March 27, 2020 – Around the Great Loop on the Answer

*Week 40:*
*Palm Coast, FL to St Augustine, FL*

We left New Smyrna Beach on Thursday morning and headed to Palm Coast. Our plan was to stay for two nights and then spend a week in St Augustine. Originally, we were to meet up with our friend Frank who lives in Palm Coast but since he was planning to travel to New York, he joined us for dinner in New Smyrna Beach. Palm Coast was still a mid-point to St Augustine so we let our reservations stand since sometimes it is more difficult to change especially when a weekend is involved.

Traveling to Palm Coast was basically calm with a bit more wind than predicted. Of course, the wind picked up when we got to the marina and needed to dock. The forward gear issue still exists and makes docking a bit more difficult than usual. We got settled and planned to walk around town as usual and just relax. Peter received a text from Frank that he cancelled his trip to New York based on his doctor’s recommendation that he not travel by train at this point with the coronavirus. So, we made plans to have lunch on Friday with Frank and his brother Larry.

The nearby town within walking distance was not the usual local town but the European Village, a quaint and unique place with a great selection of restaurants and bars. It is designed like an Italian open-air piazza with shops and restaurants on the ground floor and colorful residential condos above. Vendors were set up under small tents in the piazza, some selling merchandise and some selling their own crafts. An enjoyable walk with lots of activity and lively music for entertainment.

On Friday, Frank picked us up at the marina and we met Larry in a local restaurant, Portugal Wine Bar & Grill. We have never gone to a Portuguese restaurant and asked them for recommendations. Both told us that we wouldn’t go wrong with anything on the menu. Peter had Pork & Little Neck Clams that he thoroughly enjoyed, even his leftovers for dinner. I took a leap and selected the Mixed Picadinho, that included cubes of pork, beef, shrimp, chicken, and Portuguese sausage in a red wine sauce with fried cubed potatoes. A very large helping so definitely a two meal portion. I enjoyed the dish and located a recipe similar on Pinterest that I would like to try at some point.

We also took a ride to see the beaches of Palm Coast and we saw the impact of one of the hurricanes a few years ago. The towns are still in restoration mode. However, with “bike week” at Daytona, there were many visitors resulting in a cash infusion for the economy.

Our plans were to leave on Saturday. The weather prediction indicated that the wind would be more than we would prefer for travel so waited until the morning to make a decision. Saturday morning we woke up to strong winds. We were able to spend another night in Palm Coast and pushed our reservation at St Augustine until Sunday when the wind was to be much calmer.

Sunday brought calmer winds so we left and arrived in St Augustine without issue until we tried to dock. Peter prefers to dock stern in and St Augustine had long fingers so if necessary we would be able to go bow in and still get off the boat. While the wind wasn’t bad, the current was very strong so bow in was the easiest. Even with dock hands on the finger to catch lines, it was not an easy docking – forward gear issue continues. We were happy to get settled, knowing that we would be staying put for a week.

One of the first things that we did when we got settled was to locate a dealer for Yanmar engines and ZF transmissions. Knowing that we still have 1,200-1,500 more miles until we get home, we cannot continue to have forward gear issues. A call was made on Monday and arrangements for the technician to come check things out on Wednesday was a good start for the week.

The plan was to play “tourist” for the week since St Augustine is rich in history. It is the oldest continuously settled city established by Europeans in the continental United States. It was founded by the Spanish under Admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in 1565. It is commonly called the “Nation’s Oldest City.” We had a number of guide books from the marina and used Google Maps to outline a few of the places we wanted to visit. We also have a “local” to join us and make sure we don’t miss the most interesting. Frank is a short ride from the city and decided that since he generally takes his guests up to St Augustine since he enjoys it so much, felt it would be perfect to join us for a short tour and dinner at one of his favorite places, Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille. Harry’s serves a mixture of southern, cajun and creole dishes. It’s been great catching up after a few years. Plus, having local guides add to the adventure.

We walked around the city, exploring certain sites and spent a few hours at the Castillo de San Marcos, a 17th century fortress with drawbridges. We also visited the Colonial Quarter, Old City Gates & Historical Marker, Oldest Wooden School House, the Lightner Museum, Flagler College, and walked St George Street and their quaint shops.

Due to the spread of the coronavirus, expectations are that more closures will continue. At this point we do not know what impact that will have for our return and will need to follow the news more closely than we had been these past number of months.