Monthly Archives: August 2017

Aug11

St. Augustine

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Friday 11th August

  

This morning we drove (slowly, at the speed limit of 35mph on the A1A), sixty miles north of Daytona Shores to the oldest city in America: St. Augustine. In the 1500’s Pedro Menéndez explored and colonised the city, on instruction of King Phillip II of Spain. In the 1700’s English troops besieged and then burnt the town to the ground ~ a reason why there are no buildings older than 1702 in St. Augustine today. 

We began by checking out the Visitor Information Centre, and armed with a map, we began our stroll in the midday heat down narrow streets lined with tourist shops, bars, restaurants and palm trees. Spanish colonial influence was everywhere, from the names of the streets to tapas bars, and even in the public toilets where a ‘potted’ history of waste disposal is given!

We walked down St George’s Street to the basilica, across to the marina, and back again. It was hot; we felt wilted. We had a great lunch at the Bull and Crown pub, along with copious amounts of iced water, and completed our eating with a wonderful tub of pecan and toasted coconut ice cream from a gelateria just around the corner.

Our drive back was much faster, as we drove down I95 at twice the speed of the outbound journey.

The late afternoon was spent walking along the beach and paddling in the sea, watching pelicans fly and dive for fish, right in front of us.

I think you would have liked St. Augustine, my darling, with it’s ancient cemetery, torture chamber museum, ghost stories, pirates and dark history. Not sure about the heat though ~ it was sweltering.

We miss you poppet

Love you forever

Beloved Angel son

xxxxxx

Sparkly sea this morning

The oldest schoolhouse in America

Typical tourist stores

Casa Rodriguez

The basilica

Cathedral and basilica 

Looking down St. George’s Street

The Grinch came to lunch

And also enjoyed the ice cream

Restroom information

The old city gates

St George’s Street

Threatening looking sky as we head towards I95

Back on the beach ~ Daytona Shores looking north

Daytona Shores looking south

Beach selfie

Aug10

Ponce de Leon Inlet lighthouse

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Thursday 10th August

  

This morning we drove a few miles south to the Ponce de Leon Inlet lighthouse, an historic 1880’s brick and granite structure. This was the result of a recommendation from another fellow blogger at House of Heart

And thank you so much for the terrific suggestion. It was great to see this national landmark.

175 feet tall with 203 spiralling steps, that become noticeably steeper and smaller as you reach the top; and climb them all, we did, and were greeted with spectacular views from the gallery deck. New Smyrna Beach and the inland waterways sparkled in the warm sunshine.

I think you would have liked to climb the lighthouse steps with us ~ a few years ago you enjoyed clambering to the top of the lighthouse in Harbour Town, Hilton Head Island, especially when you were rewarded with a large ice cream afterwards!

The afternoon was spent on the beach, beneath a large umbrella giving welcoming shade. You would have splashed about in the sea, or walked up and down the sands. 

Missing you, my lighthouse buddy

Love you sweetheart, so much

Precious Angel son

xxxxxx

Standing tall

Looking up

Looking down

Looking up again

Looking towards New Smyrna Beach

Across the islands and waterways

Hot at the top

Back to the beach in the afternoon

So quiet and relaxing

A pretty sunset this evening

Aug9

The Old Spanish Sugar Mill

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Wednesday 9th August

   

Leaving Orlando this morning for Daytona, we took a detour to DeLeon Springs, a state park, and the Old Spanish Sugar Mill restaurant, where you cook your own pancakes and eggs on a griddle set into your table. 

This was on an excellent recommendation from fellow blogger Nananoyz

And such a wonderful place it was, off the beaten track; we would never have considered stopping here, merely driving on through, on the Interstate, to our destination. Thank you so very much for the great suggestion to explore this terrific area.

Upon arrival, the board at the entrance to the park stated a one hour wait for the restaurant. After parking and making our way to the eatery we were told an hour and a half. We walked around the natural pool, fed by spring water, enjoyed by many swimmers, sat in the shade of magnificent live oaks, and waited for our name to be called. As it was, we only had forty five minutes to wait, and we were seated.

We opted for the all-you-can-eat pancakes option, with added apples, blueberries, pecans, cinnamon, crispy bacon and eggs. And wow, what a feast we had. Pouring the batter on to the hot griddle, set into the table, adding toppings, flipping the pancake over, and covering it with maple syrup. Just fabulous. So yummy.

You would have loved making your own pancakes, I’m sure. You did​ like apple and maple syrup such a lot. Wish so much that you were with us to enjoy this experience.

I wonder if you have pancakes in heaven?

Love you sweetheart

Darling Angel son. 

xxxxxx 

Magnificent live oaks covered with Spanish moss 

Sitting in the shade 

Swimming in the spring waters

The Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant

Requisite selfie

The St. John River

The longest river in Florida

Cracking eggs and first pancake

With apples, blueberries, pecans and cinnamon

Now drenched in maple syrup

Amazing trees hundreds of years old

Daytona Beach where cars drive on the sand

The view looking inland

Aug7

Without you

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Monday 7th August

    

We stopped for an early morning coffee at Starbucks, parking the car just over the road from Sea World. We could see the tops of the rollercoaster structures, and hear the screams of the riders on Kraken and Manta.

We both stood for a moment. And watched. And thought of you. And reflected. And wished. 

You would go into the park, and immediately make for Manta, queuing up, wanting the exhilaration of the twisting, turning, speeding experience. Then you would do it all over again. Then again.

After a while you’d wander round to Kraken, and queue for that ride. To be repeated many times over.

Maybe you’d come with us to the Antarctica section, or to watch the dolphins, seals and whales. Sometimes you’d join us on Journey to Atlantis, the amazing water flume drop. There was so much to see and do, you never became bored. You were so happy and safe, exploring on your own.

It was strange, just being there this morning, thinking about how much fun you used to have, and continued to do so for many years. You enjoyed the simple pleasures of theme parks well into your late twenties, and we were able to share them with you.

And now it’s just so very different. Without you, we are just a couple on holiday. With you, we were a family having fun. Just so very different.

Missing you sweetie pie

Love you forever

Darling Angel son

xxxxxx

Kraken, 7th August 2012

You had so much fun on this rollercoaster, five years ago today

Upside down and inside out

Standing at the entrance, waiting to go in…

Aug6

A bit different

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Sunday 6th August

   

For twenty fabulous years

Florida was the theme parks

White knuckle rides, upside downs

You knew the maps and landmarks

  

But this year it’s a bit different

Just Dad and I, in the summer

First time since twenty fourteen

We’ve still got much to discover

  

The childish fun is not there

And it seems so quiet in the morning

No SpongeBob or Power Rangers

Life with you, never boring

  

Thinking of you my darling

On the rollercoasters in heaven

We miss you so much my Angel

Many kisses to you are given

xxxxxx


  
  

Aug3

Early morning

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Thursday 3rd August

    

A sunny, early morning saw us sitting by the pool before eight o’clock, sipping on coffee. Being relatively quiet at that time, we could enjoy the sounds of the fountains and waterfalls, rather than noisy children! A couple of hours later, many families and young ones began making their presence known, splashing about enjoying their surroundings.

A sultry midday, with temperatures reaching above​ 100°F, and we decided to go out in the car; exploring, shopping and finding somewhere cool for lunch. 

By the time we returned, the skies were turning a lovely dark purple, and barely five minutes after we had come through the door, the heavens opened, with monsoon like downpours. We were so fortunate.

Missing you sweetie.

Think you would like being back here very much.

Love you Angel

xxxxxx

Aug2

Off to Orlando

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Wednesday 2nd August

   

Awakening super early this morning, because we’re still on UK time, we watched the television news reporting flooding in Miami the previous evening and cars still abandoned in streets with over a foot of water. In some parts, 8.7 inches of rain fell, with thunder and lightning. No wonder our flight had been bumpy, and was forced to fly a route south, almost halfway to Cuba, back over the Keys and Everglades, before coming into Miami ~ all to avoid the storm.

Having collected our hire car, we drove along the Dolphin Expressway, then onto the Florida Turnpike all the way to Orlando where we’ll be for a week. 

We first came to Orlando in the summer, in 1996 with you and your brother, and back again most years since, and a for a few Christmases too. You loved the place, and had so much fun here: the theme parks with their white knuckle rides, water parks, shopping, food, different television programmes, and people watching.

We so wish you were with us now, complete with itinerary clutched in your hand, your face beaming with expectant excitement, and pocket money for comics, books and DVD’s.

This is the first time we’ve been back in Orlando since the summer of 2014, your last visit here. It feels strange, a little quiet without you, and a lot less fun. But we’ve brought along Frankie Angel bear and the Grinch; so you’re with us in spirit, and always, always in my heart.

Miss you each and every day

Love you forever

Darling Angel son

xxxxxx

Late evening sun, at our resort in Orlando, August 2014. You had found a book about horses and ponies