1315 November 13, 2025 Palatka Bike Trail

I walked loops in the campground while talking to my mom on the phone.  The time passed quickly.

We needed a few groceries and we decided to go to the grand opening of the newly rebuilt Publix store.  It is a beautiful new space.  There were hundreds of employees available to help.  The apples were carefully lined placed.  Each time a shopper put something into their cart, there was a staff member there to replace the item or line things perfectly on the shelves.  There were free samples and giveaways.  It was pretty impressive. 

One of the things that I like about traveling is going to a new place and visiting a new grocery store…maybe finding something we have not tried before.  It brings me joy!

Later, we took the Jeep to Palatka. We had to stop and wait for a drawbridge at the Matanzas River.

We took our bikes for a ride on the paved trail. We started at the River Center Park and then took the boardwalk under the Saint John’s River Bridge.  From there, we were able to access the bike lane on the bridge…that big and steep bridge…

Tim was able to pedal all the way to the apex.  I worked hard and then had to get off and push my bike.  I never mind having to get off and push…I’m still moving!

We biked almost 5 miles on the trail before turning around to go back to town.

We went to Velchoff’s Corner for lunch.  It was a beautiful day and we were able to sit outside.  Tim had really good shrimp and grits.  I chose avocado toast with blackened shrimp and bacon and it was delicious.  I am going to try to make some!

We walked along the riverfront.

This evening, we walked down to the pier at the campground to watch the sunset over the marsh.

1314 November 12, 2025 Trolley Tour

Another chilly morning but without yesterday’s wind, the sun warmed us nicely.  I walked from the campground and along A1A until I found a beach access road.  I wandered down to the water and stood, basking in sunlight.

On the way back, I stopped for coffee at Kookaburra’s.

We ate lunch and then went back into Saint Augustine.  We took the Trolley Tour today.  It was informative and it enabled us to see more than we did on foot. It was amazing to see how Henry Flagler had so many ventures and buildings here. He had hotels and administrative building for the railroad and a hospital and medical facility for his employees. He bought and developed properties. He had a vision to make the city a destination and his legacy lives on.

“Ok folks, no more on, no more off. Trolley in motion!”

We started at the Senator.  This tree is more than 600 years old and the trunk has a 13-foot diameter.  Legend states that if you kiss beneath the branches, your love will last forever.

We passed the Fountain of Youth and drove along Magnolia Street.  This is touted as one of the most beautiful streets in America flanked by ancient live oaks, draped with Spanish moss, and forming an exquisite arch.

We drove through the center of the city learning about many of the sites we saw yesterday as we walked. 

We also saw lots of stuff that we missed!  The Memorial Presbyterian Church was built by Henry Flagler in memory of his daughter and later, he was buried here as well. 

The tour took us through Lincolnville.  This neighborhood is “rich with the history of the Black experience.”  After the Civil War, freed slaves came to settle here.  This was an important site for civil rights and Dr. Martin Luthrt King, Jr. spent time here. 

The oldest house in Saint Augustine.

Starting on Saturday, Nights of Light begins.  The city is decorating for Christmas and will be dazzled with millions of little white lights.  It is apparently spectacular!

We left Saint Augustine and drove to Anastasia State Park. We walked out to the beach.

1313 November 11, 2025 Historic Saint Augustine

It was 34 degrees this morning in sunny Florida!  I wasn’t in a big hurry to get out and walk.  It was windy and it felt rather wintery.  I stripped the bed and gathered all the laundry.  I bundled up and went to the campground laundromat.  I walked after getting the washers started and then again while everything was drying. 

By 10:30 everything was clean and put away.

At around noon it was 50 degrees.  We took the Jeep and drove to Historic Saint Augustine.  We entered the city on the Bridge of Lions.

Saint Augustine is the oldest European settlement int the contiguous United States.  It was founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers.

We found parking at the Castillo de San Marcos or The Fort.  Built in the late 1600’s, this masonry edifice protected the port of Saint Augustine for more than one hundred years.  It is a National Monument and because of the government shutdown, it was closed to the public.  We were able to walk the perimeter of the fort.

We saw dolphins jumping in Matanzas Bay.

We walked to the city gates.

Saint George Street is open to pedestrian traffic only.  There were lots of shops and cafes and historic buildings. 

The oldest schoolhouse in America.

We wandered to Grace United Methodist Church.  Built in Colonial Spanish style the church was gorgeous with detailed terracotta arches, a round window, and belltower.

We found Cuban Café for lunch where we enjoyed very good Cuban sandwiches.

We walked on to the waterfront and down to the Bridge of Lions.

Ponce de Leon.

The Cathedral of Saint Augustine.

The Lightner Museum.

Flagler College was once the Ponce de Leon Hotel.  The building design is extremely intricate and the craftsmanship is excellent. 

Henry Flagler was an entrepreneur and industrialist who was a key figure in the development of the City of Saint Augustine.  He was responsible for building several hotels and was instrumental in the development of the Florida East Coast Railway. 

1312 November10, 2025 Saint Augustine

After morning stretching and walking were complete, we decided that we were ready to move on.  We packed the bikes and the RV and headed south on 95, around Jacksonville on 295 and toward Saint Augustine. 

We found a nice campground along the San Juan Creek; Ocean Grove RV Resort.

We both took short bike rides this afternoon.

We went out to eat at Mango Mangoes, a boldly painted fun place with great Caribbean vibes and good food. 

After dinner, we drove through town.  We stopped to walk at a fishing pier. 

David called then and so we chatted for a while.

1311 November 9, 2025 Rest Day

Tim took did some stretching and took a ride on his bike.  He saw this turtle.

I rode my bike in lieu of a morning walk.  We extended our stay here for another night.

We had a very quiet day.  I did a bunch of reading.  We didn’t go anywhere…no adventures today.  There was football to watch all afternoon.

We are very close to the Jacksonville International Airport.  The planes were landing every three minutes or so this evening.

I grilled chicken and we ate outside.  It was a very pleasant weather day.

1310 November 8, 2025 Little Talbot Island State Park

Tim did some morning stretching.  He’s doing oaky.

I took a walk through the campground.  This place is large and it is a mile from the road to the back of the resort.  This guy was moving fast!

We have an agreement with the really nice lady in the office to extend our reservation a day at a time.  We decided that we would stay again tonight.

On Saturday and Sunday there is a huge flea market on the property next door.  I walked over to browse.  There were lots of collectibles and casserole dishes and glassware and silver and books and DVD’s and kid stuff.  The place smelled like old things.  It was crowded with people looking for bargains.  I made a loop through without buying anything.

We drove to Little Talbot State Park and took a gentle bike ride on the paved path.

We walked on the boardwalk to see the ocean.  We didn’t want to walk too much and we definitely didn’t want to walk in soft sand. 

Picnic lunch!

We rested this afternoon and then I went to get a few groceries.

We grilled tuna and made a salad for our dinner.

It was a quiet day and it was a good day.

1309 November 7, 2025 Jacksonville Mayo Clinic

We got back last night and got ready for bed.  Tim’s hips were really bothering him and he was not able to get comfortable.  At around 10pm, we decided that we should go and get some medical help.  We had talked with our son, David, earlier in the day and he had recommended that we go to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville if we felt like Tim needed to be seen.  We arrived at the emergency room at 10:40pm.  The waiting room looked pretty quiet and we were hopeful that we would get in to see the doctor fairly quickly. 

We did not realize that this was a 65 bed ER.  After 3 hours, they took us back to a bed…hallway bed #32.  All of the other treatment rooms were full.  We were seen by a doctor who did an evaluation.  After lots of questions and the exam, he thought that the hip pain was a result of some issue in Tim’s back.  Lab work, x-rays, and a CT scan were ordered.  In the meantime, medications were given; a muscle relaxant, steroids, and, an IV NSAID.

Test results showed some arthritis in his hips and lumbar spine, some herniated disks, and most importantly, some narrowing that was causing some nerve impingement which was the source of the pain.  None of this was a surprise after 40 years of what he did for a living.  We left the hospital at 5:30am.  The sky was just beginning to lighten. 

Even though we were in a hallway/makeshift treatment area and we were there for about 7 hours, we had excellent care.  We also were able to rule out lots of nasty things and we had a clear diagnosis.  I am so glad that we went.  The best news was that Tim was actually able to walk, albeit gingerly, from the ER out to the curb, where I was waiting to pick him up.  The medications worked to help to get him moving a little better.

We got back to the RV at about 6am.  Reluctantly, we texted Curtis to cancel our lunch plans and we fell into bed.

Tim got up first.  What a relief to see him up and moving around!  He was able to do some stretching and icing.

I went to pick up prescriptions and a few groceries and I may have found a place to get a pedicure!

Tim did some walking in the campground and even did some pedaling on his bike.

We both had solid naps this afternoon.

We are so grateful that we were in a place where we had access to an amazing medical facility and that things are moving in a positive direction!

1308 November 6, 2025 Crabcakes With Curtis And Janice

It was our last morning at Crooked River.  Tim was not feeling up for walking but he encouraged me to go.  I took a terrific walk on the paved road through the park…from the campground to the boat ramp and back around to the main entrance and back to the RV.  Tim had slowly gotten things wrapped up for moving. 

We traveled just 30 minutes to Pecan Park RV Resort outside Yulee.  This is a huge place; well kept with really nice amenities.  This is a park designed with snowbirds in mind.  There is a pool and gym and community room and there are pickle ball and tennis courts as well.  There is a very busy activity calendar that begins this month as people from the northern regions come on down to Florida to get and stay warm.  This part of the state can still get a little chilly but if you are from Michigan then everything is relative!

We settled in and though Tim’s hips were still really bothering him, we wanted to keep our dinner date with Curtis and Janice.  I spent the afternoon preparing food; homemade potato salad, fresh berries, rolls, and Maryland crabcakes. As always, we were greeted warmly.  We had a nice visit.  It was good to see that Curtis was able to get some help and support for Janice’s increasingly complex medical issues.  Their son, David, also stopped by to chat.  We spent the evening sharing stories and good food with Raspberry Roadrunner ice cream for dessert.  We realized on our way home that we had forgotten to take pictures but we have plans to get together again on Friday for lunch!

1307 November 5, 2025 Quiet Day

I started the campground washers and went to walk until they were finished.  I transferred stuff to the dryers and went back to continue walking,

I saw a gopher tortoise poking out of his burrow.

American beautyberry.

We sat outside for a while this morning.  Our neighbors came over and chatted.

This afternoon I listened to a book and puttered around in the RV. 

Tim was stiff and sore and so we had a quiet day.

1306 November 4, 2025 St.  Mary’s

I took the Palmetto Trail for my morning walk.  Tall pines with huge pine cones.

This is a gopher tortoise habitat and there are several active burrows in the park.

Later, we took the Jeep to St. Mary’s.  This town is most well known as the place to get the Cumberland Island Ferry.  This is a National Park and because of the current government shutdown, the ferry is not operating.  It is illegal for any other boats to take tourists to the island.  Maybe we will pass this way again!

We took our bikes and went to explore.

We found the Submarine Museum.  We browsed the exhibits, examining the collections and artifacts.  There was a real working periscope.  Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base is just a few miles away.

Missiles loaded and ready to fire.

Tim began talking with a woman.  She mentioned that her husband had been to the Naval Academy.  Tim told her of a couple of friends that he knew that had gone there as well.  Timmy Kobosko was a childhood friend that lived in Tim’s neighborhood.  This woman said that her husband graduated from the Naval Academy with Timmy and that Timmy was actually the president of her husband’s alumni class.  She took a picture of my Tim and sent it to Timmy Kobosko who responded with fond memories!  It’s a veery small world!

We had lunch at St. Mary’s Harbor Restaurant.  I had excellent grouper and Tim had a gyro.  We chatted with a couple at the next table who had come to live in St. Mary’s from Arkansas. 

We went to the waterfront park and sat on a bench.

There were hundreds of grackles in the trees around the park. They cackled and carried on!

A tide clock…I have never seen one before.  Every seaside town should have one!

We drove on to Kingsland and went to Publix for some groceries.

This evening, we took a small snack back to the picnic table by the river.  Tim spotted a dolphin!  We knew that the dolphins will come up into the rivers but we had not been lucky enough to see one.