Field Trip Fridays!

So now that things have calmed down around the office after our cemetery conference, a few teacher trainings and getting into the swing of things with summer camps, we've started going out into the field on Fridays and enjoying some of the sights around our region.

Last Friday was our first trip. Unfortunately, it was just me and Rosalie. But we still packed up some cameras and headed to the Castillo de San Marcos. To my surprise, I found out this was Rosalie's first time exploring inside.

We wondered through some of the rooms including the barracks, a jail and a chapel. We also checked out some displays of weaponry as well as lots of cannons. We even got to watch one of them being fired. And of course, we did our duty as conservationists and helped out the National Park Service by asking a few visitors not to sit on or touch the coquina walls. When we went into the bookstore, we found so many great books that Rosalie had to make a wish list.

After a quick lunch, we headed over to the Old Quarry at Anastasia State Park. The hole from where a lot of the coquina around town was mined is now filled with mud and water most of the time. But evidence of its use years ago is still visible: a bank of fresh coquina was uncovered. They cut it to replace some of the worst preserved and crumbling stones at the Castillo.

It was a great first field trip. Next week, we're off to New Smryna for more adventures!



-Emily Jane