America’s Oldest City
Our road trip continues in another historic city. St. Augustine is a feast for the eyes – with wonderful water views, fabulous Spanish Colonial architecture, Nights of Lights, and a Bridge of Lions. St. Augustine is a place you can come back to again and again, and not see the same thing twice – unless you want to!
Click on the first photo in each group and scroll to see the square photos at full size.
To start at the beginning of this series, visit Seeking the Sun 2023.
Last time we were in St. Augustine, we had a whole week planned at the end of our Dodging the Deep Freeze winter road trip. From there we had condos lined up right across the street from Colonial Williamsburg and our kids and their kids were meeting us there for spring break. Then we’d spend two days exploring Washington D.C., with a tour of the White House scheduled, a Monuments by Moonlight Tour reserved, along with loads of other stuff on our to-do lists.
I forgot to mention that the year we had this great vacation planned was 2020 – so nothing at the end of our trip went as planned. The cases of Covid were ramping up and the kids’ schools were closing. The White House Tour was canceled, followed by other governmental buildings in DC. We assumed Williamsburg would follow suit, and with two of our family members flying from Wisconsin, this trip was doomed. We lopped off that last 10 days and figured we’d finish up St. Augustine and then head home. And even that didn’t go as planned.
Better Luck This Time!
With Covid now a distant memory (nightmare), we checked into the Grande Villas at World Golf Village in St. Augustine. We had another gorgeous unit with a screened-in porch near one of many walking trails around the property. You can tell that we’ve finally reached Florida by the gecko set to attack the tower in the photo above. No wait, he’s on the outside of our screen. Whew! That tower is part of World Golf Hall of Fame which will close and move back to Pinehurst, NC in 2024.
After an eight-hour drive from New Bern, we got checked in, unloaded, and headed out for some dinner. Our condo was actually a good 20-minute drive into the city of St. Augustine, which is convenient when coming and going on I95, but a ways to drive just for dinner. We ended up at a place we tried on our last visit that was just across the main road outside the resort. Cinco de Mayo is a great Mexican restaurant that was packed on this Saturday night. We waited for our table at the bar, which was very convenient since their delicious ‘ritas were calling our names after the long drive.
Nights of Lights
We eased into the next day, got organized, and caught up on laundry. After Jim went for a small list of groceries, he decided that he was done for the day. He did not want to drive, park and mingle amongst throngs of people – even if it WAS the last night for Nights of Lights. So I ventured out on my own – not wanting a fabulous display of Christmas lights to go unseen. And I’m so glad I did!
“Nights of Lights has been listed among the top ten holiday light displays in the world by National Geographic. During this festival of lights, downtown St. Augustine glows with holiday magic – from the ground to the rooftops. St. Augustine’s Nights of Lights features millions of tiny white lights that create a magical atmosphere in the Nation’s Oldest City, and it’s free of charge… White lights drape the city’s unique Spanish Colonial architecture and glow from the downtown sidewalks to the rooftops.” ~ READ MORE
“The 2023-2024 Nights of Lights will take place every evening from November 18, 2023 to January 31, 2024. The festival kicks off with Light-Up! Night on November 18 at 6 p.m. The City of St. Augustine is offering a Free Park & Ride Shuttle on select days during the Nights of Lights Season. Multiple pick up and drop off locations available.” ~ READ MORE
Plaza de la Constitución is the oldest public space in America. Established in 1573, it is a small park for special events in the center of St. Augustine’s Historic District. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970, the Plaza has several monuments and landmarks, including the beautiful gazebo that’s pictured in several photos above. Although we never made it back for a picnic, we do plan to return to St. Augustine again – and probably again!
Getting the Lay of the Land
Since we were barely here before and St. Augustine is one of seven historic cities that offer an Old Town Trolley Tour, we decided to give it a try. As we rode along and listened to our knowledgeable guide, we could pick and choose where we wanted to get off to explore in more detail. Most of the stops we visited would be worth a look, but we have to save something to do next time we come! My next post (A Closer Look) will go into more detail about a few of the fabulous places that I show briefly in this post.
The train station is packed with stuff to do, and most require an entrance fee. We thought we’d wait for another time to get wrapped up in the tourist traps, although most of them looked pretty interesting. A quick video at this link tells about four of the must sees right there at the station – the Old Jail, the History Museum, the Oldest Store Museum Experience and Gator Bob’s Trading Post. Maybe next time!
All aboard!
Impressive Architecture
The buildings in this city were just amazing! The Spanish Colonial Architecture gave the feeling of “International Sights without International Flights®.”
“Gilded Age Wealth & Architecture. St. Augustine is rich in history, and in the late 1800s, “rich” was the operative word. It was a grand time of magnates, marvels, and magnificent monuments, theatrical resorts, lavish architecture, and conspicuous luxury.
Once a sparsely inhabited near-wilderness, the little town was thriving until the Civil War, rebounded by 1883, and then burgeoned as a premier resort destination for well-to-do northerners. While tourism began in St. Augustine in 1821 with numerous nice hotels, it was Henry Morrison Flagler’s first visit prior to 1883 that ignited his endeavors. He came for his honeymoon and it was love at first sight. The wealthy visionary saw the city’s potential as a sparkling tourist destination, and returned soon after to polish this diamond in the rough.
His wildly successful ventures spurred on other developers of like minds and means. Flagler’s transformation of sleepy St. Augustine had launched the Gilded Age, forever changing the face of Florida. Flagler built the Hotel Ponce de Leon, now Flagler College, as well as ornate churches and railroads that eventually connected north to south, terminating in Key West.” ~ READ MORE
Time for a Break
We heard from some friends that the St. Augustine Distillery (The Spirit of Florida®) should not be missed. So in the spirit of curiosity (and spirits), we got off at Trolley Stop 11 to check it out. The building was very cool and had a very modern and industrial vibe.
We were able to grab a seat at the bar to enjoy a fabulous lunch before our free, self-guided tour (that included spirits!). Rather than getting a straight (short) shot, each taste was made into a delicious cocktail with an incredible mixer that’s also available for sale. One of each, please! Cheers!
“Proudly made in the Nation’s Oldest City. St. Augustine Distillery was founded by 20 local families with a common vision: To create world-class spirits and leave St. Augustine better for future generations. We preserved, restored and transformed Florida’s oldest ice plant into the most visited craft distillery in America. Our mission is simple: To educate our guests how and why our spirits are uniquely different and invite them to become lifelong customers and inspired ambassadors.” ~ READ MORE
What a Great Day!
Next up: Getting A Closer Look
Happy trails,
Barb
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