If you’ve been a reader of this blog for at least a year and a half, you may remember I reported in near-real-time on a Florida trip I took in February of last year. What you may not realize is that this was actually my second major Florida trip, the first having been seven years prior. Today, ThrowBack Thursday returns, after a four-week I hate us hiatus, to present part one of that first Florida trip:
In January 2015, I took a flight to Jacksonville, FL and rented a car. From there, I spent the next ten days slowly making my way down the Atlantic coast and all the way out to Key West. I have chosen to break this trip into three albums, since I have so many pictures from this trip. My first stop was St. Augustine, the oldest city in the USA.
St. Augustine is home to this bridge and to……the Castillo de San Marcos, a very old Spanish fort. Read more in this photo.Read even more in this photo.Many of the old structures in St. Augustine are made of “shellstone”, which formed as generations worth of sea shells piled up, compressing and eventually cementing together.A sentry box at one of the corners of the Castillo de San MarcosIn some ways, the Castillo de San Marcos is more like a castle than a fort. It came complete with a moat and drawbridge (though the moat is empty now).You actually had to cross TWO drawbridges and this “island” to get in. Any wannabe invaders were sitting ducks while crossing this island.ornate artillery at Castillo de San Marcosornate artillery at Castillo de San MarcosFISHIE!?Again, more like a castle than a fort.In addition to the artillery atop the walls of the fort, there were cannon along the sea wall (where you see semi-circles on the ground).Reading materialEntry to a sentry boxThis piece of artillery is poised to destroy my rental car.ornate artillerya selection of artilleryA sentry box at one of the corners of the Castillo de San MarcosA sentry box at one of the corners of the Castillo de San MarcosThis courtyard lies in the center of Castillo de San Marcos.A sentry box at one of the corners of the Castillo de San MarcosThe walls of the fort were originally covered with plaster, with the sentry boxes being red, and everything else white. Here you can see remnants of both.Castillo de San MarcosCastillo de San Marcos, St. Augustine, Florida (photographed 14 January 2015)
After the Castillo de San Marcos, I decided to go for a walk around downtown St. Augustine, where I stumbled across Flagler College…
The ornateness above the arch is impressive.Flagler College towers from a distanceFlagler College – downtown St. Augustine, FloridaFlagler College – downtown St. Augustine, FloridaFlagler College – downtown St. Augustine, FloridaFlagler College – downtown St. Augustine, FloridaFlagler College – downtown St. Augustine, FloridaI’ve never seen a fountain quite like this.Fountain on campus of Flagler CollegeFlagler College, St. Augustine, Florida (photographed 14 January 2015)
As I wandered the streets of downtown St. Augustine, I found some additional interesting works of architecture. Starting almost directly across the street from Flagler College, we find the Lightner Museum / St. Augustine City Hall:
Lightner Museum / St. Augustine City HallLightner Museum / St. Augustine City HallTower on the Lightner Museum / St. Augustine City HallMemorial Presbyterian ChurchMemorial Presbyterian ChurchMemorial Presbyterian ChurchAnother part of the Memorial Presbyterian ChurchMemorial Presbyterian ChurchColumn vs hanging lamp…Who will win?Detail of door on the Memorial Presbyterian ChurchI also encountered this nifty-looking building in downtown St. Augustine.Downtown St. AugustineDowntown St. AugustineDowntown St. AugustineDowntown St. AugustineDowntown St. AugustineDowntown St. AugustineDowntown St. AugustineCheck out the corner balcony!Stainless steel car?Unusual brick sidewalk in downtown St. Augustine, FloridaDowntown St. Augustine, Florida (photographed 14 January 2015)
The following day, I visited an old “lifesaving station”. At one time, there were several of these all along the east coast. They were operated by the entity that became the U.S. Coast Guard. This one is the “House of Refuge at Gilbert’s Bar”:
House of Refuge at Gilbert’s BarThe beach at Gilbert’s Bar features something I didn’t know they had in Florida – rocks!Seriously, this looks like it belongs in Hawaii or Big Sur, not Florida.Sea spray!artwork by Roger Dean 🙂Gilbert’s Bar, Florida (photographed 15 January 2015)
The next day, I toured the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum. This museum was the mansion of Henry Flagler, who was largely responsible for the development of Florida’s Atlantic coast. Mr. Flagler made his millions with the Standard Oil Company, then used that money to build a railroad down the coast, and all the way out to Key West. I’ve toured quite a few “gilded age” mansions all over the U.S., and this one absolutely stands out as the most memorable, largely due to the “Grand Hall”. The Grand Hall is basically the reception room, and it’s not only ornate, but also IMMENSE. During its construction, Flagler himself had the builders lower the ceiling a few feet, because he thought it looked more like one of his railroad stations than a room in a home. Also, this room has statues not just standing on the floor or on shelves, not just in alcoves in the walls; it has statues IN THE FRIGGIN’ CEILING! As usual, I took no photos of the inside, so you’ll have to go see it yourself – and I HIGHLY recommend that you do. As also usual, I did get a few pics of the exterior and the grounds:
This bench is on the grounds of the Flagler Mansion.Detail of bench from previous photoFlagler Mansion in Palm Beach, FloridaFlagler Mansion in Palm Beach, FloridaFlagler Mansion in Palm Beach, FloridaFlagler Mansion in Palm Beach, FloridaFlagler Mansion in Palm Beach, FloridaFlagler Mansion in Palm Beach, FloridaHenry Morrison Flagler Museum, Palm Beach, Florida (photographed 16 January 2015)
After finishing at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum, I drove around the city of Palm Beach a bit, and found it to be the home of interesting hedge trimming, among other things:
Interesting, no?Did I mention interesting hedge trimming?Palm Beach, FloridaThe hotel that made Palm Springs famousSea gull in flightMetal bird in flightPalm Beach, FloridaGroovy colors of the sunset at Palm Beach, Florida
Voyages with Parkinson's 