St. Augustine Florida, Old World Charm with a New Spin

There is something about a a city that takes pride of the fact that it has historical landmarks that allows one to travel back in time to dream and wonder about the what if and once was scenario. St. Augustine represents one of these jewels that allows us to get a sense of what this small city looked like in its hey day. With so much to see and do in St. Augustine, it's no wonder that it remains a popular vacation destination plus with its local being so close to the Daytona and Orlando areas and neighboring beaches, it's the perfect choice.

St. Augustine was originally discovered by Ponce De Leon in April of 1513 for the Spanish flag while looking for the island of Bimini. He was on an exploration quest hence was not there for long, especially since harsh environmental constraints, snakes, alligators and hostile Indians in La Florida provided little encouragement to settle there. It wasn't til August 28, 1565, that Spanish Admiral General Don Pedro Menendez was sent by King Phillip of Spain to Florida to conquer it from the French. In so doing just that, he named the inlet of what is now St. Augustine, Florida after the Feast Day of the Patron Saint, Saint Augustine.

Just a few minutes East of I-95, St. Augustine is situated between Jacksonville and Daytona Beach, Florida. Very easy access and easy on and off for tourists who tend to get lost backing up out of their driveways. St. Augustine offers everything you need to enjoy a nice day trip or weeks stay complete with all the amenities, services and accommodations, and did I mention quaint shopping area complete with brick streets and horse carriages, 42 miles of beautiful beaches, museums, historic churches, antiques, Ponte Vedra Professional Golf Course featuring The Players Championship PGA Tour HQ. For those wishing to relax a bit, restaurants such as Barnacle Bill's Downtown, Columbia Restaurant and the Creekside Dinery are a good choice, with many other options available depending on your taste preference and depth of your pocket book. Numerous Bed and Breakfast options are available in the vicinity as well as Inn's and grand hotels ranging in prices from luxurious to economical.

The heart of St. Augustine has to reside in the historical artifacts located in the museums and the buildings of the past. At "the Oldest House" circa early 1600's, the walls were made with tabby, which is a mixture of lime, shells and sand. This process used to be a common building material in Florida long ago. America's first free black community formed in 1738 resides just North of the city. The "Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse" circa 1763 deems your attention to see what schooling use to look like... We're not in Kansas anymore scholars! Also making up old St. Augustine are the Authentic Old Jail as well as the Mission of Nombre De Dios circa 1565. The highlight has to be the huge fort and jail called Castillo De San Marcos circa 1695 that stands ominous overlooking the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Though the name has changed over the years from Fort Saint Mark to Fort Marion in memory of Revolutionary War hero Francis Marion, Congress returned it to its original name sake in 1942. Castillo De San Marcos remains the oldest masonry fort in the United States. The star shaped fort was built entirely of a small shell called coquina, where once bonded and hardened forms a material similar to that of limestone. One unique fact about this type of material resides in its ability to handle the impact from English cannons by absorbing the force of the firepower minimizing the damage to the forts infrastructure.

If shopping is for you then you have come to the right place. Quaint markets, antique, craft and gift shops dot St. Augustine where you can find virtually anything you are looking for for yourself or that special someone. Fresh baked goods, coffee shops and other diverse fare can be found to replenish calories lost venturing amongst all that St. Augustine has to offer.

If you still haven't conquered...no pun intended.. you lust for adventure and the shop-a-holic syndrome then you can always stop by the Old Spanish Quarter and see a genuine blacksmith at work carrying on the tradition of his predecessors of days long gone. Ponce De Leon's Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park has on display numerous artifacts from the days of the conquistadors and the Timucuan Indians and you can even drink from the "Fountain of Youth". The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Alligator Farm represents just small sampling of features found in St. Augustine, Florida.

When you are done walking around and sightseeing, you may want to hit the beaches to unwind and take in the salty air, sand and sun. From Ponte Vedra Beach to Summer Haven, beach goers can scour the shores for shells, take long walks or just lay under the Florida sun and work on their tan.

As you can see, the time line is extensive, though everything to see and do , literally, remains only a stone's throw
away. Again being so close to other key areas of Florida such as the Orlando area, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville and Cocoa Beach areas, making a pit stop in St. Augustine provides a nice option and makes perfect sense.