Fall Visit to St. Augustine

 

It has taken me a bit to write this post, but I still want to share the fun we had in St. Augustine.  We got tickets to the James Taylor concert there, so it was a perfect excuse to explore the city too.  The drive is about 4 hours, so not close, but a pretty easy once you get through Orlando.  

We arrived a couple hours before the concert, checked in and made our way across the Bridge of Lions to dinner and the St. Augustine Amphitheater. Luckily it was a beautiful night and not too hot once the sun went down.  Seeing James Taylor live is a bucket list item for me and he played all the great songs (my favorite Sweet Baby James) and really still sounds so good for his age.  

The next day, we did the tourist thing.  We toured Castillo de San Marco (the fort), the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine  and stopped for brunch while shopping on St. George Street.  While raining in the afternoon we napped before dinner which was so relaxing.  Dinner was really good and the outdoor courtyard seating was something we missed in Florida all summer, because it is just too hot until fall.  After dinner, we went to a quirky martini bar  (best cosmo my favorite) and then headed to a nighttime trolley ghost tour.  It was cheesy and spooky, but fun.

We headed home the next morning and even made a stop in Disney Springs for some early Christmas shopping.

St. Augustine, the oldest city in America is filled with history and is very well preserved.  I didn’t realize that ghost stories are such a big business there, but it makes sense considering the many deaths over the centuries from Spanish soldiers to pirates to prisoners at the notorious jail.  We were very happy with the restaurants we picked, but barely scratched the surface of interesting spots.  The vibe overall is less Florida and more New Orleans and Charleston, but since we live at the beach it was a fun new adventure.

Hotel - Doubletree Hilton Historic District

Tapas Dinner - Odd Birds

Brunch - PK’s Roosevelt Room

Dinner- Harry’s Seafood

Martini Bar - Tini Martini Bar

1st Birthday and More

 

We recently returned from Kennedy’s (granddaughter #2) first birthday party via a road trip to Michigan. It wasn't quite fall yet, but we still enjoyed a bit cooler weather.  In addition to the party, we went to an outdoor brewery for hard cider, cooked quite a bit, watched football and had a fun day at a new park.  Pretty much all the grandparent things possible.

The party was so fun and Melissa did a great job with decor and food.  There was controlled chaos with a lot of kids running around, but all was well.  Any reason to get family together makes a great day.  I was able to see my sister and meet a new grand niece too.  We are truly blessed with our 3 cutie grand girls.

On the way to stay with Megan for a night before heading back to Florida, we made a stop at Michigan State and walked around campus on a beautiful blue sky day.  No leaves turning yet, but there was a slight crispness to the air and the campus was special as usual.  We also had lunch at our favorite spot.

Now, just doing Florida things and celebrated my husband’s birthday on 9/11.  He made the best of having one’s birthday on a sad day and climbed 17 flights (110 stories) of stairs with the Sarasota firefighters to honor the 9/11 first responders.

Next up - a road trip to St. Augustine.  

Catching Up

 

My poor neglected blog needs a catch up!  I am finally at a place where I can catch up on all the things the past year has me behind on.  My one year surgery date was July 31st and that was a big milestone to celebrate.  My knee is in a good place - maybe 95% healed, but I can do pretty much everything and that is what matters.  Otherwise, I adapt my yoga poses, ice when needed and basically carry on.  I can also chase my granddaughters with ease; the number one goal in my rehab.

Speaking of granddaughters, I returned last week from a fun trip to Michigan where I got my fill of both daughter and  granddaughter time.  There was a lot of time to play, talk and help.  Both sets of parents had a night out too with Nanna as babysitter.

Otherwise, we are in the quiet part of summer where my calendar is pretty empty and I can just go at a slower pace.  I do a lot of what I call piddling in both my house and yard, just doing things as I see them without a grand plan.  I volunteer on Thursday mornings as usual and write the group’s weekly newsletter too.  We do have a dinner scheduled with neighbors this weekend, but most of our friends are still doing the snowbird thing.  I also watch a lot of baseball - go Detroit Tigers!

There are some fun things coming up like another Michigan trip for granddaughter number 2’s first birthday and to help Melissa unpack in her new house.  We also have a trip to St. Augustine planned to see James Taylor at the amphitheater.  We have not been there yet, so will do some sightseeing too.  Otherwise, I’m looking forward to football season and the return of friends to Florida.

Also hoping for a quiet hurricane season!