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slowdriving.us 2004 Trip A much longer version with more pictures is also available here. Key West N24 32.9421 W81 47.5175 to Palm Bay N27 59.8168 W80 37.8488 Day ten Tuesday April 27, I drove 331 miles
I have seen Key West, now it's time to go
north. North, is the only way I can drive now without getting wet. As I drove back
across the Keys and the many bridges, I stopped several times to get pictures of
the old bridges.
The State Highway crews cut the ends off of the old bridges to prevent idiots from driving or walking on them. I have been told that a flagman would stand at each end of these one way bridges, and flag the occasional car onto the bridge. Driving up the coast to Palm Bay was mostly on a multilane highway with lots of traffic and an occasional heavy rain shower.
Palm Bay N27 59.8168 W80 37.8488 to Jacksonville N30 08.439 W81 35.5593 Day eleven Wednesday April 28, I drove 221 miles.
After leaving Palm Bay I turned inland to see what was there. I found a very nice area with large trees and small hills around the Fort McCoy area. It was the Ocala National Forest. The directions my sister gave me to her house were from the west on I-10. A short time later I arrived at I-10, and followed the signs into Jacksonville. Then on to her house. I arrived before she got home from work. As I was waiting for her to arrive some neighbor kids came by to see the car. They were very interested in it, and were amazed that I hade driven it further than around the block.
Jacksonville area Day twelve Thursday April 29, I drove about 52 miles
My sister had to work today, and left me at her house to relax. My wife was to arrive by airplane later in the day, so I had time to change the oil. I went to a local auto parts store and purchased the oil and a pan to drain it in to. Once I got back to my sisters house, I drained the oil out, reinstalled the drain plug, and went into the house to wash off the oil spilled on my arms. I must have gone to the bathroom, started the laundry or something to have distracted me. When I went back outside I checked the water in the radiator and greased the water pump. Next, I started up the car and waited for the oil pressure gauge to show pressure. It did not show any pressure, so I ran the engine faster, still no pressure... I had not put any oil in the engine. I shut the engine off and filled the pan with oil. Then I restarted it and everything was ok. As I was returning to the auto parts store with the used oil I felt the car was not running as well as it had been. Oh, its just my imagination I thought, it runs fine. Later in the day I drove to the Jacksonville Airport to pick up my wife, (Patty).
Jacksonville area Day thirteen Friday April 30, The car rested.
My sister, (Sara) and me on Fernandina Beach. Sara drove my wife and me to Fernandina Beach on the Atlantic Ocean north of Jacksonville near the border with Georgia, for the Fernandina Beach Shrimp Fest. It is held the first weekend in May each year. We were early and the shrimp was not ready yet. Patty does not like shrimp and said she did not want to stay. Sara reluctantly drove us back into Jacksonville to another seafood restaurant near her house. She ordered shrimp, and was happy. I like shrimp and would have liked to stay at the fest. Next time, I'll stay for the shrimp.
A Nice old house in Fernandina Beach.
Jacksonville area Day fourteen Saturday May 1 we drove about 83 miles.
Sara and her roommate (Brenda) all rode in the Model A to St. Augustine. On the way we stopped at a small fishing pier to visit where Brenda's father used to fish years ago.
This is the oldest school house in the United States.
I found the following on a site about Saint Augustine: It is the nations oldest continuously occupied European settlement. It was founded in 1565, over forty years before the English settlement of Jamestown was built. The Spanish conquistador Ponce de Leon first set
foot in this area in 1513. Later a permanent settlement was established by the
Spanish in 1565. Numerous battles with the French and British over the area
ensued for nearly 200 years. Castillo de San Marcos, a fortress built of coquina
seashell "rock" in the late 1600s, withstood several attacks and
sieges. The Spanish remained entrenched in the area until 1763 when they ceded
the area to the British in exchange for recently captured Havana. Twenty years later Spain regained its old possession through another exchange, this time by returning captured Bahamas to the British. Spain retained the area until 1821 when Florida joined the United States as a territory. St. Augustine's historical sense can still be experienced through the narrow cobblestone streets, and restored coquina and stone buildings. Picturesque streets with stone buildings from the 1700 and 1800s are accented with moss draped oak trees.
Jacksonville area Day fifteen Sunday May 2, I drove just a few miles.
I am explaining something about the car to three very interested boys, (Brenda's nephews).
Now that I have explained what ever it was to them, its time for a ride.
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