Mayport, Fl 4/25/2012

Well here it Wednesday night and I'm finally getting back to the blog.  First Monday was so windy you couldn't stand to go outside.  So Brad had some chores to do, over to PSD, PO for our mail, then off to the auto place here on base to get the oil changed in the car.  I did some cleaning up and read a lot of my book.  As a side note there were a lot of different ships that went out, one submarine in this morning and two out..

Submarine leaving

Finally when all was done, time to eat dinner and I am stir crazy so

off to this place called Singleton's.It was really a shack looking place and I'm not sure we would have tried it, but people at the camp recommended it.  It was great food and plenty of it.  Brad and I split the 3 choice platter and brought home leftovers, now that's alot of food.  Oh well we made it through the wind and survived. 

Tuesday 

Tuesday morning I headed down to ITT and got our tickets for the Trolley tour in St. Augustine.  Back to camp and finished packing up some snacks, water and we are off.  It is about a 45 min. drive down A1A, and enjoyable ride and didn't have to get on 95.  We get there and find the Trolley station (free parking) and we are ready  for our tour.

The old Jail and Trolley Station

 

The Old Drug Store

Until we figured out what was going on, we were both hungry, we got off at stop number 4, 'The Old Drug Store'  We toured that and then down the street to an Irish Pub for lunch.  Food was good, but only one person working...glad we weren't in a real hurry.

We went back to the Drug Store and got on the next Trolley and rode it until stop number 15 and toured the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine.  It was getting fairly late in the afternoon so we just decided to walk down St. George Street.  Lots of shops, sites and people to see.

We we got done with St. George Street we realized the Trolley's are no longer running and it is about 15 blocks back to the car.  At least it was a nice day for a walk.  We finally head out and find this bar called 'Reef's'.  Stopped for a drink, great bartender and great views, decided we should stop again.  Back to camp and left overs for dinner, we are going back tomorrow.

Wednesday

OK, now for today, what a day.  We first found a parking spot in front of stop number 20 (catch the last trolley).  We toured the old mission and the original landing of Ponce de L eon. (In the mean time we notice a large sail boat out in the bay entrance.)  We pick a place to catch the Trolley and head down that way, planning on riding it to the end for all the history they give and then decide where we want to go from there.  As we are walking down the street we notice that the Fort, street and bridge are lined with people and then notice the sail boat heading towards the draw bridge, which is already up.  OK, plans out the window, over to the fort and get pictures.

Now that was cool to see and this other smaller ship was following along behind.  Well, now that we are here, let's tour the fort.  From the time we left the car and toured the mission and fort it is now 1:00, time to find something to eat.  We had originally planned on going over to Anastasia Island, but no Trolley.  We walk down the street and find a restaurant and another and another and another......how do you decide.  We had run into people in Sumterville that recommended about 5 or 6 restaurants and start looking for one of them, low and behold we find 'Harry's' so in we go. 

Harry's Court Yard

I had the recommended Shrimp & Scallop Orleans (lightened blackened over grit cakes with tasso ham cream sauce) and Brad had the Jambalaya, mine was to die for and I ate it all and Brad's was almost as good and we brought a lot home....lunch another day.  OK, now back to the car with the leftovers (did catch a trolley) then back towards the Fort to catch another trolley to finish the trip. 

On to the trolley, finished the trip and got a lot of history.  The sail boats we saw was actually out of a movie 'Mutiny on the Bounty' that Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins made and will be in town with a big ta-do on Saturday.  We also saw the Wax Museum that an Anthony Quinn movie was made in.  (Learned a lot from the trolley ride and would suggest anyone to take them, good for three days, they run back and forth all over town and each time you are one you pick us something new).  Got off at the fort, again, but headed back towards St. George Street going up and down the side streets.  We found some neat homes with beautiful gardens

some neat stores, then back to St. George Street.  Walked to the end of that then back up to the San Marco Avenue (main street) found a little bar where you could see the river had a beer then headed back to camp.

OK, now we are out of St. Augustine and back across the bridge and decide to check out this camp ground we saw on the way in, 'North Beach Camp Resort'.  We decided we might have to do a week there next year or so.  We stopped back at the 'Reef', had a beer, something to eat and headed home.  Late night, it was after 8:00 when we got back.  Oh well, back to St. Augustine tomorrow, I think.