Once stateside, we made our way to the St Augustine area. We were expecting a visit from friends from South Dakota.

We anchored near Ft Matanzas and explored there for a day. This area is a National Monument. There us a ferry service that runs several times a day. There is no fee, but an advance ticket is required as the boat fills up quickly. The dogs weren’t allowed, so we left Matthew with them as he wasn’t even slightly interested. There isn’t a great deal to see, but we enjoyed the brief tour, nonetheless.

The fort was completed in 1742 and protected 300 acres of seashore. There were previous watchtowers in the area, as early as 1569. The Spanish built the tower that still stands, today. The area, as well as St Augustine 15 miles to the north, played an important role in early American history.

Later, we took the dogs downriver a little and let them run on the muddy beach. It was good exercise for them despite needing to be bathed before they could get back on the boat.

There was a blow expected and we weren’t sure where the safest place would be. St Augustine is rather wide open despite how popular of a port it is. We called around, then followed the suggestion from Jodi Argo Schroath in the ICW Mile by Mile Guide and decided on Marineland Marina. It’s inexpensive and pet friendly. There’s also wonderful access to the beach and nature trail. The downside is it’s not really within walking distance of anywhere. Don’t expect Enterprise to pick you up- I could expound on how I know- but just take my word for it.

We did eventually get a rental car and were able to get our van from St Marys. This enabled us to provision and the guys got haircuts. We planned to stay for about a week, and that would make the visit with Lynn and the kids more manageable. We would have preferred to be in St Augustine for convenience, but this ended up being a great place to stay.

Lynn’s birthday coincided with their visit. She and I both enjoy tea, so I made a reservation at a little place called The Chatsworth. They serve High Tea a couple times a week and I jumped on it. We had a few teas to choose from, then sandwiches and desserts. It was very fun. We both got a little dressed up and bought new Panama hats for the occasion. She hadn’t been to St Aug before, so we walked St George Street and went through a couple of the quaint neighborhoods. It was a delightful trip.

Mike took the boys fishing one day as well. They went offshore a little way with a guide. Most of what they caught was red snapper, which is restricted. They didn’t get to bring anything home but had a fun day anyway.

After Lynn, Kadrian and Kyrihn went home, we continued north to Cumberland Island. As we have mentioned previously, it’s one of our all-time favorite places. We adventured a little further this time and anchored near Plum Orchard. We were able to tour the mansion and walked across the island to the beach. It was a longer walk than we thought, about 6.5 miles round trip, but it was to be our last beach day of the season, so we did it anyway.

On June 8th, after a couple days, the Ventolines crew went on to Brunswick and we went to St Marys. The 2023 sailing season was coming to an end.

Next up: our shore leave. Land life is just as adventurous for us, but it’s altogether different. We still have a hard time sitting still and you’ll see what we buy to help our gypsy itch.

Slainte’