ST Augustine is America's oldest city
The RV park we are staying at is adjacent to a weekend flea market. So, this morning we decided to check it out before going into the city. The first part seemed just like a giant garage sale, with all kinds of junk. Then we turned the corner and saw it went on and on, with permanent booths selling more professional junk.
Coquina, once it hardens it almost indestructible
After breakfast we headed into St. Augustine, and took the Old Town Trolley, which tours around, with on and off privileges. The driver gives a lot of information as he/she drives a trolley with 4 cars of people up and down the streets.
One of the 9 buildings in the Dow museum
There are 23 stops along the way. At first, we thought we’d do the entire tour before going back to see specific sites. But halfway through, we decided our bones had been shaken enough and took a break. We got off at the Dow Museum of Historic Homes. These are 9 buildings in one block, all in their original locations. They were built from 1790 to 1910. Some were open and furnished. Some were closed. There was one that we could peer into, but not enter. It was leaning in different directions, and would definitely give you vertigo if you stared at it long enough. It had been built, and built well by a carpenter, but the foundation had been affected by someone else doing some major drainage work elsewhere.
The oldest house (all older houses burned down)
We also stopped at the Castillo De San Marcos National Monument. This was a Spanish fortress, the oldest masonry fort in the US, built in 1692-1695. It was built of coquina. Coquina is a shellfish limestone mined from under the sea water.
Fort Castillo
It is soft enough to dig up, but when exposed to the air it hardens. It takes about a year to harden completely. Then it’s so hard that when attacked, no one was able to knock it down. It has served six different flags, survived hurricanes and withstood bombardments and sieges. It was initially built by the Spanish to protect their empire in America. Because this is a free week for National Parks, there were costumed actors shooting off cannons for the crowds.
Reenactment soldiers will fire the canon
We hopped back on the trolley, finished the circle tour and went back to Howie for a coke float break (and for Harris a rum and coke too), which cooled us off enough to continue. Back on the trolley, this time we made a spur of the moment decision to get off because the tour guide told us this church was not to be missed.
A very ornate canon
Memorial Presbyterian Church was built by Henry Flagler (a big name here in Florida, rich partner with John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil) in memory of his daughter, who died in childbirth in 1889. It is a gorgeous church, inspired by St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice, Italy. It has pointed arches, a copper dome, patterned mosaic tiles in the floor, the original pews, and beautiful stain glass windows. We were lucky enough to hear the organist practicing while we were there.
Inside the Flagler Presbyterian Memorial church
We walked a few blocks to our next stop, which was the Villa Zorayda Museum. It was a palatial house built by Franklin Smith in the 1880’s. He built it to be one tenth the size of the Alhambra Palace in Spain. It was full of beautiful antiques, arches, columns, traceries and an interior courtyard.
Outside the church
After this we decided we were hot and tired enough to go back to Howie and the RV park for dinner.
The original Ripley building
Total miles driven today=16
The 600 yr old oak tree is called "The Senator"
(cuz it's shady and crooked)
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