Ever Hear an Alligator Roar?

Well, this week’s post is obviously not about grammar, but next week’s will, so don’t worry.

We took a family trip — a long weekend — to St. Augustine, Florida last weekend. I don’t think I had ever been there. I was a little concerned about the five adults and the one shower, but it all worked out. We rented a charming old two-story house  (with very treacherous steps) walkable to downtown.

No, we did not visit The Fountain of Youth, for which St. Augustine is famous, thanks to  Ponce de Leon. We heard it was out of the way and expensive. By the way, St. Augustine is the oldest city in the United States.

We walked on the beach (a little chilly), did a wine tasting, and a free tasting at a distillery where we had about 10 samples. The main drag is Saint George Street, which has no vehicle traffic and is full of restaurants ice cream shops, chocolate shops, gift shops — inclluding a steampunk store — and is a really cute place to visit. We walked up and down St. George several times. 

Saturday night was probably the biggest night of the year on St. George Street and the surrounding areas. It was the Night of a Million Lights, when the holiday lights go on all of the buildings. We saw the people starting to arrive early in the day looking for parking. We were glad we could walk! By evening the streets were so packed you could barely move. And try to find someplace to eat! There is a trolley ride, and that night there were horse-drawn carriage rides. The horses were decked out in their holiday finery. The most impressive was the horse wearing ruby red slippers. I posted a photo of the horse on Facebook, and they covered it, saying it might be too violent or graphic. Go figure!

Oh, yes, the alligator farm. We had to drive there. My daughter, son in-law, and granddaughter had been there a couple of months ago and thought it was worth going to again. It was! So many alligators, along with turtles, birds, etc. I had never heard the sound that alligators make. They have a deep roar that vibrates. I think it is their way of communicating. It was freaky. It sounded like dinosaurs, not that I have ever heard a dinosaur! Of course, I can go into my yard, and sometimes see an alligator in the pond, but it just isn’t the same. They don’t roar over here.