PARANORMAL PUB - "A" Model Point of View - Part l

Marion Pellicano Ambrose

Nothing can compare to the sight of 150 antique Model A cars riding down the narrow streets of the Ancient City!  That was the amazing visual many tourists witnessed this past weekend during the Model A Restorer’s Club Meet in Saint Augustine, Florida.  People waved, honked their horns, and flashed their lights as the parade of A’s wound its way past Flagler College, Saint George Street and the Bridge of Lions. Children begged to hear the “Arooga” of the old horns while their grandparents had flashbacks of their first date and spooning in the rumble seat of a Model A.

The men and women who enjoy the hobby of restoring, collecting and traveling in these beautiful vehicles, are a friendly bunch. They love to swap stories, socialize and visit historic locations. They have a deep appreciation of the past and a sharp eye on the future. They are the original practitioners of “reduce, reuse, recycle”, salvaging a piece of history and sharing it with the world. They come from all walks of life, are all ages, races, creeds and philosophies; and yet they come together as simply Model A enthusiasts having a wonderful time sharing the simple joys of Antique Car Meets and Rallies.

The Saint Augustine meet was held at the World Golf Resort, a magnificent Renaissance Resort of lush green golf courses, winding tree-lined roads and a stunning luxury hotel. Also located on the grounds is a convention center, the Murray Brothers Caddy Shack Restaurant (of actor Bill Murray Fame), a first class formal restaurant and various shops, residential “neighborhoods” and recreational facilities. The huge complex is like a city unto itself.

Our room overlooked a lake and the crystal blue pool. I felt as if I was royalty, visiting a distant village, especially when so many people pointed, smiled and waved as we drove around town in our 1929 Model A Coupe. We visited the Mission of Nombre de Dios, took a stroll down Saint George Street (and did a little shopping of course), and thrilled the crowd of adults and children at the town carousel, which is still only $1 by the way! It was a lovely old-fashioned kind of a day.

Nighttime took on a whole different personality as we prepared to attend our group “Ghost Trolley Tour”. We had a memorable dinner at a little English Pub called “The King’s Head” on US1. The atmosphere was authentic and the food was phenomenal! Shepherds’ Pie, Cornish Pasties, chips, and Bangers and Mash were our choices and one was better than the next! Full and happy, we returned to the convention center to meet the bus that would take us to the historic district once more, but this time for a ghost tour. The absolute scariest part of the entire tour was the trip there. The trolley bus had no windows and the temperature had dipped down quite a bit. Because we had to take the side roads (the trolley was prohibited on I95), it took us about an hour for what would have been a 20 minute ride. Wind whipping, trolley bucking madly over railroad tracks and every bump in the road, all 30 passengers begged for mercy. When we finally reached the depot where our “ghost trolley” awaited, we were so cold that we refused to get on until they lowered the clear window flaps. Finally content, we boarded and met our driver, dressed in prison stripes. His name was “Griz”.  Need I say more? A young lady dressed in period clothes was our guide and main story teller. She told us the story of the St. Augustine Lighthouse (see Ghosts of St. Augustine post ) and the trolley took us to the wooded area where the little daughters of the lighthouse keeper used to play with their friend, and one of the children tragically died. There, a swing set is often seen swinging on its own, no breeze or push to get it started. To my surprise, the swings actually began to sway, though the air was still. The creepy twisted oaks looked like crooked old men, their branches reaching out as if to grab us. It was an eerie experience. The guide told us to take a lot of pictures as this area was noted for having some people’s photos appear full of orbs, while others taken at the same time and place were clear. My daughter and I both took pictures. Mine were clear as a bell, but hers….. well, take a look for yourself!

 

                                             

More ghost stories and pictures in Part II!