St. Augustine Beach

I knew I wanted to go to St. Augustine. In the game I sometimes play of "Where in the World Should We Move?" I've picked. St. Augustine a few times and played out scenarios in my head of how it would all work out. I like that game. It takes me away. Almost as good as a real vacation.

On days like today, I could totally play that game, and St. Augustine would come up high in the rankings.

But until our cross country venture this past summer, I had never been. But I knew that we should be going.

I knew that the beach wanted us there. But like a lot of things, we had to fight a little to get it.

After convincing Elmer it was a good idea. I did the math, and adding this stop to our road trip would only really add 7 hours. Seven hours is a lot you say. But not if you consider the fact that if we had to do it at a completely different time it would cost us an additional 4 days. How you like them apples?

When we got to the original house that we rented for the week.... it was occupied.

Total bummer. When you have been driving for 4 days with a family of 5 plus 2 dogs and all you want is to relax, watch the waves and swim in the ocean, and your house that you just paid a large sum of money for is ocupado by another family who got their first. Bummer, is kind of an understatement.

But it's only castles in the sand.

There was an even better house, empty and waiting for us and with a way less crowded beach.

As in no one, but us beach. With the tides calm, waters warm, dolphins swimming by, shells to be picked up.

It turned out to be worth the trouble. And Elmer even said that he'd go back.