ArmyJoe
New member
On Friday, our instructor let us go early, so I decided to take a trip to St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest continuously occupied European-established city in the United States. I threw two days worth of clothes in my Cortech Sport Tail Bag and put my laptop bag in the trunk. I don't have a permanent mount for my Zumo 660 GPS yet, so I suction-cupped it to the dashboard over the tach and ran the power cord to the trunk outlet. I knotted the cord around the mount as a back-up in case the suction cup came loose. I learned from my last trip that half-helmet and rain don't mix, so I wore my full-face helmet, just in case. The temperature was 104, so I made a decision to stop every 100 miles to drink water. Army regs say I have to be fully covered when I ride, with a bright color during the day and reflective at night. I ordered a Joe Rocket Phoenix 5.0 high-visibility mesh jacket a few weeks ago, but it's not in yet. Instead, I wore a fluorescent green long-sleeve T-shirt that my wife found for $4 each at a thrift store.
I left Augusta, Georgia about 4 PM and headed south on US-25. The route I had planned was about 300 miles, but as the crow flies, I was within the 250-mile limit the Army imposed without leave or pass paperwork.
I took a detour through the training areas of Ft Stewart, home of the 3rd Infantry Division. Since it was a weekend, I didn't see any military hardware, but this sign was worth a quick stop.
The sun set right about the time I hit the Florida border. I discovered a neat feature of the Zumo in that it changes the background color to black at sunset to preserve your night-vision. If I read the manual, I wonder what else I'll discover!
I got to the Best Western Spanish Quarter Inn about 10 PM. As it turned out, I wasn't drinking enough water. Even with 20-30 ounces every 90 minutes, I didn't need to "go" during the six-hour ride down. I suspect that I was sweating the whole time, but the wind was causing it to evaporate immediately, so I never felt wet. I've only been riding 11 months and these trips always give me the opportunity to learn something new.
I put my gear in the hotel room, grabbed my camera, and went in search of dinner.
The City Gate was constructed in 1808. Note the "ghost" hovering in the photo (St Augustine is said to be one of the most-haunted places in the US). I took three shots with no flash and the "ghost" is in a different spot in each photo.
St. George Street is closed to vehicle traffic for about 4 blocks. It contains many small shops and historical attractions.
For dinner, I went to A1A Ale Works, the only micro-brewery in town. I had the very delicious Sesame Tuna with black beans and rice and a few glasses of A. Strange Stout. Afterwards, I walked back to the hotel and crashed for the night.
Saturday morning, I went straight to Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the United States and my primary reason for coming here (not my picture).
Construction began in 1672 and it was completed in 1695. It's made from coquina, a type of limestone made from fossilized shells and sand. The rock was quarried on nearby Anastasia Island and was brought across the Matanzas Bay.
Castillo de San Marcos is a star fort, a design that dates back to the 15th century. Instead of round turrets, star forts have diamond-shaped bastions, which offer glancing surfaces to incoming cannonballs and no protection to attacking troops. This is what we call a "Revolution in Military Affairs" (a change in military technology that also effects organizational structures and doctrine) and one of the reasons we study military history. You can see from these opposing views that each bastion provides over-lapping fields of fire to cover the neighboring bastion and there's nowhere to hide.
Every hour on the half-hour (weekends only), reenactors shoot a cannon towards the bay.
A few random photos of the fort
and one random story that the former military members should appreciate. South Carolina voted to secede from the Union on December 20, 1860. Florida would do so on January 10, 1861. Three days before that, the Florida Militia moved to sieze Fort Marion (as it was called then). They found one Sergeant on duty as caretaker. They demanded he surrender the fort to them and he did so. Here is his report:
No. 2. Report of Ordnance Sergeant Henry Douglas, U. S. Army, of the seizure of Fort Marion, Saint Augustine
SAINT AUGUSTINE, EAST FLORIDA
January 7, 1861
SIR: I am obliged to perform what is to me a painful duty, viz, to report to the Chief of Ordnance that all the military stores at this place were seized this morning by the order of the governor of the State of Florida. A company of volunteer soldiers marched to the barracks and took possession of me, and demanded peaceable possession of the keys of the fort and magazine. I demanded them to show me their authority. An aide-de-camp of the governor showed me his letter of instructions authorizing him to seize the property, and directing him to use what force might be necessary. Upon reflection I decided that the only alternative for me was to deliver the keys, under protest, and demand a receipt for the property. One thing certain, with the exception of the guns composing the armament of the water battery, the property seized is of no great value. The gentleman acting under the governors instructions has promised to receipt to me for the stores.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
HENRY DOUGLAS, Ordnance Sergeant
After that, I went to the Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum. I was very disappointed. Although this was billed as a living history museum, none of the crafts people were actually doing anything. I got in for free because I was military, so it was worth the price of admission.
From there, I walked west on St. George Street and ate lunch at a little pizza shop called Pizza Time. I'm originally from New Jersey, but live in Ohio, so it was nice to eat pie-shaped slices of hand-tossed pizza, instead of the little squares of rolled pizza they serve in Ohio.
I then went to the Government House Museum, to see some of the archaeological artifacts from the city. It was meh. Probably worth the $6 I paid to get in, but I suspect kids would be bored out of their minds looking at al the stuff in display cases.
Next I went a block north to check out some of the old hotels that were built during the 1880s when the railroad came to town.
Statue of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés (founder of St. Augustine) in front of the former Alcazar Hotel
Former Ponce de León Hotel (now Flagler College)
By this time it was about 3:30 PM, so I walked back to the hotel, grabbed my swimming trunks, and headed to the beach. I passed St. Augustine Lighthouse on the way.
About 5:30 PM the tide started to come in, with the waves slowly working their way further up the beach. I decided to pack it up and head back to the city.
On the way there, I noticed a bit of discomfort from my first case of monkey butt (TMI?). A quick stop at a drug store for some Boudreaux's Butt Paste was needed. After a quick shower, I went back to A1A Ale House. I spent the rest of the night sampling their other brews. They tossed us out about 1:30 AM and I headed back to the hotel for the final time (with a quick stop at the American Legion for one last beer).
Sunday morning I checked out of the hotel about 10:30. Since I had some time to kill, I went across the street to Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum. Tickets were normally $15, but I got in for $5 with my military ID. If you haven't been here, I don't know how to describe it... part world culture, part freak show, part tourist trap. This is one place that I think kids would love.
After a quick bite to eat at McDonalds, I headed back to Georgia around 1 PM. To avoid the dehydation issues from the ride down, I decided to stop every hour to drink. That seemed to do the trick (or maybe it was all that beer) and I had to "go" pretty regularly.
I got back to my apartment about 7 PM. Doing the math, I was getting around 30-31 MPG. Definitely a fun trip, even with the summer heat. I'm supposed to meet my wife in Disney World next month, but I think I'll take the truck (and air conditioning) for that one.
Mission complete. :2thumbs:
Joe
I left Augusta, Georgia about 4 PM and headed south on US-25. The route I had planned was about 300 miles, but as the crow flies, I was within the 250-mile limit the Army imposed without leave or pass paperwork.
I took a detour through the training areas of Ft Stewart, home of the 3rd Infantry Division. Since it was a weekend, I didn't see any military hardware, but this sign was worth a quick stop.
The sun set right about the time I hit the Florida border. I discovered a neat feature of the Zumo in that it changes the background color to black at sunset to preserve your night-vision. If I read the manual, I wonder what else I'll discover!
I got to the Best Western Spanish Quarter Inn about 10 PM. As it turned out, I wasn't drinking enough water. Even with 20-30 ounces every 90 minutes, I didn't need to "go" during the six-hour ride down. I suspect that I was sweating the whole time, but the wind was causing it to evaporate immediately, so I never felt wet. I've only been riding 11 months and these trips always give me the opportunity to learn something new.
I put my gear in the hotel room, grabbed my camera, and went in search of dinner.
The City Gate was constructed in 1808. Note the "ghost" hovering in the photo (St Augustine is said to be one of the most-haunted places in the US). I took three shots with no flash and the "ghost" is in a different spot in each photo.
St. George Street is closed to vehicle traffic for about 4 blocks. It contains many small shops and historical attractions.
For dinner, I went to A1A Ale Works, the only micro-brewery in town. I had the very delicious Sesame Tuna with black beans and rice and a few glasses of A. Strange Stout. Afterwards, I walked back to the hotel and crashed for the night.
Saturday morning, I went straight to Castillo de San Marcos, the oldest masonry fort in the United States and my primary reason for coming here (not my picture).
Construction began in 1672 and it was completed in 1695. It's made from coquina, a type of limestone made from fossilized shells and sand. The rock was quarried on nearby Anastasia Island and was brought across the Matanzas Bay.
Castillo de San Marcos is a star fort, a design that dates back to the 15th century. Instead of round turrets, star forts have diamond-shaped bastions, which offer glancing surfaces to incoming cannonballs and no protection to attacking troops. This is what we call a "Revolution in Military Affairs" (a change in military technology that also effects organizational structures and doctrine) and one of the reasons we study military history. You can see from these opposing views that each bastion provides over-lapping fields of fire to cover the neighboring bastion and there's nowhere to hide.
Every hour on the half-hour (weekends only), reenactors shoot a cannon towards the bay.
A few random photos of the fort
and one random story that the former military members should appreciate. South Carolina voted to secede from the Union on December 20, 1860. Florida would do so on January 10, 1861. Three days before that, the Florida Militia moved to sieze Fort Marion (as it was called then). They found one Sergeant on duty as caretaker. They demanded he surrender the fort to them and he did so. Here is his report:
No. 2. Report of Ordnance Sergeant Henry Douglas, U. S. Army, of the seizure of Fort Marion, Saint Augustine
SAINT AUGUSTINE, EAST FLORIDA
January 7, 1861
SIR: I am obliged to perform what is to me a painful duty, viz, to report to the Chief of Ordnance that all the military stores at this place were seized this morning by the order of the governor of the State of Florida. A company of volunteer soldiers marched to the barracks and took possession of me, and demanded peaceable possession of the keys of the fort and magazine. I demanded them to show me their authority. An aide-de-camp of the governor showed me his letter of instructions authorizing him to seize the property, and directing him to use what force might be necessary. Upon reflection I decided that the only alternative for me was to deliver the keys, under protest, and demand a receipt for the property. One thing certain, with the exception of the guns composing the armament of the water battery, the property seized is of no great value. The gentleman acting under the governors instructions has promised to receipt to me for the stores.
I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
HENRY DOUGLAS, Ordnance Sergeant
After that, I went to the Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum. I was very disappointed. Although this was billed as a living history museum, none of the crafts people were actually doing anything. I got in for free because I was military, so it was worth the price of admission.
From there, I walked west on St. George Street and ate lunch at a little pizza shop called Pizza Time. I'm originally from New Jersey, but live in Ohio, so it was nice to eat pie-shaped slices of hand-tossed pizza, instead of the little squares of rolled pizza they serve in Ohio.
I then went to the Government House Museum, to see some of the archaeological artifacts from the city. It was meh. Probably worth the $6 I paid to get in, but I suspect kids would be bored out of their minds looking at al the stuff in display cases.
Next I went a block north to check out some of the old hotels that were built during the 1880s when the railroad came to town.
Statue of Pedro Menéndez de Avilés (founder of St. Augustine) in front of the former Alcazar Hotel
Former Ponce de León Hotel (now Flagler College)
By this time it was about 3:30 PM, so I walked back to the hotel, grabbed my swimming trunks, and headed to the beach. I passed St. Augustine Lighthouse on the way.
About 5:30 PM the tide started to come in, with the waves slowly working their way further up the beach. I decided to pack it up and head back to the city.
On the way there, I noticed a bit of discomfort from my first case of monkey butt (TMI?). A quick stop at a drug store for some Boudreaux's Butt Paste was needed. After a quick shower, I went back to A1A Ale House. I spent the rest of the night sampling their other brews. They tossed us out about 1:30 AM and I headed back to the hotel for the final time (with a quick stop at the American Legion for one last beer).
Sunday morning I checked out of the hotel about 10:30. Since I had some time to kill, I went across the street to Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum. Tickets were normally $15, but I got in for $5 with my military ID. If you haven't been here, I don't know how to describe it... part world culture, part freak show, part tourist trap. This is one place that I think kids would love.
After a quick bite to eat at McDonalds, I headed back to Georgia around 1 PM. To avoid the dehydation issues from the ride down, I decided to stop every hour to drink. That seemed to do the trick (or maybe it was all that beer) and I had to "go" pretty regularly.
I got back to my apartment about 7 PM. Doing the math, I was getting around 30-31 MPG. Definitely a fun trip, even with the summer heat. I'm supposed to meet my wife in Disney World next month, but I think I'll take the truck (and air conditioning) for that one.
Mission complete. :2thumbs:
Joe
Last edited:
