A day in St. Augustine By James E. Boyd St. Augustine, Florida is an “old stomping ground” for B. J. and me. We have been spending time there since our son Richard was a sprightly youngster. There is hardly a stone in the area that we haven’t walked on or traveled by trolley. B. J. likes to rummage the shops in St. Augustine and we both savor the tasty cuisine. Across the years, we have stayed in condominiums in St. Augustine Beach and Vilano Beach. The area is a fun place only a couple of hours + or – from where we live. So, when Cindy and Sonny Doehring invited B. J. and me to join a day trip to St. Augustine with them and a group from our church, we readily accepted. We were up early on Friday; in fact B. J. was up and had her bath before I was out of bed. We had to be at the church and be ready to board the bus by 8:30am. We dressed and were on our way to the St. Simons United Methodist Church. I shifted “Little Red” into “Sport Shift Mode” and gave her free rein. Little Red’s sport shift mode makes her wild. She can run nose to nose with Big Red for a short distance. After that, well, she tried. When we pulled into the church parking lot, the bus was already loading the happy day-trippers. Sonny and Cindy are bundles of fun. Our driver for the trip was our talented music director, Kevin Lamb. In addition to being a gifted choir leader and music manager, Kevin is an able bus driver. When we were loaded, Kevin briefed us on the trip. He told us that “Unless a dire emergency arises, this will be a non-stop flight to the boat dock where we will board the boat the “Victory” for a scenic tour of St. Augustine and its breathtaking waterfront.” B. J. and I had done this sightseeing excursion before and it is always fun. Most of the time when we are traveling, I don’t get to see the scenery along the way because I’m driving, however, on this trip, we had a skilled chauffeur. I would enjoy the view. Our fellow travelers were a fun group. We chatted amiably as we moved along. B. J. had brought along some snacks and we munched. Like B. J. and me, Sonny and Cindy Doehring are travelers and we enjoy sharing our travel experiences. A fun day was shaping up. Passing through Jacksonville, we soon turned off I-95 onto state road 16 and headed to downtown St. Augustine and the boat dock. Our boat tour would begin at 11:00am. If all went on schedule, we would be there a little ahead of time. We were excited. Kevin skillfully maneuvered the bus through the traffic, stopped and allowed his passengers to exit near the boat dock. We had reservations so Cindy guided us to the boat dock, where the “Victory” was waiting to take us aboard. Kevin told us that the best place to get a good view was up top on the open air deck (B. J. and I had been there and done that). When everyone was ready, we were allowed to board. The weather was beautiful. A brisk breeze caressed up. There were smiles and cheery chuckles as we found seats and settled back. The view of St. Augustine and the seafront from atop the Victory is awesome. The boats in the marinas along the waterfront present a picturesque panorama. An exact replica of a Spanish Galleon on loan from Spain was anchored in one of the marinas. A Galleon is a large three-masted sailing ship used especially by the Spanish between the 15th and 18th centuries. Our pilot was knowledgeable on the history of St. Augustine. He informed us as to the events of times gone by as well as the present doings of the area while we enjoyed the splendid scenery. B. J. and I got some great pictures of the vicinity and our group. Returning to the dock, we disembarked and followed Kevin to our eatery for the trip—a huge attractive two-story stone building with eye-catching accommodations both inside and outside; it was great. We were hungry. B. J. ordered shrimp and I chose the mahi-mahi; it was fundelicious. Following our tasty and fun lunch, we boarded the bus for our delightful return trip to St. Simons. B. J. and I enjoyed the trip so much that we are considering a trip with the group in the fall that sails from Savannah up the coast to Hilton Head and Beaufort, SC with land excursions at each stop.
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 23:43:48 +0000
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