Rest Day in St Augustine

Miles: 0
Took a day of rest in the oldest city in the US...St Augustine! Spent the morning doing laundry, organizing and visiting with Christa (Brian's wife) and their two darling little girls (Caitlyn and Kalea (spellng?)). I am so staved for my three wonderful children that I just wanted to interact with them constantly. Had great conversations with Caitlyn, she expresses herself extremely well for a 4 year old.
In the afternoon I went with Brian to see the house that they are building (pictured). It is beautiful and in a development that is more like a vacation destination than a permanent settlement. It boasts pools, water slides, boche courts, soccer fields, and even an outdoor movie theater!
When we returned to St Augustine I convinced Brian to take one of those touristy tour with me (pictured waiting for the trolley studying our maps). It was a very informative tour. Whether you like it or not, the best way to get to know a new place is to take one of these cheezy tours...they tell you the essentials.
This one was great. So much to see and absorb. St Augustine is really amazing. (various pictures). St Augustine was developed by Henry Flagler in the late 19th century and his buildings, churches, etc are all over. He was a partner with Rockefeller in Standard Oil and was endlessly wealthy. To give an example, his daughter died and he wanted a church built in her honor but he insisted that it be completed before the first anniversary of her death. He brought in thousands of laborers who worked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It was completed in 321 day and is quite an amazing edifice complete with Tiffany stained glass windows!
Well after our tour Brian and Christa took me out to a spanish feast for dinner (pictured). It was delicious and again thank you so much!
Afterward we walked the ancient streets while eating ice cream. The things dreams are made of...
Til Tomorrow...
Also pictured:
- Me posing as a spanish conquistidor (Factoid: the average height of men in the 16th century in St Augustine was 4'9''. You can see the evidence of this in the door heights and window levels...Wow!