catholic church in America. A little shoppe/tea garden, "Spice Topia" was a disappointment....but had a wonderful teacup fountain in the tea garden. A dinnerware store was very interesting. ('Just as well that it is 500 miles from home!) The Visitor Center had a small shop and I added the "St. Augustine Lighthouse" to the ornaments for out Travel Tree.

Once again in the AIR CONDITIONED car, we sought the actual lighthouse and it was on Anastasia Island (actually it is part of St. Augustine). Our last/important stop was at the privately owned place where Ponce de Leone landed in 1513. Yes, we drank the water! Aquafina may not be out of business.....but, I am younger already! The story is that he came ashore (from his base as govenor of Puerto Rico) in search of the tall men. His peers were about 4'5" and usually died by age 35. The local "tall men" (Indians) were closer to 7'. He absolutely believed in the powers of the local water....and grew to 4'11", dying as the result of wounds received at the age of 62. He never returned to this part of Florida, but carried the water with him when he left here. Was this science.......or mind-over-matter.....or JUST COINCIDENCE??

The return trip along the coast was somewhat disappointing as the high dunes are (of ecological necessity) covered with vegetation. Hence, you only have an occasional glimpse of the sea sparkling in the sun. The seaside properties run the gamut from fairly humble to McMansion.

Quite a day! Now where did I put the sunscreen?????? 'Neglected to note that we are living "on the beach"....but on the first floor you don't see a lot over the dunes. Out there, at low tide, it is like walking on a CLEAN sidewalk!