Going Up the East Coast-Daytona Beach & St. Augustine, Florida

This post should be part of a future post titled 'Spending Winter in Florida' but it is now March 22 and, technically, the cold winter (yes, even in Florida this year) is officially over. I finally put back in the closets the heavy jackets we were forced to unearth and use. We can now bravely (I am from tropical Philippines and 70s is cool for me) begin our trek up the East Coast.

And, lo and behold! We found our Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine, Florida. It is a park dedicated to the memory of Ponce de Leon who, in 1513 discovered this land which he felt was his fountain of youth. Don’t you think Bill looks younger already? St. Augustine is the oldest city in the United States and a lot of history is there.

About a mile further is the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument which is the oldest fort in America.And nearby is the historical City Gate that now opens to the famous walking mall, St. George Street where many quaint shops and boutiques abound. Among them you will find the well-preserved the Oldest Schoolhouse in America.

We took a day trip down to Daytona Beach, about an hour away.  I did not want to miss seeing (even though I am not a NASCAR fan) how an international speedway looks and feels. Am I glad we passed through! I felt the wild energy that is stored in the multi-colored bleacher chairs and imagined the cars whirring through the famous tracks.

Then we went by the ‘Most Famous Beach in the World’, Daytona Beach.  Regrettably, we could not ride our little S’un (since we have bought a new rig, Star and Vino have been sold, right away according to Kurt in Lazy Days, and we have decided to call our new Mountain Aire, M’A, and our new Saturn, S’un, for M'A n S'un!) on the beach because the $5 fee was too much!

Next stops: Savannah, Ga and Beaufort, Hilton Head Island, Charleston, and Summerton, South Carolina!