We are in St. Augustine because of weather. Mom remembers a big slide that is not here anymore. The city is really amazing so we are glad we are staying. There are two different tours: The Red Train Tour and the Old Towne Trolley. We also went on a tour of a chocolate factory and we went on a tour of Castillo de San Marcos. Did you know that St. Augustine is the oldest city in the U.S.A.? Did you know that Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest fort in the U.S.A.? The oldest house is not the oldest house built in the U.S.A. The oldest houses built were burned down by pirates. The oldest house is called the oldest house because the old thing in it.

Fort Sumter We went to Fort Sumter. Fort Sumter is a National Park. There was a ranger talk when we arrived. I didn't really pay attention to tell you the truth though Mom did. The Fort had three levels, but two levels were destroyed. Only one level is still there. There is a museum about the Fort and its history. The Fort was started in 1830. It was never really finished.

A Mother's Note: between the two cities we spent almost three weeks at these grand old cities. St Augustine was a great spot to wait out a cold front. We spent three days at Castillo de San Marcos, learning about the different tenants - the Spanish, the British, the Spanish again, the Americans and finally the National Park Service. Kara took part in the Junior Ranger program, which ensured we read every placard and handout. We toured the city by trolley and by foot, finding excellent food and gems of interest. I even found a great farm stand with a wide selection of fruits and vegetables, but alas no Florida Oranges, no one sells those. Charleston also had us stopped for a week of stormy weather. We found a great, inexpensive (all is relative) dock with a weekly rate, that was also less than a ten minute walk from all the historic sites. Kara and I spent a great day at the Aquarium and even took a tour by horse and carriage. I was able to find some birthday treats for Dave and Kara. The National Park Service gave us an excellent background to discuss the antebellum and civil war South. Fort Sumter has two sections, the visitor center on the mainland and the Fort itself. The visitor center was our first stop in the city. To visit the Fort itself we anchored off and took the dinghy into the dock. It wasn't as easy as we thought for we had to climb a 10 foot ladder. Going up was not fun, but coming down coincided with a squall, so really not fun. We signed Kara up for the Junior Ranger program (the hardest one yet), but were disappointed that not all the information was posted. One question was answered during the ranger talk, and another required asking a ranger. It forced Kara to be more outgoing than she wished. Despite these downfalls Fort Sumter was a high point of our time in Charleston.