Florida East Coast

Florida City to Saint Augustine

After the previous day's entertainment we were (understandably) a little slow in starting. Thankfully we were able to return to the regular configuration at the front of the CuRVy. i.e Julie was the pilot and the Apiarist was the navigator.

Things started "swimmingly" due to the Navigator entering an incorrect address into Mrs G! Duh lost again! Actually we weren't lost but really only misplaced!!! Our increased driving gave us the opportunity to read some different billboards including one for "Buttock Enhancements" - only in America...... A flotilla of Cruise Ships showed that we weren't the only visitors to Miami and the drivers did their very best to remind us of a trip on Sydney roads.

Swam at Miami Beach – nice water temperature & great quick track for beach sprinters. Cute Lifeguard Towers and (note A Edmunds) lots of equipment and to be perfectly honest even the Apiarist could have patrolled this beach on the day we were there. In short the water was warm (and clean) and aqua clear and there was no surf/ rips/ sharks/ problems. In short my type of day at the beach.

After the swim we travelled further north past lots and lots and lots and lots of multi hued art deco buildings. Miami has something in common with Victoria's Great Ocean Road. It lives up to the hype!!

Lunch was in Haulover Park on St Johns/ Orchid Island. Again a pleasant stop and by the look of things the person in the photo is doing quite well in the food stakes!!!!!

But the signs were good that is if you were going to the beach..................................

Called in for a coffee at a Macca’s which was attached to a Truck stop that sold everything including wine at $3.99 a bottle, hmmm I wonder what the wine tasted like.


 Last look at the beach was at Wabasso Beach, which actually did have some surf, but the group of boardriders were hassling for a very sloppy wave. Interestingly the beach was patrolled but there were only boardriders in the water. And Florida is the home of the greatest surfer ever!

Leaving the beach we were entertained by an interesting radio news bulletin which included the following items......

• Murder ( Life & 120 years) 
• U Tube fight 
•  A Prostitution Racket 
• 31 Online Predators 
• And now for the weather

 Arrived fairly late at the St Augustine Quality Inn and after booking in we headed to the restaurant that "Trip Advisor" recommended. The recommendation was accurate. The Back 40 Urban Café was a delightful and different way to finish the day. 

Our meal included; Black bean hummus served with pita bread triangles, carrots & celery; Teryaki Chicken with warm sliced cabbage and Wild Mac Bowl (Mushrooms and Pasta.) This was washed down by a Cabernet Sauvignon and 2 beers from the  Golden Victory Brewery (local); Hop Devil and a Green Monkey (9% alcohol). The total cost including drinks and tip was $37. 

The Back 40 was set off by great decor & artwork, a very friendly waitress (just like Brenda W) complete with checked shorts and ankle tats who had a great description of Saint Augustine - “A quaint drinking town with a fishing problem!!! 

     Our good night’s sleep was followed by a filling breakfast and we headed into St Augustine. For a place with such an amazing history St Augustine disappointed in some ways. It seemed that every building was a shop or food outlet, parking was difficult if not impossible, maps were inaccurate and trolley tours with machine gun commentary were everywhere.

     St Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United States. There were some nice things including a very nice Roman Catholic Cathedral, the historic fort and the grounds that surround it, some interesting and historic shops and the oldest wooden school in the US. There were even some dolphins in the river in front of the Fort that seemed to have evaded the notice of all the tourists (except for a couple of Australians)!!!!

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     Left in light rain and a quick Subway lunch was  eaten with increasingly dark skies and as we drove away from St Augustine we went through a huge storm complete with lightening/ thunder/ torrential rain. Traffic slowed to 30kph (20 mph) and almost all moving vehicles had warning flashers on. 

    
     
     
     Some cars had pulled over BUT NOT THE CuRVy!!!!!!

          
     

     

Conditions improved a little as we crawled over the double bridge spanning the St John's River at Jacksonville. The port is huge with many container ships but we weren't stopping and we were soon leaving Florida. Our 8 nights in Florida is the longest stay in any of the States during our time in the USA.

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Georgia was on our mind...........

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