Road Trip St. Augustine

We were in St. Augustine in January, visiting our Alberg 35, Mystic. It seems like it has been so much longer ago though. We are excited to get back to her; it's a huge step in the right direction in our quest to return to cruising!

Mystic where we left her last July
St. Augustine Marine Center

Dave & Beth Visiting Mystic in January 2018

After spending a few days in Baton Rouge, we made a quick stop in Mobile for flame broiled oysters at the Blue Gill. We sat at the bar, right next to the table we'd shared with our Looper friends Henry Krezmien and Scott and Rhonda Joiner back when we all lived in Mobile on our boats. As usual, the food was GREAT! It was worth the detour on our way to a layover in Tallahassee.

IPA

Flame Broiled Oysters ~ YUMMY

The Blue Gill
Mobile, AL

Beth, Dave, Scott, Rhonda and Henry at Blue Gill
Mobile, AL 2017

We  arrived in St. Augustine on Monday, driving through rain most of the day.There was a lot of water on the ground. The forecast called for heavy rain over the next couple days. We went directly to the St. Augustine Marine Center, picked up a gate fob and entered the yard in search of Mystic. She'd been moved from the field we'd left her in so the marina staff could coat her bottom with a fresh coat of ablative anti-fouling paint. We were not sure where she was sitting but found her easily. She was sitting directly inside the gate, near the work sheds. All that rain left her in the middle of a big puddle. We parked nearby and Dave stepped out to see if he could get on board. I waited in the truck wondering how I would be able to get on board with my walking boot. He looked her over, then decided we should wait for the water to drain before trying to sleep on her. We drove to a hotel in Palm Coast feeling a bit discouraged. We had so much to do and we couldn't even stay aboard Mystic.

Mystic in a puddle

Mystic on a yard lake

Unfortunately, the wet forecast was spot on. We woke to heavy rain. The puddle beneath Mystic had turned into a lake! We would not be getting anything done in these conditions. We decided to fill our day with a tour at St. Augustine Distillery. It was a short but very interesting. We learned that the oak barrels used to age the bourbon, are only used once for the first fermentation. The barrels are then sent to the local winery for making port wine. After that they are returned to the Distillery so the bourbon can be aged in the port soaked barrels. This gives the bourbon it's flavor and color. At the end of our tour we visited the Distillery bar where we were treated to lovely mixed drinks made with St. Augustine bourbon, gin, vodka and rum. The tour was free and a fun way to spend a rainy day.

Our Tour Guide

We went to San Sabastian Winery next. This tour was also relatively short. We made our way to a long bar where our guide poured samples of nine of the Winery's offerings. The wine grapes available in Florida are Muscadyne which make sweet and light wines. In general, our favorite wine is red but we settled on purchasing a Pino Grigio that was especially easy to drink. We love to pick up unique wines to share on a special occasion in the future.

Entrance to San Sabastian

Oak Barrels

The rain stopped and we were finally able to board Mystic on Wednesday. I had to maneuver up a ladder to get on board. The big black boot I'm wearing to protect my healing ankle had to come off for me to climb. I was uncertain and a bit afraid. The first time up was the hardest, but once I knew I could manage it; I just had to go slowly. We spent two nights in St. Augustine. We took stock, and made plans for projects that would need to be completed before we can cruise again. It was a nice visit that made us feel optimistic. 

Mystic as we left her

Our AGLCA Burgee waiting for our return

The view from the cockpit

Relaxing after a lot of hard work

Beth & Dave on the docks at St. Augustine Marine Center

Our friend Wayne Barbour lives in St. Augustine. He took us for a drive along St. Augustine beach in his Jeep.  It was a refreshing trip with the breeze blowing through the open car and the smell of salt air tickling our nostrils. We found a nice spot on the beach and sat chatting for a couple hours. It was a lovely day and a break from our boat projects!

Dave, Beth, Wayne & Teri at Hurricane Patty's

Dave, Wayne and Beth aboard Mystic

Wayne & Dave driving down St. Augustine Beach

Beach Road

We found the Dog Rose microbrewery in the heart of the Lincolnville, one of the oldest neighborhood in St. Augustine. We stopped by and tried the Ramble Rose Red and Roadside IPA. The place was so new that even Wayne hadn't heard of it! The brewery was located next to a homeless shelter. The building was old but renovated into a beautiful setting for gathering. There was a patio out back off of the loading dock. It was very crowded.

Dog Rose Taps and Beer

We enjoyed our visit to Mystic; our  work is done for now and it is time to move on. We will have to return to St. Augustine with all of our liveaboard belongings and stay for a few weeks to get ready to cruise again. Before heading north, we will drive over to the Gulf Coast for a quick visit with friends. We loaded the truck up and headed west, just a little sad about leaving Mystic yet again.