St Augustine Beach Residency- Day 6- May 11, 2013

Matanzas River

Bridge of Lions

Pelicans

Oldest Schoolhouse in USA

A1A St Augustine

St George Street

Notes From My Residency Journal

Yesterday I headed for St Augustine. The beach town and the other town are from two different planets. SA Beach is relaxed, mellow and great fun. The beach is beautiful, the parks up and down the coast are delightful and there is a wonderful beach town attitude there. I really love this beach town.

The city of St Augustine, not my favorite. It has lost much of its flavor in the last five years. The town fathers have banned street musicians and artists from the scene. I used to love to hear the street musicians and watch painters on the sidewalks. They were part of what made the old city fun.It is crowded with tourists and parking is difficult. Many of the shops are full of junk at premium prices.

There are some redeeming qualities. I enjoy the trolley tours, the old fort, and some of the museums there. The restaurants are pricey. The city marina is quite nice, very clean and the people there are very friendly. There are benches placed around the marina, a nice little shop and it is very organized. Yesterday I took an eco boat tour at the marina which was excellent. The young captain was knowledgeable about the fish, wildlife and birds that are native to the area. We saw Roseate Spoonbills, Oyster birds, Kingfishers, Brown pelicans, Manatees, and Bottle Nosed Dolphins. We toured some of the Matanzas River estuaries and marshlands, and the Anastasia Island. It was well worth the 40.00+7.00 tip.

I was happy to get back to the beach town and leave the noise and congestion behind.
Chad and Sarah's Condo was a welcome haven after a long day.

Today I will do my laundry, one more painting and pack my car for the trip home tomorrow. It has been too short a residency but absolutely fabulous thanks to Sarah and Chad.

Restaurant Reviews

Sea Oats Cafe

This tiny restaurant is in the Publix shopping center in SA beach. it is a cute theme with surf boards as black boards and Beachy decor. The service is good but a bit slow after ordering. I ordered bacon and eggs with home fries. The eggs were good, the English muffin was good, the bacon overcooked, just short of too dark. The home fries were not particularly good. Very bland and under cooked.

My vote for breakfast at the beach is still the Oasis and Cafe 11, both very consistent and flavorful at a moderate prices and outstanding service.

Harry's in St Augustine

I went to Harry's because the prices were reasonable and I know their food. It is a regional chain featuring Cajon style food but toned down in spices. I had the Shrimp Po Boy and it was quite good. It came with hot, crisp fries. The roll was crispy, the shrimp hot and crisp with a nice dill pickle slice, lettuce and tomato with a Romelade sauce. Very tasty and 11.00. I found nothing else of that quality for that price. Most every other restaurant was quite pricey.