I have to say this is one of my favorite stops along the ICW. The town is so cute with great shops for window shopping and the occasional purchase and then the restaurants are plentiful. So during the last week since we left Georgetown we have been boat bound. By that I mean the weather has been so cold, damp or windy that dropping the dinghy and riding in from the anchorage, even in the midst of the great venue, was not at all appealing. We have taken our time to get some projects done and just some day to day chores. For those that don’t know, I have been working on my certification as a nutrition coach, so I have used this time to study. Greg has used this time to take on the new stair treads I had cut this fall. Little steps are making this vessel more and more like home. As most of you know we have been having some generator “issues” and Greg, along with Robert (our prior owner) have been working diligently to diagnose the root cause of the issue. Thinking they have figured it out now, we have ordered parts that await us in St. Augustine.
Once the weather laid down a bit we took the opportunity to make a run to town and enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas shopping. The boys enjoyed stretching their legs and enjoying the scents that come with land. The nice thing about Fernandina is that they have park benches scattered throughout town in front of most of the busier shops and I could feel comfortable doing all the window shopping I wanted knowing Greg and crew were happy sitting and grabbing all the petting from passers by.
The sights and sounds of Christmas were just what I needed to get me in the spirit and start the exciting week prior to the kids joining us in St. Augustine. The kids leave their home in Waynesboro on Friday the 16th and head to Orlando for four or five days and then will head to St. Augustine for two days to see us prior to their return home for Christmas. It will be a quick trip but I will love every moment of it.
We have enjoyed watching the boat traffic and even the cruise ship tying up at the marina across from the anchorage. The town sure is pretty both day and night. We have met a couple of cruisers and have enjoyed hearing their stories. We can remember our first trip and that is what we hear from some this year……their first trip…..and they are so much younger than we were when we started. Exciting times are in store for them and we just smile as we think back on the trips we have made and how each one is somehow different than the others. What makes it that way for us is in the folks we meet along the way. Sure we have our favorite folks we like to catch up with, but making new acquaintances and getting to hear some new stories is always fun.
