North East Florida Coastal Sunrise Adventures

In early November, when the clocks were turned back an hour for Daylight Savings Time, I was in the Central Time Zone.

A couple weeks later, I entered the Eastern Time Zone and the clocks moved forward an hour – which basically put me back at square one.

I’m blaming the time changes but, for whatever reason, I’ve been waking up earlier than ever.

But never fear… waking up early has it’s perks!

At Stagecoach RV Park

This is my last week at Stagecoach RV Park in St Augustine FL.

My spacious campsite is at the end of the row towards the back of the campground.

Across from my campsite sits a large field. The field is not part of the campground – it’s enclosed by a chain-link fence with a big sign that says KEEP OUT!

Earlier in the week…

There’s a morning mist blanketing the field and it’s definitely worth a closer look.

I walk over to peer through the links of the fence.

No one else is outside. The other Camper’s are still in their tiny little camper/homes.

It feels like I’m the only one on the planet.

Just up a ways… I notice a hole in the fence.

The hole is the perfect size for getting a closer look (and a picture or two).

Crescent Beach FL Sunrise

In the pre-dawn hours of another morning…

Taking advantage of waking up before the crack of dawn, I drive to one of my favorite beaches in Crescent Beach FL to watch the sunrise.

It’s a nippy 51 degree morning as I hop out of the van in my usual attire of bare feet, capri’s and tee shirt.

As I reach the boardwalk leading to the beach… the excitement increases.

On the other side of the boardwalk…

I step in to the soft white sand. The sand is cool to the touch.

There’s a hue on the horizon as the sun begins to peek through.

Woohoo! The sun is finally making an appearance.

Sea oats are growing in a sand dune at the edge of the boardwalk. I think the sea oats would nicely accent the sunrise!

The Local’s think 50 degrees is cold. With such cold temps there are only a few people on the beach.

It’s almost like my own private beach!

Matanzas Beach Sunrise

Before the crack of dawn on another morning…

In my still groggy head, my plan was to drive to Marineland FL to watch the sunrise.

Driving down Scenic Coastal Hwy A1A, minutes before I reach Marineland, I get the urge to stop at Matanzas Beach (which is across the road from the Fort Matanzas National Monument).

Other than myself, there’s only one car in the parking lot.

There’s no boardwalk here. There’s a parking lot with a cement ramp leading down to the beach.

The ramp of for people to drive on to the beach. My van is not equipped to be driven on soft sand.

Walking down the ramp to the beach I notice the horizon is hazy-fuzzy like. The weather forecast showed clouds and it looks like this is one of those days when the forecast is correct.

Even though it’s cloudy it’s still a great morning for a walk on the beach!

Umpteen minutes down the beach…

I look back to see how far I walked and I can’t even see the ramp.

Making the trek back, I finally reach the ramp and begin the incline walk up to the parking lot.

I turn back for one last look and… there’s the darn sun!

I can literally see it rising over the horizon. But, if I take the time to walk back to the beach I’ll miss it.

So, standing cockeyed on the ramp, I take a 29 second video of the sunrise.

I also make a mental note to delete stuff from my phone so I have more room for videos!

Marineland FL Sunrise

Before the rooster crows on yet another morning…

The weather app says there’s a dense fog advisory but (peering out the window) it doesn’t look foggy to me!

I’m too lazy to make my own coffee this morning. There’s a Starbucks nearby and it’s calling my name.

Opening my Starbucks app (on my phone), I order and pay for a coffee so it’s ready when I get there.

I love not having to stand in line!

After grabbing my coffee at Starbucks, I start the 20 minute drive to the River to Sea Preserve in Marineland FL. Here’s a link to it on Google Maps.

Funny thing… the entire drive was fog-free.

Arriving at River To Sea Preserve…

On the boardwalk, I stand and breath the fresh sea air and listen to the ocean waves as I wait for the sun.

So far, it looks like a beautiful sunrise is in store.

While I wait, I walk to the stairs leading from the boardwalk down to the beach.

There’s a HUGE drop off at the bottom of the stairs. I could get down to the beach but, with the soft sand, I’m not sure I could get back up to the stairs.

I’m the only one here so I’d better play it safe and stay on the boardwalk!

In the blink of an eye, the orange hue turned a little sour and the colorful sunrise was gone.

PLOT TWIST!

I wait a little longer to see if the sun re-appears but Mr Sun said, “Sorry, Connie. Not today”.

Parting Thoughts

My River to Sea sunrise adventure included a plot twist but it was still fun!

After the plot twist I went to the van and finished my Starbucks.

Speaking of Starbucks…

Did you know I rarely, if ever, pay for Starbucks or use my own money for the tip?!

I use Reward Programs to fund my minimal Starbucks habit.

The Starbucks app gives rewards but I also use apps like Fetch, ReceiptPal and Upside. These apps let me scan receipts from my normal shopping (in-store and online) to earn rewards that I turn in for Starbucks gift cards.

There are a variety of gift cards to choose from but Starbucks is my preference. It’s a fun way to get a treat that I don’t have to pay for!

Next up on my travel agenda…

I’m heading to Homestead FL to spend time with Nikki and Misael (her boyfriend) along with their family of critter’s.

I used to call the critters my Fur-Grand-Kids but not all of them are furry. Maybe I should call them my Grand-Critters!?

While in south Florida, I’ll also catch up with friend’s and, of course, spend time in the Florida Keys!