Tired of the cold and headed to Florida! There were many travelers on the road headed south too. We left a day earlier than planned because of predicted bad weather. Another round of ice was expected in Virginia. So off we went! We left Urbanna at 10 a.m., made a few stops and arrived in Florence S.C. around 4 p.m. We passed a car along the way towing a loaded, tarp covered trailer, with a sign that read, "Goodbye PA and NJ, Hello Florida". A sign of the times.
We left Florence the next day at 9 a.m. after breakfast. 95 South was littered with Billboard signs . Half were for "adult" stores and the other half for Jesus. Satan vs. God. Evil vs. Good. A sign of the times.
We arrived in St. Augustine around 3 p.m. After settling in to our room at the Flagler Inn, we drove to the historic district. Parking is nearly impossible. We have many fond memories here. We have made many stops here over the years, on our way both South and North on S/V Bay Breezin'. Many times we wished for a car when we were here on the boat, but now it seems it would be much easier to walk everywhere from the city marina than it is to drive in all of the traffic and try to find parking! After two rounds we lucked into a parking spot across from the marina. It happens to be right in front of one of our favorite restaurants, O.C. White's. We had talked about walking to a little Polish restaurant that we like. Instead, we were lured under the trellis of the outdoor patio at O. C. White's, by the music of a lone guitar player. Almost everyone seated here had a dog by their side. Obviously, a popular spot for the locals. We enjoyed a glass of their special "St. Augustine Sangria" and we split a plate of lasagna. It was delicious! After dinner we enjoyed a stroll over to the marina. It was a beautiful evening.
With an extra day before we check into our air bnb on the Gulf Coast, we decided to stay another night in St. Augustine. The chance of rain today is 100%. Despite the rain, we drove across the Bridge of Lions Bridge to the beach front. We toured the lighthouse and had a wonderful lunch at Sunset Grille. We had homemade clam chowder and key lime pie...yum. The sign outside said "You are now somewhere on A1A".