Storms on the Gulf Stream - digital sketch by the author.
A new exhibit at the St. Augustine Historical Society tells the story of St. Augustine and the First Coast with maps. For 500 years this area has documented on maps dating from as early as 1502. The exhibit is open daily from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm in the Page Edwards Gallery at the Oldest House Complex.
A view of the kitchen yard and back of the house.
Today the Llambias house is maintained by the St. Augustine Historical Society. The garden is available for weddings and other social events.
Marine Studios 1949. Photo courtesy of the Florida Photographic Collection
Marine Studios, later known as Marineland of Florida, opened in 1938 and was billed as the world’s first “oceanarium”. It is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the south end of St. Johns County. The road you see here is part of scenic A1A. The circular structure on the right was the dolphin tank. You could watch the dolphins from the top or from two levels of portholes surrounding the sides of the tank. You can see one through the door on the bottom right. To the left of the mast is the rectangular tank that showcased an assortment of sea creatures ranging from sharks to sea turtles to grouper.
These buildings are gone now. A modern facility offering dolphin adventures has taken its place. The facility was recently purchased by the Georgia Aquarium.
I just noticed that there’s now a Marineland edition of the Images of America series. I can’t wait for my copy to arrive!
It’s perfect weather for a paddle and Bulow Creek is the perfect place for a relaxing paddle through Florida’s wilderness.
It’s always a delight to walk the dogs around the neighborhood this time of year. The azaleas are blooming out nicely, there’s Carolina jasmine and still quite a few camellias too. Soon we’ll add wisteria, orange blossoms and more jasmine.
On the flip side – the oaks are blooming – and dropping their old leaves – making life miserable for all the allergy sufferers among us.
Oh, and spring training is going full-speed too. Yes, it’s spring in north Florida!
The St. Augustine Lighthouse is more than just an attraction. It is also a non-profit organization “dedicated to discovering, preserving, presenting and keeping alive the story of our nation’s oldest port.” One of their many projects is building replica boats. These boats are hand-crafted by volunteers on the lighthouse property.
To learn more about the lighthouse and St. Augustine’s maritime history, visit the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum and be sure to add the Keeper’s Blog to your newsreader’s subscriptions.
