Road Trip – Day 10 Wednesday, April 6
After breakfast we decided not to “get on” Route 95 and zip through Georgia without seeing the back roads. The shore line of Georgia is protected with several large wildlife refuges and is mainly inaccessible to automobiles. The few roads that do exist, service local fishermen and the people in a few sparsely settled villages.
Georgia State Road 17 existed before Route 95 was built, when it was called the Old Atlantic Highway, and runs through the small towns of south eastern Georgia. Today the road connects South Carolina with Florida and crosses Route 95 several times before connecting with Florida Road A1A.
South of the Ogeechee River, is the town of Midway, population about 1,100. It had been founded by New England colonists in 1754. Two of the early residents were signers of the Declaration of Independence, representing the new colony of Georgia.
We happily missed Sapelo Island’s “wild landscape where alligators and ferocious feral pigs live free among remnants of a cotton plantation” which is named Hog Hammock. We passed the old McIntosh cemetery, near Darien, named for the original Scottish colonists in the area. We stopped at the Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation to see a well-preserved plantation and rice fields, but it was closed. The sign told us that it was open only during the weekends. It was supposed to have a plantation house and former rice fields, for which the area was known in the early 1800s.
Bridge From Amelia Island State Park
We continued along scenic Route 17 and into Florida. The road connected with the coastal road A1A and turned eastward toward the Atlantic Ocean. We drove through a town called Yulee and continued south toward Amelia Island.
Florida on the Buccaneer Trail – State Road A1A
We passed Little Talbot Island State Park on the Atlantic Ocean and continued through the marshlands of Timucaun Ecological and Historical Preserve. Then all of a sudden, past Fort George Island, 1A takes a sharp left turn into a parking lot for a ferry across the river to Mayport.
Mayport Ferry
We got in line behind a few other cars and waited our turn to board the ferry. I think we waited in line longer than the boat-ride! The ferry ran every 20 minutes and it took about 10 minutes to make the crossing. The Mayport Naval Station was located on the point and a variety of Naval planes flew above us. They crowded a bunch of cars and trucks onto the ferry and we continued the water portion of Highway A1A!
Ferry Dock
We had decided that we did not want to go to the city of Jacksonville. We drove past beach houses and beach communities again until we reached St. Augustine, Florida. We wanted to explore this famous city which claimed to be the oldest permanent settlement in the United States. (Sante Fe, New Mexico makes a strong counter-claim to this title.) The region was discovered by Ponce de Leon in 1513 during his journey in search of the Fountain of Youth. We followed the signs to Route 1 into the city to look for the Historic District. We passed a huge sign advertising the hours and price of admission to the Fountain. Five dollars is a small price to pay for youth, I thought.
The village of St. Augustine was founded by colonists from Spain in 1565. The impressive Castillo de San Marcos, built between 1672-1695, is an old fort built on the waterfront to protect the city from British invaders. Today it is a National Monument and is open for guided tours. We drove past the Castillo and found a small parking lot to consult with our trip-advisor technology. It recommended the Hilton St. Augustine Historic Bayfront, so we walked to the hotel to inquire about a room for the night.
Castillo de San Marcos
The woman at the desk claimed that she was able to give us the last room for a great price. It was early evening as we unpacked the car and settled in. Room #141 was fabulous! The room was huge with a big Jacuzzi, a large marble shower in the bathroom, and a private door out to the public pool. Unfortunately, we were there to explore the town, not stay in the room, so we didn’t use the Jacuzzi. Oh well, another time.
Buildings Along Castillo Drive
About six o’clock, we ventured out to walk around the Historic District before dinner. We were surprised to discover that almost all the attractions and shops were closed. We decided that we should stay in St. Augustine for a second day to see the sights and take a break from driving.
Shops In the Historic District
It was a pleasant walk looking at the exteriors of the buildings without tourists. Jeff found a good outdoor restaurant with tables in a lovely courtyard. The palm trees had little lights wrapped around them and a man who resembled Kenny Rogers played soft music on his guitar.
Outdoor Dining
We were finally in Florida! The weather was warm and humid and we could sit outdoors. What a treat!! It was a perfect way to end a long driving day.