DAY SIX .. A DAY IN ST. AUGUSTINE!!

Our first view of the morning in St. Augustine .. getting ready to walk over to the front lobby for our morning Coffee and Continental Breakfast.   No ocean view today but look at that bright blue skies and beautiful fluffy clouds!!!

I did a little "beaching" about our room in yesterday's posting .. we were amazed when we discovered they even charge for their ice .. only 25 cents but it's the principal of the matter, right????  Ken has traveled a lot and he said it's the first time he's ever stayed any place that charged for their ice!!

This shows how close we were to the highway .. but that's our fault for not driving around and checking other places .. just grabbed the first room we could get when we knew it was right on top of the highway .. Duhhhhhhhh!!!

 

Gas was $3.04 in Myrtle Beach before we left .. $3.25 as we got gas in Georgia .. the price of gas in St. Augustine!!  Wondering how high it's going to be in Florida .. LOL!!

In the office of the Info Center in downtown historic St. Augustine!!  They have several attractions having to do with ghosts!!  This was also the office for getting on the Trolley to tour the city.

VIEWS FROM THE TROLLEY ... 

We were out and about at 9:00 in the morning .. found out these places don't open until 10:00 or later!!!  Looks like a ghost town right now .. LOL!!

 

The Fort .. we'll be checking this out later!!  You can get off the Trolley at any of their many stops and get back on when you are ready.  We got off at the stop by the Fort to check it out!  We really like the Fort and there are LOTS of pics .. 

Look at that sun .. Yayyyyyyy!!! 

All about the bathroom .. or Necessary Room as they called it .. LOL!!

 

 This is the oldest masonry fortress in the continental United States.  It was built 1872 - 1895 and is made of Coquina .. a soft local shellrock .. as we were going up the steps to the top I notice a large shell that evidently didn't get crushed to help form this building material!!!  And look at all the tiny pieces of shell.  When you look at this place and walk through it it's amazing that all of this was put together with crushed shells!!! 

As you can see .. it was windy as all get out that day .. very sunny  but also very windy and a bit chilly .. especially when you were on the Trolley going through the town!!  You can imagine how my hair looked by the end of the day .. LOL!!! 

Notice the metal spikes in the opening (window?) in the wall .. wherever there were openings like this there were the metal spikes .. a gentleman told us this was to keep the birds from building nests there!!  Makes sense, huh?

 

The beds in the prison part of the fortress!!

AAHHH .. there's the Trolley!!



The "Tree Top Tavern" .. Sharon and Mel told us this was a great place to eat so of course we gave it a try!! 

A very unique place .. it was like eating lunch in a tree house!!  My Cheeseburger .. yeah another Cheeseburger .. was pretty good but Ken gave me a bite of his  Chipotle Chicken Enchilada and I must say it was better than the Cheeseburger  .. LOL!!

My first view of Oranges growing on the trees through the window of the "treehouse"  .. can you see them?????  Now I feel like I am truly in Florida .. LOL!!

 

Another place I'd like to visit again some time!!

The outside of the "Tree Top Tavern" .. needless to say it used to be a Mill!!! 

It's later in the day .. the stores are open .. and the crowds have begun!! 

Loved this shirt but not the price .. so all you get is a picture .. LOL!!

How about this one?????? 

 

When we first went through this street this gentleman was laying up again the building all wrapped up in a sleeping bag .. now he's weaving Roses and selling them.  Notice the green Roses in the glass at the front of the picture. 

Woooo Hoooo .. another Penny Smashing Machine!! 

 

I'm glad Madonna asked for the smashed pennies .. it's fun looking for these machines and such a triumph when we find one ..and make those pennies .. LOL!!! 

See the penny in about the middle of the picture??????

Now the penny is down by the round brown wheel that is going to put it into the smasher!! 

There's the Trolley again but we have decided walking is more fun!!  The guy driving the Trolley tells stories about the various places and has lots of historical info but you can't remember it 5 minutes later .. LOL!!  Should have brought a tape recorder!!!

You could rent these neat little things to drive yourself around town!!!

We are now back in the car and driving across the bridge to the St. Augustine Lighthouse!!

AH HA!!!  Another one .. and of course we have to have pennies with lighthouses on them!!! 

After leaving the lighthouse we decided it was time to leave St. Augustine and head towards Port St. Lucie and see how far we could get before stopping for the night.

BTW .. In talking to different people we came across during the day we discovered that the reason the hotels were so full is because of the Daytona 500 Race coming up this weekend!!  Someone said the hotels always fill up this time of year!!   FACT TO REMEMBER:  Do not plan to stay in St. Augustine when the Daytona 500 is coming!! 

We see the ocean at last!!!

 

At around 6:00 pm we took the Titusville, Florida exit and checked in at the Ramada Inn.  We had a coupon from one of those booklets you pick up at the Rest Areas to get a room for $69.99 .. but alack and alas .. the Daytona 500 is this weekend and they are not honoring coupons at this time .. but they could give us a room for $89.99 .. it's 6:00 in the evening .. we're tired and hungry .. we took it.  At least it was a nice room .. with a fridge .. microwave .. coffee pot and blow dryer .. and the internet worked great!!  I am HAPPY!! 

 

Supper .. at guess where???  Yep .. Cracker Barrel .. you can't go wrong with Cracker Barrel!!!  And then back to the hotel to play on my computer .. Yayyyyyy!!  We also got a game of "Kings In The Corner" in .. and I WON!!! 

 

Thrilled to be in Florida at last and many miles closer to getting together with Tim and his family .. I can hardly  believe it!!!