Food, Photos, Beaches, Birds, and ALLIGATORS - St. Augustine Florida

St. Augustine, FL (62 degrees, cool, clear blue skies)

 

Savory Faire Food Tour

The Gourmet Hut

 

 

A delicious afternoon was spent in downtown St. Augustine on a walking food tour.  Jo and Fred Wishnie had recommended the foodie tour and it was a great way to see the city and sample different cuisines.  Our guide took us to four different restaurants and a wine shop (Cuban, Greek, Irish, and gourmet) and we sampled many delicious dishes.   Our favorite was the Irish pub called Meehans and the most unique was the Gourmet Hut.  Be sure to go hungry. 

 

Bev and I love to take pictures to record and remember all our travels.  A walking photo workshop was offered and we decided it might be helpful.  We met a very nice photographer who owned a local photo shop and we walked all over the city photographing popular tourist attractions.  He gave us lots of hints and it was a very enjoyable afternoon. 

 

For example, a common photo in St. Augustine is two marble lions flanking a historic bridge.  If you are not careful a light post appears right in the middle of the lion.  He stressed the importance of taking your time before taking a photo and looking at your subject from many different angles.  He also said to take in the whole scene before shooting.  In this case, if you shot your picture too quickly you may not notice the light pole.  By moving just a few inches it could be avoided.  Here is an example below. 

 

 

 

My favorite tip was to "take a breath"  and be sure to look for the best focal point.  The Lightner Museum is below.  One of the pictures I took before the class.  Can you tell which one?

 

 



 

He also talked about taking pictures from unusual angles such as kneeling on the ground and shooting up or at an angle.  The Flagler College bell tower looks so much better framed by the brick arch.  I had to knell on the sidewalk to get the best angle. 

 

 

 

 

 

The home on the right in the photograph below is a one of the oldest homes in St. Augustine.  It's a great photo but you can see how the modern car parked next to it is out of character.  He suggested using a sepia setting to enhance the older look of the house and cropping out the car.   

 

 

Hopefully I'll remember to utilize some of these techniques in the future from such a great class. 

 

St. Augustine is certainly known for its history and architecture. It also has some beautiful beaches.  The Anastasia State Park has a spectacular beach with the softest sand.  It was pretty chilly while we were there but we managed to go out a couple of times and enjoy the  natural beauty. 

 

 

 

 

JC, Bev, John, Fran, Randy, and me

 

 

Our friends Fran and Randy joined us for a trip to the famous Alligator Farms Zoological Park.  Since 1910 this farm has been featuring alligators, crocodiles,  reptiles, and birds. We were actually going there to see the birds and knew the Great Egrets were hatching some cute babies. Gators, however, are the main attraction of this place. 

 

Baby alligators enjoying the warm sun

 

 

Albino alligator

We were checking out some of the displays when suddenly a low growl could be heard.  Several alligators started to thrash about and send loud growls up into the air.  It was a weird and strange sight and lets just say the odor of their breath was foul.  We think it was some type of mating call.  I guess beauty is in the eyes of the beholder but it was rather creepy.

 

 

 

Our favorite area was the wading bird rookery.  Wood Storks, Ibis, Spoonbills and Herons love to build their nests and hatch their babies here.  The oak trees are surrounded by alligators swimming everywhere and the birds know their young are safe from tree-climbing predators. 

 

 

Many of the birds were displaying their beautiful plumage and love was certainly in the air.  The pink spoonbill nests were beautiful and the fluffy white baby chick egrets were adorable. 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a great time at the Alligator Farm.  We loved our time in St. Augustine and hope to visit again soon! Thanks for stopping by.  Our next stop is Silver Springs.  A fun paddle is planned.

 

Boys will be boys