Ocala, FL Sunny 74 Degrees
Yesterday we traversed a sort of senior rite of passage. We took a Charter bus day tour. The park we are staying in has new owners and they are working hard to win new snowbirds, retain certain ones who are here and in general make the park much nicer than I understand it was a few years ago. Champ and I paired up with our new neighbors, John and Barb, along with nearly 100 other park guests were treated to a ride to St. Augustine to see the spectacular Old Town Christmas Light Display. Our trip included the bus ride, a box lunch, and TrolleyTickets. All compliments of the owners!
At 1:30 we boarded our busses bound for the oldest city in the United States. St. Augustine was incorporated in 1565. As we walked through the streets marveling at the centuries-old Spanish architecture, I was sure that Iowa had not yet been trod on by a white man in that year. I tried to imagine what my home state looked like nearly 500 years ago.
We had 4 ½ hours there once we stepped off the bus. It seemed like a long time but went very quickly. We walked out to Castillo de San Marcos Fort on Matanzas Bay. The oldest masonry fort in the continental United States. It was staffed by NPS Rangers and cost $15.00 each to go in. I had a fleeting thought about a future Volunteer gig here. We decided we didn’t have time to tour the whole thing and get our admissions worth, so we will save that tour for another day.
We had dinner at a restaurant called Scarlett Ohara’s in a building that resembled a period southern plantation house. I had crab cakes as only they can make them on the East Coast and went off my Paleo regimen and drank a Guinness. I didn’t stop at one I went crazy and had two!
John and Barb Cuny 
Ready for the light tour in our groovey 3d glasses
Afterward we boarded our trolley for the 45 minutes tour of the lit up old town district. This was no ordinary Christmas Light display. This would have made Chuck Griswold envious. To add to the fun, we were given 3D glasses that made all the lights look like snowflakes, including the traffic lights and automobile lights, turning Old Town St. Augustine into a huge stage of dancing snowflakes.
Store fronts in old town 
Your chariot awaits
Even the boats in the bay were decked out with lights. There was one sail boat moving through the water toward the channel decked out in blue lights. The camera couldn’t begin to do it justice without a tripod but a quickshot from the trolley gives you an idea.
We did a little shopping and decided we would definitely be back again on our own time and check out the museums and go in the fort when we have our Golden Access passes that will drastically reduce our admission. We were back on the busses headed home by 8:30. Most everyone slept accept for a rowdy bunch of ladies in the back of the bus who had been drinking steadily the whole trip and provided wonderful entertainment to those of us who were awake to listen to their stories! I imagine they were the rowdy kids on their school busses in their day. I need to meet these ladies! Something tells me they will be at the various card games or bingo when we start getting in the swing of the activity schedule.
I will say, young people are missing out by not taking the ‘old people’ tours. We had an absolute blast! Maybe it’s cause we’re old, maybe it’s just a really well-kept secret of retirement.
We have a lot of winter left to see more of Florida.
Until next time…
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