Mystery, Memories , and Military Don'ts!

Have ever wondered why, when your about to go on vacation, you can't wait for it to begin? And when reality has hit you and it's your last day of your vacation, you hurry up to get things pack, and ready so you can hurry back home and get back to routine? Weird!!! Anyone every think that way? Maybe it's a safety switch in my brain that turns on, otherwise I would stay on vacation FOREVER!!! I was thinking about that this morning. We had fun. ALOT of fun. So much fun, that I'm not sure what to say, and what pictures to put on the blog. SO, I guess the easiest way is to list some highlights, and pictures with it. Here goes:
During our drive to Fort Clinch, we saw a rocking chair that was 30 feet tall and a gigantic orange that was about 15 feet tall. While we were at Fort Clinch, it rained almost everyday we were there. However, it gave us a chance to test out Rocky's weather worthy material. He passed with flying colors. But it did get pretty windy...EXTREMELY windy one night. We were very concerned about the awning,but it was fine. Dan didn't get much sleep that night.



We went to Fort CLinch and learned some interesting history about the fort and Fernandina beach, and we went to the historic part of Fernandina Beach. Dan even took me dancing on our last night there. We ate dinner at THe Florida House, and they "tried" to teach us how to do the Carolina Shag. IT WAS FUN. However, Dan and I can not help our friends learn this dance , due to we had to switch partners EVERY time we learned a new move. HOW UNCOMFORTABLE. Hello, my name is Cindy. I have no idea who you, now, take my hand in yours, and lets boogie....VERY ODD FEELING. I was so concerned with trying not to step on the men's feet, that I completetly forgot the steps. Needless to say, Dan and I hardly got to dance with each other, at all. I even had to dance solo so other ladies could dance with a partner...yes, my husband Dan!!! He was BUSY with the ladies...HEEEE,HEE,HEEEE... AWKWARD!. But, most of the people we danced with were very nice, and even talked and tried to help Dan and I. You have to be smooth, one lady said. And smooth was not the way to describe how we were dancing. More like stepping on sandspurs barefooted. Ouch, ewww, . It was a hoot. But I have to say, I HAVE THE BEST HUSBAND IN ALL OF THE WORLD. Dancing is not on his... top things I want to do on vacation, and he was a trooper.




Our main activity was off-road biking. Yes, we bought 2 off-road bycicles, and wore our helmets bravely, and went for it. WHAT A BLAST. We finally found something Dan enjoys doing that does not require us to leave the state. YEAH!!! We did a total of about 12-15 miles Dan said during our entire vacation. Our friends Ed and Sue were with us at Fort CLinch, and shared in the excitement. The trails were definetly more challenging at Fort Clinch, and it was exhilarating. Nothing like a few bike rides up steep sand dunes and backwoods trails to remind you just how out of shape one has become. UGGG! GET PEDALING!!!!NO PAIN NO GAIN!!!! We also went to the beach.
The mystery of the holes in the sand was solved...CRABS! We went boogie boarding with Ed and Sue and tried to recreate Fort CLinch with our sand castle skills (lack of) but it was fun. Swimming, bonding, YEAH!!!. Oh, and found out, thanks to 2 kind spectators on the beach, that we were swimming with SHARKS!!! Yes, SHARKS!!! They actually were VERY CLOSE, VERY CLOSE, to Ed and Sue. These sharks were in the shallow part of the surf too. Sue mentioned after that she thought she saw them swimming around when the four of us were trying to see how far our boogie boards would bring us to shore, but was not sure if that's what she saw. Well, it was. They were baby sharks, only about 3 feet long. TO long, for my comfortor. Here, let me dangle my limbs off my boogie board for you...hungry for a mid-morning snack? We saw 4 sharks at the next campground too. It was our last morning, and decided not to go swimming. But we watched the pack, move it's way down to a group of about 12 swimmers. Um, Hello, Mr. Lifeguard, do you mind ....DO YOUR JOB, SHARK! SHARK! get out of the water people! The lifeguard didn't seem to be concerned...He was swimming in the area we first noticed the sharks, and DID NOT get out of the water. I guess these were friendly sharks...Humans are friends, not food! Sure!

We also went to the Museum of Science and History, the Maritime Museum, Jacksonville Landing, and tried not to go completly insane while driving around downtown Jacksonville looking for these places. Lesson learned...CHECK YAHOO MAPS AND DIRECTIONS BEFORE LEAVING HOME.

We drove our car onto a ferry and road across the St. Johns River. FUN!!! That was a first. We had a wonderful meal at Singleton's Seafood Shack which was next to the ferry entrance.


Oh, and our BIGGEST lesson learned... if you are ever in the quaint little town of Mayport Florida, DO NOT turn right at Wonderwood dr. This takes you to the United States Naval Base. We learned that the HARD way, and backed up traffic for a mile while the kind military police cleared us to enter the base only to make a U-turn. The military frowns on that and claiming ignorance as an excuse WILL NOT be helpful to your case and WILL NOT get the nice military personal inside the base to smile. OH WELL!! ATTENTION CIVILIAN!
Finally our way home included some interesting info. Did you know that Florida has a city named Switzerland. Yes you can get chocolate there, but it's from the one and only Jiffy store, and it was a Hersheys candybar. I don't think we were in Switzerland for more than a mile. ALso, we drove through Hastings, which is the potatoe capital of Florida. They had signs everywhere in town proclaiming this. But we didn't see any potatoes, but saw alot of corn. We are both eager to brave the elements again, both natural and cultural with the boys. AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SO, we are planning a trip the end of August.I wonder if the boys would do alittle Shag dancing with us...NOT!