A REALLY Full Day – June 19, 2014

Just as planned, we were at the kayak rental place right at 8:30 and so was Blake.  One of the issues with getting older is everyone else starts to look younger and Blake looked like he was 14 years old to me.  Oh well.  We decided to take a two man kayak just in case I got tired Jim could do all the work and let me rest, which I thought was a good option, I might add.  Blake was using a paddle board so he set our kayak at the end of the boat ramp and said, I’ll put my board in and meet you in the water.  I thought it was a little strange because we have always been helped into the kayak whenever we do this at other places.  My first step down the boat ramp was a dilly.  I slipped about 2 feet and realized the ramp was covered in slippery brown mud because we were in low tide.  Walking carefully with baby steps I reached the kayak and the edge of the water only to realize I was sinking ankle deep into this thick mud.  When I swung my leg around to get into the kayak, I flung mud all over the seat but momentum had already taken over and I landed on the seat filled with mud.  I could only hear Jim since he was getting in the kayak behind me, but it didn’t sound like he was doing much better.

We met up with Blake and started toward a creek he said was not too far away.  Blake is making conversation but it is getting obvious my assessment of his age is not too far off.  It’s also obvious his definition of “guided” tour and ours are vastly different.  We are hearing about his friends and where he lives and how close we are to Fernandina Beach and suddenly we see something really big in the water, hunched up and we are headed straight for it. Now Blake sees it too and we are all watching what looks like a whale or manatee but with rough skin.  We finally decided it was one huge alligator having breakfast of something that was fighting back.  Over the course of the two hour tour, we found out Blake is going to be a Junior in high school, has lived in St Marys all his life, doesn’t get along with his boss very well, we are his second guided tour, and he doesn’t know much about St Marys.

After our tour, we walked around St Marys a while and found a coffee shop called the Blue Goose where we had something to hold us over until lunch.

Blue Goose Coffee Shop

Bed and Breakfast in Downtown St. Marys

Old Catholic Church in St. Marys

We went in and out of several shops and talked to the shop owners and got a lead on a great place for lunch.  Remember, the back of my shorts have brown stains on them from the mud and I’m hoping everyone thinks “mud” before they think it’s anything else.  When we were ready for lunch, we followed the lead we got earlier and went the the Mad Hatter Tea Shop.  So here, everyone is dressed better than we are but they seat us anyway.  (They haven’t seen the back of my shorts yet!)  We were so glad they allowed us to stay because it was one of the best lunches ever.  We had a chicken crepe with spinach and mushrooms in a basil cream sauce with fresh fruit that was wonderful.  Then we finished with their specialty of two white chocolate cranberry pecan scones with fresh cream and preserves.

Jim made the comment that these were the best scones he had ever had and we overheard someone at a table not too far away say the same thing.  After this, it was time for more exercise!  We went back to the RV and broke out the bicycles and rode for about an hour in the Crooked River State Park just 1/2 mile up the road from the RV.

We decided to try our favorite place for dinner called Shark Bites.  Its right across from the waterfront park and has a second floor balcony.

View from Shark Bite Restaurant in St. Marys

Dinner consisted of homemade Mac n Cheese with Shrimp for me and Jim had a wild caught gator burger with remoulade sauce.  We each agreed we would order the same meal again (which is our test of how good it is) so maybe we might come back again before we leave and reverse our orders.

 After dinner we decided to drive to Fernandina Beach and walk around since it was cooler in the evening.

Historic Downtown Fernandina Beach

Sunset at Marina in Fernandina Beach

It was 10 pm before we got back to the RV and we were really tired but in a good way.