ANASTASIA ISLAND EXPEDITION!

Anastasia Island is a barrier island, located off the northeast Atlantic Coast of Florida.  It is east of St. Augustine, Florida, running north-south, in a slightly southeast direction to Matanzas Inlet.  The "sand fort" shown in the photo, could be a reference to an actual coquina fort that is in the city of St. Augustine, just across the inlet, called Castillo de San Marcos.  The quary used to build the fortress was mined on Anastasia Island, and so the old Spanish Quarry Site on the island,  is listed on the National Register of Historic Places!

Since the island is 14 miles long (and about one mile wide), there is plenty of room to spread out. 

Seeing this man looking for treasure with a metal detector, may account for why one of the communities on Anastasia Island is called "Treasure Beach".  The other communities are St. Augustine Beach, Coquina Gables, Butler Beach, and Crescent Beach.  

The contingent of five birds, flying in formation, is a common sight to see, as Anastasia Island is located on the Atlantic Flyway for Migratory Birds.  Anastasia State Park is also a stop along the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail.  The state park also contains hiking trails, camp sites, restrooms, and paddlesport rentals.  One may call 904-461-2033 for the most up to date information on this premier Florida State Park. 
 

This photo shows the St. John's County Ocean Pier on Anastasia Island.  The orange sphere in the middle of the photo is actually the sun, but it provides an opportunity to tell the reader that a different kind of "orange sphere" played a significant part in the history of Anastasia Island.  That is because the island was part of a 10,000 acre land grant from the Spanish crown to Jessie Fish, who established a plantation "El Vergel", which means "The Orchard".  Mr. Fish planted orange groves on the property, which produced fruit known as far away as London, for its juiciness and sweetness.  His production increased annually until 1776, when he shipped a total of 65,000 oranges from Florida.  I was amazed to learn that Florida's fame for growing oranges went so far back!

There is a small fee to walk out onto the pier, and it is a popular gathering place for both locals and tourists.  Once you have paid the fee, you have access to a covered pavilion, showers, restrooms, fishing, and sightseeing. 

  

One can walk under the pier for no fee, and it is a serene spot to sit and meditate in the morning, with a cup of coffee, as you watch the sunrise.  I am using this photo of a lady I saw "being watchful" as the visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verses that says, "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful."  Colossians 4:2   You may be sure, I was also praying, and giving thanks to God, for the opportunity to be enjoying this beautiful location!

I was also thankful that I was able to be enjoying this trip to Florida, with my hiking friend, Diane, shown here as we give the "V" for victory salute, on our beach hike. 

This photo shows Diane and I with a new friend from Chicago that we met, during our week of participation in a Road Scholar program ( www.RoadScholar.org ) in St. Augustine.  As you can see from the expanse of beach behind us, this is a great area for not only walking on the beach, but also running, beachcombing, and shelling.  I am holding a green plastic bag full of shells.  I like to collect the empty shells that have a small hole in them, so I can hang them on my "souvenir fish net" at home, after I have written the date and location where I found it, on the shell.

The beach is also used early in the morning for yoga.  This orange cone was the marker that the yoga leader used to tell her class where they were supposed to gather, in order to "salute the sun" that morning!

This photo shows  the beach side of the hotel where our Road Scholar group spent the week.  It was a treat to be able to have beach access right outside our door.
 

Just as many ancient structures were designed to have special designs that would allow a beam of sunshine to go through a specific opening during the equinox, so the pier at Anastasia Island points east, so that one can position themselves at sunrise, to catch it beaming down the row of columns supporting the pier.  

This visit to Anastasia Island provided me "MILES OF SMILES", strolling another beautiful beach, in God's Great Outdoors!

HELL'S CANYON JET BOAT EXPEDITION!

I grew up back in the last century, in a very conservative family, where profanity was not tolerated.  The only time I heard the word "hell" was when the preacher at church mentioned it in his sermons, and even then, it caused my mother's eyes to widen---fearful I would start using the word regularly in my conversation.  However, for someone who grew up on the border of Washington and Idaho, along the Snake River, they have probably become desensitized to the word, because they have heard the name "Hell's Canyon" all their lives!  These souvenir glasses that say "Beamers Hells Canyon Tours" would not have been a good choice for my parents!

Likewise, a tee shirt I saw in the Beamer's gift shop, referencing the popularity of their location, would not have been suitable attire in the home where I grew up!

However, my father DID love boats, and enjoyed going fast, then turning the boat quickly to scare his family----so I think he would have also enjoyed a jet boat ride down the Snake River on a VERY fast boat, that made VERY quick turns!  A photo of the jet boat I was on, is shown below:

Some of the guests who ride the jet boat are doing so as a "side excursion" from their inland-waters cruise ship, that docks just steps from the Beamers Dock, in Clarkston, Washington:

The day that I took the jet boat tour, the cruise ship was preparing to depart, so all the guests on the Beamers boat, were tourists like me, who drove their car to the access point:

The body of water we are on is the Snake River, and is part of a federal government designated National Recreation Area, made up of 652,000 acres, so you might say its human population density per square mile is very low!!  I have visited similar "waterfront" property locations around the world, where every square inch of the surrounding hillsides are covered with houses, but that is not the case along this stretch of the Snake River!

I have read that Hell's Canyon has the deepest gorge in North America, but I am glad I am not the one in charge of making the measurements to determine if it is a true statement!

The boat I was on, traveled over 30 miles on the river,  passing through soaring canyon walls, as shown in photo above.

One
of the two stops we made on our jet boat expedition, was at an official Visitors Center of the Hells Canyon Recreation Area.  It had a nice dock to moor our boat, and also a small beach where visitors could swim and wade, if desired:

The Visitor's Center had several exhibits, with artifacts, and accompanying explanations, that told about the history, geology, and culture of this expansive National Recreation Area. 

This river map is helpful because it shows mileage on the far right side; however, it can be a bit confusing because "SOUTH" is at the top of the map, and "NORTH" is at the bottom of the map.  One thing you can see on the map, is that there is a certain point on the river, where the corners of the three states---Idaho, Oregon, and Washington---all come together.

When we were back on the river, our guide told us that this yurt is the "landmark" they use to tell guests, they are currently traveling over that part of the river where the three states have adjoining borders.  Of course,  there were no markers in the middle of the river with such a designation!  (Unlike the "Four Corners" landmark designation, marking the point of land where the 4 Southwestern  states of Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, and Utah come together.)   Notice there are no roads providing access to this yurt, so I am assuming the access for its owners to visit it, is from the river.

This swim beach we passed by also is self-limiting, because there were no roads leading to it.  

However, we did go through one part of the river that was beside a paved road, and as you can see from the number of cars, visitors without boats were making good use of the opportunity to enjoy some waterside recreation.

Rafting the river is a popular activity, and there are several commercial outfitters who provide such trips.  These folks were all waving at our jet boat as we zoomed past them.
 

When we arrived at the dock that provided access to our lunch location, we were able to get a close-up look at the famous U.S. Mail boat that Beamers operates.  For more than 100 years (they started in 1919), Beamers has operated what they call "The best mail route in the world!", as they deliver mail along the Snake River of Hells Canyon.  Guests can purchase tickets to ride along on the mail boat, as well as the regular tourist boat.  Note the boat also shows their website. 

The photo below, shows what the facility looks like from the river, where we were scheduled to have our lunch, which was included in the price of our ticket.

The photo below shows the upper story of the building, which has windows that look out onto the river.  The bottom floor has a gift shop and clean restrooms, which were a welcome sight, after a long and bumpy ride on the river!

One of the reasons this area receives protection from the federal government is because of its unusual and diverse geological features, and rich geologic history.  The photo below shows an example of columnar basalt: 

 

The climate of the Hells Canyon Recreation Area is sometimes nicknamed "The Banana Belt", because its very low elevation provides mild temperatures, in spite of being north of the 45th parallel.  The abundance of apples growing on this tree along the river indicates there will soon be a plentiful harvest of some delicious fruit.  I am using this image as the visual aid to help me learn my First Place 4 Health ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verse that says, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into this harvest field."  Luke 10:2

Even though it is a paradox of words, this expedition in Hell's Canyon, was "heavenly", in terms of being able to enjoy another beautiful part of the God's Great Outdoors!  The photo below showing me with a "thumbs up", on the back of the Beamer's Jet Boat, shows I was a very happy customer!   It was an expedition that gave me numerous "RIVER MILES OF SMILES"!  Tricia

CUMBERLAND ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE EXPEDITION!

If you want to visit the place where this photo of me was taken, you will need to head to St. Mary's, Georgia.  The town is the gateway to Cumberland Island National Seashore.

The town is located on the banks of St. Marys River, which empties out into the Atlantic Ocean, just a mere six miles away.  For this reason, it serves as a prime location for not only pleasure water craft, but commercial boats as well.  With such a strategic location, one can understand why its settlement goes back to the mid-sixteenth century, when the Spanish first occupied the area. 

The town has a lovely waterfront park, that is good for bicycling, running, walking, or just relaxing, as you watch the people on land and the boats in the water. 

The waterfront is also the home to the Visitor Center for the Cumberland Island National Seashore ( www.nps.gov/cuis ).  This is where you can purchase a ticket to ride the ferry boat to Cumberland Island.  Cumberland Island is Georgia's largest and southernmost barrier island.  It has pristine maritime forests, undeveloped beaches, and wide marshes.  Native Americans, missionaries, enslaved African Americans, and wealthy industrialists all walked here.  The island has over 9,800 acres of Congressionally-designated wilderness. 

The Visitor Center has a nice gift shop, viewing platform for the ferry, and clean restrooms.  In addition to these amenities, there are exhibits that tell about the history of the area, including a significant battle that was fought nearby, during the War of 1812. 

Another point of interest along the riverfront, is the St. Marys Submarine Museum ( www.stmarysubmuseum.com ) It is the largest museum of its size in the South, and has exhibits of interest to young and old alike, including a periscope, simulated control room, and examples of sleeping/dining spaces on a submarine.  The museum displays items from both United States and foreign military submarines.

It is only fitting that St. Marys has a submarine museum, because the town borders the Kings Bay Naval Submarine Base.  This sign is a reference to one of the subs that call Kings Bay their home---the USS Maryland (SSBN 738).  This particular vessel is an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine, with the nickname "Fighting Mary".  Since the military submarines are called "The Silent Service", I am using this image to help me learn one of my First Place 4 Health memory verses ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) that says, "The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent."  Exodus 14:14.  When I was researching information for this article, I was intrigued when I saw that the submarine base is adjacent to Grover Island, since I have a family member with the name, Grover. I learned on Wikipedia that Grover Island was our country's first National Forest Preserve!  It was so designated by President John Adams, because its live oak forests supplied the necessary building components for America's naval vessels, such as the USS Constitution. 

A good place to start your visit to St. Marys is the Welcome Center.  There one can get the necessary information needed to fully learn abut the community, and get the map/brochures to guide you  through the National Historic District.  Their phone number is 866-868-2152.

There are at least two historic churches located in St. Marys.  The First Presbyterian Church (shown in this photo) is the oldest Presbyterian Church in Georgia, and its building is the oldest continually used church building in the state, having been in use since 1808.  In addition, the Christ Episcopal Church Historic Chapel had a founding congregation that dates back to 1843.  They constructed a church between 1845-46.  It was burned during the Civil War, but reconstructed in 1889. 

Another historic building is Orange Hall.  Its architecture is a good example of the temple form of a Greek Revival dwelling. It was completed in 1838, and has undergone extensive work to restore it to the beautiful appearance one sees today.  The name "Orange Hall" comes from the fact the home was surrounded by orange trees.  Orange Hall is open for tours, and one can phone 912-576-3644 to get current prices and hours of operation.

The St. Marys Railroad offers themed train rides, as well as a train museum.  You can learn more at their website---www.stmarysrailroad.com

Adjacent to the railroad, is the Theater by the Trax.  A group of very dedicated volunteers are currently offering a live production called "River of Life".  Their website says performances will make the history of St. Marys come alive through song, dance, comedy, and drama.  It is both fun and educational. 

At the time of this visit, the tall sailing ship shown in this photo was docked, and available for visitors to board.  It is a barquentine, which means it is a sailing schooner with 3 or more masts. 

The sign tells us that the name of the ship is The Peacemaker, and it was owned by The Twelve Tribes Communities ( www.twelvetribes.org ).  This is a religious community that has around 50 communities in North America, South America, Europe, and Australia.  It is available for festivals and dockside events, which explains why it was currently moored at St. Marys. 

The Twelve Tribes use the boat to travel between their communities, while providing apprenticeship for their youth in sailing, seamanship, navigation, and boat maintenance.  As a seaman, one needs to know how to spell with Maritime Signal Flags, as well as the computer.  There is no "spell check" for communicating with these flags, so it is important to learn the language correctly!

I took this photo of my friend, Diane, coming out of the ship's large deckhouse, finished in mahogany.  We also visited the galley, and seemed to be un-noticed by a family with small children, who were having their lunch.  They told us they were part of the live-aboard crew. 

Unlike the Peacemaker gangplank, there were no welcoming signs to come visit the boat at the end of this dock.  We decided it must be some type of government or law enforcement boat, since it had the familiar blue strip across the front.  At one time, this was an official "Port of Entry" for the U.S., as the St. Marys River forms the winding border between the states of Florida and Georgia, before it empties into the Atlantic Ocean. 

We had hoped to do some kayaking in the Cumberland National Seashore area, but alas, the rain ( and running short on time) made us decide against it, in spite of this cheery looking kayaker below,  inviting us to join the fun!

There are kayak outfitters that can set you up with guided trips on St. Marys River, that can last from a couple of hours to all day.  Likewise, experienced paddlers can arrange to paddle all the way to the tip of Cumberland Island.  However, this presents some challenges due to the extreme tidal variations and strong currents in the ocean waters surrounding Cumberland Island.  Those notes of caution were enough to make me think I will take the ferry!

I am very thankful for this visit to the gateway of Cumberland Island National Seashore, and the town of St. Marys, Georgia.  It gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!!   Tricia