Life Without ‘Los
Well, last week we tried something new: camping without a dog. And, going to the beach without a dog. Even, out of town dining without a dog. All of it felt different and a little sad, and yet, there was an entirely new freedom we haven’t had in the last few years.
We went for a trial overnighter camp trip. Wanted a thorough check on the vans’ systems. When the Camp Ranger asked the standard questions: what type vehicle?, license plate?, electric?, pets? – Simultaneously, we both sighed heavily, “no, no pets…” Sniff. It was a successful trip, instrument cluster working, horn honking. Now, if I could only convince Woody to upgrade the sound system! We had a chance to test the rig during thunder, lighting and rain.
Dinner will be inside tonight
Maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but, it was a bit of a relief not having a wet dog to navigate the small space. And, how spacious the bed was sans Carlos! I know, sad, but true.
Touring a Tourist Town
We also did an overnighter in St. Augustine. It was our third visit. This time we were able to go
Dining options used to be limited to patio seating
through a museum together. You know, in the past, one of us had to hang out with Carlos, while the other went through. We stayed at an AirBnb which did not allow dogs, we ate at restaurants, seated indoors!
But all these new experiences did not stop us from constantly reminiscing. “Oh, man, we took his picture next to that sign.” Or, “Carlos didn’t like that gravel road,” or “He would have dug his spot right there,” yes, he’s still constantly on our mind.
Carli was with us, her first jaunt to our nation’s oldest city (founded in 1565.) She quickly identified the feel of St. Augustine as though she was “visiting Europe.”
It was fun sharing and exploring over 4 centuries of history. With its pedestrian-only, brick lined streets, the opulent Ponce de Leon Hotel (now Flagler college), and Castillo de San Marcos, a fort – all things Carli seemed to appreciate more than Carlos did.
In wrapping up this narrative, I’ll close with a few photos:
a little shadow dancing on Castillo de San Marcos
From Ponce de Leon Hotel to Flagler Campus
Spanish Colonial Revival, built in 1888
these toupée-tops are Royal Terns
Well, if I remember correctly, Saint Augustine was founded by the Spanish, who spread their influence from Florida westward to places like Texas, New Mexico, and California. So Saint Augustine should look a little bit like Santa Fe. My mom and dad really enjoyed SA when they were there.
You remember correct! Founded by Spanish conquistador, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in 1565. Then harangued by French castaways, who were ultimately slaughtered. They were always in arms with the Native Americans, throw in some English buccaneers and handfuls of French privateers and you have a town filled with all sorts of “Official Ghost Tours”!
For me, I felt St. Augustine had more of a European-Spanish feel. Santa Fe has a style I thought unique to Santa Fe, with their adobe brick and low slung architecture. I would call it Mission style, or Pueblo… In SA, they used coquina – a shell (cockle) based “brick” – for their construction.
You might like this fun fact: the fort, Castillo de San Marcos, was made of this coquina, and though it is a less than ideal building material, it did have an unexpected benefit – cannonballs fired at the walls burrowed into the rock and stuck there. If it were a more solid material or brick, the wall would have shattered. They say that’s why it still stands today.
Wow St. Augustine is gorgeous. All my travels through FL and I’ve never been there. And I sure can relate to those feelings about the furries. PS. It sure looks warm there.
Yes, but you’ve been to the Keys, and I’ve yet to squeeze into that neck of the woods! – distance and popular time of year has held us back. One of these days. . .