Adventures in St. Augustine, Florida

We woke this morning, feeling quite organized and optimistic for the day - wandered down the face dock to say farewell to Gary and Lina on Rum Line II. They are having some issues with their engine overheating so they will be moving pretty slowly on their way down the ICW today. The current gave us an unbelievable push all day today. At some points we were cruising along at 7 knots. We almost felt like powerboaters!
I took plenty of photos of flocks of white pelicans lining the shores - quite a sight. We are still seeing dolphins although not as many as out in the ocean. I managed to prepare a nice lunch while underway without getting tossed around in the galley so that, too, was a real treat.
We arrived at the St. Augustine Bridge of Lions a minute or so too late to sneak through on the hour/half hour opening so we had to wait in the harbour. The current was strong - we were actually drifting back. We had reservations as transients at the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. From the harbour, St. Augustine's downtown area looked interesting - a bit of a tourist trap, but if you can get past that, there is a lot of history here. The Spanish fort erected sometime in the 1500's when conquistadors would have been roaming around these parts was visible from the water. We were looking forward to being tourists for the evening.
We hired a taxi to take us out to the Winn Dixie for groceries. As the sun had set by now, it was lovely to enjoy the lights of the city...very charming. We decided to have dinner out at a local restaurant - it was nice - across from the Marina. We ate outside while a local guitarist provided the entertainment, and we had a chance to catch our breath. Once again, we head to bed early as we want to leave on slack water first thing in the morning.
Some interesting facts about St. Augustine, Florida:
Founded in 1565 as a Spanish military outpost, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the US. Traces of the city's Spanish heritage are everywhere, and a Spanish Quarter where conquistadors once strolled is re-created for the tourists. You can inspect battlements and dungeons of Castillo San Marcos National Monument, built in 1672, and wander the narrow old streets of San Agustin Antiquo which depict Spanish colonial life. Walking from the old town gates across from Castillo de San Marcos, you will encounter the oldest wooden schoolhouse in the US. Superb examples of 19th century Spanish Renaissance architecture can be seen nearby - Flagler College occupies the buildings and grounds of Henry Flagler's luxurious Ponce de Leon Hotel, built in 1888.
Although we did not stop at Jacksonville Beach, it is worth noting that Ponce de Leon landed there in the 1500's in his search for the Fountain of Youth.