Flagler Beach Fun on the way to The Nation’s Oldest City

The RS and I took a notion to travel on Saturday and headed out to St. Augustine for an overnighter. We usually travel south for Old World Florida fun but this trip took us a bit north. The highlight was a detour off I-95 across Hwy. #100 to Flagler Beach where local authors were having a book signing at Change Jar Books. All of these authors write their stories set in Flager Beach and are local celebrities. They should be regional or national celebrities. When they are, we can say, “We knew them when…”

The RS knows the work effort that went into writing and publishing Red Clay and Roses and he really appreciates independent authors. One of our favorite writers, Tim Baker was at the signing. We picked up a collection of Tim’s crime thriller/adventure books about Ike and Associates to gift a friend. We met Becky Meyer Pourchot and got a copy of the first in her Hungry Ghost series (which I’ll tell you more about later). I don’t think Becky always wears pink hair or dresses like the Snow Princess, but it was fitting for the season. (photo op)

You can follow Tim Baker on Twitter @blindoggbooks, drop by and show some love. He’s almost at 10,000 followers. You can read my review on Eyewitness Blues and get a sneak peek about Path of a Bullet here.

We also picked up a shiny, colorful, hardback book for our grandchildren by Marybeth Jeitner and Heather Chalmers, Saving Libbie the Lobster. This is about one special lobster, and has rhyming passages that the kids and grandkids will cherish. Saving Libbie the Lobster is based on true events. In the back are some interesting facts. (another photo op)

We left Change Jar Books loaded with good reads and gifts and then stopped into Flagler Beach Gifts run by Michelle, where the RS found a nifty boating hat, the kind he likes but can never find.  It fits the rocket scientist better than it fits Captain, the pug.

While in Flagler Beach we couldn’t resist the opportunity to dine at The Golden Lion. If you have read any of Tim’s books you’ll know why this place is so very important.

First, we wanted to cross A1A and get an uncluttered view of the beach. There’s nothing quite like the feeling that you get when you’ve been traveling and you come upon an ocean view, the breeze, open blue skies, and vastness of the water before you. Flagler Beach is one of those sleepy little seaside villages that’s not inundated by commercial enterprise. Independently owned and operated ice cream shops, cozy coffee cafes, beach bars, and quaint hotels are sprinkled along the west side of A1A, and the most gorgeous views of the Atlantic are to the east.

Then, back across A1A to The Golden Lion.

Of course we dined on the upper deck so we could keep an eye out for Ike and Brewski possibly passing by on their Harleys.  It was a chilly day at 65 degrees, but that just served to keep the oysters cold. After the appetizers, we were served steaming crocks of delicious New England clam chowder. The soup warmed us up perfectly. If you’re ever touring Florida’s east coast, you’ll want to stop in here.

Flagler Beach is definitely one of my new favorite Old World Florida places.

Another day I’ll tell you about St. Augustine, the Nights of Lights, and Castillo de San Marcos.

Have you chanced to meet any of your favorite authors?

Do you have a favorite Florida place?

What did you do over the weekend?