Wednesday, August 22, 2012

crescent beach & st. augustine

we are back from the beach!  we had a ton of fun.  weather was for the most part good, we explored a new area and had great company.  what more can you ask for?  i hadn't been to st. augustine since i was a kid, and all i really remember from trips there was the fort.  and how boring it was (sorry mom).  i had no idea that there was such an interesting history there, with such beautifully charming old buildings and things to see...

things like the old ponce de leon hotel (now flagler college), where my grandmother used to take my mom for elaborate sunday lunches.


these pictures do not even do justice in showing how opulent and gorgeous the building is...
the main building houses the largest collection of tiffany glass in the world, if that gives you any indication of just how opulent.


an outdoor breezeway.  i'm a sucker for a good arch!


even the ceilings were fancy.


also very pretty, the casa monica hotel...


sister property to where we stayed in savannah, the bohemian.

i also got to see the church where my grandmother (the original callie) and grandfather got married, grace united methodist.

(it was raining.)


dude...henry flagler built this town.  he led the most interesting (and at times, scandalous!) life...  the man did have great taste in architecture, i must say.



we stopped to snap these pictures before and after dinner at collage on a little date night.  (thanks mom and jeff for babysitting!)  omg - best. dinner. ever.  seriously...if it starts out with tuscan crusty bread dipped in basil infused olive oil and is served with a roasted head of garlic to smear on said bread?  you know it's going to be a good meal.  i had the grouper and it was mesmerizing.  plus, it's a cute intimate place with only 15 or so tables.  oh AND they had one of my fave pinot noirs, meomi.  much to love about this gem of a find in adorable downtown st. augustine.


oh yeah - there was the beach too!

crescent beach is about 15 minutes south of st. augustine on AIA (beachfront avenue!  i know you know that song).  we stayed in a condo steps away from the beach - and the pool, where rush wanted to spend every minute of every day.  seriously.  i think he jumped in close to 1000 times.  if not more.

a rare moment when we coerced him to step foot on the beach...


it was generally empty and calm.


of course i had to check out the real estate.  here's my house - a little charming aqua cottage.  isn't she lovely?


sometimes you would have thought you were in hyannis port with taylor swift.


rinne's not much of a beach girl yet - she preferred to primp inside in the a/c.


she also enjoyed many a meal sitting in her "high chair."  (can you believe this?!  the clip-on portable high chair we brought would not work on the glass table.  the condo complex had a couple of these for folks to use for groceries...and there you go.)


we attempted to get a family photo...  i think this is as good as it gets for now.  everybody looking the same direction at least?!


and it's time for me to face facts - i'm an atlantic ocean kind of girl.  i just love the slow moving, old towns with the desolate beaches and the cool, refreshing ocean water.  crescent beach was just my speed.  thanks mom for having us down on a great getaway!!

xoxo

2 comments:

  1. omg that totally made my morning!!

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  2. Very resourceful use of the shopping cart! Ha ha! And I loved the Taylor Swift reference. Beautiful pictures too!

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