Blue Moon Sails Away: On from St. Augustine and St. Mary's, Georgia

I was starting to feel a bit ill before we left the mooring but I tried to convince my self that I was just tired, stressed or whatever so we took off. From St. Augustine we traveled about 40 miles to the other side of Jacksonville to a quiet anchorage at Sister's Creek. We left the next morning early to make an anchorage behind Cumberland Island in Georgia. By the time we were leaving Florida waters it was clear that I did have a bad infection and needed medical care. We diverted up river to St. Mary's and it was a good thing on many levels. I was able to find an open urgent care clinic still open Saturday afternoon and get a prescription filled. and I'm now on the mend. In the meantime, we have been able to see some of this historic town. It is thought to be either the third or fifth oldest town in the US depending on which historian is doing the talking. It is where the first pecan trees in Georgia were planted, the saying "See you in the funny papers" originated and has one of the oldest continually used cemeteries in the US. Most folks just come here to catch the ferry over to Cumberland Island and don't take the time to explore the town. In my opinion, that is a huge mistake. The residents couldn't be nicer or more helpful. In fact, we have been offered rides, told all about the best places to see and thoroughly enjoyed just walking the streets and seeing the old houses and buildings. The town was mostly burned down in the Civil War but a few places still stand that date back to the 1700s. The town has been inhabited by Europeans since the mid-1500s and by native Americans for centuries before that. It was a happy accident to find this charming town and we will stop back here on our way home.

All along the river, the sweetgrass lines the banks. You can see miles
of the marsh in all directions. Thankfully the wind has blown in the evening
keeping the bug population mostly away. The river is actually several hundred
yards wide where we're anchored but the width is hidden from shore by the tall grass.

The town's waterfront was heavily damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2017.
They have put their FEMA dollars to good use restoring their park along the river,
installing new ramps and docks. It's not all finished yet but should be great when finished.

Massive old live oaks are all over town. Most are dripping with
tons of Spanish Moss. We are definitely in the Ol' South now!

The main street running off of the waterfront. It was a pleasant mix
of houses, shops, restaurants and churches. We went to Mass in a newer
building but the parish still maintains their 150 year old chapel for daily Mass
and special events.

We didn't have time to find the old headstones but we heard a lot
about the well cared for cemetery.

One of the entrances to the riverfront park. If you click on the picture,
you can see David's beard. This is a first for him and he's hoping to
protect his skin from the constant bombardment from the sun. He hates
to wear sunscreen so he's giving hair a shot.