We made our first trip to Saint Augustine. An acquaintance recommended Anastasia State Park so we decided to try it out. We made reservations last year as we heard that it usually gets booked quickly. That seems to be the norm for most Florida State Parks; particularly those along the coastal areas. Anastasia State Park was very nice. Although, we were a bit nervous entering the park in our RV as the gate opening was extremely narrow leaving only inches on each side of the RV. The campsites were private. However, they did not have gravel or a pad to park on. The comfort stations were clean and nice as well. You could not walk to the beach from your campsite. I recommend bringing a bike or plan to drive to the beach area within the park. The beach was clean and really not extremely crowded considering it was Memorial Day weekend. The only other Florida State Park that we have camped at is Top Sail Hill Preserve. It, too, is a very nice state park but it is located in the Gulf area where as Anastasia is on the east coast of Florida.
Saturday morning was spent at the beach. By 1:00, we had enough of the sun and the sand and returned to the camper to clean up. Afterwards, we visited the Saint Augustine Light House. We walked all 200+ steps to get to the top. The children did well going up. However, going down was a bit tougher. Rachel is not fond of heights. We were barely able to coax her out to get a photo at the top. Both she and Anna weren't really fond of the walk back down the steps but they successfully completed it. We visited the museum on the property where we saw a couple of lizards as we were leaving. Jeff told the girls that they were "snuggling."
We then decided to go to the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum in Saint Augustine. As we were walking into the museum, I saw an alcove that had an exact replica of Michelangelo's statue "David." Anna got a big laugh out of it when she saw that his genitals were clearly shown. Her next comment with a big grin on her face was, 'I guess that's why they call this place "believe it or not."' I'm still laughing about that.
The "David" Statue
This was our second visit to a Ripley's museum. We previously visited the one in Gatlinburg, TN, and this museum was very similar. One particular area that we remembered from our last visit was the two-way mirror strategically placed as you get close to the exit. The mirror features displays of people who can contort their face in wild configurations and it entices you to attempt to do the same. What the unsuspecting victims don't realize is that it is a two-way mirror and people who have already passed through this area are watching you on the other side as you make silly faces. Honestly, I could sit there all day and watch people from the viewing side. It is absolutely hilarious. And, what is even funnier is seeing their face when they realize that they were being watched previously. One couple was so embarrassed that they didn't even pause to watch others.
Rachel and Anna making faces at the two-way mirror
Afterwards, we were ready for dinner. We had several recommendations from friends of places to try. Our choice for the evening was the Salt Water Cowboy. Their menu had items such as fried, grilled, and blackened shrimp, etc. And, unique delicacies such as soft shell turtle, alligator tail, and frog legs. We weren't feeling especially adventurous so we stuck with the fried shrimp which was excellent. The prices are moderate, the food was very good, and the service was excellent. The atmosphere was also unique. Rachel and Anna gobbled up the garlic cheese biscuits they serve with your meal. I definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting the Saint Augustine area. And, thank you Robert for the recommendation.
Jeff, Anna and Rachel at the Salt Water Cowboy Restaurant
Afterwards, we returned to our camper where we met our neighbors: Brandon, Peggy and their three children...Jackson, Helena, and Mia (I hope I spelled every one's name correctly). Rachel and Anna had a great time with the children. Brandon and Peggy had a fire going so we joined them and we all cooked s'mores.
Anna at Castillo de San Marcos (Renovated Bridge of Lions in the distance)
We ate dinner at the Columbia Restaurant in the historic area of Saint Augustine. The prices of entrees are high and but the food was also very good. However, if I had to recommend one place over the other, I would recommend Salt Water Cowboy over this restaurant. Columbia also had a nice atmosphere but it took a while to get our food and the kids grew impatient because the meal lasted a long time. Rachel did love the fresh baked bread that they brought to our table with our meal. I believe her exact response after taking a bite was, "Bless my little old heart. This is the best bread I have ever had." She is a true southern belle. Only southerner's say "Bless its heart." My coworker Jessica once explained that southerners can say whatever they want and not be taken as insensitive as long as they follow it with that phrase, such as "That baby sure is ugly. Bless its heart."
Anna and Rachel at Fuentes de los Canos de San Francisco
After another busy day, we retired to our camper for a movie and to relax.
We were very fortunate that the weather was beautiful the entire weekend. We were expecting to see some rain showers but we were spared. We also noted how low the traffic flow seemed both driving to and driving from Florida. We assumed it was due to the increased fuel costs. We were glad to see that the state park was still full so people are still camping but the fuel costs make any really long trips virtually impossible.
On Sunday, it was time to pack up and head home but we had one more stop to make while traveling home: Andersonville.
All Gave Some; Some Gave All....Memorial Day 2008
American Girls and American GuysI wanted to visit the Andersonville National Historic Site and Cemetery on the way home. Jeff was unsure about where he could park the RV at Andersonville so when he stopped to get gas in Tifton, we unhooked the jeep. I drove the jeep with Rachel and Anna to Andersonville and Jeff continued on home. It only seemed fitting that we would stop in Andersonville on Memorial Day. While there, we met a former Prisoner of War (POW) from the Korean War. His name is William Abbott. I bought a copy of his book, Blood Runs Red White and Blue, and he autographed it for us. He was more than happy to pose for a photo with Rachel and Anna.
We'll always stand up and salute
We'll always recognize
When we see Old Glory Flying
There's a lot of men dead
So we can sleep in peace at night
When we lay down our head~~Lyrics from Toby Keith
A quote from the his book's Foreward section (written by Colonel John Zitzelberger) follows:
Those who became prisoners endured some of the harshest conditions that American POWs have ever had to endure. We have never, in any of our country's wars, had enemies who treated our prisoners the way the Chinese treated those who were captured. The treatment our men endured in captivity in Korea ranks as some of the most grueling, harsh treatment that our armed forces have endured as POWs, and William Abbott was among them.
Anna and Rachel with Mr. Abbott
In the Introduction, Mr. Abbott wrote:
My hope for this book is that every person who reads it will come away with a positive belief that each of us has an obligation to maintain allegiance to our God, family and country; and that everyone, regardless of rank or standing can make a difference in his own life, as well as the lives of others. To the men and officers in uniform, I always say, "Remember that you are the final leg of diplomacy of your nation. After all the political heads have gone home, it is your action upon which the world will judge your country. God has given you an opportunity to be a citizen and a defender of the freest, most prosperous nation on the face of the earth. That freedom has been preserved through the blood and sweat of others. Should you do less for those who follow in your footsteps? I think not. With a lump in your throat, a tear of compassion in your eye and God's hands on your shoulders, be resolute in your heart that freedom shall not perish from this land on your watch. I wish you Godspeed, and may the blood in your veins always run red, white and blue."
Like Bill Robinson, a former Vietnam POW and father to a good friend of mine, Mr. Abbott struck me as a very likable and good spirited person. I can only imagine the horrors that Mr. Abbott and Mr. Robinson endured as POWs; yet, today they don't seem bitter or unhappy given the circumstances that they have lived through. I think it puts the minor trials and tribulations of my life in perspective. We thanked Mr. Abbott for his service to our country and then walked through the museum and then drove around the Andersonville prison and cemetery.
Visiting Andersonville or any national cemetery is a very humbling experience. It truly takes your breath away when you see the thousands of head stones....and, to know that so many of these graves were as a result of our own Civil War so many years ago. Andersonville was a horrific Civil War prison where over 13,000 Union soldiers died while the prison was open (which was only 14 months).
And, while watching a video at the Andersonville Museum, I took special note of one person speaking in the film who said, "you never truly appreciate freedom until it is taken from you." I hope I never have to lose it to understand the message he was trying to get across.
We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls." ~~Robert J. McCracken
1 comment:
Hi Guys! Just got back on Thursday from NYC! Still jetlagged, doesn't get easier with age! Especially now Mike is officially the big 40! LOL
Wow, you always have the BEST adventures and trips! I'm still trying hard to work out some cunning plan so we can move over there! LOL Catch up with you soon!
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