Manatees, Sanford, Flagler, Fernandina, St Agustine Beach

Blue Spring State Park – Manatee Central

Bo and Julie’s House Fernandina Beach, Florida January to April. This is our home base and where we stay at our own Florida address much of the time, going back and forth between campgrounds and their home.

We came for the manatee and they had record numbers at Blue Spring State Park where we camped and didn’t have to get in the huge lines that formed especially on weekends where many of the Florida springs parks would need to close down to entry for several hours because they were full. This was mid – February and there were hundreds of manatee in the Blue Spring that was about 1/3 mile long from then boil(this is where the spring water comes up through the limestone) to where it emptied into St. John River.

Blue Spring is a manatee refuge and rescue so there is no swimming in the Spring during this birthing season. There are multiple observation decks and also places of entry where you would be right at water level to observe. There were hundreds of big fish (20+ inches) clearly seen from the observation deck teasing all those fishermen who were traversing the boards above them. Last year we saw one really big gar as we snorkeled.

Blue Springs is another of Florida’s wonderful camping parks and there are some hiking trails where we can came across this little baby all by himself.

Last year we had visited in the beginning of April, and were able to snorkel in the beautiful clear water near the boil where my best full on free-style only inched me up stream, luckily you could stop and stand-up to rest and the current was not strong enough to knock over this big momma body of mine. This cave goes down over 150 feet and there were always a few scuba divers and long finned free divers who were exploring the depths.

We had not seen any manatee last year in this Spring, but this year really enjoyed watching these floating gentle giants who move so effortlessly propelled by their single large tail fin, but can stop and go and turn by their small front flippers. In spots the Spring looked like a giant manatee slumber party as they congregate for sleeping only needing to surface for a breath every 20 minutes without having to really to wake up which is what we were told by Park Ranger.

While swimming, they need to surface every 3-5 minutes as they head out to the grassy areas of the St John River to eat the required 10% of their body weight in plants each day. Manatee will not tolerate water colder than about 68 ℉ and they come back to these 72 ℉ to a warm place every year. Supposedly there is a nuclear plant near Tampa that expels warm water and the manatee count is the highest there during the winter month since there is little danger from collision because boats usually don’t run around nuclear plants. Manatee have no natural predators except boat collisions and fishing line/garbage entanglement. Many have large gash marks on their bodies or have large bobbins attached to them because the manatee experts have rescued them or identified them for study. 90% of all manatees that are older than 3 years, have some type of gash and evidently not from alligators who leave them alone, in fact they have been known to bother the gators on occasion. We did see a gator swim in from the St. John River up about 50 yards and then went up the bank of the opposite side of the spring where all the observation decks were situated.

Hmm last year in April a park volunteer warned a girl not to dangle her foot from the paddle board as the two SUP paddled down the Spring toward the River. Haven’t decided how comfortable I’d be paddling on a SUP. If accidently hitting the gator in the water, my standing up would be turned into a knock over and fall into the water, just in the most inopportune time. The thing is that you can see in the clear water so I guess you would kneel down if seeing a gator approaching, so you could get really wide, more up close and personal, but at least you have your inflatable board between you and those large powerful sharp teeth filled jaws. Still getting used to the Florida/Carolina gator habitat, there is alot of not clear water bodies around that I would never SUP.

Noseeums

Well another habitat of the south is one in which Noseeums inflicted their wrath upon us humans without the pain of a sting or bite. They are tiny little bugs that are descriptive in their name, they don’t really hurt when they bite especially if you are in deep conversation by the fire, play a intense game of bananagrams or maybe it was when John and I were huddled in the Clam as it rained and we played music. He is more sensitive than I, and several times said I’m going in, as I sat by the fire until it fizzled and boy did I pay. About 1 or 2 days later the welts itch and burn, and I really never felt the bites when they happened unlike mosquitos.

I have started inquiring with fellow campers on how to prevent this. One suggestion was a hair product used predominantly by African Americans called ORS olive spray, it is sprayed on and does not have the Deet that is not optimal for continual use. A clear ointment Preparation H formula was also recommended. I found the Aloe Wipes also soothed the burn and provided a smooth way to itch but felt better after the rub down. Always interested to find out more remedies.

Sanford, Florida

Okay enough whining. Another fellow camper discovery was a new App called Ride with GPS. It will show you a map of bike paths or at least more bikeable routes through cities and towns and show you to some degree of certainty whether they are paved or gravel. We discovered the city of Sanford this way. In the height of the noseeum itch and burn, decided to find a bike trail in the area and rode along about 7 miles to the town of Sanford on Lake Monroe. It had a wharf and restaurants, a community center, and just seemed to be a growing vibrant place.

The clouds were a bit looming and we decided we should ride back so really didn’t get too much exploring done except for a walk down the wharf where a marina had 25ft + boats and even a tiny house boat.

Well, as luck would have it and we decided to abandon the springs amid the itch and burn, I found a Harvest Host Brewery, in where else, but Sanford. Wop’s Hops Brewing Company was our escape and they had dark beers and great out door sitting area, but after a bit we retreated to the inside bar because the burn was increasing and I had Noseeum angst. Evidently they have great food, but during the Porchfest 2024 the night before, they ran out of food. So we had to go to Hollerbachs the authentic German Restaurant to eat before consuming more beer, not that they didn’t have good beer there too. There were a host of restaurants along our walk there as well other interesting establishments. Next morning we went to Foxtail Coffee for some Midnight Oil Blend – this coffee shop had something for the whole family including ice cream and a beer tap bar area with some local brews. The town was a wonderful mix of older homes and new stuff with construction going on all over from big apartment complexes on the outskirts conveniently located on the bike paths to smaller renovations in town to houses and buildings Sanford had made our list of possibilities to rent for a month in the winter, someday. Met the welcoming owner the next morning and he is on the dark side just like John so always has something dark on tap at the Wop’s Hops. The town and its people were friendly and a very cute baby mom told us about the kayaking on bioluminescence waves near Tampa in the summer months which sound hot but cool.

Flagler Beach, Gamble Rogers State Beach

On to the coast where I had scored a CampScan cancellation at Gamble Rogers State Beach right on the bluff above the ocean.

This is another beach gem because it has several of our favorite campground features, including bike path to town where food and libation may be enjoyed without risking life or limb. The bike path is separated but runs along A1A on the Ocean all the way to Flagler Beach and way further than that and it is so smooth with the street ramps consistently surfaced for non-slip. Only a few short miles will get you to places like the 2 miles Oceanside Grill (exceptionally nice staff where our desert was compted because it was the end of the night and the eclair cake looked a bit melted but delicious non the less, we had not complained but our waitress insisted as another server, hands full of bussed plates opened the door for us as we left), several huge outdoor rooftop restaurants, and the Turtle Shack (5miles). Lots of construction on homes and buildings with a mix of old and new, but a lot of new, There seemed to be an excess of land and houses for sale and I can’t help but wonder if the exit of insurance companies in hurricane and fire prone areas is creating a buyers market condition. There was even a great little cafe that was ½ mile down the beach from the campground. And here as a west-coaster for the last decades, I saw the first sunrise for what has been a longtime. This park is another super hard to get a reservation park and had better be there no later than 8:00 and 30 seconds, I tried for next year to get a gauge for its popularity.

GeoCaching

Roger Gamble Riverside park across the A1A is where we found our first Geocaches.

No children, momma doesn’t have another App, dad is totally responsible for this one.

While we were at Fort Clinch a few weeks prior, this park volunteer told us how he and his wife entertain themselves by geocaching, and it gets them out to places and find things and recommendations from people otherwise with whom they would have not come in contact. This couple were retired science teachers and they try to get teaching gigs at state parks in exchange for campsites. I believe among environmental things they also teach geocaching and turned us onto it. But like starting anything new we usually forget to do it a lot of times. The app guides you to a location and you have to find the box where you sign your name, leave a card if you want.

On the way back to Fernandina Beach for the annual Amelia Car Show, a stop in our favorite beach towns, St Augustine. Newest discovery was the Mellow Mushroom excellent service, food, great beer selection and music on the weekends and we don’t even need to ride our bike across the bridge to get into St Augustine downtown. Good thing weather was ick and we were feeling lazy,

Bo’s birthday celebration would begin with the arrival his sister, Mary Lou. and more good food, good libation and good times would ensue. Between Mayport Shrimp and Scallops and Blueberry Crisp we would play music and laugh and be horrified with the current news between the weather events and the politics.

Jekyll Island, Georgia

A Jekyll Island outing and a walk along Driftwood Beach was incredibly cool but the noseeums were out, and we came and left lickity split.

Jekyll Island is where the US Federal Reserve was created and is memorialized in the Jekyll Island Club Resort, and of course there is always an old fashioned bar in such places.

We had cocktails and lively conversation with the bartender and other bar patrons at this beautiful resort.

Bo’s new thing is mixing Old Fashions so we seem to always sample them and this was the perfect place, but John and I sampled in th St Augustine Distillery several days early and they had these cool rood ice cubes that were made instantly with these devices in less than 30 seconds in this heated press device.

Fernandina Beach in JBo Land

Back to Fernandina, 2 Jays and Friends is what they call us when we play music together.

We did a few open mic nights, meeting interesting fellow musicians, and discovered the one right around the corner, the Brew Shed with a bonus of really good beer too. Here, John would play bass for the first time with an all-girl band, the Pink Paisleys who really knew how to rock the house.

He always seems to have a way of making it up to a stage of other musicians. Like when we were at the Green Turtle a few nights prior and his getting a drink at the bar turned into him singing Brandy with the band, even though they introduced him and said they usually never do this. Just never know what happens with John, at least I got him to wear pants that night.

Another build on discovery from last year is that Fort Clinch Campground is less than a 5 mile bike ride into downtown where the music, restaurants and beer abound, and we pretty much can ride on an 8 foot divided sidewalk the entire way home in the dark without peril to life and limb. With the JBo house fully booked with nephews and their wives, John and I headed to Fort Clinch to give space but be close at the same time.

PJD taproom has the best variety of beers around and the quaint outdoor seating is a regular, and beer-virgoso, Ben returning from his annual Tampa Beer week trip, always comes to share some new weird taste with PJD.

It was a “start drinking beer at noon day”. The German influence in our group was more pronounced than typical as Ben/Lindsay and Joey/Natalie had visited the Munich Oktoberfest in September and Joey/Natalie even spoke German.

This being the leaning of the group, off to Hofbrau Amelia we schückled. The food and beer is excellent, but our group now with Kathy/Ralph too, took over half the barstools, and before we knew it the tech savvy Ben took control of one of the TVs with his Iphone and played DJ, bringing up many German drinking songs. Many Ein Prozit, Ein Pozit, Gemutlichkeit… followed by the chant ZikiZaki, ZikiZaki, Hoi, Hoi, Hoi’s were sung. The owner really liked the loudness to go with the Saint Patty’s Day festivities that started already in the 16th, and we had many singers among us so we carried on into the dusk. Across the street to the Green Turtle we wandered where John earlier in the week sang Brandy with the duo Hupp N Ray. The Saturday night band at the Turtle was way too loud, and the secret is to go to the adjoining outside area of the historic Florida House Inn, the oldest continuously run hotel since 1857. Here we enjoyed the pleasing audio level of the Green Turtle classic rock band and had to do an Old Fashion Tasting at the Inn since Bo is all about Old Fashion mixing these days. It was late and we made it back to our beach site at Fort Clinch without riding at night issues, although we now are totally set up with multiple lights, front and back. The Amelia Island Downtown is alive with great restaurants, music and general ambience. Now that we can bike ride there from the beach at Fort Clinch we can pursue the “Beach and Beer Combo Camping” that we really enjoy.

Fort Clinch State Park Advantages… You can also ride on the beach at low tide and camping in the Beach Campground make it oh so perfect for bike ride. They even have a bike wash station at the state park as well as a bike tool station. There is a single direction mountain bike trail system that goes along the main road to some degree. Although we saw riders with more hefty tires than ours go through, there were certainly many muddy spots that we decided to bypass because the canopy covered State park road has between a 15 and 25 mph speed limit, so we felt safe even though the road was narrow with no shoulders. And it is shady and totally canopy covered complete with the Florida Moss making it perfect for riding. The historic Fort Clinch itself is a couple hour exploration that we had already done, but has an interesting story and they do re-enactments of the era and booming guns/cannons can be heard every once in a while. Again this is about 1 mile or less from the campground, an easy ride or walk from both River and Beach Campgrounds.

The River Campground has private very shady campsites and great bath house facilities.

Okay back to the Fort Clinch beach Bike ride at low tide, so freeing to just be able to go pathless on a beach. So I rode several miles and guess what you get to the SandBar another on the beach eatery complete with picnic tables in the sand if that’s your style. Yummy Florida style Shrimp and Grits which I had at a different time here while doing the road approach to the place. And then, there is a Salt Life Florida Franchise in the adjoining parking lot or beach if you are doing the beach ride. If the tide was coming in and your quads are a bit fatigued from the ride on the beach to get here, then you just go back via the Fort Clinch Main entrance down the canopy covered road. The entrance is only about 100 yard from these two hot spots which also have music regularly. Also, after about riding 2 miles from Fort Clinch Beach campground, you can see houses on the beach and there are multiple steps up to a gravel road that runs along the beach so if your tire marks are sinking a bit too low, hop up on this gravel road and ride on to a nice cold beer reward that you deserve. The morning of my beach ride was too early, but I made sure to get reservations for next year on the beach side campground because riding a beach feels so energizing. Fort Clinch is one of those difficult beach campsites to obtain, but I have gotten days here and there using the App CampScanner. Looking forward to our 10 days here next year.

A bit of Corn beef and Cabbage for the Saint Patty’s Day good luck back at Bo and Julie’s house and off to one of our top three Florida Beach areas, Saint Augustine to become bonafide, card carrying Elks members. We failed in this undertaking in 2023 because it is a three month process here at lodge 829 in Saint Augustine, but we enjoyed the Saturday band/dinner after being sponsored by member Jim. We decided that Elk membership would give us a sense of fellowship in our travels and also a parking spot as many lodges allow members to overnight in their facilities. And talk of politics and religion is forbidden in social areas. Amen. We had played music at the Elks Club in Kernville, CA and really enjoyed the vibe there too and learned more of the specific benevolent support that they provide to the community and especially veterans. Well I made sure to redo our application in January, they accepted us in February and we were initiated in March.

Saint Augustine is rich in history from the Fort, to the Fountain of Youth, to Saint George outdoor Music Venue and our favorite coconut porter at Ancient City Brewery. Here we took delivery of a Queen Brie from the next-store Grilled Cheese Gallery. They also have Mac and Cheese creations. And this year we used our newly found Ride with GPS app to go on the backroads and over the Bridge into old town. Although the A1A has sidewalks almost the whole way, it is a bit stressful with the four lane 50 mph traffic that whizzes by constantly. Again kudos to this App because you can actually plot a course through neighborhood streets and as you ride along you are instructed to turn, and always see your location on the map.

Beaches in north Atlantic coast Florida have been windy and not so appealing as far as swimming goes. As we are California desert rats, sitting out in the sun is not in our repertoire for the most part. But Paddle Boy got the boards blown up and since we had to transfer campsites, we loaded them up and drove over to the inland waterway launch area at the Anastasia State Beach campground.

Negative of Anastatia State park it is a bit far for paddle boy to carry two paddle boards. There are so many jumping little fish in this ocean dune bored estuary Salt Run, and lots of birds too. A nice paddle to the lighthouse and the marina where there is an outlet to the Atlantic Ocean.