If you recall, last year's summer vacation with the fam was our trip to Disney's Fort Wilderness. This year we decided to take a trip to good and faithful St. Augustine.
I must admit. Back in my college days, my roommate and I would do crazy things like go to St. Augustine for the day. We were both so excited. We'd get all packed up, driving in the blue F-150, windows rolled down, radio blaring (her singing every word correctly, me mispronouncing and misunderstanding about 3/4 of the words), telling stories and gossiping the whole way there. When we'd finally arrive in the historic area is when our paths veered, drastically.
She is very much a history buff. Me, not so much. I'm very much a beach-lover. Her, not so much. It would usually take us about an hour or two to realize that we had both planned on going to St. Augustine for very different reasons. We'd always find a way to keep both of us happy, but it certainly gave us even more to laugh about after-the-fact.
Still to this day, when I hear St. Augustine, I hear beach; but to most people, they hear, history.
I'm just gonna apologize right now. Even typing the word history sends shivers down my spine. It wasn't something I was ever good at, kind of like cooking, and something I still have no desire to be good at (unless it came with no effort).
My brother-in-law, W, is a major history nut. He can talk about anything in history, anything and he knows it and knows it well. Bless his heart, he's tried many times to get me over to the other side, but it has never worked. He used to be a tour guide in St. Augustine so he really does know his stuff. One time there, the words "Hugenot Cemetery" came out of his mouth and I was done. You might as well have been talking about cooking terms like duxelles or oeuf or sabayon and set a wood spider on my shoulder. The rest sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher and I was instantly more interested in quickly leaving the premises and checking out the shopping.
To give him his credit where it is due, he did just graduate from the University of Florida with his PhD in Archaeology. So, bravo Uncle W. We are extremely proud of you. I really do wish my brain was wired to retain history.
Our trip started with a visit to the Fort. In July. At 4:00 in the afternoon. On a beautiful, cloudless day in Florida. In a 16th century structure (translation: no A/C). It was beautiful, but it was definitely hot, also. The kind of hot where you're glad the shirt you have on is thin and breathable but also wishing that same shirt was a little bit heavier for fear of creating a wet t-shirt contest in front of the whole family. (Note to self: remove camera lens cap from the front pocket of shirt before taking any pictures. Heck, just put it in your shorts pocket, goober. People probably thought you had a mouth full of dip.)
Our precious little ones opted out of the no-nap plan driving there. The Princess Party wrapped up that same day before lunch and in all of my motherly wisdom, I had it planned out for them to sleep, so they'd be rested, and ready to play nicely, and be pleasant for their exhausted parents. Ha!
WHEN
WILL
I
EVER
LEARN?
Good news is, that they were much better behaved than I had expected.
It could have been the built-in entertainment in cousins and loads of help we had there with us the whole weekend. Sometimes, uncles have just the right shoulder.
Nathan, big surprise, was fascinated with the cannons and their ammo. He was pretty sure he could pick one up and bring it home with us.
And Katherine noticed that there were no princesses to be found, anywhere.
Unless you include herself and her cousin, of course.
We stopped by a local hot spot for supper later on that night and took a stroll on the beach.
I thankfully am that annoying family member that is always asking the kids or the whole family to get together for a posed picture. I'm so glad I did, because this one is priceless.
This is what happens when you tell them you have french fries in your nose.
Someone learned the valuable lesson re: throwing sand up in the air.
And this one reminded me of a picture I took a year ago on another vacation. The kids had a favorite hang-out spot in both hotels.
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