The Ortega River Marina is just wonderful. Here are pictures John took of the sunrise on the morning of 12/7.
John also got this picture of a heron with its reflection in the water.
I saw a large stand of irises. Here is one.
The marina has wonderful amenities and you can walk to Publix and restaurants. We did a provisioning run to Publix in the morning.
We had a problem with our plumbing though. We had been given the name of John Bragg of Royal Flush Marine and RV Sanitation. He did a great job in very little time. He has quite a sense of humor. I particularly enjoyed his trailer.
In the afternoon, the clear skies and bright sun made for another great picture.
For dinner, we went to Tom and Betty's Diner. They had great wings. It was trivia night and we played along. We wished our granddaughter Madeline was with us. One of the questions was on Harry Potter and one was on Greek mythology. Both are topics she knows well. As it turns out, the Great Loop was a category on Jeopardy and some of my friends were PMing me about it.
In the morning we left the Ortega River to go further up the St. John's River. The Jacksonville Skyline filled the view to the north.
As we headed up the river, we passed the Jacksonville Naval Air Station. It takes up a large portion of the river front.
Look at all the planes lined up.
The river is very wide. The air was cool but because we were heading south into the sun, the fly bridge warmed up quickly. The river had many crab pots to dodge. It was almost like the Albemarle.
Palatka has city docks and we tied up there for the night in front of the town clock tower.
There is no electricity or water but you can't beat the free price. The sunset was so pretty.
We walked to dinner and kept an eye out as we walked because we saw several of these signs.
Tomorrow, it is supposed to turn cold with the highs only in the 50's. We will head further up the river. I have been told that the manatees are going up river too to get to the warm springs. I hope to see them there.
Lat 29 degrees 38.76 North
Long 81 degrees 37.67 West
The flotillas reminded me of when we did one here in Wilmington. I was so honored to have joined you. The photos are magical and appreciate being able to vicariously ride along. I hope all is well with Hydrophilic (and your hair - I know how that is). Please let John know that he still has students giving him Senior Comments (it allows students to express their appreciation to those that have helped them along the way). Be safe.
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