This two week winter break is what we call "the family vacation". These are the only two weeks out of the year that Ruffin is off. Not to be found at his desk. Nor in front of the computer.
It's the real, authentic, exciting Crozat Family Time!
So we try to fit into our short break a small trip to a place that we have not been yet. Last year we went to Miami and Key West.
This year we picked the nation's oldest city - St Augustine.
So here is a collection of moments we spent together in this charming city.
***
We arrived a little after the sun set on December 29. We settled into our comfortable room and went out to our first exploration. We headed to downtown historic district to see the lights and fill our tummies with good food. We strolled down St. George Street. It was absolutely enchanting with its cobblestone street, cafes, restaurants, bars and shops. We were in for a treat.
The lights were wonderful. They covered so many trees and buildings. The weather was cold. Very cold. It felt like Christmas.
We found this little place called "It's Pizza Time".
There, we ate with pirates. Real pirates.
Then we strolled a little more and checked few shops out. I love the feeling of seeing a place for the first time. I like to watch life happening in different places with different people.
I fell in love with this beanie, they didn't.
The boys went nuts when they saw this shop window. So we stopped the next day when it was open. (Gabe doesn't look very excited in this picture, but trust me, he was!)
That was how we spent our first night in this city.
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We woke up to a beautiful, sunny, cold day.
We stopped at the Castillo de San Marcos first.
It's amazing how little things can make a boy so happy. Shopping last night he found this ring for 0.99 cents. So precious to him. It's the Lord of the Ring's ring. It was the highlight of this trip for Kalei. 0.99 cents. Happiness. (and he made the necklace to hold the ring)
Old time pharmacy.
The oldest wooden school in the U.S.A
Companionship.
We found one of our favorite restaurant here! We had a nice meal.
All the boys wanted to do is to go to this store! They actually stayed two minutes in it, daddy brought them out. Ruffin didn't feel safe to have the boys around so many real swords. Oh boy, were they disappointed!
This magic performance made a good impression on Kalei. He was mesmerized! After that he performed his magic tricks for us in the hotel room over and over again ;-)
Aviles Street. It's the most charming cobble stoned street I have been to. It's very narrow, over two hundreds year old and display on both sides charming little shops, restaurants and houses.
The oldest House.
Lighthouse.
Candy shop.
***
As beautiful as the city is, we decided to spend the last night of the year at home. The boys were not willing to have another full day of walk. So we wrapped up with few more visits in the morning and hit the road around lunch time.
Fountain of Youth.
The oldest Store.
Old jail.
Trips are never how I expect them to be. I tend to fantasize how everything will go. When am I going to learn that with two boys, predictability is not on the table?
Likewise, it always fun, even with its challenges. We made memories that we can go back to. And whatever happened there stays in our hearts forever. Lessons are often involved. I tend not to share the "not so good moments", cause I believe we live through them once and try our best to learn from it. Also, because I want for my family to remember the precious moments we had together.
Have said that, what you see here is not all it is to it. We are not perfect. But we live fully our imperfect lives. We celebrate good moments. That's all it is.
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