A Day in St. Augustine
Today was dedicated to playing tourist. With trolley tickets and tickets to the chocolate factory in hand, we made ready for our day. There is never a convenient time to have a plumbing issue, and we seldom have a schedule, except today. Every few months, our shower sump pump gets clogged with…you know, stuff, stuff that resembles long blonde hair. When this happens, it becomes a pumpless sump, not a sump pump. It tries real hard and runs forever, but water just stands in the shower and sometimes overflows into the midship bilge. The bottom line today: if a shower is to be taken, the sump pump will be unclogged first. I got it cleaned out, we ran through the shower, got dressed, and took off on our 15-minute walk to the chocolate factory. At 10:03 (for our 10:00 tour), we walked in and the cute little boy in the reception area said the tour had already started. I said, we will be glad to catch up. “Well, you missed the safety orientation, so we can’t let you join them.” So the extensive safety orientation (3 minutes after 10 and the tour group is already gone) must have been so detailed we would never be able to stay safe in the production area. All the being nice and being aggressive got us no where, so we walked out…without the taste of chocolate samples in our mouths.
Old Town Trolley soon came by at one of its designated stops, so we hopped on and rode around the city. One stop was at a history museum, where I learned much about the Spanish influence on the city, how the French and English had their turns, but ultimately, the Spanish prevailed. I must find a book or two to reinforce what all I tried to absorb today. Lunch at Meehan’s, an Irish pub, was over the top. Then we toured a Catholic museum, a distillery, and a winery. So much going on in this little city, and we had a great time. Steve and Susie, our partners in crime, were with us every step of the way. We packed all we could into the day.
Looks so quaint–this mill was powered by an electric motor, not the weight of water. 
This interesting fort could take the hit of cannon balls from the French. The walls were made of coquina, a limestone based material that was soft enough to absorb the cannon balls. 
The Spanish would repair the walls with more coquina and then fire the cannon balls back at the French. 
A moat surrounded the fort. Moisture was the only thing that penetrated the fortress walls. 
More of the fort’s history and interesting facts. 
The mooring field in the heart of downtown. We stayed in a marina instead. 
The Memorial Presbyterian Church 
The tall stack from the power plant built to run the Flagler Hotel, now Flagler College
More explanation on the fort 
So, one of the truths of Crackers 
I hope to build one of these some day to pump my water 
That is a full scale model of The David, hiding in the bushes 
This 208′ tall cross is the site where Father Francisco Lopez claimed this new land in the name of God in 1565. 
Magnolia Street…only Live Oaks 
Villa Zorayda Museum-my favorite structure, of many, in St. Augustine 
We toured the St Augustine Distillery (and also the San Sebastion Winery)
We got back to the boat just in time for our visitors. Our daughter in law, Elizabeth, her mom, Catherine, Catherine’s sister, Susan and her 4 children Sean, Henry, Genevieve, and Jonathon came to the boat from their beach house rental. Our little boat was full. I gave the boat tour, and then we wandered the marina while Catherine and Amanda had deep discussions about our children. Steve and Susie dropped by as that crew was leaving. The four of us ended up making a pizza from scratch and then finishing off the meal with ice cream and some of Amanda’s homemade chocolate sauce. That chocolate factory ain’t got nothing on Amanda’s sauce. And if they ever want some, I may not share.…especially if they are 3 minutes late.
Lots of walking and rubbernecking today wore us all out. I was almost ready to invite Steve & Susie to their boat, when they decided on their own to leave. We had a great day, learning much, and seeing some family.