Amelia Island - Jacksonville - St Augustine, Florida

One of the many items on my retirement "Bucket List" was to see a Space Shuttle Launch in person. This item moved to the head of my list when the end of the Space Shuttle Program was announced. 

The Space Shuttle Discovery was scheduled for it's last launch November 1st., followed in February, 2011 by the last launch of Endeavor. Considering the kind of unpredictable February weather we have in our area, the November Discovery launch seemed to be the best option. 

While on our Florida trip, we also planned several other side trips.

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Chattanooga Choo Choo

Due to previously scheduled appointments, we decided to leave Thursday, October 28th around noon with the goal of spending the night in Chattanooga, TN. 

Anyone who knows Carolyn, knows a trip downtown to see the city at night is mandatory. We had been to Chattanooga many times over the years, but had never seen the downtown area lit up at night. The Chattanooga evening was warm, and bustling with activity, and the whole town seemed to be eating outside at the many open air restaurants. 

Friday morning we stopped at Atlanta BMW to check out the latest motorcycle eye candy. After drooling over the new R1200 RT's, it was on to downtown Atlanta for a quick stop at IKEA. 

As we continued south, we stopped for a visit at the latest Southern Living House in Senoia, GA ( 25 miles south of Atlanta). We have visited many of these beautiful homes in the past for ideas and inspiration, but found this years version the least compatible to our tastes. However, the trip to Senoia was salvaged by an amazing lunch at Founders Restaurant in the historic downtown section of town. (Highly Recommended)

I should mention, throughout this Florida trip you will see three recurring themes.

1. Waterside Restaurants

2. Seafood

3. Marinas

Leaving Senoia, we stopped in Griffin, GA to visit my favorite, and only, Aunt (my mothers sister). After a short visit, we continued on, stopping for the night in Valdosta, GA.

Amelia Island, FL

Our exploration of Florida began on Amelia Island, north of Jacksonville, on the Atlantic Inter-coastal Waterway.

Amelia Island is thirteen miles long and is a unique mixture of beautiful old southern homes, enormous condos, expensive resorts, wide sandy beaches, all wrapped in a wonderful welcoming atmosphere. As if that were not enough, the city of Fernandina Beach is full of quaint shops, and a beautiful marina.

(Click Pictures to Enlarge)

Amelia Island and the city of Fernandina Beach have a rich history which includes the French, Spanish, and many famous pirates.

Bret's Waterway Cafe

The harbor is complete with some of the most amazing yachts and private sailing vessels.

Carolyn getting sailing advice.

Fernandina Beach shops were filled with an army of rabid Georgia Bulldog Football fans, here for the annual, Florida / Georgia Football Classic.

Beautiful old southern homes are common.

Crossing one of the many Atlantic Inter-coastal bridges north of Jacksonville.

Fort Caroline National Memorial

I had previously visited this area on my Iron Butt National Parks Tour, but did not stop at Fort Caroline. Naturally, I was interested in correcting this over-site. We found this park to be serene and peaceful, filled with beautiful old Live Oaks and Spanish moss.  

As many of my friends know, we use Priceline as often as we can. Normally, if we know where we will be staying the next night, we will book a room using Priceline. We have been very pleased with both the savings and the quality of the hotels. 

We spent the third night at the Courtyard by Marriott in Jacksonville. True to form, we drove into downtown Jacksonville just in time to arrive in the middle of "The Worlds Largest Cocktail Party", otherwise known as the Florida / Georgia Football Classic . 

It was a first for both of us to see a Goodyear Blimp circling the stadium with a huge television screen on it's side, televising the game from high above the stadium. The downtown area was blocked off to handle the massive traffic jam before and after the game. 

To say it was exciting would be a major understatement.

Gonzolas Alveraz House (The oldest house in America)

The next morning we continued south, and began our exploration of St. Augustine, the oldest city in the country. First on our agenda was the historic lighthouse on Anastasia Island. 

St Augustine Lighthouse

This is the oldest lighthouse in the country.

Lunch came at the Kingfish Grill

Flagler College

Henry Morrison Flagler (January 2, 1830 – May 20, 1913) was an American tycoon, real estate promoter, railroad developer and partner of John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil. He was a key figure in the development of the eastern coast of Florida along the Atlantic Ocean and was founder of what became the Florida East Coast Railway. He is known as the father of Miami, Florida and also founded Palm Beach, Florida. 

Crossing one of the many draw bridges over the Atlantic Inter-coastal waterway.

Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church

Castillo De San Marcos National Monument

We toured this historic fort, and watched the Spanish soldiers reenactment of the firing of the cannons across St. Augustine Bay. 

After dark, we explored on foot the busy downtown shops and back streets of St. Augustine. Many of the shops line both sides of St George St., crisscrossing the older part of town. This was Halloween night, the atmosphere was festive, and many of the people were wearing costumes and having a wonderful time. It was great fun!

Later today, NASA announced a one-day delay in the Discovery launch. We quickly adjusted our plans for tomorrow to include Orlando.

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Wisdom is knowing the right path to take. Integrity is taking it. ~Unknown~

You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the past. ~Unknown~