Florida Sunrises

     I have mixed feelings about waking up to see the sunrise.  You start off hating yourself for setting the alarm when it does go off.  You cuss out the dogs for even thinking it's acceptable to stand on your chest and lick you face when you don't get out of bed on the first alarm.  You drag yourself, your dog, and your luggage out the door and simply sulk that it's still dark outside and your bed is still warm inside.  You hit the cold, sandy beach and as the sun peaks out just above the endless ocean, you finally feel the thrill and the joy of why you're up early.  The morning seems to drag on, as after only an hour, you wonder if it's lunchtime yet.  You thank the lord (or whomever/whatever) for letting this day, filled with many adventures, be the longest day ever.  Is it bedtime yet?

I'm ready for my opening number.....entitled "The Beginning of a New Day."  Vocals by Maya and choreography by Phoebe.

As I Piered into My Future.  Hehehe.  I blame you, dad, for my stupid jokes.

Sun's up.  Surf's up.

Why, hello.  Remember me?  We met yesterday....and the day before.....and the day before that.

Just a girl and her dog.

The St. Augustine Lighthouse at the crack of dawn.  Said to be haunted, but I don't think ghosts like mornings much either.

An hour later we stopped for breakfast at this beach.  There was a pelican party happening out there......in the air.

There were many others who shared in viewing this sunrise.  From the surfers to the early morning walkers, my favorite was the older man sitting cross-legged and meditating......with a cigar hanging out of his mouth.  I look forward to retirement.

St. Augustine--Ponce de Leon Hotel

     It was 1888, and Henry Flagler, a co-founder of Standard Oil with Rockefeller, had opened the Ponce de Leon Hotel in St. Augustine (the first structure to be built out of poured concrete), where people could experience electricity designed personally by Thomas Edison, enjoy the murals by George W. Maynard and architecture by John Carrere and Thomas Hastings, watch the sun's rays hit glass made by Tiffany, and drink running water imported and stored in the two towers.

     Staying at this luxurious resort was for the wealthy at over $5 per day.  People like Mark Twain, Theodore Roosevelt, Somerset Maugham, and Babe Ruth came to stay.  Hotel staff were available to turn on and off the lights, as this was the first public place to have electricity making naive guests nervous of switches (no blow dryers in the tub please).  Staff was also there to change the light bulbs every 8 hours, as that was their lifespan.

     The hotel was eventually transformed into what is today, the center of Flagler College.  The ballroom now serves as the cafeteria, and the hotel rooms have been transformed into dorm rooms.  Students of the college give tours and share a little of the history to travelers like myself.

On the campus of Flagler College.

They appeared to be land mines, but with the lack of explosion after touching them, it was concluded they were not.

Ponce de Leon Hotel entrance with two very important people: Henry Flagler and JDub.

Ponce de Leon Hotel has now been converted into a residence hall for Flagler College.

The fountain was built to look like a sword inserted into the ground, surrounded by four turtles (for the seasons) and 12 frogs (for the months of the year).

Oh so pretty.

The hotel was in every aspect perfect, so Henry decided one mistake must made for good luck..  Can you spot it?

The architects used the capitol building in Washington D.C. to design the hotel.  The similarities are very distinguishable (wait, does that make sense?).  The rotunda (said in a very deep voice).

In the ballroom surrounded by Tiffany glass.  May I have this dance?

A close-up of the Tiffany windows.  What did they do pre-Windex era?

Thomas Edison built the clock above the mantel.  It no longer works and would only be broken if fixed.  Total bummer!

Oh Scarlet, I would be forever delighted to dine at your place.  Lunch after our tour.

Finally some beach time!  Maya digging to China.  I placed my order for some crab rangoon.  Did you want anything?

St. Augustine--Fort Castillo de San Marcos

     While everyone else had a three-day weekend of relaxation, pool-time, and grilling over Memorial Day, I was stuck indoors helping the future of America pass their chemistry finals.  In between my tutoring sessions, I was throwing things into a suitcase in my own preparation for a slightly delayed vacation.  Tuesday morning and after 15 hours of gas laws and periodic table trends, I drugged my dog (like any good parent should do with their pet.....or child) and boarded a plane.  Destination: Florida.  Purpose: Beach Hopping.  First Stop: St. Augustine.

     Most people think the first colony in America was Jamestown, but they would be wrong.....and how do I put it?  Not smarter than a 5th grader.  The first colony was actually settled by the Spanish in 1565 and named St. Augustine.  The city would become Spain's capital of the new world for two hundred years.  Like any strong colony, protection was needed, so a military base was constructed and named Fort Castillo de San Marcos.

     The Spaniards first built their fort out of wood.  Now I'm no expert and have never been to battle, but I am pretty sure "wood" is not the best fort material.  Holding true, the fort was burned several times (even once by its own unhappy soldiers) and finally rebuilt with a local material called coquina, completely made out of shells.  Surprising enough, the shells acted as a sponge when hit with cannon balls, a very useful defense mechanism.  Today, the fort still stands and has become a National Park.

Doubles Shark Whisperer, my travel buddy, at the entrance to the oldest standing structure in the United States.

From afar, the fort appears to be tiny, but in all actuality, it is very big.  A perspective used to confuse enemies.

I'm pretty sure I could take this fort in a matter of hours.

The moat never had water or sharks (with lasers on them).  Instead, it allowed for the structure to be built lower into the ground, giving that tiny perspective when seen from afar.

The central courtyard of the fort.

Dolphins!!!

What'd I do to you?

Pondering......if I should've eaten that fourth cupcake or not.

Considered one of the best views in the city.  I'd have to agree.

Thoughts.....by Doubles Shark Whisperer.  A very scary thing.

Tasty drinks with some live music to cool off a hot afternoon at the fort.  The singer would announce when the drinking part of the song was.....for every song.  That wasn't annoying at all.

And to finish off the evening, I scarfed down some waffles covered in BBQ pulled pork with berries and maple syrup.  One word: YUM!  (Or is that even a word?)

A South Carolina Rehearsal Dinner

Confession: I'm a sucker for Nicholas Sparks stories.

     Yes, I pre-order his novels before they are released.  Yes, he is my Facebook friend.  Yes, I own and constantly watch every one of his movies.  Yes, I drove two hours to meet and get his autograph.  Creepy?  A little.  I wouldn't necessarily call it an obsession.
     Lucky for me, the rehearsal dinner for the South Carolina wedding took place at one of the filming sites for the Nicholas Sparks movie, Dear John.  Of course, I was probably the only one to be giggly-and-all-smiles excited about it, but to each, his own.  The restaurant, or really just a hole-in-the-wall, is known for their steamed oysters.  Set right on the water, they harvest their oysters on sight, and put them back in the water, only to be harvested again years later..  As you know, I'm not a seafood person, but that didn't stop me from shucking some oysters!

A local beer, Palmetto, with a cluster shuck of oysters.....did I get that right?

Beautiful endings.

And the sun set, leaving remnants of the day before and hopes of the day to come. -That Was All Me

Where people crowd around tables and shuck oysters until they can't shuck no more.  (Don't be perverted!)

Where our party resided.

Some of my lady friends.

Glasses are needed for two reasons: one, to see where to open the little buggers, and two, to protect the eyes from any material that has simply gotten away.

I think one might call this dusk.

Perfect evenings call for a good cigar.  Thanks, Uncle J.

     The rehearsal dinner was definitely fun, but Nicholas Sparks made it all the more memorable!

Hiking Big Devil's Stairs with our Best Friend

"A dog is a man's best friend."

     Has any best friend of yours given you a 6am wake-up call every Saturday?  Has any best friend of yours pooped in your yard and then expected you to clean it up?  Has any best friend of yours asked to go on a walk and then just yell at squirrels the entire time?  Okay, some qualities in having a dog don't live up to the old saying; however, having a dog has been one of the best experiences I've ever had.

Our best friend pooping when we want to take a picture.  "Smile" has become the new command for "Go potty."

     Most recently, we headed back to Shenandoah National Park for another fun-filled day of hiking.  This time we took our best friend, Maya.  No bears were going to cross our path with her around, that's for sure!
     We chose to complete the 11-mile trek on Big Devil's Stairs trail.  With her short legs and long body, Maya completed an impressive 6 miles.  We took turns carrying all 12lbs of her for the other 5 miles, but during those 6 miles, we were entertained beyond a doubt.

"You mean I have to jump this crick?"  (If Maya could talk, I'm sure she would have somewhat of a redneck accent.)

"So didn't quite make it across.  That water's cold, eh?"  (With a little Canadian.)

"Bat dog! Give me somethin' more challenging, yo!"  (And some gangster.)

Yes, we have become those parents.

"How many pictures are we going to take today?  Squirrel!"  (The girl has some major ADD.)

"Check out that view!"

"While you get that shot, I'll go ahead and poop over here.  No worries, you don't have to pick it up.  Consider me wildlife."

"Would someone remove my vest, so I can be completely camouflage?  It's the only way I'm going to catch anything around here."

Lunch break!

Pdub's turn.

PDub's makeshift walking stick.

"The hills are alive.....with the sound of music."  Where's my backup?

All tuckered out.  "Would someone give me a rub down?  Awe, that's the stuff."

     With our hike in the Andes still in our minds, this hike was simply okay.  Hopefully, we will find some other trails that will satisfy our breathtaking (both cardio and sightseeing) needs.  Either way, we enjoyed having our best friend with us!