Today started with a walk on the beach. Daytona Beach was great for walking because your feet don’t sink into the sand. We walked down to the pier and checked out the fishermen, and then walked back along the boardwalk. It was a nice way to start the day. One of the fishermen caught a baby shovelhead shark. This shark had a rounded nose. The nose of the hammerhead shark is straight across.  See, I am just learning stuff on this trip.

Once we got on the road, our first stop was in St. Augustine, Florida to visit the Fountain of Youth. The Spanish settled in the New World before the British and St. Augustine is the oldest settlement in the US. The historic part of the town still has several of the old buildings. We stopped at the went to the park with the fountain of youth. The fountain is really a spring of well water. You go into a building with a grotto and you get a Dixie cup of mineral-y tasting water. The fountain of youth guide handing out the water said he was 55 years old...and he looked really bad for 55. If that is what the water does for you, maybe I should have skipped it.

We continued on north and we are finally done with Florida. We drove the entire cost of Florida from the panhandle down the gulf coat to the keys and back up the Atlantic coast. Although I liked Key West, the place I would try to re-visit would definitely be Daytona Beach.

We drove through Georgia, stopped in Savannah and drove through River Street, and continued into South Carolina. When we crossed into South Carolina there were police everywhere. To get to Charleston we had to leave I-95 and drive 60 miles on a country road. There were unmarked police cars laying in wait for the unsuspecting tourist. I kept reminding Rob that we were in the deep south in a rural area.  We got through ok and the people here have been very nice. But Rob and I did get the eye from the police as we were walking through downtown Charleston. Really. I noticed and said something to Rob who had also noticed.

We walked though the Charleston market, bought two paintings, and had dinner at Pearlz, recommended by Jamie. The seafood was really good. After dinner we walked to the river park and looked for Fort Sumter. Tomorrow we are heading up to Richmond for more history.