Our winter road trip continues with our last day trip from St. Augustine.

Although I agree that it may be Vacations, the old saying actually says Variety is the Spice of Life. If you’re into days filled with a little of this and a little of that, this post is for you. I think this turned out to be a Vacation day with Variety – hitting both nails on the head!

Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
To start at the beginning of this series, visit Seeking the Sun 2023.

Amelia Island Lighthouse

While doing research for this trip, google comments ranged from disappointment to anger that this lighthouse was in a residential area and visitors were not allowed. I gathered that the grounds are only open on Saturdays for a short 3-hour window, but no tours are available.

In life I’m reluctant to take NO for an answer, at least until I’ve exhausted all options – one of my traits that Jim’s not wild about. So I dug a little deeper and found that guided tours are available on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, leaving by shuttle from a nearby recreational center inside Fort Clinch State Park. The stars aligned when our visit to St. Augustine included the first DAY of February, which also happened to be a Wednesday!

Family History

There wasn’t much for grounds to explore and we couldn’t climb the lighthouse, so we figured this was going to be a quick tour. But we were pleasantly surprised when we were corralled into the meeting room of a small building where we met our hosts – one of who was Thomas Sintes.

It turns out that Thomas’ grandfather took over the Lighthouse Keeper’s position from HIS father in 1925 and his mother, Helen O’Hagan, lived here in the residence for the first twenty years of her life. As you may know – while the man of the household was considered the keeper of the lighthouse, the whole family takes on the responsibilities of keeping it in working order during their tenure. So it’s a family affair!

Fast Forward Many Years

The City of Fernandina Beach took ownership of the lighthouse from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2001. Helen, now Helen O’Hagan Sintes (a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary), along with her husband Tom, started giving tours of Amelia in 2004. Helen shared her stories of growing up here – “surrounded by nothing but nature.”

It seems that Helen’s passion for Amelia has been passed down to her son, who has probably heard most of her stories first hand his whole life. He is continuing a tradition to make sure those stories are heard for years to come. The entire tour was very touching and a little heart-wrenching since she passed away in January of 2023.

“Few structures in Florida boast heritage as long and intriguing as the Amelia Island Lighthouse, built in 1838. This is the state’s oldest lighthouse, and it is the only one from the Territorial Period that has survived without major rebuilding.

When the lantern first sent its beam out to sea, Florida was not yet a state. Through the years, the old sailing ships gave way to modern freighters and fishing boats. The beacon kept shining and still guides seafarers into the channel toward the Fernandina Harbor.

The City of Fernandina Beach received possession of the lighthouse from the U.S. Coast Guard in 2001. The Coast Guard, with the help of local Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteers, is responsible for the function of the beacon. The City will preserve this monument, recognizing its importance as one of the island’s most visible and beloved historic sites.” ~ READ MORE

A Glimpse Inside

Although we were not able to climb the lighthouse, I was able to get the shots I love of the spiral stairs ascending upwards. Can you image carrying hot oil up these stairs to keep the lights lit before its automation?

Fort Clinch State Park

Our stop at the Visitor Center at Fort Clinch State Park was a quick one, since we wanted to maximize our time in the park. The last photo is just one of many curves in the road made more beautiful with Spanish Moss cascading from the tunnels of trees.

We decided to bypass the Fort altogether since we had recently been to two others. It does look very impressive, so if that is of interest to you, click on the link just above.

Egans Creek Greenway

In 1996 the City of Fernandina Beach began purchasing what is now over 300 acres that surround Egans Creek to be preserved as the Egans Creek Greenway. A greenway is an open space that follows a river or stream “to protect the habitat of native plants and wildlife, and give animals a natural “highway” to food, water, and shelter. Egans Creek Greenway starts in the city and continues into the natural green space of Fort Clinch State Park.”

This was a wonderful stop, with a distant view of Amelia Island Lighthouse along the treeline and a natural buffer of salt (or tidal) marshes in between. The salt marsh bordering Fort Clinch State Park is considered an estuary – where freshwater from Eagans Creek mixes with seawater from Cumberland Sound to create its brackish water.

A Break by the Beach

After an early morning and all that family history and nature, our tummies were rumbling. Since so far we’ve spent the entire day in Fernandina Beach, we may as well take advantage of the “Beach” part of its name and find ourselves a delicious lunch al fresco where we could enjoy all this sunshine.

Sliders Seaside Grill was a perfect choice and offered a PoBoy that was heaped with shrimp! With the addition of a stroll on the sand, we really made the most of this stop!

Frustrating End to the Day

Old St. Johns River Light

We continued our travel down A1A to St. Johns in hopes of seeing two more lighthouses. Old St. Johns River Light stands near the mouth of the St. Johns River on the grounds of Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville. Built in 1858 and decommissioned in 1929, it was replaced with a lightship – yes, a lighthouse on a ship.

Pictured at left, the lighthouse is surrounded by a chain link fence topped with slash wire. No getting any closer to this one and too bad, because it could be kinda pretty with a new coat of paint.

St. Johns Light

The St. Johns Light (pictured at right) is also located at the Naval Station Mayport, and even though it is still an active light, there is no entry by civilians and no way to even see it unless you can get on base.

This St. Johns Light was built in 1954 to replace the lightship, which replaced the Old St. Johns River Light above. Say that three times real fast! The fourth lighthouse built at the mouth of the St. Johns since 1830, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.

A Stop to Shop

On our way through Jacksonville, we stopped at a local department store to do a little shopping. Turns out we didn’t bring enough warm-weather clothes on this trip, and it has been unseasonably warm. What a delightful problem to have!

Next up: Movin’ on Down

Happy trails,
Barb