Road Trip - Days 23 & 24: Key West - St. Augustine - Savannah

Day 23 - Key West - St. Augustine - a day of travel

Day 23 (January 23rd) was a day of travel along the freeway. We felt a little saddened to be leaving the Keys - and the warm weather that we had gotten used to. We had a 6 hour drive ahead of us and wanted to get to our next destination as quickly as possible so that we could be up early the next day for exploring St. Augustine.  

Apart from a few lemon tree groves, there was nothing out of the ordinary to see - and even those photos were blurry as we took them while in the car, so we have not included them here. 

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Day 24 (January 24th) Saint Augustine, FL - Savannah, GA

Wow - we couldn't believe how only two days ago, we were swimming in the Keys, whereas today, we actually donned our winter coats (no boots yet, though)! The temperature dropped to 35 degrees Fahrenheit, and only went up to 55 today, with a strong wind. That being said, we found St. Augustine to be all that we had expected - and then some. 

We took a trolley tour of the town to get a feel of where everything was, and from there it was easy to decide what we wanted to visit for a closer look. 

St. Augustine is billed as the oldest settlement in the U.S.A., and the buildings and architecture are very reminiscent of old-time Europe.

High Alter in the R.C. Cathedral

The various religious edifices bear testimony to the spiritual origins of the settlement, with Roman Catholic, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Greek Orthodox, and United Methodist denominations all historically represented through being the oldest buildings in the country for these communities.

Greek Orthodox Shrine

A huge steel cross dominates the city and purports to be the largest in the U.S. It marks the spot where the first missionaries arrived. 

The Old City Quarter is of special interest, and the uneven, cobbled streets and sidewalks were quaint - with buildings that had a charm all of their own. Of special interest was the oldest, wooden schoolhouse, that has remained intact through the centuries. I couldn't resist ringing the old bell in the courtyard - some things are never forgotten!

Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse in the U.S. 

School Kitchen

Time for lessons!

The Privy - or 'Meditation Room'

The city also boasts two replicas of Spanish Galleons - celebrating the arrival of Ponce de Leon (the first mate on Columbus' second expedition to the New World). They are in the harbour, tucked beside the working drawbridge. 

Enticing restaurants, wine-tasting tours, and chocolate factories continued to beckon us inside - but we were on the second day of a 2-day cleanse and were able to summon the necessary fortitude to withstand the temptations - until next time we visit!!!!

Finishing our sight-seeing for the day, we made our way north to Savannah, Georgia where we will be staying for two nights. On the way, we visited St. Augustine Beach and the height of the waves fired our excitement.

We were tempted to go for a dip - but the cold wind helped us to give in to common sense - something that is new to us!

The views of the Atlantic, however, were absolutely wonderful.

We noticed the subtle reminder of the ever-present threat of hurricanes and tidal surges as we passed several homes that were on stilts. I suppose this is the flip-side of the payoff of the normal sunny weather experienced by the local residents.

What we found particularly interesting was the sand dunes that skirted the ocean and over which boardwalks had been erected for pedestrians to access the beach areas. These dunes were home to a plethora of wild species and were protected by law. 

Upon arrival in Georgia, Mark decided that he wanted to have a very classy picture taken to prove he had visited the State. As you can see, he is very photogenic!

We are staying in a hotel just over the border, in South Carolina. It's 20 minutes away from Savannah, so it's not too far from our destination for tomorrow's day trip. 

Our Vision

Happy, Fit, & Free !