June 1, 2009: Six Mile Creek, FL

This Sunday morning we started our journey from the end of Gator Bowl Blvd and left early for church, It was nice to not need the Caribe to get ashore. Our path took us past the Maxwell House Coffee plant where you could smell the coffee roasting and up to Laura Street. As we biked up Laura Street, on the sidewalk because it was one way the wrong way, we saw first the First Baptist Preschool Parking deck. Now mind you we had read that the First Baptist Church of Jacksonville was a “megachurch”, but we were not sure what a church with 10,000 members would be like. Next we saw the FBC Middle School Building across the street. Ahead of us on the right was a modern steeple over a fountain which we thought must be the sanctuary; but no, it was the FBC Academy. Finally we found the worship center across the street. The brown brick and concrete building took up the entire city block. We were greeted kindly at the door even thought arriving at 10:30, we were 10 minutes late.

The service recognized their 64 graduating high school seniors including a wonderful choir of senior girls singing a song with lyrics from Jeremiah 29:11. Another senior sang the song “We shall behold Him” accompanied by their 40 piece orchestra and it was truly grand both musically and spiritually. Pastor Brunson’s sermon, based on Psalm 23:2 was a message on finding rest and peace in God’s leadership, filled with practical advice on practicing a good life, and even a reference to keeping his grandson to add a little humor.

As we left the church, we were surprised to see that all the streets were closed with orange cones for the congregants to leave crossing the street anywhere and several police officers directing traffic. But I guess a meeting like that is an event to be assisted and there really wasn’t any other traffic downtown.

On our ride back to the boat I took a quick tour through the Kids Kamp that was next to the docks. It was a city part for children under 62 inches and included both a tiny city for practicing safety rules and a play ground full of things that sprayed water. What a fun place for a hot day. Almost back to the boat when I heard the “SSSSSS” of my front tire, and I had a flat. I was glad that I only had to walk a little way to get home!

After lunch we were going to take an adventure up the Saint Johns River. As we approached the tall blue Main Street bridge we saw a number of sheriff’s boats, and on the VHF radio we found out that the tall ships were engaged in a mock battle with the pirate ships. The sheriff suggested that we not try to go under the bridge but to wait til the battle was over. So as he instructed, we anchored there and had a front row seat for the engagement including cannon and rife fire (just gun powder – no bullets!). It took me a few minutes to realize that even though there sails were up and flying, the boats were really traveling under motor power. They had to be using engines to have the nimbleness to be moving so quickly and close to the other (expensive) ships. At times the ship’s movement seemed choreographed as the vessels swung from broadside to not.

When the battle was over we proceeded under

the Main Street Bridge and saw thee beautiful fountain circle at Friendship Park on the left. Saint Johns River opened up into a calm waterway maybe two miles wide. The surface was so smooth that we longed for our ski boat. The wide water was amazingly calm. Calm of course except for our wake – so when water ski folks spotted us, our wake because the obstacle course for them. It was fun to see them leap their jet skis out of the water, but I am always glad to see them safely move away.

Tom had found a special treat in one of the guide books, so we headed up Six Mile Creek to find the Outback Crab House. As the creek narrowed, with large hardwoods on the banks draped with long strands of grey Spanish moss above the dark water, it reminded me of Trent River at home in New Bern.

A few miles up the creek, we came to the restaurants 1500 foot floating pier and tied up there. The

water on the far side of the dock was filled with water hyacinth and full of the pretty light purple flowers. We spotted several manatees in the water grazing on the shiny green leaves of the hyacinths. Do you see the manatee in this picture? Really what you saw was just the top of his back and his nostrils as he poked his nose up for a breath of air. Like dolphins, manatees are water animals that are mammals. Walking up the dock to have dinner, we spotted a small alligator floating with just his eyes and the ridge of his back out of the water.

This was one

of the best nature sightings we have had.

Apparently the restaurant in involved in crabbing as well

since they had a section of floating pier piled high with green wire crab traps.

It is hard to describe the Outback Crab House. The building on the side of the creek has leaded glass doors at its entrance and casual picnic tables inside. There were stuffed alligators by the ladies room, and next to the creek there were tents with a guitar player singing country music. While we were eating there was even a little girl (maybe 8 years old), who sang “I’m a Red Necked Woman”. There were several signs around that said “Providence Bible Church meets here on Sunday morning at 8:30 AM. No shirt, No shoes, No Problem”. The service was marginal but the food was good and the ambiance was something not to be missed.

As we sat on the back deck after dinner, we noticed that it was a traditional pastime for the regular diners to walk the dock in search of manatees or other wildlife. What a charming way to end the day.

May 31, 2009: Jacksonville, FL

This morning we left TNTY’s by the temporary bridge and went back to visit the Castillo de San Marcos National Park. This area was discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513 and in 1565 Mendenez defeated the French at Fort Caroline and established St Augustine. The fort is a National Historical Landmark and was continuously used as a fort up through the WWII. Our visit started walking over the draw bridge through the Sallie Port – called so because that was the gate where the soldiers “sallied” out to battle. There were costumed guards there, many volunteers, who gave the scene authenticity.

The most poignant story I read about the fort was in 1702 when the English invaded beyond their negotiated southern border at Savannah. They held the Spanish settlers at Saint Augustine under siege for 50 days. It is hard to believe 1300 people quartered within the fort walls provisioned by food stock held there and the fresh water well within the walls. The day after Christmas, a Spanish ship arrived from Havana and broke though the siege and the English withdrew burning the city as they left. The fort

was never defeated in battle, but changed hands from the Spanish to the English and then to the Americans as the land was bartered and won.

They had a military team who preformed an exact

Spanish drill to fire a cannon off the top ramparts. Since our boat was in the river just below the fort, we jestingly asked that they not aim at it. The Captain said that they had once had a sailboat raise a white flag after the cannon demonstration.

We also made a point to find the oldest wooden school building in the historical record and to see the city wall that had been built after the city was burned in 1702. It was the only way into the city from the North where the English lived. Our short ride around town included finding a tall magnolia tree

full of huge white fragrant blossoms

wedged between the narrow street and an old two story house.

After lunch on the boat, we said goodbye to Saint Augustine and cast off headed to Jacksonville. The Matanzas Bay was full of boats including a large schooner with three sails out and tacking to get though the inlet to the Atlantic. North of St Augustine the terrain really begins to look like eastern NC with acres of green salt grass stretching back to dark forests. Tiny inlets of water ripple through the green. It looks like God painted it and gives me such a sweet sense of the beauty of the earth.

Palm Valley was full of water front cottages and covered docks and party houses on the eastern side of the ICW. There were metal roofs of all colors – silver, blue, 3 shades of green, tan and turquoise and we thought it was like shopping through a catalog to choose a new roof. As we approached Jacksonville Beach the cottages gave way to elegant mansions and the metal colored roofs gave way to red tile. Groomed lawns come down to a breakfront and there was an inlet that led to a yacht club.

When we reached the mouth of the St Johns River, we left the ICW and cruised west where we began to see the traffic of a commercial port including a ocean going freighter headed east. We also saw a mammoth dry dock with a military ship under repair. We passed under the Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge which was a intricately hung suspension bridge with dual towers.

As we approached Jacksonville, we had an up close view of the Jaguar Football Stadium from the river and also passed a huge Maxwell Coffee factory also on the water front. We passed the Metropolian Park and continued to Jacksonville Landing hoping to dock there. Just before reaching the huge blue bridge we reached the landing, but we knew that the Tall Ships were in towne and sure enough, all the pier space was already taken. It was fun to see the three masted sailing ships, and, along with ski boats and jet skis there was a beautiful white shrimp boat, The Ring of Gold, out of Savannah docked there.

We returned to the Metropolitan Park which was on Gator Bowl Blvd just below the stadium and docked. We had dinner on the boat with a beautiful pink sunset and later took our bikes down to the Landing to hear the bands and see the kids playing in the fountain. It was certainly hot enough. We rode down Laura Street and cycled through a little city park which was home to

some interesting turtle art! We were trying to

locate the First Baptist church and we found their complex. We hurried back to the boat to be home by 9:45 to get to see the fireworks in honor of the

Tall Ships. We had a great view off

the back of the boat and enjoyed both the ones in the sky and the reflections in the water.

May 29, 2009: Saint Augustine, FL

The ICW was beautiful and calm this morning as we headed north to St. Augustine. We have returned to seeing crab pot buoys in the water along the way and we saw a young man tended his traps – not really a commercial venture. It was funny, Tom commented that we had finally found a part of Florida that was undeveloped. So I picked up the camera to take a picture... sure enough, there was a huge yellow front-end loader under the trees in my shot!

Near Matanzas we found the beginnings of Saint Augustine’s fortifications. There was a Spanish outpost with the stone tower still standing. Saint Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in America. It was founded in 1565 as a Spanish military outpost.

We arrived in late afternoon at the Conch Marina where we filled up with both water and diesel fuel, and immediately spotted the black and white spiral markings of the St Augustine Lighthouse. Built in 1874, it is still an active guide to navigation, but is owned and operated by a private non-profit lighthouse organization. It is weirdly like the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in NC, but the spiral goes in the opposite direction!

As we crossed the Matanzas Bay we passed through the famous Bridge of Lions, built in 1927 and considered the trademark of St Augustine. Unfortunately, the bridge was condemned in 1999, and has been under reconstruction for a number of years. The travel across the river now is accomplished passing over a temporary bridge that has a lift that looks like a kid’s erector set. The Lions have been removed, but it is planned to return them when the bridge is finished.

We anchored on the St Augustine water front and took our bikes to shore to see a little of the city. Henry Flagler began his development of Florida in Saint Augustine and MANY buildings are named for him including the Flagler Presbyterian Church and Flagler College. We saw the Cathedral of St Augustine which was completed in 1797, but represents the Catholic parish established here in 1565. The narrow city park across the street was filled with large sprays of white orchid like flowers, brick walks, benches and a small gazebo. We rode through the old city streets and heard music strains wafting out of old houses hosting dining establishments under the hardwood trees draped with Spanish moss.

Our treat for today was to have dinner at Harry’s Seafood restaurant just across the street from the water front. It was a large red house with an outside garden and music provided by a local guitar player. The delicious food was just briefly interrupted by a downpour of rain, during which we grabbed our plates and dashed inside! I am getting used to being rained on now.

We rode down the Avendia Menendez to briefly circle the Castillo de San Marco, the Spanish fort that has stood here for the past 330 years. Its 5 feet thick masonry walls were constructed to protect Spain’s position in the New World and the fort has an amazing and grim history of the wars of the area. We plan to return to see it tomorrow in the day light. It was dark as we returned to the boat, but the lights on the St Augustine waterfront were twinkling.