83.7/20 Colonial St. Augustine

Ponce de Leon Statue

Juan Ponce de León sailed along the Atlantic coast searching for gold and the Fountain of Youth; he landed near St. Augustine on April 3, 1513 and took possession of the region for Spain. After 6 unsuccessful attempts to colonize “La Florida”, in 1565 King Phillip II of Spain sent Pedro Menéndez de Avilés to drive out the French Huguenots who had established Fort Caroline (now Jacksonville, Florida). Sailing from San Juan, Puerto Rico, Menéndez reached Florida with 5 ships carrying 500 soldiers and 200 sailors. They made their second landing on September 8, 1565, the feast day of St. Augustine and named the new settlement in his honor. The French fleet, Fort Caroline and most of the Frenchmen were soon destroyed.

St. George Street

Tourists stroll by restored, typical Spanish houses, with walled patio gardens, their lower floor converted into a shop or cafe. La Florida generally remained free of foreign (non-Spanish) colonists until early in the 17th century. Jamestown was established in 1607, Quebec in 1607, Plymouth in 1620, the Massachusetts Bay Colony by 1630. By the time the Dutch city of New Amsterdam was named “New York”, St. Augustine was 100 years old. Another 20 years passed before Philadelphia was founded by the Quakers. The closest foreign settlement, Charles Town (Charleston) appeared in 1670 to challenge Spain’s control of the southeastern coast of the continent.

George’s Treasure tempts tourists

Window of the oldest wooden schoolhouse in America,
built of cypress and cedar wood about 1755

Scribe demonstration in Colonial Spanish Quarter
(entrance fee $5.50 for seniors)

Home-made toys in Colonial Spanish Quarter house

Roof of Sabal or Cabbage Palm fronds,
reconstructed shelter in Colonial Spanish Quarter

Coquina Blocks

About 1671 soft shell-stone quarrying began on Anastasia Island. The natural deposits were cut into blocks, loaded on ox-drawn carts, and barged across Matanzas Bay to build the Castillo, City Wall and substantial town buildings.

Coquina wall, St. George street

82.7/19 Castillo de San Marcos 1672–1821

During the first hundred years, 1565–1665, nine wooden forts were built to protect St. Augustine and the Spanish territories. But English pirates, such as Francis Drake, 1586, and John Davis, 1668, after the Spanish galleons filled with gold from the New World, made surprise attacks and sacked the city. The Spanish Queen, Mariana, ordered a stone fort to be built. The massive Castillo de San Marcos was built (1672-1695) with high, thick stone walls, and numerous canon. It was an impregnable and permanent defense at the ocean inlet to the bay of San Agustín.

Castillo de San Marcos

Not only were the walls very thick, up to 12 feet, and high, 28 feet, with a moat below, but the walls were made from coquina stone which is soft and tough, but not brittle, so it did not shatter under cannon fire.

The entrance is across a drawbridge over a moat

But the real strength of the Castillo was its 77 cannons that could fire shells more than a mile to keep ships from coming in close.

Numerous long range cannons
were the real deterrent to attacks from warships

For other targets, the mortars provided a deadly curtain of fire. The mortar pictured below used 15" shells and has a range of 1.2 miles. Several kinds of shells were used: solid iron, explosive with a rudimentary shaped charge, antipersonnel shrapnel, and incendiary.

The mortar was capable of dropping explosive shells
behind enemy siege walls

The British kept attacking from the Carolinas, but were never able to breach the Castillo, although St. Augustine was burned and rebuilt several times. In 1702, during The Queen Anne’s War, the English from Charles Town (Charleston) laid siege on the fort with 500 soldiers and Indians and several warships. They were held off by 200 Spanish soldiers, while the fort was refuge for 1,300 civilians. The siege lasted fifty days until a Spanish fleet came from Cuba and drove off the English.


The city of St. Augustine was 256 years old as the United States formally took possession of the province of East Florida. On July 10, 1821, the Spanish flag was lowered from atop the Castillo de San Marcos and replaced by the Stars and Stripes to the accompaniment of canon salutes.

Castillo de San Marcos is a National Monument
administered by the National Park Service

On weekends volunteers from local residents fire several rounds of salutes with flintlock muskets and as a finale fire a field cannon.

After each volley, the row behind steps forward to fire,
while the first row reloads

All the noise and fire and smoke is very dramatic

The fort flies the Spanish flag of the 1600s.

81.7/18 Three Months to Reach the Atlantic Ocean!

Reached Atlantic Ocean late afternoon July 18. (after 5,500 miles & 81 days from home)

Guided by Nellie, our GPS Navigator, our trusty Dream Machine went over the Matanzas River bridge, onto Anastasia Island, the lighthouse ahead of us. Turning right, then right, we entered Anastasia State Park, with sand dunes and the Atlantic on our left. Finding our reserved site in the shelter of dense, live-oak forest, Bill hooked us up to the electric post and turned off the generator. With the temperature around 100° and humidity at max, we use the air-conditioner 24 hours a day. Jean did the laundry after 9 p.m., when the washer and drier outside of the bathrooms were available (at 6 quarters each). Sitting on a bench, sweat rolling into her eyes, swatting at the occasional mosquito, she listened to the insect and frog noises while the machines did their work.

St. Augustine Lighthouse

Like nearly everybody else, we drove and parked as near as possible to the places we wanted to visit—even the nature walk in the campground, (½ mile from our camp site) and the beach (1 mile).

Lighthouse from beach, sea-oat grass in foreground

Anastasia State Park Beach

There were many families enjoying the beach—
it was a little cooler there.

A mobile family outing

78.7/15 Nature(s) Coast Florida

NATURES COAST RV RESORT

Anthony Tocco, former manager of Sahara Village Park where we live, searched for several years for a piece of property to develop. He and his wife, Lavonne, looked all across the southern U.S., preferring a warm climate, near a body of water. They finally found a desirable place that would take all their skills in construction, management and business acumen: an abandoned small “Park” on the Gulf Coast, near Steinhatchee Florida. They moved to Florida in mid-April, about the same time we began our trip.

The park had been closed for two years; and now Anthony and Lavonne have been at work on their “baby” for 8 weeks.

Natures Coast RV Resort

The “WOW” factor is what they were looking for, and I think they are finding it. As you drive in on the palm-lined colorful graveled entry way, you are struck with how neat and well arranged everything is. It looks like a perfect place to sit back, feet up, and watch the clouds roll by. There are many other attractions nearby of course—this is the Nature Coast of Florida on the Gulf of Mexico—vacation-land for residents of many nearby states (and a place that hurricanes consistently miss). Our friends in Pensacola said, “Steinhatchee is like Pensacola used to be before the hurricanes hit us the last few years.”

Lavonne Busy Grooming the Grass

The property is surrounded by impenetrable tropical jungle. The grounds (15 rentable spaces at the moment) and the swimming pool are already impeccably neat.

Anthony and Lavonne Making Construction Decisions

When you’re the boss the hours are long.

View across the pond

The pond has a patch of cat-tails, a multitude of frogs, and several kinds of fish—no live alligators yet. Around the edge grows the attractive sky-blue flowered water plant, Pontederia cordata, “pickerel weed” found along water courses throughout tropical areas.

Pontederia cordata, “pickerel weed”

They even have banana plants. Lavonne pointed proudly to their first banana flower and fruit forming on one stalk. The shore also supports Canna florida, a short, yellow flowered native species. The showiest of all is several clumps of Hibiscus coccineus, at least 6 ft. tall and covered with large red flowers.

Hibiscus coccineus

It’s a beautiful setting, but very hot and humid; a few minutes outside and you are drenched in sweat. The Toccos seem to thrive here, as do the many people who choose to live in this climate. Air-conditioned houses and cars, fans, showers and pools, water or other drinks always at hand make Florida livable. Anyone who likes to fish or play at any water sport is in their element.

Fountain in the Middle of the Pond

Is this the fabled “Fountain of Youth” Ponce de Leon was looking for?—maybe for our friends Anthony and Lavonne Tocco.

Their web site: www.naturescoastrvresort.com

STEINHATCHEE, FLORIDA

Steinhatchee is first of all a boating and fishing paradise.

Steinhatchee is located off the US19/US27 between Talhassee and Gainsville, Florida, sort of in the “armpit” of Florida’s Gulf Coast. The coastal area for a couple of hundred miles is called “Nature Coast.”

Jean is amazed at the four story boat display.

They must have a really big fork-lift!

Fruit of the Sea

The people who were cleaning these scallops come down every weekend to go snorkeling for scallops.

Keaton Beach

Swimming in the warm Gulf waters and shopping the local arts & crafts markets are two other sports enjoyed in Steinhatchee.

74.7/11 Following the I-10 Across Southeastern US

Once we crossed the Brazos River in Texas, we entered southeastern states' jungle-like vegetation and wetlands with alligators. Hot and humid? You bet! Daytime temperatures in the high 90’s, nights in the 80’s. A half-hour outside and sweat is rolling into your eyes and clothing is soaked through. The RV rooftop air-conditioner has been running almost continuously since July 1st, either powered by the gasoline generator or from electric outlets at Parks.

In New Orleans, we stayed on the south side of the Mississippi River at Bayou Segnette State Park. Except for clearings for roads and grounds which were constantly mowed, it was dense jungle.

Edge of Campsite at the State Park—
impenetrable growth of trees and shrubs.

Swamp Mallow, Hibiscus moscheutos,
8 ft. tall, flowers 6 in. diameter.

Along the Bayou

Alligator
lurking by invasive water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes

The I-10 through Louisiana was very rough, bumpy, and undergoing repair. Hurricane damage was not perceptible from the highway, but many businesses and parks along the Gulf Coast were closed, having been wiped out by hurricane Katrina.

On to Mississippi Welcome Center

At the Alabama Welcome Center
we parked by large oaks draped in lichens

Florida Welcome Center

We were just in time to catch this Blue Angel jet taking off—just kidding. There was this free-standing sculpture of a flying Blue Angel jet and Bill couldn’t keep his hands off of the image.


Near Pensacola we spent a pleasant overnight with the Ziemba family, who had served with Lay Mission Doctors in Likuni, Malawi. Displayed among their souvenirs in their office were a few of Bill’s black and white photos from Africa.


Further east, after bursts of thundershowers, we went north 6 miles, through Chattahoochee to Lake Seminole, a BLM project, just over the border into Georgia.

Lake Seminole and water lilies at East Bank Campground

We dropped South on State Route 19 to Steinhatchee for a few days at Nature’s Coast RV Park, another jungle clearing, see blog following.

Heading for the Atlantic Ocean at St. Augustine, we spent a night at Payne’s Prairie Preserve Park, southeast of Gainesville: an enormous swampy area, home of wild horses and nesting area for sandhill cranes. The campground is in thick jungle between the Prairie and Lake Wauberg.

Payne’s Prairie Camp Site

Payne’s Prairie: half of the 180° panorama (90°),
from the 50 ft. viewing tower near the Visitor’s Center
(merge of three photographs)

Lichens on Live-Oaks

Southeastern “Jungle” at Payne’s Prairie

71.7/08 New Orleans, City o’ Dreams

Has New Orleans lost its mystique? Are the icons still there?

After being battered by hurricanes, scandals in high places, terrorist concerns, and gasoline prices going through the roof, are the tourists still coming to the Mecca of music, the carnival capers of Mardi Gras, the picturesque Vieux Carré? The answer appears to be, “yes.” We spent most of our time in the French Quarter and on the Bayou Segnette across the river. Whatever water and wind damage those areas suffered has been successfully repaired.

Jazz is still hot, Mardi Gras souvenirs are found in abundance in the markets, and the popular objects of us gaping tourists, the intricate ironwork balconies, are everywhere. And of course, the Mississippi River “just keeps rolling along.” It’s hard to compare the before and after, because we were last here in 1968.

New Orleans Skyline from Across the Mississippi River

(note St Louis Cathedral and French Quarter
at right edge of picture)

St. Louis Cathedral Across
Decatur Street and Jackson Square

Flanked by the Louisiana State Museum

The Cathedral of St. Louis
is built on the spot where the first Catholic church
in Louisiana was built in 1718.

Figures on the Main Altar
Remind Us of the Roles Of Moses and St. Peter in the Church

Along Decatur Street with Balconies on One Side
and the French Market on the Other

Horse-Drawn Carriages
Are Still a Going Institution for the Tourists

Architectural Treasures Are Everywhere

The Delicate Ironwork Balconies
Represent the Spanish influence
on New Orleans architecture.

Some Balconies Seen Downright Gaudy 

(I think these people have Mardi Gras on their mind.)

Some of Many Trinkets Found in the French Market—
Carnaval Never Seems Far From People’s Thoughts

Jean’s French Ancestry 

Required Us to Partake of the Obligatory Beignet

They Were Good, But Jean’s Homemade Beignets Are Better,
Really!

New Orleans’ “Cities of the Dead”
of Aboveground tombs Are Still There