Millcreek Baptist Church around the corner from our campground and out to dinner, leaving the rest of the afternoon to rest. There were two other couples leaving church behind us who were snowbirds, also from Ohio, staying at the same campground. By time we finished with dinner and got home, they had already pulled out to journey on home.
We were then off and running again on Monday and Tuesday, leaving today to do our banking, shopping and laundry before moving on north a little tomorrow. Gary just finished cleaning the windows since dinner, so that we can leave being able to see. Then the bugs can hit us again on the road! But then that is the name of the game, I guess!
The weather has been wonderful!! Sunny most of the time and nice breezes at times also. I have so enjoyed sitting outside in shorts and sleeveless shirts!
There is a fellow across from us i
n the campground who plays with his dog in the evening, using a big bubble maker. The dog really loves to race after and jump for the bubbles. He is a very playful Labrador/poodle mix.
We have met and spent last evening with neighbors on our other side, Dale and Karen, who are from Michigan and full timing in a fifth wheel. They just began their journey this year and have been to Rallys and such over the last three years to learn as much as possible about the life style.
On Friday, our first day in St. Augustine, we parked in their large new parking garage for $7 for the day and took the
Trolley Tour to see what all we could find to go back to later, and to hear as much history as we could. There is no end to the history tales and I can't begin to remember a fraction of it. But I do know that it is the oldest city in the United States, founded in 1565 by Pedro Menendez de Aviles of Spain. Prior to that it had been inhabited by the Timucua Indians. In 1513 Ponce de Leon of Spain had explored the coast near St. Augustine and named the land "La Florida".
Back to our tours,
we got to see the city's historical gate, and the car passing while we were there took us back a little in time. But not nearly far enough for the time of the gate!
The nice thing about using the Trolley was that you can get on and off when ever you wished to go through something, to shop or to have lunch and get back on at the same spot or walk on to another stop. The lady who sold us the Tour tickets extended ours for a week since we told her that we would be here for that length of time. They usually only honor them for three days. We were so thankful as we could park free at their welcome centers! Too bad that we did not know this the first day! We do try to be frugal.
There were also Carriage Tours available.
Our first place of interest was Flagler College, which is a fine arts college of more than 2000 students that began as an all girls school later changing to co-ed. We had a very knowledgeable student as our tour guide and we could only go through at two different times of the day and in limited areas in the main building. This college was originally the Hotel Ponce de Leon built in 1887 by Henry Flagler and is known for it's Tiffany windows, ornate murals and Spanish Renaissance Architecture.
Flagler began his career in the mercantile business working for a relative, investing 10% of his income in that day (which was not much) into the grain business. He later became a railroad pioneer, land developer and founder of Standard Oil with John D. Rockefeller. He saw the potential in the area and created the grandest resort in Florida when he built the Ponce de Leon. He had so much influence and wealth that he controlled much of what was built here in that time. (This is so much of history repeating itself, as we have already seen when touring Boldt Castle in NY, Biltmore Castle in NC and Jekyl Island in GA; the days of the beginning of great wealth of individuals building business empires in this country, coming up from poverty, as well as building family vacation get-a-ways from the northern cities.)
We began the tour in the courtyard going in through the main lobby under the stained glass skylight
.
We then continued on through the Dining Hall which is still used as a dining hall for the students. They still use many of the original dining chairs and tables. The guide showed us examples of the original and reproductions and explained the features of architecture. She explained that Flagler expected perfection of the workers to such extreme that he deliberately had a flaw built into the building. As the son of a Presbyterian minister, he was a very religious man and wanted to show that nothing could out do God's perfection.
Can you see the imperfection in this mosaic floor?
The two main towers that you see from the courtyard were used for storage of water. Because of the way that they were built, one housed hot water and one cold for the running water system. The college also boasted electric lighting as Flagler hired Thomas Edison to install his famous new light bulbs! It was a beautiful building and we would have liked to have gone through more of it. However, since it is used for dormitory, it was off limits to us.
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The Wachovia Bank in this historical district, built many many years later, is the tallest building and the only one ever permitted by the city to be built over two stories in height.
We wanted to tour this Grace United Methodist Church but it happened to be closed for this particular day. So we moved on to
the Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church. Flagler had this built in honor of his daughter, the year after she died having given birth to her first child who also died. She and and baby were entombed within the church as well as Flagler's first wife. Later his body was also entombed there.
We drove by the first church built in St. Augustine, but I don't remember the name of it. Can't depend on my memory any more!!
We decided it was time for lunch so stopped in at Hot Spot Cafe' for a sandwich. Ham, turkey and cheese with a cranberry/mustard sauce. It was Yummy! So good that we went back there the second day also. Then we had turkey and cheese with avocado dressing!
With renewed steam, we walked the streets past the Tolomato Cemetery which was used prior to 1763 by the Fanciscan missionaries, with the last burial taking place here in 1892.
We also passed the Hougenout Cemetery where there were many mass graves caused by the scarlet fever.
We walked through the lobby of the
Casa Monica Hotel, going out past
the entry for the valet parking and art galleries and many boutiques on the street front. Many interesting things to see, and buy (if you could afford them).
Saturday began with tours of parts of the Alcazar Hotel which now houses The City Hall in front
and courtyard where another wedding was taking place, the Lichtner Museum on four floors of the back portion of the building.
The top floor was the original ball room where
the center is open clear to the ground floor where there was
a large indoor swimming pool as shown in this old photograph and display.
Today looking down from the fourth floor, this ground floor now opens up to a cafe' and more boutiques and antique shops.
This picture and display shows an old picture of the hotel and items depicting the time period and style also
St. Augustine is used as the sight for many weddings. Our tour guide said that many weekends you could not throw a stone without hitting a bride!
We were also going to go through Cathedral St. Augustine on Saturday, but there was a wedding about to take place there. Gary did sneak in and take a couple pictures. Shame on him!
While waiting for the Trolley to take us back to our car, we watched
the draw bridge open for
the draw bridge open for
a sailing ship to pass through. They are now in the process of taking down the old bridge and road. This new bridge is called the Bridge of Lions and goes over the water to the Anastasia Island Sate Park and the Lighthouse and Museum. We will save these sights for another day! Too tired for more today!! Stay with us.
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