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St Augustine Road Trip

12/6/2020

St Augustine Trip
..Google Map https://bit.ly/2HIIzE9
..St Augustine - Photo Destinations site https://www.photographicdestinations.com/st-augustine.html
..Back Roads Travel site https://bit.ly/36h7Ajn
..Tour Ideas https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-things-to-do-in-st-augustine-fl/

Wednesday - Day 1
8:00 Leave Redington Beach
10:30 Mt Dora - Coffee and walk
12:30 Palatka - Brunch/Lunch At Angel’s Diner 209 Reid St, Palatka https://bit.ly/2Jnm7Rd
1:30 St Augustine - Visitor Center - maps and more - 10 S Castillo Drive

Self Walk - St Augustine Ideas
* Sebastian winery
* St Augustine Distillery 112 Riberia St, St. Augustine, FL
* Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
* St George St* Lighthouse Fee $11.00
* 1,000 Lights* Oldest School House
* Shops* Flagler College
* Lions Bridge - photo best sunrise but good at dusk
* Dinner … Harry’s Seafood Bar and GrillFood Grill
* Post dinner - St Augustine - Lights and Night Photos
* Main town and park pics
* Side Streets pics
* Flagler pics
.. Back to Motel

Thursday - Day 2
* St Augustine - Sunrise … Lions
* St Augustine - Breakfast at Motel
* Road Trip - Evanston General Store https://bit.ly/3nVa50u
* Macintosh
* Micanopy
* Trip Home - Cedar key (chowder) https://www.tonyschowder.com/dining-at-tonys-seafood/
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Mt Dora

12/6/2020

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Mount Dora is known as a place to shop for antiques. There is a huge antique center called Renninger's on the outskirts of town. Renninger's also has a very large flea market adjacent to the antiques center site. Florida Back Roads Florida

Mount Dora overlooks beautiful Lake Dora, one of the prettiest lakes in the famous Harris Chain, offering one of the nicest views in the state of Florida. One of the most unusual attractions for this lakefront town is the Mount Dora lighthouse. It is one of only three freshwater lighthouses in Florida.

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We enjoy Mt Dora as a one-day road trip. Most of visits have been walking the streets and checking out the shops for interesting items and future 'dust collectors'. Mt Dora is hilly community but clean, and has many interesting sites to see. They have a lighthouse and of course I have added a photo or two to my collection of lighthouses. During the Christmas season we had the opportunity to visit 'Christmas lighting in Mount Dora'. The town does an excellent job of sharing the season joy and plus with the warm Florida weather, it was a very nice time and photogenic night.

Note: Mount Dora has not really been explored thoroughly by Ginger and me, but having an acquaintance with Mike Miller, owner of Florida Back Roads Travel, creates an opportunity for Mike and I, and wives, to get together to have lunch, share mutual travels and get first-hand information about Florida directly from the master Florida adventurer.

Photo Ops
1. Definitely the Lighthouse
2. Main Street shops (and inside shops)
3. Murals
4. Christmas Lights
5. Lake Dora

Resources:
wiki ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Dora,_Florida
Florida Backroad Travel - Mount Dora ... www.florida-backroads-travel.com/mount-dora-florida.html
Visit Florida Mt Dora ... www.visitflorida.com/travel-ideas/articles/things-to-do-in-mount-dora-florida/
Walking Tour ... bit.ly/3P7x6Lz

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Evanston - Wood and Swank General Store and Post Office

12/3/2020

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The Evinston community store, also known as Fred Wood Store; Wood & Swink, originally a warehouse, was built of heart pine in 1884. The post office, established in 1882 was later moved into the building.

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After visiting St Augustine one weekend, Ginger and I decided "let's travel back roads and not I-75 and see what inside of Florida looks like". So we did, planning to travel southwest on any road that takes us there. As we round a corner, we see a flag in front of an old General Store - which we have to stop and check inside. Walking inside we first see old PO Boxes (that I was familiar with having worked as a part-time employee in Readington Township. There were general merchandise for sale - candy, various jams and more. We met the owner (working online as what appears to be an insurance agent) who shared with us a little history and the small community they serve.

That was not our only visit, we were ther again traveling to St Augustine and again with our friends the Fronstin's when Ginger and I took them on a multi-stop road trip (sadly the Store had shortened hours due to COVID).

Wiki ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evinston,_Florida
History ... www.explorehistoricalachuacounty.com/location/history-of-evinston-florida-evinston-community-store-and-post-office/

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St Augustine

12/2/2020

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St.Augustine: St. Augustine is the oldest city in Florida, it is also the oldest continuously occupied settlement of European origin in the United States. The city was originally founded as a Spanish colony in 1565 by admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, who became the first colonial governor of Florida. Under Spain’s rule, St. Augustine served as the base for Spain to continue its colonial expansion and it was eventually designated as the capital of Spanish Florida.

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(continued from Fernandina Beach Post)
Thursday morning we had breakfast and headed to downtown St Augustine - the Old City. It was bitter cold, yet Mom was a champ and we walked the shops and main street to see what we could. About 12 noon, we knew that San Sebastian would have their wine tour and tasting and we proceeded there.

As luck was with us, we did not have to participate in the tour - YES!!! When the tasting was over we returned to the car and headed straight off to Rick and Vana's for a catch up of family events, a tour of Rick's projects and my replacement of their smoke alarm batteries (located in the cathedral ceiling - Rick is not a ladder person). Now we look forward to February's Trip on a Tankful (or two) ... maybe the Panhandle.

(more notes beyond the tour above)
St Augustine is a wonderful location for daytime and night-time photo shoots. We recommend that you consider taking the 1-2 hours Trolley Tour around the town. In addition to the individual locations below, walking Saint Georges Street at night offers a plethora of photo ops. The best time to start is around 9:30 pm at the city gates (across from Castillo de San Marcos} and proceed to walk to the end taking photos of all the shops and stores at night - after the crowds have thinned out. Most of the lights in the city are left on all night so you never run out of interesting things to shoot.

Photo Ops:

(a must) The tower entrance to Old Town and the Oldest Schoolhouse in America (day & night)
Use Trolley (on and off) for interest scenes throughout (or note announcers 'best' sites)
St George Street - daytime activity and nighttime lights
Lions Bridge - the Lion and the Lions Bridge all lit up at night
Castillo de San Marcos - take the exterior at night and interior during the daytime
San Sebastian Winery (if you like interiors, production facilities and wine tasting)
Flagler College at night
Additional photo ideas here

Resources:
Wiki ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Augustine,_Florida
Visitor's Guide ... www.visitstaugustine.com/
Florida Backroads Travel ... www.florida-backroads-travel.com/st-augustine-florida.html

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Palatka - home of Florida's oldest Diner

12/2/2020

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The area was once the domain of the Timucuan peoples, two tribes of which existed in the Palatka region under chiefs Saturiwa and Utina. They fished bass and mullet, or hunted deer, turkeys, bear and opossum. Others farmed beans, corn, melons, squash, and tobacco. However, infectious disease that came with European contact and war devastated the tribes, and they were extinct by the mid-18th century. The last people evacuated with the Spanish to Cuba in 1763, when Spain ceded Florida to Great Britain after the Seven Years' War.

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We were interested in visiting Palatka when our friends Rick and Vana moved from New Port Richey to property just outside of Palatka. When searching the area learned that Florida's oldest diner was located and operated in Palatka ... so we 'gotta' see that! (the town is an older town in economic decay).

Photo Ops

Angel's Diner (inside and outside)
Palatka Cemetery

Resources:
Wiki ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatka,_Florida
History ... myfloridahistory.org/frontiers/article/188

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