Dave's Yak Tales: Saint Augustine, Day 2

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Saint Augustine, Day 2

Sunday, October 7, 2012. Made a cup of coffee with the coffee provided in my room at the St. Augustine Travelodge. Had some spreadable cheese on Triscuits and checked out. In the small lobby, cereal, coffee, apple and orange juice, and small pastries. I downed a cup of OJ and put a couple of the small, plastic wrapped pastries in my cooler. Off to the Old City for a walking tour and a real breakfast.

Plenty of parking at 9:30 am. I fed the meter, $2.25 for 90 minutes.

St. George Street. Closed to motor vehicles. Kind of a no wake zone.

Coquina pillar.

Civil Rights History. Site of a sit in at the segregated drug store.

I did not go to Mass, but at least I was on the grounds of the Cathedral

Constitution Plaza. Spain's Constitution of 1812.

Ponce de Leon

It had been a long time since I strolled the narrow streets and open plazas of St. Augustine. 8 years.
After a 10K Race I read that, wow. What a lot of running and biking. I was in darn good shape in those days. Now, I am a shape. Round. But I see how I solved the parking problem. Bike a few miles.

No problem finding parking at the A1A Aleworks.

Flagler College. One of my nieces matriculated there. But after a short time, went home to Key West. Its good to have options.

One dragon on St. George Street.
I was looking for a breakfast spot. Found a Cuban joint that had a breakfast quesadilla on the board outside the entrance. But I decided to go here, instead.

You could say, I got thee to The Bunnery.

The above pic made me think of this. Apologies to those not on Facebook. Cousin and brother, last Thanksgiving.

Under the eggs and cornbread are some of the best home fried potatoes I have ever had. A spicy kick. Datil pepper?

Busy. This is it as I left. When I entered, I saw a booth being cleared. I was ready to grab it, until the bus man put down a sign. Booths are for two or more. I sat at a counter in back.

Oldest School

If Francis Drake and later British, Georgian and South Carolinian invaders had kayaks, we'd be speaking English today.

Launched into Salt Run, Anastasia State Park, at 10 after 11.

I paddled south, to where the Run dead ends.

Yellow barrels appear to mark spots where the dredging pipeline dips deeper, allowing boats to pass over.

Pipeline going over the dune to the beach. If you have not seen the previous Tale, Salt Run is being dredged. The sand from the bottom is being pumped through the pipes and deposited on the beach.

Cattle egrets. Before they took flight and became the subject of the opening photo.

I was not sure what the white things were. Sunday, I thought, St. Augustine Alligator Farm, which I passed on the way into the State Park. As I write on Thursday, it came to me. Looks like a stage covering. St. Augustine Amphitheater. It is the latter. The Amphitheater is in an old coquina quarry.

Bikini

My friend, John H., has pointed out how contrails spread out to mar an otherwise blue sky.

I paddled along the east side of the Run.

Dredge.

A south wind grew stronger as I paddled. At my back. Much stronger as I neared the wider Matanzas Bay. That, and the flow from the Inlet, made for choppy conditions. So, I took a couple pictures of the distant Castillo and City, and turned around.

I think the dredge pump is powered by one of Henry Flagler's locomotives. From 1907.

The kayaks give perspective on the height of the dune.

Landed at 2:45.

Went for walk on the dune trail.

Ancient dunes, that is.

Two squirrels propagate the species.

A nice hilly, for Florida, shady, hike. On Saturday I had noticed the concession at the beach entrance had fish tacos and beer. Too bad it was closed at 3:45. I've worked in several food service places in my day. When hours are posted to 4 PH, as they were here, that means the public is served up to 4, and you shut down and clean up afterwords.