Post #45: Time Travel

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

We followed the Matanzas River southward for about 15 miles, one of our shortest travel days yet. The river narrowed after St. Augustine and we began again to see houses and marine businesses along the shores of the ICW.  This kayak rental spot sure caught my attention—clever marketing ploy, I’d say.

The closer we got to the anchorage recommended to us for the night, the memories began to flood in. We waited for the Crescent Beach bascule bridge to open for us.  I had crossed that bridge in a car many times back in the mid 1980’s. Mom and Charlie had twice rented a condo for a month on Crescent Beach on Anastasia Island, the barrier island east of the Matanzas River.  The bridge was one of only three ways to get on and off the island.  I remember how exasperated Charlie got each time he had to wait while it opened for some passing boat since you had to go off island for groceries, gas station, the airport, just about everything. 

I brought 13-month old Sarah and toddler Justin down to visit for a week in March of ’84 and ’85. The condo was right on the beach with walkways over the dunes and a stairway down to the shoreline.  Justin at 3 years old was so confused by the pure white sand that he refused to step onto it—he thought it was snow! I also remember on that trip really enjoying fresh tomatoes in the winter for the first time. I think I had had those mealy tomatoes packaged in plastic crates for so many years that I didn’t believe tomatoes could actually taste good.  Glad I’ve been disabused of that fallacy. Local Florida produce is delicious!

The name of the complex Mom and Charlie stayed at finally came back to me when I saw an ad in a real estate magazine. At the time they were there, I think there were only 4 or 5 buildings.

We anchored directly opposite Fort Matanzas, once a Spanish outpost protecting St. Augustine from the south and now a national monument. Like the Castillo de San Marcos,  it is built of coquina and has stood in this spot for over 300 years. It is surrounded by a nature preserve teeming with bird life and dolphins, and directly to the east (wait for it) we could see Summerhouse!

The fort and the walkways through the nature preserve were closed to the public but we appreciated some spectacular views of the watchtower.