St. Augustine:" the Wild Side"

 See the side of St. Augustine that the trolleys will never take you. On this trip we explore some of the waters near St. Augustine (but not around the city itself) and visit a couple of interesting historical sites, including Fort Mose. Nature has completely reclaimed these sites, leaving nothing but vague traces of moats and dikes and lots of great tales.

 

The fee is $39 for "Wanna Go" members (non-members are $50). This includes your boat rental, paddle, vest, shuttling and guide (yours truly). If you'd like to use your own boat, it's $29 for members (or $40 for non-members).


Tour Dates: Please check our calendar at www.adventureoutpost.net

 

 

Description

 

We begin our journey in the sand dunes where, many believe, Ponce de Leon first waded ashore in 1512 and claimed this land for Spain (probably to the disappointment of the Indians watching from the forest). It was then that he dubbed the island (as he believed this to be), 'La Florida.'

 

On the water, one of our first stops is the possible site of a Spanish mission. Throughout the 1600's and early 1700's, these missions dominated life along the Florida coast and inland as far west as the Tallahassee area. Of course, like most Florida sites, the structures that once stood at these places were made of logs and wood and have long since decayed.

 

Most of our route will be on very open, sunny waters. The shoreline panorama that glides past our boats alternates between high-dollar homes and historic city buildings, salt marshes and thickly vegetated sand dunes. We'll stop at a couple of the "wilder" spots along our route to check out vegetation, wildlife and, of course, a sprinkling of historical lore.  

 

Dolphins are our frequent companions in thee waters, especially as we approach the deeper water of the inlet. Many shore birds, heralding from all coast-loving tribes are active around us throughout the day. Most commonly seen are our old friends the egrets, herons, cormorants, gulls, terns and of course brown pelicans. In salt flats and oyster beds, raccoons are often spotted busily rummaging through shells and debris looking for crayfish, mollusks and other inter-tidal goodies to munch. High on their list of delicacies are the curious little fiddler crabs that roam the flats in tiny herds, seemingly numbering in the millions.

 

History

If time (and energy) allow, we'll paddle to the site of Ft. Mose, the first settlement of free blacks in North America. In the 1730's, a steady flow of runaway slaves escaped bondage in the growing British colonies of Georgia and Carolina and made their way south to Spanish St. Augustine. Here, they lived in freedom under Spanish authority. In exchange, they served as militia and were required to convert to Catholicism. In 1738, a small log fort, named Gracia Real de Santa Teresa de Mose, was built for the blacks a couple of miles north of St. Augustine.

 

Strategically located along the North River, Fort Mose served as a valuable outpost. Within two years of it's completion, Ft. Mose saw action as British Gen. James Oglethorpe laid siege around St. Augustine. Mose was captured and occupied by some of the British forces, while others set up artillery at present day Velano and Anastasia Island. In a daring midnight raid, the Spanish attacked and overran the British garrison in Mose. It was an important victory, giving the Spanish renewed confidence to endure the siege until reinforcements arrived and sent the British packing.

 

Early in the following century, Ft. Mose was again the staging ground for an attack on St. Augustine. This time it was a force of Georgians and Floridians intent on taking Florida away from the Spanish and turning it over to the relatively young United States of America. The effort, which came to be known as the "Patriot Rebellion" failed, but set the tone for the steady pressure which eventually led to Spain's giving up it's hold on Florida in 1821.