Welcome to Florida and 22 mph

Saturday November 30,  2013
Anastasia State Park
St. Augustine Florida

 

 

 

Another cold and windy day  as we leave Walkabout for our 158 mile trip down I 95 to Anastasia State Park in  St.  Augustine Florida.  We’ve never been  here before and and since  it’s on the ocean I’m anxious to check it out.

 

 

 

 

 

On the way, we stop at the Welcome Center to look  into  the Sun Pass and although they advertise that you can get them there, no one really knows anything about it.  So if you know anything about whether we need one for both Winnona and Ruby if we are towing her, how they work or what they cost please let me know.  Or if you even know where I can find a person and not a machine to buy one from that would be good too.

 

 

 

After marveling at the people  in shorts and sleeveless tops with winter coats over them or those way under dressed but just huddling and shivering, we take our free sips  of yummy Florida orange juice and head  on down the road.

Not sure if there is a better way to Anastasia from the North than driving through St.  Augustine itself but that’s what happens to us. Sure is a good thing David is such an amazing driver in traffic and on narrow roads with cars parked on both sides.

The park is about 2 miles from Old Town St.  Augustine but once you are inside it looks  like old Florida with the maritime forest and a gorgeous 4 mile long beach.  BUT the wind is blowing at 22 mph and the low 60’s temperature feels like 40’s.  WELCOME TO FLORIDA???

 

 

The park has two campgrounds.  One small, Coquina, with 33 campsites in one loop and one large with a total of 105 campsites spread out over 7 loops.  Both campgrounds have sites for rigs as big as Winnona, 35’, and there are a few which could accommodate larger rigs so whatever Reserve America says about site length, I’d trust them.

My luck holds in terms of picking a site unseen.   It’s a nice deep site although the neighboring sites are pretty close.  Luckily for us the one closest to us is empty on this Saturday night.

There are several loops for tents only and they are really great.  There are a lot of tenters here in all loops.  Happily for them the campground is in the maritime forest and protected from  the  bitter  winds which would leave no tent on the ground believe me.

 

 

We bike around all the loops to check  them out and then bike over to the beach which is a much shorter walk from Coquina than from our Sea Urchin Loop.  Not sure you could carry all your beach “stuff” even from there.   Were we here in swimming weather, we’d hook up our bicycle cart to go to the beach.  Or you can drive since they have a huge parking lot.  Today with 22 mph winds and gusts stronger than that, it is  nearly empty.  That’s  it behind me as I hold on to the giant anchor.

 

 

With really gusty winds there are double flags and  NO swimming.  Not a warning, a rule. 

Thus there is no one even walking on the beach.  It’s a gray dreary chilly day.  But of course we venture out to the edge of the water.  We should have taken another set of selfies out there.  We were dressed about the same as in the last ones.  We’re 250 miles south of Hunting Island but it isn’t much if any warmer and the wind is just as bad. 

 

 

 

 

It’s a big beach as you can see.  4 miles long.  We are only here for 3 nights so I really hope the weather will  give us a break so we can walk along it at least once AND get to see some  of St. Augustine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After watching the power of the waves for about one minute, we leave the  beach, hop back  on the bikes and head  over  to the Ancient Dunes trail. 

We won’t notice the wind there deep in the maritime forest.  This is the only hiking trail in the park.  It’s only about a mile long but it’s a beauty.  It’s dark and mysterious with a thick canopy of tall giant slash pines and live oaks covered in resurrection fern and spanish moss.  The understory is saw palmetto with  its sword like stems. 

The trail goes up and down the ancient dunes which were created millennia ago when the sea was much higher and further in.  Over time the dunes developed soil  and  the maritime forest covered them.  These are actual hills to climb up and some have steps because they are so steep.  Imagine that in North coastal Florida. 

Unfortunately my camera batteries die on me near the beginning of the hike so you’ll have to come see the hills and steps for yourself.

 

 

 

So far I really like the park but then we’ve only been here for less than 24 hours on a windy chilly day.  It seems a great place for playing in the ocean on an appropriately warm day.  I’d probably have half of the population of St. Augustine here with me though.  There is a kayak put in for paddling the lagoon but the exit from the lagoon is at the intersection of the intracoastal waterway and the Atlantic.  So tides are a real issue.   Don’t know about biking yet but it appears since the park is close enough to Old Town St. Augustine you might be able to bike there. 

Anastasia should prove a great close place to stay while seeing St. Augustine. Hope the weather will give us at least one day to do that.  I suspect that won’t be enough time but reservations are hard to get here and 3 nights was the best I could do at this point.

 

Here’s my favorite picture of the day.
Seen as we approached the water’s edge at the beach. 
Nature’s art. 
Simply beautiful.