I’m behind in getting this post up, but last month, my husband and I ventured down to St. Augustine, Florida for a little getaway. We wanted to enjoy some beach time and were able to find a little rental just a few miles from the beach. No vacation is complete without a couple furry adventuring companions, so we of course brought Kylo Ren and Gryphon.
This was Gryphon’s first big road trip. He’s traveled with me to my parent’s house and also to Athens, GA back in March, but both of those are within an hour and a half or so. St. Augustine is about a 5 hour drive from us, so a good bit longer distance than anywhere Gryphon has been before. He was a trooper though! He didn’t make a peep the entire car ride.
Kylo Ren is always one to immediately make himself at home whenever we arrive at our travel destinations. Gryphon took a little bit to settle, but once he did, the little studio apartment Air BnB rental became the cats’ playground. They both ran around and had a blast together.
We arrived in St. Augustine just before dinner time. We made a trip to the grocery store to stock up on food so we wouldn’t have to go out to eat at all, and then we took Gryphon and Kylo to the beach for an evening stroll. (All the beaches in St. Augustine are pet-friendly at all times of the day). Kylo has been to the beach once before (he hated it), but this was Gryphon’s first beach outing. I had high hopes that he would enjoy it. He loves water and sand, so it seemed like a perfect fit. I was hoping Kylo would enjoy it more this time too.
They both loved it. We plopped our chairs down and just sat and enjoyed the breeze, the sights, and the smells. Neither Kylo nor Gryphon seemed afraid. They didn’t want to walk down the beach at all, but they certainly enjoyed just sitting and taking in their surroundings.
The next day was our first big beach day. We packed up the cats, our canopy tent, chairs, food and water, a little tent enclosure for the kitties, and a tarp. Thankfully, if you have a 4-wheel drive vehicle, you can drive out onto the beach at Verona Beach. We were able to park the car right beside our chosen set up spot, which made loading and unloading the car super easy. We got there at about 9:30am, so it wasn’t crowded or even very hot yet.
We set up camp and had a beautiful beach day. Kylo and Gryphon spent lots of time sitting at our feet in the sand, taking everything in. They would retreat to their tent off and on for a break, but they both spent a lot of time out. Thankfully the beach never got very crowded, and even though the beach is pet-friendly, we only saw maybe one or two dogs walk by. It was quiet and perfect.
That evening we went back out to the beach with Gryphon to see if he would enjoy playing in the water. He LOVES playing in the kitchen sink spray hose, so I thought he might like the ocean. Unfortunately he didn’t like the ocean too much and didn’t want to get close to it. It’s a big leap from kitchen spray hose to ocean, after all! He did enjoy walking down the beach though. We even came across some tide pools, which were shallow and wave-free. He was pretty interested in those.
We had another big beach day the next day, which the kitties enjoyed again. I’m so glad both Gryphon and Kylo enjoyed themselves! Can’t wait to go back again!
Brian Frum says
Oh what a fun trip with so many interesting things to see!
Eastside Cats says
We had to cancel our St. Augustine trip for June, due to the circumstances. So, I got to vicariously vacation with you all, through your post!
Imagine the sea looks a lot different to a cat than the sink faucet, but the tide pools…
Summer says
That looks like such a fun trip! I have yet to go to the beach. Living in northeast Los Angeles, it’s almost a 5-hour drive to the beach here, in heavy traffic, even though it’s only like 20 miles away!
World Of Animals, Inc. says
Thanks for sharing this wonderful post with us. These are some of the cutest photos we have ever seen. Such a beautiful looking trip. We just love that last photo. That’s how our cat sleeps after such a fun time. Have a fantastic rest of your day.
Ellen Pilch says
That looks like a great trip. I enjoyed the photos. That is so cool that all their beaches are pet friendly.
meowmeowmans says
How awesome! Thank you for sharing. We are so glad you, Kylo Ren and Gryphon all had such a great visit to the beach. 🙂
The Island Cats says
What a great trip…to the world’s biggest litter box! MOL!
catladymac says
So good that everyone was able to have fun and stay safe !
The Creative Cat says
What a purr-fect outing!
mommakatandherbearcat says
I’m so jealous! Cats AND the beach?! Kylo Ren and Gryphon are super brave!
Meezer'sMews&TerrieristicalWoofs says
Wow, that was the best catventure yet! Loved that pic of Gryphon with sand on his nose, MOL!