The Monday we were in Florida we took a field trip to Saint Augustine. The weather was perfect and we were all excited to enjoy the sunshine in this old city on the east coast.
Our first stop was Fort Matanzas, a restored historical monument that is located on the river inlet just south of St. Augustine. The fort was built by the Spanish in 1742 to guard against attackers that tried to approach St. Augustine via boat through the river channel. Fort Matanzas is relatively small since the main fort guarding St. Augustine, Castillo de San Marcos, lies at the edge of the city just up the river.
We arrived at the visitor's center, which is located on the east barrier island. We then boarded a small ferry boat which took us on a 10 minute boat ride across the river canal to the fort.
Above is a view of the fort from the ferry boat boarding location next to the visitor's center. And below are two views looking across the marsh lands on the river's edge, taken from the top of the fort.
We learned that the the cannons at the fort could shoot cannonballs as far as the horizon in the photo above. What a gorgeous day to explore this unique spot along the river!
We walked through two levels of the fort and climbed up a very narrow ladder to the top. Notice the old Spanish flag on top of the fort. The views of the river, marsh land, and the ocean beyond were lovely. My parents are looking at the wall of the fort below. The walls were made from crushed seashells (oyster shells, in particular), and it was interesting to see the numerous layers of different shapes and colors.
The beds were thin sacks filled with barely any straw and the furnishings were sparse. John couldn't get over the fact that soldiers did not have much for entertainment. The kids are looking at the checkers set and dice below, but they were not impressed.
After we took the ferry boat back to the visitor's center, it was time for lunch. We went to a casual seafood restaurant on the water and watched a work boat dredge the canal in a local marina while we ate.
Look at that lobster! While fun, the lobster does not match the food that we ate - delicious grilled fish sandwiches! What a rare treat for the girl who lives in Texas.
After lunch we spent a few hours walking around old St. Augustine. This is a photo of Castillo de San Marcos, the main fort that guarded the city. You can see the massive size of the moat by comparing John's size in the second photo below.
Our last activity of the day was a harbor cruise around the bay. We boarded a lovely cruising boat and sat on the top deck while the boat sailed through the harbor and the shipmates gave an audio tour describing the sites we saw along the water. Amelia and John took turns taking photos from the boat, so photo credits below are courtesy of the children.
Below is a photo of Castillo San Marcos from the water.
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