St. Augustine Ponte Vedra 2008 Travel Planner - (Page 29) A bald eagle patrols the park’s upland hammocks. Campers turn me green with envy with tales of falling asleep to the sound of the waves and waking to a stunning sunrise over the Atlantic. I vow to return with camping gear, rent a kayak from Anastasia Watersports and fish the park’s Salt Run, a tidal salt marsh. Perhaps a generous cast netter will share some bait, and I’ll even drop a line down the beach at the St. Johns County Pier. I find taller dunes – 40 feet high – in the northern section of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve. The reserve includes pristine shoreline from the Guana River Marsh Aquatic Preserve (formerly a state park) to the Fort Matanzas National Monument and is divided by developed beaches along the way. In the northern section, peregrine falcons glide on cool fall gusts (when they are likely to be spotted) and the endangered northern right whale calve in the coastal waters during winter. The modern Environmental Educational Center, with aquariums, weekly programs, and a giant telescope for winter night sky parties, is an excellent pretext to any nature excursion in the area. I hunt for evidence of marine life on the shores of Vilano and Ponte Vedra beaches. Dark, jagged, triangular shark teeth, fossilized after thousands of years in the ocean, are commonly found here. After combing the sand near water’s edge for an hour, I find a handful, all smaller than dimes. I treasure them as if they are worth a million bucks. Aquatic Thrills Although there’s plenty of relaxing shoreline to lower your heart rate, the sea winds and white-capped waves offer exhilarating ways to keep your blood flowing. My adrenaline rushes just watching a kiteboarder rise 12 feet above the waves while clutching lines to a colorful parachute above. The northerly winds blowing opposite the strong ocean current act like an escalator at Matanzas Inlet, making it an international kiteboarding destination. October through March is typically the optimum season as the winds follow the cold fronts. Gear up at Extreme Kites Kiteboarding on St. Augustine Beach. I love surfing even though I’ve swallowed half the ocean trying it. Blame it on listening to too much Beach Boys as a child, but I can watch others catch waves all day Events and Festivals Make your vacation to St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and The Beaches a special event. From small-town affairs to crowd-drawing festivals, this cultural and historical gem is filled with fun for event-goers of every kind. Golf fanatics flock to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra each May to get close to the greats at THE PLAYERS Championship. Nature lovers appreciate the more subtle pleasures to be found at the four-day Florida’s Birding and FotoFest in April. For the musically inclined, May hosts the Gamble Rogers Festival, which honors this late, great local musician. Of course, anyone can appreciate the holidays in Florida. The Nights of Lights festival brings art walks, pageants and caroling to the Ancient City, which glows with millions of tiny while lights that illuminate its elegant lines. Distinguished homes throughout the area are decked for the holidays, while charming bed and breakfast inns open their doors to offer treats to seasonal celebrants. THE PLAYERS Championship www.Getaway4Florida.com 29 http://www.Getaway4Florida.com
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