OCEAN

On Monday we drove to Fernandina Beach, Florida, on Amelia Island. The drive wasn't the greatest. It started raining about 9 a.m. and didn't stop until about 5 p.m. We got here about 2:00. Our hotel room looks out over the Atlantic Ocean. The first thing we did after unpacking was take a nap. Well, I guess I took the nap and Vern watched the Olympics and was on his computer. After I got up we went looking for a place to eat. We found a restaurant called Barbara Jean. (I have a sister named Barbara and another one whose middle name is Jean. I think we made a good choice.) The restaurant over looked a marsh and the huge bridge that connects the island to the mainland. Great view!!!!! After we ate we drove around the island to check the area out and see if there were any changes from when we were here about 10 years ago.

What a view of the sunrise we would have had from our room, except for the fog this morning. We couldn't even see the water and it is a block away. Maybe tomorrow, but it is supposed to rain. Well I guess there is all ways Thursday or Friday. After breakfast the fog had cleared some so we went for a walk on the boardwalk. After a couple of blocks we walked down to the beach and walked. There were a lot of people walking on the beach. The galls were flying around and making a lot of noise.

After our walk we drove to Fort Clinch State Park. After paying our $6 per car fee, we drove to one of the campgrounds and checked it out. All sandy sites and it had it's own boardwalk to the beach. Then we checked out the fishing pier. We walked out to the end of the pier and watched some of the people fishing. We didn't stay there to long. I can only be around the water so long. After listening to the waves crash against the reef it was time for me to get back to dry land. It was much better when I had beach on one side and water on the other. Most of you know I don't like water, so walking on the pier was a big thing for me. Our walk out and back took about 35 minutes. We figured the pier was about a half mile long. I got my walk in, a mile on the pier and 20 minutes on the beach. We then went and checked out the other campground. It had 40 sites and is on the Amelia River and surround by trees covered with Spanish Moss. To me it looked dirty. I'll take the Ledges any day.

When we were walking on the beach this morning we saw a white spot in the distance and figured it was a boat of some kind. It didn't seem to be moving. While we were on the pier we could still see the boat, but it still didn't seem to by moving. After we had lunch (the restaurant was on the beach) we could see the boat and it seemed to be moving a little closer. After we got back to our room it was time for me to take a nap. I walk, but not when the sun is shining and the temps are in the mid 60s. When I got up the ship had moved in a lot closer. It was some kind of cargo ship. It was making its way into the water way between Florida and Georgia. It would have been neat to be on the pier then, because it would have went right by us.