Sister Creek is a popular stop for Loopers. It is a free dock next to a boat launch near Jacksonville; a great spot to stretch our legs and go for a walk but there is nothing close by. We headed for Sister Creek after leaving St Augustine behind.
I took a few photos as we passed under the Bridge of Lions at the 9:00 opening but willed myself to look forward instead of behind us. We have a lot of adventure ahead. Looking back only makes me want to stay longer.
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| Downtown St. Augustine |
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| Bridge of Lions open for us |
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| Last view of the Bridge of Lions |
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| Final glance |
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| Fort Castillo, St. Augustine |
We had an easy morning of moving through beautiful marshes, passing only a few fishing boats as well as a couple of Loopers who easily left us following their wake. We crossed the St. Johns River with deep water under our keel but followed each navigational warning; no shortcuts for us! The river is crazy busy with commercial traffic, cruise boats and pleasure craft. Weekends must be even more chaotic here.
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| Looper boat passing by |
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| Blissful Moment |
We entered the tranquil Palm Valley Canal which reminded us of the Keewanaw in the UP of Michigan. It is lined by huge gorgeous houses, all with boats in raised cradles and many with pools in the yard. We were enjoying the view when suddenly we heard a loud crash, then a splash. As our gaze moved toward the sound, we watched a large cruiser break through it's raised cradle and fall stern first into the canal. It slid backwards in front of us. Luckily, Dave powered down and was able to avoid a collision. The owners just stood there, in shock.
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| Cruising along the ICW |
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| Palm Valley Canal, boats on lifts` |
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| Palm Valley Canal Restaurant |
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| Beautiful homes |
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| Palm Valley Canal Restaurant |
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| There is always a place to relax on these canals |
We offered assistance but they decided to launch their second boat and fetch the errant cruiser on their own. It wasn't going anywhere now that it had settled in the middle of the canal. A small power boat turned around and went to the private dock where the owner jumped aboard and hitched a ride to his cruiser. The only explanation we can think of is that this boat was new to the family and must have been too heavy for the existing dock. We marveled at our bizarre timing.
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| Boat in the middle of Palm Valley Canal |
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| Small fishing boat to the rescue |
Sister Creek sits just north of a high bridge in Jacksonville. BAE Systems, which appears to be a military subcontractor, is on the east bank of the St John's River on the south side io the bridge. It's lights illuminate the waterway all night for us. We arrived at low tide, barely making it to the dock in water that quickly dropped to 5'4".
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| In the Shal...Shallows! |
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| Mystic at Sister Creek |
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| Parking lot sunset at Sister Creek |
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| Sunrise on Sister Creek |
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| St. John River, a busy waterway |
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| St. John River Cruise Ship |
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| Flying our burgee |
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| There was a nice breeze at Sister Creek |
We had a quiet night on the dock. Fishing boats came and went throughout the night. A tow or tug passed by, lighting up our whole cabin with his spotlight. We watched a very successful blue heron fish in the mud flats beside the dock. This was a nice stop.
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| Trying to blend in |
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| Tiptoeing to it's prey |
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| Ready for the attack |
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| Fast as Lightening |
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| Pretty good catch, now let's see you eat that |
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| Moving away from the escape route |
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| Almost lost it |
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| ONE GULP |
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| Success |
Tomorrow we leave Florida for Georgia. Our first stop is Cumberland Island National Seashore. We can't wait to explore!
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