We spent 10 days on a mooring ball at the municipal marina this time, taking full advantage of their laundry and clean showers. The staff employed extra cleaning practices and boaters gave each other a wide berth on the piers and in the lounge. The morning cruisers net gave us a chance to chat with fellow boaters and I truly looked forward to it every day!
This was a working port! We rented a car to pick up our mail in Green Cove Springs, filled propane, fuel, and water, pumped out our holding tanks (awesome service included with the mooring!), did lots of laundry, installed some of the parts we had ordered, did winch maintenance, and even managed to wax the upper hull and topsides of the boat! We also loaded up on groceries again with an Instacart delivery right to the marina.
Ok, we managed a little fun, too. This was the first place we could easily make it to shore for some walking and without the throngs of tourists it was lovely and peaceful. It’s also a town with great food and while some places we closed, many were trying to keep going and we tried to support them! While Chinese takeout was the first dining out experience we had there, here are a few stand-outs:
- The Floridian. A friend recommended this place on our last visit and we just didn’t make it there. But this time...we had it TWICE! It was that good! They have this awesome “Supper Club” menu that includes an entree and three sides (which can be dessert!) for two people for $22-$26. The first time we ordered we were blown away by the quality, quantity, and superb flavor of all our dishes. The blackened tofu was a hit with the vegetarian crew! We couldn’t believe we had such a great meal for under $50 for the whole family. The second time we ordered we added a cocktail jar—it was amazing, too! We will definitely be back.
- Maple Street Biscuit Company. I know what you’re thinking...biscuits! But that’s not actually what I got the first time we stopped there! Their “community pantry” sign caught my eye...toilet paper, fruit, pasta, flour, meat...and we needed TP! I grabbed some essentials and their large mimosa kit (bottle of Prosecco and fresh-squeezed OJ). We finally did try the biscuits on Sunday morning when they have a great brunch deal on yummy biscuits and gravy. Thankfully we left a few days later or you’d be reading my “how to lose biscuit weight” posts.
- St. Augustine Distillery. The liquor locker was pretty bare so we stocked up on these fine local spirits and mixers. They were also giving away a little bottle of hand sanitizer with each purchase, and you could buy a 32oz refill bottle. We needed some if we were going to do even the little bit of shopping we had planned, so this was a great find.
- Kilwin’s. This is for the kids! It had been 3 months since they last had ice cream so they were very excited when they saw Kilwin’s was open. The shop had clear physical distancing guidance posted and we enjoyed some fresh, delicious ice cream!
This town is just the complete package for me. Good marine services, walkable sights, great food, history, and a fun, active cruisers net. This may just become our FL base! Next time maybe we will hit it somewhere between tourist-crazy and locked-down. Until then, stay safe, sailors!
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