11/21/13-11/22/13 - Fernandina Beach, FL

The weather has finally laid down, so we unhooked the mooring ball this morning and went to the dock to spend two nights.  The first day we did laundry and then ate lunch at the restaurant at the marina.  We walked the cute little town in the evening and ended up at the Palace Saloon, the oldest continuously operating bar in Florida.  The bar was established in 1880 and referred to as the "Ship Captains Bar".  Adolphus Busch, founder of Anheuser-Busch helped design the bar.  The saloon still has the elegant features from over 100 years ago.  According to local lore, it was the last bar in Florida to close on the eve of Prohibition.  The owner stored up for a last hurrah selling till midnight and grossed $60,000 in a single day.  During Prohibition, the Palace survived by selling gasoline, ice cream, special wines, 3% "near-beer", and supposedly bootleg whiskey.

John and I had a rematch of pool at the Palace.  Sorry to say, but I lost three out of three.  Damn it!  I hate to lose!

The next day, my birthday, we spent a relaxing morning on the boat and then went to town to explore.  John met some pelicans, which he wants to be reincarnated as when he dies, on the dock.  They were fairly tame, standing outside a fish house waiting for the workers to come out and throw the head, tail, and bones that were left after filleting.

John and pelicans outside fish house

We had great appetizers and drinks at the Salty Pelican.  I even ate three oysters, count 'em, three.  They weren't bad because they were broiled.  Still can't do raw, though.

Later, Gay (John's sister) and Terry (her boyfriend) drove over to help celebrate my birthday.  We went to an outside bar with a very good band and had a drink, then went to a restaurant called 29 South for dinner.  John and I thought it was pricey and not all that great.  When we left, we went back to the outdoor bar and had another drink or two.  They had a ping pong table and we played a few games.  It was a great day, night, and birthday.

Tomorrow we will be leaving for Jacksonville Beach.

We are now 888 miles south of the Bohemia River.