Matanzas River in front of St. Francis Barracks.
via flickr.com
The Bulow Creek canoe trail meanders through salt marshes and oak hammocks from the old sugar plantation down to the Intracoastal Waterway at Highbridge Road. Visit the Bulow Plantation park site at http://www.floridastateparks.org/bulowplantation/default.cfm for more information.
These cedar trees sit at the water's edge next to the fishing pier at Lighthouse Park. They have been sculpted by the winds along with the oak trees that shade the park's picnic area. Tucked into the neighborhood that surrounds the St. Augustine Lighthouse, this little park provides tennis, fishing, a boat launch and picnicking to residents and visitors alike. Unfortunately, the small restaurant has been leased to the local yacht club so it no longer serves the neighborhood or visitors.
The city just okayed a plan to rehab Aviles Street which includes removing the few parking places and expanding the sidewalks to allow outdoor dining.
Early summer morning at the St. Augustine Beach pier.
This huge stainless steel cross was raised in 1965 to celebrate 400 years of Christianity in what is now the United States. The Mission is located on the spot where the Spanish settlers first landed in 1565 to begin the settlement of St. Augustine. Recent archaeological digs have confirmed that the original settlement was located on this property and the adjacent Fountain of Youth property.
On January 3, 1920, Marjorie Barker was born in Chattooga County, Georgia. She was the fourth child of Lois Link and Adolphus Montgomery Barker. Her father nicknamed her "Tot" and although he died before her second birthday, the nickname followed her the rest of her life. Her first husband was killed during World War II and her second marriage ended in divorce. She raised three daughters (two shown here) and a son - teaching them by example that you can be anything you want to be if you're willing to work at it hard enough. She died of cancer in 1981 and is buried with her family in Georgia.
This view shows the garden and the back of the house. From the historical marker:
Fernandez-Llambias House
This house was already extant in 1763, when Spain ceded Florida to Great Britain. It was then a one-story, two-room, shingle-roofed coquina stone structure owned by Pedro Fernandez. A British owner added the loggia.
In 1784, when the Spanish returned, the Minorcan settlers brought to Florida by the British stayed. Their descendants too remained in 1821, when Florida became American. Two Minorcan brothers, Joseph and Peter Antonio Manucy, owned the house in 1838, adding the second story and the balcony. Dona Catalina Llambias, whose name the structure bears, bought it in 1854 and she and her family owned it for 65 years.
The stairs you see here lead down into what once was the world's largest indoor swimming pool. Part of the Alcazar Hotel, this area included a ballroom and tennis courts in addition to the pool.