Vacation Day One

We're officially on vacation!!!! First one since October of 2008 for Dad's 80th birthday and we went to Branson, Missouri and Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas. Happy 82nd earth birthday and 1st heaven birthday Dad.

Here's two fools taking a photo on the most dangerous stretch of Interstate 4. Actually that road is SO much better than it was when we first moved to the Bay area in 2001. Lousy photo but it's a keeper because it's the start of our adventure!

We drove across the state and then went north at Daytona Beach. We were going to spend several hours there but there is this HUGE motorcycle ralley thing and we were told the beach road is jammed, that's it worse than a spring break, so we went on Interstate 95 until we got close to St. Augustine. That's where we went over to the A1A coastal road. First stop - The St. Augustine lighthouse.

I couldn't get it all in one photo. My foot was bothering me so I sent Jerry up alone to take photos from the top and I went into the museum across the lawn. For me, the lighthouse was plenty impressive from just the outside. It is huge. They had informational rooms inside and it was interesting to pick up the 30 pound bucket of oil that the lightkeeper would have had to drag up those stairs several times a day to keep the thing lit.

Jerr made it to the top! What a view....maybe I will go up a smaller lighthouse ;) Take a look at these stairs:

I couldn't believe how wide the base is. There is also a little house attached for the lightkeeper of olden days.

Here's us in front of the lightkeeper's front door which is the entrance to the information center and the dreaded stairs. Oh, and I got lots of sympathy for wearing my Tampa Bay Rays shirt - people kept saying to me "next year".

After the lighthouse it was on to St. Augustine proper and our B&B accomodations. They have these haunted tours around here at night, we say one on the way home from dinner, and I told Jerry i was afraid to go on it just in case our B&B is on the intinerary!

Photo of one side of the living room. I love, love, love the stained glass firelace screen.

Another side of the room. The third side of the room, yes there are three sides to this room, had a table with cookies on it and a sideboard with wine and iced tea! I knew I was "home" when I saw iced tea. (As they said in Steel Magnolias, "ice tea is the house wine of the south")

Our room. It has a queen bed and a little alcove with a day bed. There's a private bath with a whirlpool tub. Ohhhh, I kinda forgot about that tub till I just typed that. Humm..... this is now oging to be a very quick post, lol.

Love the pretty wallpaper in my favorite shade of blue and the bright and airyness of it. The floors are fabulous old pine.

The exit to one of the many porches and varandas. Stained glass again :)

Jerry is out smoking a cigar on this porch right now although it's now dark. Took this photo when we first got here. I was out there with him and we can hear people in the cemetery two doors down.

As we left for dinner a horse-drawn carriage went by. This is the route and they seemed to be talking about this house - again, hopefully not as haunted!! I have a questioh though...do city horses smell different than country horses? These guys left a scent and when I was around country horses I didn't remember any lingering or unpleasant odors. Maybe these guys are just working and sweating.

The church down the street. Just walking to dinner. Everything in this historic area is walkable.

We ended up at 95 Cordova for dinner. What I was trying to photograph is the menus light up! I am such a country girl - never seen nor heard of that and I had to take a photo. Embarrassed Jerr. Hee hee.

My mahi-mahi. I just love fish and it was delicious. Also, our dinners inckluded key lime pie for dessert. Now time for that bath. See ya tomorrow!