I know there's a big world out there like the one I saw on the screen.
I made a sort of diary thing while I was there. So...here goes!
Saturday.
We arrived in St. Augustine after a three hour ride. Instead of staying in a hotel, my mother rented a house for the week, which is pretty sweet. Right now the house holds myself, my parents, my mother’s cousin (Eileen), Eileen’s husband (Bernie), their two kids (David and Alex) and my other cousin, TheOtherBianca. The house is two stories and just all-around very beachy. There are actually flip-flops hanging on the wall near me as I type this. As soon as we got here the adults started blaring the Spanish music and almost set the grill on fire, which was not so fun. But then we went to the beach, which is a very close walk. It’s a private beach especially for the people staying in this area so it’s very empty which is good or bad, depending on how you look at it. We swam for a bit and then my cousins and I built a sandman. I meant to name him but I forgot to.
Dogs are allowed on the beach so Lillie got to experience it for the first time. I’m happy to have her here (and away from my grandparents who spoil her too much) but I hope I don’t regret bringing her because she’s already tried to run away about three times. Twice she ran after other dogs and once she just sort of wandered off until we found her trying to get into the pool. It’s odd because usually she is very well behaved and stays close by. Hopefully she’ll start behaving because this really is not the ideal place to lose her.
Sunday.
This morning Lillie woke me up at seven to walk her. I couldn’t figure out why she didn’t wake up my father but I got up, took her out, and went back to sleep. When my mom woke me up later, we all found out that not only had I walked her, but so had my father and Eileen. She also woke up Bernie, jumped in bed with Alex and David, and jumped on Bianca’s face in the middle of the night. I thought she’d be happy to go on a real vacation but she’s really misbehaving. It’s kind of embarrassing and I’m afraid that everyone is going to hate her by the end of the trip. Right now I’m grateful that she’s so cute.
Anyway, today we went into the city and took a trolley to see where all the main attractions are located. There are over four hundred years of history here so everything is very interesting. I wouldn’t mind Florida so much if I lived in a place like this. We stopped at the cathedral, which is very pretty, and walked around a bit. Around 8 we went on the “ghost experience tour.” I’m pretty sure I didn’t see any ghosts but I did learn more about the history of the city. St. Augustine is the third most “haunted” city in the country, following Savannah, Georgia and New Orleans, Louisiana. There are actually several different ghost tours: you can walk, ride a trolley, tour in a hearse, and sail in a boat. Pirates are also a really big theme around here…which is pretty rad. So far the adults have been doing a craptastic job of leading us around so the kids are taking over now. I sat with my cousins and we planned out the next three days of sightseeing. My mother will probably regret putting me in charge because I am determined to see everything.
Monday.
Today we got up early and went back into the city. We walked all the way down St. George Street and then went into Potter’s Wax museum, which was kind of lame. I went to Madame Tussaud’s a few years ago and I have yet to see anything that can compare. But, in all fairness, Potter’s museum has been around since at least the 50’s (some of the figures were used in the 1953 version of “The Wax House”) and even now they’re all still done by hand. In New York they’re all done using computers. Also, the ones in New York are all celebrities, most of which are still alive, so it’s possible to do real casts of their faces. The ones here are mostly of historical figures so it’s a bit harder to get the exact shape.
After that we went to see the holy mission shrine…which is where the first documented mass in America was located. They also have the original outer coffin of Pedro Menendez de Aviles, which was cool. Right after that, we went to the Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum. It’s not the only one (there’s also one in Orlando, although I haven’t been to it) but it was the original. Ripley himself created the museum and several stunts featured on the show were filmed in the parking lot of the museum. That place was really cool. I highly recommend it if you ever have the chance to see one.
Thursday.
I haven’t updated during the past couple of days because I was either way too tired or just completely forgot. I’ve decided that traveling is big groups is not really a good idea. I started to become very annoyed with other members of our group because we kept having problems deciding where to go. My aunt and uncle drove up to visit us so there were a total of ten in the group. But anyway, we went to the lighthouse first. The 219 step climb up to the top was tiring but it was worth it because the view was so nice. Afterward we went back into the city and ate at the “famous” Columbia restaurant, did a little sugar-packeting and stole some fancy paper towels. All we did was walk around a bit more and then left to go home. Then my cousins and I went swimming.
On Wednesday we started by taking the tour of the Old Jail, which is located at the trolley station. We bought tickets for the trolley for four days so it would take us to the important stops and pick us up whenever we needed to go home. And having different tour guides gave us new information every time we rode it and some of the drivers were really funny and interesting, particularly Ted and Wendy. (Don’t ask.) We then took the trolley to Flagler College and took the tour there. It used to be the Ponce de Leon Hotel and was converted into a school in 1967. The architecture is nothing short of amazing. I considered transferring before I even took the tour. Next, we walked to the winery. I didn’t get to sample any wine but I did go on the tour, which was all right. The adults played in the gift shop for a bit and then we went to the fountain of youth. I always thought the fountain didn’t exist at all. There’s even proof that Juan Ponce de Leon found it. The water has been somewhat depleted so it looks more like a hole in the ground but they give you cups of water to let you drink from it. The water tastes pretty gross, though. And it’s pretty unlikely that it can actually provide the drinker with youthfulness so…the fountain of youth doesn’t really exist but it’s here in St. Augustine.
After we got home we went to the beach for a bit. The water is a tad bit too wave-y because it kept knocking me over and I felt like I was drowning a few times. I prefer the pool. I also completed my fifth roll of film on this day.
We decided to take a break day today. My cousins and I spent a large part of the day sitting around in pajamas and then went down to the pool for a while. I really enjoy spending time with them and I wish I had the opportunity to see them more often. Basically all we do is tease each other a lot but it’s fun and I miss David and Alex every year when they leave. I don’t even see Bianca much and she only lives a few blocks away from me. It’s pathetic.
Friday.
Last day in St. Augustine. :( We woke up this morning, sat around for a bit, and then went back into the city for the last day. I saw el Castillo de San Marco, aka The Fort. It’s not as cool as the ones in Puerto Rico but I couldn’t leave without seeing it. We saw the “Spanish soldiers” fire a cannon, so that was cool. Afterwards, we went back to the Memorial Presbyterian church, which Henry Flagler erected for his daughter after she passed away, but it was closed. It’s really pretty, though. Then my mom, Bianca, and Eileen, and I went shopping and I bought a couple of nifty things. Then we came back to the house, went swimming, and just sat around. I’m very sad that it’s my last night here but I’m exhausted so I think I’ll stop typing now.
Saturday.
Finally home now. I am happy to be back, although I did enjoy myself. Yesterday I found out that my grandmother had laid down to take a nap and fell off her bed. A lamp fell on her and damaged her eye pretty badly. I went to see her today and she looked okay…I’m just doubly concerned because she has enough physical problems to be getting on with. And when it was time to leave and I went to say good-bye to my grandfather, I told him that I’m leaving for UCF on Friday and he became really upset. He was suddenly very quiet and his eyes started to water. I wish I had brought it to his attention earlier to it wouldn’t have come as so much of a shock but I didn’t realize it myself. I just kept thinking that I start school at the end of August. He watched my mother grow up, and saw my sister move out, and my sister has kids but they live with her in Utah so I’m the only one left. I hate seeing him so upset but I can’t do anything. I can’t just stay in Spring Hill forever. I wish he wouldn’t become so emotional though. But it made me realize that this week is going to be harder than I thought. I don’t want to say good-bye to everyone. I mean, the whole thing is ridiculous because I’ll only be two hours away so I’ll be home a lot and I know I’ll see everyone again. But I still can’t help but be slightly upset.
And, for those of you that have been asking, my cousin Bianca is doing all right. I still don’t really know what happened though because she didn’t talk to me about it and the story keeps changing. The most recent story is that her ex-boyfriend was at her birthday party and was drinking. They’re still really good friends (even now, which is insane) and it seems that he might’ve been the one that hurt her (and possibly knocked her unconscious). I wish this wasn’t the case but it is the scenario that makes the most sense. Supposedly she feels bad for him about something and that’s why they’re still friends…I don’t know, I’m way out of the loop and nothing makes sense to me. Either way, she’s okay and she’s moving back to UCF on Tuesday and I’ll be moving on Friday.