Cocoa to Fernandina Beach

We had a really early morning departure from Manatee Cove! 

An hour and a half after departure, we went under the last bridge between Cocoa and Cocoa Beach.

The beautiful morning sky was filled with seagulls following closely behind Spiritus.

They fed on the small fish that were stirred to the surface in her wake. 

The marina at Titusville is surrounded by wonderful parks.

One is for people, the other is for dogs!

On our walk to the NAPA store for oil we discovered a wonderful, vintage ice cream parlor called "Cruisers"!

The early-morning departure from Titusville brought us another spectacular sunrise!  

Sighting the Ponce de Leon lighthouse meant that we were approaching the city of Daytona Beach.

At 175 feet in height, it is the tallest lighthouse in Florida.

We enjoyed staying at Halifax Harbor Marina in Daytona Beach on our first Great Loop so much

that we decided to visit again! 

This marina is so big that you literally cannot see from one end to the other.

Not only were we in Daytona for Biker's Week, we also celebrated St Patrick's Day!

The First Mate taking time out for a sandwich . . . . 

It's an ice cream sandwich, but a sandwich none the less!

Dropping off our security keys to a dockhand as we depart Halifax Harbor.

Another azure blue sky to enjoy as we continue up the east coast of Florida.

Next stop: Marineland Marina . . . .

. . . . right across the street from Marineland, the world's first oceanarium.

After arriving at Marineland Marina, we walked to the Atlantic Ocean and enjoyed a picnic on the beach.

Something we don't have on the beaches in the Florida Panhandle:  coquina!

The First Mate jumps for joy on the first day of Spring!

Large live oaks, magnolia, hickory, red bay and cabbage palm trees on the River to Sea Trail provided a shady canopy for our hike.  Hammocks, a native American word meaning "peaceful place", cover this nature preserve.

Some of Linda's "friends" were excited to hear she was visiting Marineland!

There's nothing like seeing these wonderful creatures up-close and personal!

A beautiful ending of another beautiful day here at Marineland.

These pelicans reminded us of Tom Conrad's saying, "Don't go where birds walk"!

Traveling north on the ICW, you see modern St Augustine . . . . 

. . . . followed by "original" St Augustine.

Palm Cove Marina, just north of St Augustine, was a delightful discovery.

It was a very short walk to Publix . . . . 

. . . . so there was no fear that your ice cream would melt before getting back to Spiritus!

We enjoyed this view from our salon while waiting for dinner . . . . 

. . . . while these guys waited for leftovers! 

These early morning departures are getting to be a bad habit!

But now we are in the part of the Atlantic coast where we become "slaves" to the tides!

Peaceful mornings like this make getting up early a little less painful.

A sad reminder that a hurricane ravaged these shores not too long ago.

We were excited to spend some time in the much-talked-about town of

Fernandina Beach, on Amelia Island.

We were fortunate to get one of the four lay-along slips that are still usable at Fernandina Marina. 

After waiting for the train to pass . . . . 

. . . . we headed for our first meal at the Salty Pelican.

This little town has more restaurants than downtown Ft Myers!

The infamous Palace Saloon, Florida's oldest operating saloon (1903).

And it smells like many a beer has been spilled here!

At Fernandina's original train station, Linda has a "chat" with David Levy Yulee, builder of the first trans-peninsular railroad in Florida.

We spent an afternoon walking through Fernandina's fascinating historic district.

The 50-block National Historic District is a thriving neighborhood, rich with eclectic architecture. 

At low tide, you can see the sludge that has washed into the docks from the recent hurricanes.

Fortunately, Spiritus was moored in deeper water, at the end of the dock shown above.

Each evening we sat in our salon, watching the sun set over the mainland.

We were thankful to be secured to a dock while boats on mooring balls rocked and rolled in the wind!