Enjoying St Augustine

St. Augustine is the oldest permanent European settlement and was first established in 1565.  I wonder if those folks up in MA and VA get touchy when someone reminds them that the early settlers ere not all those English up north?   The fort is called the Castillo de San Markos.  If you want a lot more history you will have to Google it.

Anastasa State Park is very nice but I am glad to have the car to drive around.  There are a little over 100 camping sites.  After walking all the loops - remember that is what one does when you have dogs in campgrounds - I now realize that I could have fit in the sites that stated 20 ft.  I also used my imagination to see how many my friend Nan would be able to back her 32 foot baby Class C into and there were more than I first expected, but then Nan is talented and fearless.

Here we are tucked into our site...the last one farthest from the beach. It would have mattered if dogs were allowed on the state park beach but since they aren't in Florida when it came time for a beach visit we drove the car over tho the city beach.

Now, boys, remember were we are parked. You might want breakfast later.

After walking the loops and eating some breakfast, we headed out to check out the lighthouse.  Some people take bird pictures. I like trees.

And there were 218 steps. Well, that is what the sign said. After the first 100 or I just took their word for it.  Looking straight up from the bottom.

Think I will stop and take a picture (pant, pant....) I sure do like all these landings.  Well into the working years of the lighthouse, one of the keepers figured out how to haul the oil for the light up with a series of pulleys.  You would have thought that carrying the oil up all those years would have been a motivators for earlier inventions.

No enemies heading up the waters this morning. Really I just wanted proof that I made it to the top.

From the Lighthouse we drove over to take advantage of that wonderful "get in free" National Pass" to walk through the fort which is a National Monument.   Looking at some of the sleeping options I decided that a small RV works just fine.

The "Three Little Pigs" figured out that stone was better, also, if I remember right.

I was considering that, though the Indians got the usual short shift, those daily pay rates appear rather attractive for the time period. ?

The moat currently is not posing a threat.

We headed back to the rig for a late lunch and a brief nap and then...and then.... Stuart found his beach.

They might have been waiting for their ship to come in.  I figured out a long time ago that if my ship comes in it will probably appear much more modest.  Maybe a small row boat.   Oh, wait, I forgot, my boat has already arrived and I have two....inflatable kayaks!

The boys said that I could type on the computer as much as I want but they are already out for the evening, resting up so that they can hike again tomorrow before heading out.