North Florida : Saint Augustine
Saint Augustine
St. Augustine seems more like a picturesque European village than a modern Floridian city. St Augustine is a best place for visitors those who like combination of history, architecture, sandy beaches, bizarre tourist attractions. With deep historical roots, it is not surprising that there are more than 85 historic sites and attractions located here. A visit to the Spanish Quarter Village unveils many of the most famous historic attractions in a concentrated area. The golfing opportunities offered in and around St. Augustine are also enticing. Several world-class golf courses that accommodate varying levels of play are open to the public. The cobblestone streets and hanging Spanish moss add to the city’s romantic atmosphere, making it also ideal for intimate getaways. No matter what reason brings travelers to St. Augustine, it is certain to have something of interest for everyone.
Start with the castillo de San Marcos, the fort that dominates the northern edge of the city. Tours are inexpensive and quite interesting, and a good view of town can be had from the ramparts. This fort is built of a popular local building material, coquina. Coquina are tiny clams that burrow in the sand of the area’s beaches; crushed and mixed with lime and other ingredients, the shells form a sort of concrete that is capable of simply absorbing any cannonballs fired at it from ships in Matanzas Bay (although this has not been tested recently). Leaving the castillo, make your way to St. George Street, where among other things you can tour the Oldest Schoolhouse and a number of other Oldest Things. There are a number of good restaurants and bars along St. George Street and the surrounding area (last call for alcohol is 12:30 a.m.). You can tour the San Sebastian winery, which sits on an unassuming plot of ground near the headquarters of the Florida East Coast railroad, inland a ways from St. George St. Free tours and tastings are given more or less on the hour, or whenever there is a crowd. Experienced wine connoiseurs will no doubt be rather surprised by the sweetness of most of the wines; the local grape, called a muscadine (or musketine, for its resemblance to a musket ball), is quite sweet (but an absolute joy to eat). These light, sweet wines are popular in the rather sultry Florida climate (I like the Reserva myself). The cream sherry is quite good.
Stop in at Flagler College, housed in what was once the crown jewel of the Flagler empire, the Flager Hotel in downtown St. Augustine. This complex of red brick, Victorian buildings once sheltered the New England elite on winter vacations; now they house college classes, a somewhat more egalitarian purpose. Tours of the architecture can be arranged through the front office, but they do need some advance notice. Alternately you could just jump in with one of the prospective-student tours.
For a somewhat different tourist attraction, head out across the Bridge of Lions toward the St. Augustine Lighthouse. It’s three-hundred-some-odd steps up to the top, but the view is wonderful. Admission is relatively cheap. Nearby you can visit the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. For those who’ve never seen an alligator up close, this rather cheesy park is quite entertaining. Most of the alligators don’t seem to move much, but then, they don’t move much in the wild, either. You can watch some of the friskier gators jump several feet in the air to retrieve whole chickens at feeding time, and witness the old art of alligator wrestling.
Nearby is the Florida Outdoor Amphitheatre, with outdoor plays throughout the year, including a Shakespeare perfomance during the summer. Performances of “The Cross and the Sword,” the official state play, can only be seen here.
St. Augustine’s Old City contains many historic buildings. You really get a feel for the town’s early days by strolling the narrow streets lined with Spanish-style houses, particularly in the evening when the crowds have departed. The Spanish Quarter Museum contains several restored structures where re-enactors perform the day-to-day activities of the 1740s. Other sights of note include the St. Francis Inn, the Government House Museum, and “The Oldest House", “The Oldest School", and “The Oldest Store".
The Ponce de Leon Hotel – named for the explorer whose first Florida landfall was in the St. Augustine area in 1513 – now houses Flagler College. The grounds are well worth a look for the lavish garden, fountains and Spanish architecture. Across the street is the Lightner Museum, housed in what used to be the Alcazar Hotel. It has an eclectic collection ranging from art-nouveau pieces to music boxes (there’s also a cafe in the hotel’s drained swimming pool). A block away is the even stranger collection at the Zorayda Castle, modeled on Spain’s Alhambra, whose collection includes an ancient Egyptian rug woven entirely from cat hair.
North of the old city is the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park, believed to be the site of Ponce de Leon’s landing. The park also claims that a spring on the property is the fabled restorative fountain that the explorer was seeking.
While you’re in the area, try to get out on the water on one of the scenic cruises of Matanzas Bay. Several craft ply the Intracoastal Waterway and offer lunch and dinner cruises. Also north is the “Best Bet” at St.Johns Greyhound Park. If you head south from St. Augustine, you’ll find several state parks, including the Anastasia State Recreation Area, Faver-Dykes State Park and the Washington Oaks State Gardens.
Amusements
Family Fun Factory
Smile High Parasail
Attractions
Spanish Quarter Village
Spanish Military Hospital Museum
The Government House Museum
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
Fort Matanzas National Monument
IMAX Theater
Spanish Quarter Village
Trinity Episcopal Church
Castillo De San Marcos
Lightner Museum, The
Potter’s Wax Museum
St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum
Beaches
Anastasia Island
Vilano Beach
Ponte Vedra Beach
Golfing
World Golf Village
King and Bear
Slammer and Squire
World Golf Hall of Fame
