Spring Migration - Back North in 2005

16 January, 2005 - Saturday

Saturday was predicted to have occasional showers blown back to shore from the rains which dropped record amounts on central eastern Florida
yesterday. Orlando got almost 3" in 24 hours, and that's about what they normally get for the whole month. It was supposed to be quite windy and cold. At least what Florida thinks of as cold - i.e. about 65 F. In actual fact, it was not only quite windy but rained lightly the whole day.

So I decided we should try to find something that didn't involve boats, beaches, boardwalks or gardens to do. - maybe if we went a bit inland it would be dryer. Bob found another J.C. Pennys in the Volusa Mall, but I thought we were probably going to have to wait until after January inventory for them to have a complete stock. We left here about 10, and drove out the Ormond Beach bridge and along the river shore down to US 92 and then went west on 92 until we found the Volusa Mall. But I was right. Pennys didn't have anything there that I wanted, so we went across to the AAA office to get maps. Now I have Daytona maps and central Volusa Co maps in addition to Orlando and St. Augustine.

Incorporated in 1882, Deland became the county seat of Volusa County in 1888.

Volusia County Courthouse from Florida Ave

This building replaced the original courthouse in 1929. Three thousand people attended the dedication of this 60,000 square foot structure with its Corinthian columns of pink Georgia marble, and vergris copper dome.

1929 Volusia Co. Courthouse at 126 N. Indiana Ave

Courthouse complex

DeLand is one of the more overlooked locations of this section of Florida - the county also includes the more popular tourist destinations of :

Daytona Beach
New Smyrna Beach
Ormond Beach
Port Orange
and Ponce Inlet

On the internet, I found that Deland had an NAS museum which had WW II planes and memorabilia - it wasn't in the AAA book, but it looked like something Bob would be interested in. So we drove to Deland. It turned out that the museum was in 2 parts - a small building on Biscayne

Bob at the door of the former Master of Arms Residence

and a hanger building at the airport. The roof on the small building started to leak in the hurricanes, and they took everything over to the hanger, and were just bringing it back. The City of DeLand had a primative airport in the 1920s with the first asphalt runway built around 1936. At the beginning of the Second World War (1941), the City donated the airport to the Navy where the DeLand airport is now.

Picture of the old Air Station

Diagram of the airfield

The DeLand Naval Air Station Museum was started in 1992, on the 50th anniversary of the opening of the base in the Master of Arms Residence. The building was restored and dedicated in November, 1995, and has grown steadily ever since. In 2001, the Museum building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

National Historic Register sign

Informational plaque on Sydney Taylor Field

Old airplanes behind the fence

More planes through the fence

WWII Trainer being restored

We went over to the hanger,

DNAS Musuem building

and it was jam packed with stuff, including some planes. There was an old man there (probably was a chief) who talked about all the things in the building to us and pointed stuff out.

VE Engine ?

Convertible with "Keep This Hero's Dream Alive"

heliocopter rotors

Bob looking at one of the aircraft engines

Exhibits in the museum

Inside the NAS museum

After that, we tried to find a place to eat and ended up at Moe's Southwest Grill.

Moe's sign

Front of restaurant

That turned out to be a burrito place which is a franchise operation. Every time someone came in the door, the folks behind the counter all yelled - in unison- Welcome to Moes. Since I wasn't familiar with the place I was astonished when the people shouted "Welcome to Moes" at us when we came in.

Counter for giving orders

Eating area

Bob had tacos per usual, and I had a cheese quesidilla and chicken taco soup - a little over $10.

Soup and chips

Then we headed for the Deland House Museum which was in the George Hamlin house(1886) AKA Henry A Deland House. Henry Deland never lived in the house (it was built by his attorney).

Sign out front

Sign on the door jamb

Originally, the area was called Persimmon Hollow, but in 1876, New York baking soda mogul, Henry DeLand vacationed with his daughter Helen near here.

Henry DeLand's portrait

Deland offered anyone who would come down and farm that if their crops failed in the first two years for any reason, he'd make their losses good. He offered settlers bonus dollars for rapid creation of schools and churches. So they named the town after him. In 1880, the Orange Ridge, DeLand and Atlantic Railroad Company linked to the Jacksonville, Tampa, and Key West Line. And then of course there was a freeze. Because DeLand lost money in the freezes of 1885-1886, he talked John B. Stetson (of hat fame) into sponsoring the school to the tune of a million dollars for the new school. In return, it was renamed Stetson University. (And the city of DeLand was only 10 years old!)

Old picture of Deland House

This simple story and a half house was built in 1886 by George Hamlin on land purchased from Henry A. DeLand. It had a porch around two sides and was Victorian in style

DeLand House Museum

He (Stetson) used the building to house some of the school staff. In about 1903, one of the faculty members, Dr. Charles Farriss purchased the house and modified it extensively. He removed the porch, raised the roof to a full two stories, added a Greek revival portico (he was a professor of Greek) on the east side and an entrance porch on the south side. The house was donated to the city of DeLand in 1988 and had been restored and furnished with artifacts, furniture photographs and art of the period. The furniture, other than that which is built in is not original

Built in china cabinet

Passthrough for wood beside fireplace

So the house is not the same as when it was built in 1886. It was very interesting though. We got a nice tour from a docent, and made a donation of $3.

On the side of the house there are orange trees.

Orange tree

Base of orange tree

And I took a photo of this bust in the garden.

Bust of Lue Gim Gong

In 1860, Lue Gim Gong was born in China. He sailed to San Francisco when he was 12 at the suggestion of his uncle who came to visit. He worked his way across the country to North Adams MA where he worked in the Sampson shoe factory. Mr. Sampson was a Stetson University benefactor. Lue Gim Gong was frail and became ill (perhaps TB) and the daughter of a local farmer, Miss Fanny Burlingame took him in and nursed him back to health. He became a Christian and a citizen of the US while under her care.

In 1884, he returned to China to see his mother, but returned to the US. The winters in MA were too much for Lue, and in 1886, he and Miss Fanny moved to DeLand, He and Miss Fanny's brother-in-law Mr. William Dumville planted oranges and other fruit trees. But the freezes of 1894 and 1895 killed most of the citrus trees in Florida, and Mr. Dumville also died about this time. Miss Fanny and her widowed sister Mrs. Cynthia Dumville returned to MA, and when Miss Fanny died in 1903, she left her property in FL to Lue. His only companions now were a rooster and his two horses Baby and Fannie. He broke a hip in an accident and walked with a crutch for the rest of his life.

In 1911, he produced a new orange which ripened in the early fall and was more resistant to cold. It received the Silver Wilder Medal for the USDA. He also developed a grapefruit that grew singly on the branch rather than in a clump. But he was not a good businessman, and friends kept having to pay his taxes to keep him from losing his property.

Lue Gim Gong died in 1925 and is buried in Oakdale Cemetery in the southwest corner. The people planned to erect a bust to his memory, but due to the depression and intervening events, the bust was not done until 2000. This is the bust that is now in a gazebo in the DeLand House garden

There are three Historic Districts in Deland.

The Residential District which goes from North Stone St. to Woodland, and from Howry Avenue north and including the west side of Stetson University.

Residential area

House on Michigan Ave. across from Deland House

The website says:
"1884-1942. 472 buildings, 375 of historical interest. Frame Vernacular, Bungalow, and various Revival styles. District is mainly single-family residences dating from the late 19th century. District contains schools, churches, and other noncommercial buildings. Public and Private. N.R. 1992."

Woman's Club

The Stetson Historic District
This is basically Stetson University. At the request of Mr. DeLand it was renamed in 1889 to John B. Stetson University. On the main campus:
- College of Arts & Sciences
- School of Music
- School of Business Administration
- Graduate College
There are over 60 undergraduate majors and minors offered on the main campus. It consists of 14 buildings, 11 of historical interest built between 1884 and 1934. The architectural styles of Second Empire, Colonial and Mediterranean Revival predominate. Frame and masonry buildings associated with one of Florida's oldest institutions of higher education. Private. N.R. 1991.

Stetson Historic District

Deland Hall on the Stetson campus

Historic DeLand Hall which opened October 13, 1884 is the oldest academic building on campus, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places both as a part of the District and as the oldest building in Florida in continuous use for higher education. It was restored to its original appearance for Stetson’s centennial in 1983. It cost Henry DeLand about $8,000 when it was built.

Designed by John P. Mace, an Ohio architect who was Lake Helen’s first mayor, this “Grand Old Lady of the Campus” is one of two Second Empire-style buildings on campus, and is considered one of the finest examples of this type of architecture in Florida. Three stories tall (two floors and an attic), it has the traditional cruciform floor plan and mansard roof with hip extension. Other distinctive features include: four gable dormers, with louvers and cloverleaf caps; a central pavilion with crested mansard roof; and decorative trusses and cloverleaf caps trimming wall dormers at the roof and entrance. Exterior walls are in wood clapboard: patterned wood shingles define the second floor.

Deland Hall From the car

Elizabeth Hall from the car driving down Woodland

Elizabeth Hall was named for Stetson's third wife and the mother of his two sons.

Through the trees

The Downtown Historic District
DeLand has a historic downtown area which is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. We got a brochure for a walking tour of the historic district downtown, but it was rainy so we didn't do all of it, although I did go and take some pictures

"1886-1929. 86 buildings, 68 of historical interest. Masonry Vernacular predominate. The physical development of the district began in the late 1870s, but the early buildings that survive today were built after 1886. The district has lost some physical integrity resulting largely from poor maintenance, and the alteration or destruction of some structures. Sufficient numbers remain to convey a sense of the historic period. Public and Private. N.R. 1987"

Looking south along Woodland from Church to Rich

The first picture which shows the main street has been edited to bring the two sides of the street closer together and eliminate overhead signs etc.

129 North Woodland Blvd

200 N. Woodland Blvd

200 N. Woodland was built as a 1.5 store building in 1892. The street level was the home of the Codrington News. In 1897, the building was raised another story and the DeLand Opera House was upstairs. It is now Paul Hunter’s Restaurant. The sidewalk signs are pointing to "Just Olde Stuff" (antiques and collectibles) and "Thomas Trains" Past the restaurant looking up the street are 202 N. Woodland which was build in 1910 and was Bauman’s Feed Store ("The Farmer’s Supply Store" - just phone 245 and the Bauman brothers were at your service) which stocked fee, grain, hay, fertilizer and insecticides. 204 N. Woodland was the neighborhood "Five and Dime" store.

Woodland Blvd looking south from Rich

Shows the whole block of North Woodland from Rich Ave looking south. On the extreme right with the yellow awning is 146 North Woodland. This building is pictured but not described in the walking tour booklet. (DeLand: A Walk Through Time) which I picked up at the Deland House Museum. On the extreme right is 145 North Woodland

Corner of Rich and Woodland

On the right, 143 North Woodland was built in 1906, and was an automobile garage. It is now home of a photography studio. It is constructed in simple masonry vernacular with a large display window (on the extreme right and out of sight) and awnings. The exterior has a simple cornice on the top of the building.

On the left, 145 North Woodland is the J. G. Michaelos Building. It was constructed at the same time as its neighbor (1906) and was the former home of Marshe’s Meat Market. The awning has "Yesterday’s Restaurant" in faded out letters, but it now houses the library.

This building is on the corner of Rich Street and to the right of it is a small park. On the Rich street side of the building is a mural called “Pioneers at the Parceland,” which is a mural designed from an 1890 photograph by the artist Perigo.

East side of street

Travelers are depicted waiting at the train depot to take a ride to Cabbage Bluff for their steamship ride back north or to visit friends and relatives in the big city of Jacksonville. Some of the people are carrying packages of oranges, which were often used to promote the area.

Historic people posed for by current citizens

Part of the mural

Looking toward 145 N. Woodland St.

On the right side of this picture is 131-133 North Woodland, which is a simple masonry vernacular style. It has large display windows and awnings and a simple cornice along the top of the building. In 1925, the DeLand Piano & Music Company was in this location, and it is now the Golf Shop. It has green awnings much like those at 129 North Woodland which is next door (to the right in another photo).

In the middle, the building with the maroon awnings and white filigree awning is 141 North Woodland. To the left is 143 Woodland with the green awning, and to the right of it is 139 North Woodland which is the former site of the Princess Theatre, which was built in 1921. It was owned by Howard Stewart and Tom Hays.

The building with the plain white front was constructed in 1915 and has had the details of the second story hidden. The ground floor is brick. This is probably 139 at the left side and 135-137 North Woodland on the right side. Number 135 was the location of Watts Hardware. Not only could customers could purchase hardware or get their jewelry or watches fixed, but an invitation was extended to get "glasses and speck frames adjusted free" with a guarantee

West side of Woodland Blvd

The six buildings on the west side of Woodland Blvd do not have detailed identifications in the walking tour except that they all were constructed in the masonry vernacular style and were built in 1897. They had the following tennants in 1925 (from left to right):

130 - Barsony Pressing Club and Tailoring
132 - The Sugar Bowl
136 - Ceeley’s Smart Shop (women’s apparel)
138 - Barr’s Dry Goods and Notions
140 - The Sanitary Café
142 - Woodalls Grocery

The red building (#142) is now the Brickhouse Grill. It has been extensively renouvated since the booklet "A Walk Through Time" was produced. It looks like the formstone front has been removed and it has been repainted with the architectural features such as the circles on the store front emphasized. It is much more attractive now. To the right of this building is a patio area. #146 on the corner is not in this photo.

Linda Lou’s Health Foods is at #140. In the photographic walking tour guide, this was Debbie’s Health Foods and is much the same in as in the booklet. It looks like the buildings with the aqua and gold fronts above the awnings have been altered at some point in the past - I can’t tell from the photo exactly what the addresses of these buildings are

East side of N Woodland Blvd. from Indiana Ave.

Looking at the east side of Woodland from Indiana, the closest building to us in the yellowish brick is 121 North Woodland. It has a mission arch on the front. It now has a rare coin shop.

119 North Woodland, with the green line along the second story and over the top of the windows was constructed in 1892 and was a saloon. The story goes that someone dropped a cigarette on the sawdust floor in 1886 which started the fire which destroyed most of downtown DeLand. Afterwards it was the home of Bracey’s Drug Store.

117 North Woodland is the building with the green awning. Next are the buildings at 115 and 113. 113 is a one story building which was the home of Brill’s Novelty Shop (items for sale included post cards). Mr. T. Brill would stand outside his shop to great customers.

111 North Woodland was the former site of Doc Simmons Liquor Store which was built in 1927. He promised to leave you in good spirits, or at least as good as you could afford. The two story building with green awnings top and bottom is 109 to 103 North Woodland.

The tall brick building down on the corner is 101 North Woodland and was the First National Bank. It was DeLand’s first skyscraper. It had decorative columns and pilasters surrounding the entryway. The bank declared bankruptcy in 1929 at the time of the stock market crash.

During the depression, and unknown man and his female companion had an interesting way to earn money. As a "human fly", he would climb the building side and disappear somewhere near the top. His companion would then collect money from the crowd.

111 West Indiana

Built in 1875, 111 and 109 with the white balconies that are the closest to you in the photo are the oldest commercial buildings in the downtown district. They survived the 1886 fire with minor damage. In the photo you can’t see the decorative corbelled frieze along the south parapet of the flat roof., but you can just see a little bit of the segemental brick arches with keystones that cap the second story windows. The two-story, two-bay white porch extends to the street and offers protection to customers and merchandise.

The door labeled 111A is probably the stairway access to the upstairs premises. The downstairs area is occupied by an antique store.

In 1907, these premises were occupied by the real estate and insurance offices of brothers Harold and V. Ward Gould. One of the Goulds was one of the first to use a car for business purposes - he had a single cylinder Cadillac. The novelty of riding in the car may even have drawn in extra business.

Past the 111-109 building is 105 West Indiana with the green pillars supporting a flat roof over the sidewalk. This building, which was built in 1925 and was the former home of "The Old Curiosity Shop" which was owned by Edith Reeve and Grace Howard. Edith and Grace started into business together on their graduation from Stetson University. Their business was moved here from Woodland Blvd. It is now a tavern.

West Indiana Avenue

Closest too us, 112 West Indiana Ave. is a former title insurance company.

110 West Indiana is the Federal style building which has the eagle motif over the windows. The first story was built in 1905, and the second story was added 19 years later. The original deed was recorded in 1902 by the law partnership of Cary D. Landis and Bert Fish. It is believed that their partnership is the oldest law firm still in existence in the state of Florida.

The main facade has a Romanesque entrance straddled by two windows that repeat the decorative motive and fanlight that is over the entry. The dentiled cornice (interrupted by the short gable with the eagle) runs across the front facade.

Top facade from the car

We parked the car on Florida (the streets were named for the states that the original settlers came from) and walked up to Woodland to take a photo of the mural on the side of the building at Woodland and Rich. We parked near this theatre at 124 North Florida.

Facade of the Athens Theatre at 124 Florida Avenue

Athens Theatre in 1970 from their website

It was designed by prominent Orlando architect Murry S. King. It opened in 1922 as a vaudeville house. It has recently been under renovation by a local organization. The outside is pretty much finished (and they are apparently renting space on the marquee for advertising), but the interior will probably take longer.

Athens theatre

In the next block south is the City Hall (at 120 South Florida) which was built in 1921. Originally, the basement was the police department, the City Hall was the north end and the fire department was the south end. The firemen lived on the 2nd floor. Now the police and fire departments share a building south of the City Hall.

We drove back to the beach. I thought we might eat at Parks, but they have gone out of business.

So we stopped at Publix and bought some groceries (Bob got fried spicy chicken wings, which I didn't think he even liked) and ate back at the unit.

Sunday, January 16, 2005

Sunday was a lazy day. It was windy and cold and rainy in the morning and didn't clear up until about 4 pm. So we stayed in the unit and I watched the playoff games (and I also watched the Pittsburgh NY game Sat night) and I played on the computer, and we just ate more of the food that we had on hand - didn't even go out for dinner.

January 17, 2005 - Monday.

The day dawned quite windy and cold, but it was not raining although there were heavy cumulostratus clouds.

So I decided it would be good to drive up to St. Augustine and meet our friend Norm of Bandersnatch. There were some things I wanted to do on the way up, specifically to visit Fort Matanzas (and get a stamp in my passport book), and see what Marineland was up to, and what they were doing at Palm Coast and visit the lighthouse.

So we had a late breakfast set off about 11:30. Marineland was first and they are in worse shape than they were when we came up last spring. Doesn't look like they are doing anything, although the sign says the gift shop is open. Palm Coast is building something huge on the ocean side of the ICW - probably a condo with boat slips.

We got to Matanzas about 1300.

Bob walking up to the visitor's center

Sign showing times of the ferry

Bob was astonished at how small the fort was

Model of Ft. Matanzas

and absolutely refused to go over there in the boat and look at it. We saw the video tape

Video about the fort

and got the passport stamped.

Fort from the shore

Anatomy of the Fort

The people coming back on the boat looked really cold. The ranger who was running the boat trip (which is on the half hour and is free- and admission to the fort is free too) said they had a fire in the fireplace out in the fort.

NPS boat out to the fort

Beach next to the NPS dock

Although it was small it looked interesting. You can't go ashore at the fort except from the NPS boat on the ranger led tour. I don't know if we could dinghy to their dock from our boat and then take their boat over or not.

Timeline

Apparently the history of the name (which means slaughter) was because the French established Ft. Caroline on the St. Johns River, and the Spanish thought that was a threat. The French (who were not only French but Protestants) mounted an expedition to attack St. Augustine and came down south of the city to come in this inlet and attack through the back door. However their boats were destroyed in a storm (probably a hurricane)

Fort Caroline on the top and the French route

and the Spanish found them here, and after they surrendered, the Spanish killed them all except a few who said they were Catholic and some artisans that they wanted their skills at the fort.

We couldn't even do the nature trail, because it was closed for the month of January for them to work on it.

When we left Matanzas, we went on up A1A to the Beachcomber Restaurant

Sign on the restaurant

The sign at the door said "Shirt and Shoes required after 5:30 pm"

Bob at the door

where Norm had taken us once for lunch. This is a place that is at the end of "A" Street - right on the beach, although because of the cold, no one was eating outside.

Tables outside on a cold January day

Part of menu

Inside the Beachcomber

dessert board

We both had the special which was a meatloaf sandwich. I had the jalapeno cheese grits with it and Bob had home fries. The bill with tip was $13.13.

Meatloaf sandwich with home fries $5.95

From the beach

Houses on the beach

Afterwards, I went out and took photos of the beach

Car gate

Open gate

Car on the beach

It was astonishing to me that the beach there is one way traffic.

One Way -10 mph- Ocean Trace Rd. 1.6 miles

There were also a lot of signs about driving on soft sand.

Soft Sand. Drive at your own Risk No unleashed dogs, No horses, No glass containers No littering No loud music over 55 dB No alcoholic drinks

and about not going on the dune, no PWCs, no diving in the surf, and warning of strong currents and dangerous marine life. As I was going back to the car I saw three surfers with full wetsuits come out and look at the water.

Beach in January

I didn't see them go in though.

I called Norm, and he said that Jan was working and wouldn't be back until 6, so I made arrangements to meet them at the A1A Ale House. That would make it a little late for us to get back, but I had promised I'd come and see him.

Next we went to the lighthouse. It took us some time to find it as it isn't well marked off A1A. We see the black and white lighthouse every time we come across the harbor and go south to St. Augustine. I had seen it only from the car or boat.

parking lot

We went in to watch the video tape about it and there was a huge orange marmalade cat named Jeff (probably 25 lbs) who was lying on the bench, and he wanted to crawl into my coat with me.

Museum Cat (came to see the movie with us)

Display in the store

Side of the keeper's house

Site of Florida's 1st Light - St. Augustine 1874

I wasn't interested really in climbing to the top of the 165' tower. I didn't think my knees would take it or my heart either and later when I did climb the Key West lighthouse, I was proved more than right about that. It would have been fun to see the inlet from above though.

St. Augustine Lighthouse

Base of the lighthouse

House next to the lighthouse

We had just been to the extensive exhibit at Ponce Lighthouse on the Fresnel lenses, so I wasn't really gung ho on paying the admission just to the Museum. The other thing you can see here is the artifacts from shipwrecks lost in the treacherous St. Augustine inlet. Anyway, there was an admission fee for us Seniors of $4 each if we didn't want to climb the tower (for the grounds and museum in the lighthouse keeper's house), and I decided I didn't need to do that. So I wandered around outside the enclosure and took pictures

Trees on the grounds

House from the front decorated for Xmas

Bell

USLHS 1933

From the parking lot

Then I want and took some pictures of the Gypsy Cab Co restaurant. We went to this restaurant with a friend who was very impressed with the fact that they didn't have iceburg lettuce in the salads. Norm felt that it was too expensive and too touristy. I thought the food was good and the service also. The specials are different every night and the waitress has to tell them to you orally

Gypsy Cab Co. sign from the road

I also took a photo of the alligator farm across the street. We didn't visit it as I thought of it mostly as a tourist trap. Had I known more about it, I might have been more interested.

Front entrance of the Alligator Farm

The full name for this facility which has has a large salt water crocodile and wading birds in addition to a white namesake alligator is evidently Alligator Farm and Zoological Park It is one of Florida’s oldest zoological attractions - it was founded in 1893.

According to the website, the Campbell acquisition c 1937, gave the facility specimens from the three oldest alligator attractions in Florida. In the following years, they acquired collections from the North Miami Zoo, the Daytona Beach Alligator Farm, the Daytona Airport Zoo and the Florida Museum of Natural History. The attraction became more than an alligator farm, for it included ostriches, crocodiles, Galapagos Tortoises, a variety of monkeys and birds, and many examples of Florida wildlife. The museum also contained a number of mounted marine and terrestrial specimens.

A nature trail was added to the park in the late 1970s. .. A roofed theater and an open amphitheater were constructed for formal exhibitions of snakes and alligators that included lectures on the reptiles’ habits and behavior. ...the rookery .. is home to wild and unconfined herons, ibis and egrets... In 1993 the park was expanded to include "Land of Crocodiles". Here, all 23 species of the worlds’ crocodilians are exhibited in individual habitats. ..

Basilica steeple

As we drove across the Bridge of Lions, we saw a CSY at the marina. Bob said they didn't have standard trailboards, and they had ratlines, so I said I bet it was True Companion. We parked (after circling the area at least once) at a meter right in front of the marina. The meters take only quarters, but apparently give you about a hour. We met Fred of True Companion coming up the dock, and went back to the boat and talked to him and Kathy. He was having alternator trouble which was why he was at a dock instead of anchored. I suggested that he go to Oyster Creek which would have been way cheaper but he said he didn't think he could get into the slip that they had. I gave them Norm's phone numbers to call if the guy that he had coming to look at the boat didn't know what the problem was. (They've apparently burnt up a couple of alternators)

They came down outside from Port Royal to St. Augustine. Their friends who have a purple boat for 3 years were afraid to do that because they haven't installed an autopilot yet and would have to hand steer. (They have all the stuff to do it and just haven't - like they haven't installed any cooking facilities yet either.) Anyway, said friends decided to come outside anyway, and arrived at St. Augustine in the middle of a storm at 3 am, and then were almost blown into the Bridge of Lions.

[We went and looked at that slip later, and Bob said it would be perfectly possible but that people who anchored all the time didn't know how to get in and out of slips very well.]

Although we still had time on the meter, we unparked and went over and parked at a meter at the fort. (Fortunately, Bob had his quarters with him)

Lot Closed and Locked at 5:30 pm regardless of time on meter

Inlet entrance from the fort with Norm's boat Bandersnatch at anchor. His dinghy is the White Rabbit. He lives aboard

Flashback 08 December 2000 - Our first visit by boat

Coming down into St. Augustine, we pass the airport with a blimp moored there

Airport with blimp

Fort

Warning: As you turn toward the town be SURE that you don't miss the three little floating red markers, esp R 60 or you will go aground. We anchored in front of the fort Friday night.43.1 miles from Ft. George which took 7.5 hours. We anchored near COSMOS (another boat like ours) that we met first in the Southport area.

Cosmos

Norm and Jan of Bandersnatch were going to a party that night, so they couldn't come and visit. They urged us to stay over for the Parade of Lights which was going to be the next evening. But we declined. So we made an appointment to go to a marina at Palm Coast and Norm and Jan said they'd come visit Saturday morning after they got up, as they expected to sleep in after their party.

Bandersnatch

Norm, Jan and friend in their dingy White Rabbit

They have a monthly pass for landing the dinghy at the Municipal Marina charges $5/aday for dinghy landing. This includes trash disposal and showers. At this time, Fernandina Beach dinghy dock was free, so I thought that charge was excessive. I didn't change my mind.

Boat decorated for the parade

While we were in the anchorage, this boat which was decorated for the parade came by - it was waiting for the Bridge of Lions opening.

Christmas lights in St. Augustine

Saturday morning 9 December 2000

Anchorage in the morning

Saturday morning, soldiers marched into the fort (followed by some ladies in hoop skirts (I looked through the binoculars). Then they came up on the ramparts, raised the flag (an hour late at 9 a.m.) and fired muskets at us. Bob said to wave the white flag. Then the soldiers fired the cannon. Repeated on the half hour.

Firing the cannon

After our visit with Norm and Jan (they came over in their dinghy), we got underway

Going through the Bridge of Lions

Anchorage on the other side of the bridge

and after a hard slog got to Palm Coast

End Flashback

Bob walking up to the fort

Entrance information

The lady at the admissions office said she'd never seen a card with a sticker on it - this is the sticker that says you can get a booklet with all the attractions that are included in the pass by calling a number that's on the sticker. I haven't removed it because I don't want to get the booklet while I'm away. I think she thought I might have stolen the card or something.

Drawbridge with Bob walking over it

Drawbridge

Moat from the entrance bridge

Decorative coat of arms

Visitors coming across the drawbridge

We walked around the fort although we didn't go with the ranger led tour at 4.

Well

Swords

Looking into the courtyard

Information on fort architecture

Diorama of firing of the guns in the museum area

Attack of 1740

Inner courtyard with stairway to ramparts

British Barricks Exhibit in the casements

Looking out into the courtyard

Courtyard

Courtyard

Detail of the Sally Port

Entrance to latrines

Room used as a latrine

Anchored Bandersnatch from the fort - This is a ferrocement boat which Norm built himself. It is a sailboat but he's not put the mast on yet.

From the walls of the fort

Sentry box

Sentry tower in Castello San Marco

Sign by the sentry box

Looking from the sentry box back across the fort

Entrance from the fort

Looking out the port at the Bridge of Lions

Entrance kiosk from the ramparts

Looking down on the moat

From the fort walls

Bronze cannon on the gundeck

Looking from the end of the gun to the anchorage

Lighthouse from the fort

Flag over moat

Shoals coming out to the inlet from near the fort

The Builders were human

Looking landward from the top of the fort

Part of the moat

Lines of Defense

Sign about the lines of defense

Closeup of coquina

Bob found a place to stand out of the wind in the sun which was pretty warm, but I was glad I had both my thermal vest and my snow coat.

Bob in a warm spot using the wall as a windbreak

Then we drove around some more

Theo's - the restaurant not far from the marina for lunch where we would go for lunch

I had hoped to see the Oldest Schoolhouse, but it is apparently on George St. which is pedestrians only.

Tomomato Cemetery

Aviles Street

Church from the car

Church detail

This building looks like it should be one of the historic buildings. And if you know the history of this church then you will see why it looks that way. The buildings were designed by Carrere and Hastings and erected by McGuire and McDonald, the same architects and contractors that planned and built the Flagler hotels and Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church. As to WHY...

Church photo that helped me identify my pictures

The first church building for Grace United Methodist Church which was called Olivet Church was constructed on the corner of Tolomato (now known as Cordova St.) and King Streets in St. Augustine FL.

Mr. Flagler had started construction on the Ponce de Leon Hotel and envisioned a courtyard surrounded by three of his hotels. To accomplish that vision he needed the land where the Olivet Church stood. In 1886, he made a proposal to the trustees to donate the land on the corner of Carrera and Cordova streets and to build a church and parsonage on that site in exchange for the Olivet church land and building. The proposal was accepted and construction started in 1886.

Flagler College from the car

That's why it looks like a historic building.

We went back and found a parking place along the seawall. I had wanted to take one of the trolley tours, but a) it was $18 each b) it was too darn cold and c) it said they only ran until 5 pm and it was now 4:50. So I didn't although I saw them running until after 6. I think they only sell the tickets until 5. We just sat in the car out of the wind and cold until time to meet Norm.

Ponce de Leon statue

At about 5:45, we walked up the street to the A1A Ale House, and sat down. Norm came in a bit after 6, and he went up to get a beer at the bar and brought Scottie (an old bearded guy who is living on his sailboat and apparently doing work for different people to earn a living) along with him. Jan came a bit later.

Happy Hour

Bob's chicken salad

I ordered the cheese soup with vegetables, Bob ordered a chicken salad and Norm and Jan had naked wings with some dipping sauce.

Bob paid the check for us all which even with 3 beers, and some wine for Jan was under $40 before the tip.

Bridge of Lions lighted for Christmas

We left at 8:40 pm.and drove back to the unit along US 1 and I-95.

Tuesday: 2005-January 18

I got up about 8:30 to take pictures of the beach.

They would be really cool, except there's salt on the outside of the windows and I can't figure out how to get rid of it.

Pools

Beach in front ot the hotel

Today was the day that they clean the condos in the tower, but the lady came before I was dressed, so Bob said we didn't need any clean towels and he'd do the sweeping with the broom. We haven't been out on the beach to track any sand in and we really aren't that messy.

We left about 11:30

Streets around the marina

and drove down to Port Orange to Seven Seas Marina. This was where we had one of the more traumatic days on our first cruise down the ICW because cross current in this marina is one of the worst on the ICW- greater than 1 knot, and the marina is relatively unprotected from wakes. The reason for the cross current is from the Venturi effect caused by the narrowing of the river where the bridge goes across.

Flashback 2000, December 10-11 Wild Current at River Narrows

Leaving Palm Coast - Dec 10, 2000
It is still foggy at 10:30. We call Seven Seas Marina, (which doesn't have any connection to the Seven Seas Sailing association) and they have space for us. It continues to be foggy. Sometimes we can't see more than a quarter mile. We see a man in a power boat in the fog pulling his kids on an inner tube. Stupid.

We tie up in the slip behind the fuel dock at 12:54 after 32.7 miles at 6.4 mph for a total of 885 nm. The charge at this marina is more for the 2nd day than the first day. (Fifty cents a foot for the first day.) The marina has fixed piers, electricity, washer/dryer, no cable, no pump out. It is primarily a working yard for smaller boats and has no haulout capability for larger boats. They have an extensive marine store.

Seven Seas from the river

We have a late lunch at the marina diner. I have broccoli and cheese omelet and Bob has BLT. Bob decides to walk to see if he can find transmission sealer and ends up walking all the way to Publix and then taking the bus back. The marina owner was relatively hostile to internet access by transients. I try to download pocketmail and the pay phone won't work with my pocketmail device. We leave to walk down to the bridge for dinner, and the pay phone there works fine for pocketmail. Prices are reasonable - I have swordfish.

As we walked home, we stopped at the Dairy Bar place for ice cream. It's kind of like a Dairy Queen and just sells ice cream and hot dogs or chili dogs - that kind of thing. You eat outside sitting at tables. We continued to walk back to the boat eating our ice cream. (about 1/2 mile).

Wrenching Away - December 11, 2000
Bob decided to take a taxi to an auto parts store this morning, and bought some transmission sealer, and put it in the transmission. It was still really foggy. He wanted to go up and have breakfast - but I wanted to make some calls at the pay phone. So he didn't eat either.

When I went back to the boat to get the numbers I needed to make the calls, Bob had started the boat. He was very impatient to leave even though it was foggy. I wasn't ready to leave. I really wasn't even that sure that we should leave today at all. It was still pretty foggy. When I got back the next time, he was in a really bad mood. So we got ready to leave.

Bob had a plan for getting out of the slip. Unfortunately, someone tried to help us, and with that help and the unexpectedly strong current everything went to hell in a handcart in a very short period of time. When Bob tried to back out of the slip, the current (at right angles to the slip) pushed the stern backwards into the marina, and down onto the boats that had been in slips parallel to us. I was frantically trying to fend off of people's dinghys.

Soon a lot of people had gathered (about 25) to help, or to defend their boats. More people than we had seen in the past whole day. Our boat had been carried into another sailboat, and so the helpers pulled the boat forward away from the other boat (which was sticking out of the slip a little farther than the power boat next to it. Unfortunately, with the boat forward, the bowsprit was now between the last two pilings in our former slip and overhanging the fuel dock. One of the marina guys said that if anyone passed the marina, the movement of the boats in the resulting wake could cause damage (cheerful and helpful). Someone else commented that we'd have to be careful or we'd get caught cross ways in the marina. The lady on the power boat kept telling me that it would be OK, and then saying that she felt so helpless. I periodically had to fend us off her hard dinghy.

I looked up and Bob had a big round deep hole scraped in the center of his forehead, and it was bleeding. He also got his arm caught between the dinghy and some other item - I didn't see that, but I heard people yelling at him to get his arm out, but he told me later that it had been caught and he couldn't move it.

Some nice man named Eric got into his dinghy and took a line and rowed it across to an opposing pier and people over there tried to pull the stern out. They couldn't. We took the dinghy off the davits. Of course the first thing that happened was it was pushed into the engine exhaust which made a very funny rude noise. Finally they took another line to the opposite pier and people pulled the bow out a little when Bob put forward power on. Then we tried with a line on the jib winch and winched the boat out sideways. Eric then took another line over to another pier closer to the entrance and people pulled on that line. As we pulled the stern out into the channel, the guys on the fuel dock were able to push the bow out around the last piling, and then we were more or less in the channel. We were almost home free, and it only required a little more maneuvering before we were heading out into the channel.

Both of us were exhausted and Bob was still bleeding. And it was still foggy, and actually had started to rain. It was also after 10 o'clock.

The big problem was, we had wanted to go to Titusville next, and with the late start, I didn't think we could travel the over 40 miles and get there. There was no place listed that we could anchor short of Titusville, and the only marinas between Port Orange and Titusville was in New Smyrna Beach only about 10 or 11 miles farther.

We decided on New Smyrna Beach

End Flashback

Bob walking in

Counter signs

Specials included meatloaf and mashed potatoes. I had the turkey salad sandwich special for $3.65

Turkey salad sandwich special for $3.65

and Bob had a regular menu 1/4 lb hamburger for $2.95 which was huge.

Bob's hamburger

We drank root beer ($1.15 with free refills), and the total bill before tip was $8.48.

Ship sculpture

Other specials which were listed on the pictured board were egg salad sandwich $2.99, a reuben, grilled cheese with a cup of soup $3.69, meat loaf dinner with mashed potatoes or meat loaf sandwich. Soups were chili, vegetable beef barley or tomato mushroom.

Marina from shore in 2005

Then Bob walked over to he parts department to get a fuel hose for the Mercedes.

Boat storage

That took a fairly long time, because while the marina didn't lose any docks or boats in the hurricane, they did lose the roof off the big metal boat storage/parts building. So they had the hoses etc stashed in a storage building somewhere. And the guy that the parts lady sent to get the hose first went without a knife to cut it and then went with a knife that couldn't cut it and only on the third try took the knife that the parts lady told him that he needed.

We left there about 1:30 (after I found the bathroom and Bob used it),

and went across to the Sugar Mill Gardens.

Sugar Mill Gardens front gate

Road and sugar mill chimney from the parking lot

When I went to their website later, I found that the gardens are officially re-opening after the hurricane on January 21st. But the gate was open, and the sign said they were open, so we went in. There's no admission charge - it is run by volunteers - although they ask for a donation.

We were greeted by another big marmalade cat, and walked around and looked at the plantings.

Resident mammal

History of Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens

Sugar Mill Botanical Gardens map

They have native plants in groups - a group of palms, butterfly plants, etc.,

Water Lilies in the water feature

Bog Garden

11-Roadside Garden

18 - Palm collection

22 - Shell Ginger

24 - Xeriscape Garden

27 - Nature's Chapel

29 - Mule drawn cane mill

31 - Cedar Stumps

Florida Hammock Trail

40 - Banana and Bird of Paradise

A lot of the sugar mill machinery is still there, and during the Civil War soldiers made salt here.

Sugar Mill from the gardens

43 - Historic Sugar Mill Machinery

Part of the sugar mill

Sugar Mill

Sugar Mill machinery area

Sugar kettles

Sugar kettles

Closeup detail of engine

Human Sundial

Confederate Oak

And they also have plants for sale (not that we need any of those). This was the site of the Dunlawton plantation, which was destroyed during the Seminole Wars in 1812.

Destruction of Dunlawton

Battle of Dunlawton Plantation

In the 50s someone tried to make a tourist attraction out of it, and since some archeology found some dinosaur bones,

Exhibit of fossils found locally

he put up life sized sculptures of the giant sloth, Triceretops etc.

Sign about Bongoland history

Tricepterotops

Stegasaurus

Giant Sloth

The idea was a bit ahead of its time (theme parks weren't really big yet), so the project fell through, but the dinos are still there. They even have dinosaur murals (school child style) inside the rest rooms.

Paintings in the ladies room

Gardner's Library

We had a nice wander around until about 2:40 following the self guiding tour signs (although for some reason we missed the actual plantation foundations), and then we left and drove up to Ormond By The Sea where I had seen that there was a WWII Coastal Watch Tower - the only one still left in FL - they used to be all along the coast about 6 miles apart.

No animals

Coastal Watch Tower

World War II

We discovered that we had seen it the previous day, but thought it looked too new to be WWII. In fact, it was built out of preserved wood with stainless fasteners and although the sign there doesn't say so, I think it was rebuilt in 2004 as that is when it was dedicated. There aren't any stairs to access the tower. There were some guys using a metal detector on the beach and one lone sandpiper.

Sandpiper

Footprints

Coastal beach

Men with metal detectors

Then we attempted to visit the Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens,

Ormond Memorial Art Museum sign

but the museum is closed this week as they are putting an exhibit up of Florida Icons.

Welcome sign

Down the garden path

Fern imprints

The gardens were pretty, and I saw a big fresh water turtle sunning himself in one of the ponds,

Garden pond

Turtle

but I liked the gardens in Port Orange better. These were just gardens - no history or instructional signs. I think there were some I. pseudacorus, but I couldn't be sure as it was just buds and spent blooms.

There was a building in the garden which said it was the Emmons Cottage c 1885 of which we could arrange to take a tour,

1885 Emmons Cottage

but it didn't look like it was more than two rooms and small rooms at that, so I don't know how many people could be accommodated, or what a tour could possibly involve.

Emmons Cottage

I wanted to go to the Casements, which is an old Rockefeller house, but Bob found that the last tour was at 2:30, and he wanted to come back when we could have a tour. So we went back to the unit.

We left about 6 to go to dinner. I had wanted to go to the Brickyard on International Speedway Drive where Charlie and Sandy had taken us, but Bob didn't want to drive that far. I didn't want to go to a chain, so I rejected Outback Steakhouse, Burger King, Olive Garden, Bennigans, Ruby Tuesday, and McDonalds.

Sunset

Shop window

Bus stop

I actually had in mind to go to Shell's so that's where we went.

They seated us and gave us two waiters (although we never saw the girl after the drinks order). We got hot tea. The waiter asked us if we wanted bread, and we said - why do you ask, is it extra. He said no but that with all the low carb diets sometimes people didn't want bread. The bread was a small thin loaf, but he didn't bring a knife to cut it and I had to use my regular knife.

Shell's Sign

Part of menu

Bob had a half pound of fried scallops (with fries and cole slaw for $8.99) which he said were the smallest he had ever seen, and I had the coconut shrimp and grilled chicken combo for $12.99.

My dinner

This came with baby carrots and broccoli (but the broccoli ends were all brown) and home fries. I couldn't eat the chicken and brought it home. The bill including tip was $32.44