If
you arrive in St Augustine in the morning or midafternoon, I suggest a visit
to the Mission
de Nombre de Dios. This quiet and reverent place is the site of the landing
of Pedro Menendez de Aviles, and of the founding of St Augustine. It is well
worth a visit; the grounds are beautiful and are a welcome place to rest after
a long car trip. The Mission is easy to find - follow the Great Cross!
Most of St Augustine's major attractions close around 5pm, so evenings are
great times to stroll about the city, and browse its delightfully unique galleries
and shops. Many of St Augustine's businesses are located in its most ancient
buildings, or reconstrcuted ones, so a walk through these establishments provides
an excellent first glimpse back into the city's past. Enjoy a delicious and
wonderfully-prepared meal in one
of St Augustine's fine restaurants, and then take in a ghost walk or a
horse-drawn carriage ride. Both are excellent and fun ways to see the city
up close, with a friendly guide.
St Augustine is rather fond of its ghosts, and the city's ghost walks are
quite famous across the country. A guide in period costume will lead you by
lantern light through St Augustine's darkened streets and tell stories of
the city's favorite ghosts. You don't have to believe in ghosts to enjoy these
walks - you only have to believe in having a good time! A ghost walk is an
excellent way to get into the city and learn some of its secrets firsthand.
Finish
off your first evening in St Augustine with a pleasing walk along the Bayfront.
Enjoy the cool bay breeze and watch the beam from the St Augustine Lighthouse
as it sweeps across Matanzas Bay on its return to the sea. Visit the massive
and beautifully illuminated Castillo de San Marcos, as the great fort settles
down to sleep. Listen to the music of the waterfront - the drowsy seagulls;
the clang of the drawbridge bells; the movement of the sleepy bay. Take your
time as you return to your lodging... this is the most delightful time of
the day in St Augustine.
Wake
up to a sparkling St Augustine morning! Step out into the old city's magical
air and enjoy a delicious breakfast in the historical district, then stroll
up St George Street to the Spanish
Quarter Museum. This fun and unusual museum is one of my favorite places
in the city. Covering several blocks, it is a living history village where
dedicated interpreters in authentic dress practice the crafts and lifestyle
of 1740's St Augustine. Although the village is only operational from 9 to
5 each day, the people who "live" there and work there are so much
a part of the "real" St Augustine that many of them actually adapt
the 1740's practices into their own daily lives.
After
your time-travel through the Spanish Quarter, walk across the street to the
Castillo
de San Marcos - finally, you get to explore the old fort! Here is the
heart of St Augustine... the structure that has stood steadfast and unshakeable
for over three hundred years; the place where St Augustine's weary but determined
people huddled together in times of attack or disaster. The fort sheltered
its charges under its heavy and impenetrable wings, but its age is showing.
Touch it gently, and please handle it with care, for time is doing what pirates,
cannon and armies could not - time is slowly destroying the ancient old walls.
Another
of my favorite places at the north end of the city is the Genopoly House,
more well-known as The
Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse. Classes were taught there, but the more significant
thing to know about the house is that it in the oldest wooden structure standing
in St Augustine. It was built by a Minorcan, Juan Genopoly, in 1780, and stands
today much as he constructed it. A visit to this house is truly a step back
in time, for its floors, fireplace and most of its walls are pretty much the
way he left them. Few places in the city allow one to get this close to the
past. And the gardens alone are worth the walk through... the Genopoly House
gardens are one of my most favorite places on earth.
Way
down at the south end of the city is another of St Augustine's delights. The
Oldest House, otherwise known as the Gonzales-Alvarez
House, is an excellent way to see the evolution of St Augustine. Fans
of author Miss Eugenia Price will recognize this house as "Maria's house."
Lovingly kept by the St Augustine Historical Society, this house and its gardens
are a quiet and beautiful place to spend an hour or two. Each room in the
house is authentically furnished to represent a different period in St Augustine's
history, and its guides are most knowledgeable about the house and its past.
One of my favorite things to do in St Augustine has always been walking through
Maria's house, and getting to know her as well as I could.
Surely you haven't grown tired of St Augustine yet - there's still more to
see and do! Across the Bridge of Lions, on Anastasia Island, there are two
more of my favorite places... The St Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological
Park, and the St Augustine Light Station.
The
St Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park is a wonderful small zoo
with big accomplishments. It is the only zoo in the United States with a collection
of alligators and crocodiles that represents every known species of these
reptiles in the world. The Park is also home to rare white alligators, as
well as a large collection of exotic birds and mammals. Its swamp and natural
rookery have been called the best on the East Coast. Visit the Park's much-loved
old crocodile, Gomek; no longer with us in life but perfectly preserved in
his old home.
The
St Augustine Light Station is a beautifully restored, complete light station,
including Lightkeeper's House, Lighthouse Tower and oilhouse. The Lighthouse
Tower is yet another example of how, when St Augustinians get an idea in their
heads, they simply do not give up until they see that idea bloom into reality.
Only a few years ago, the light station was on the verge of disappearing forever,
until a few determined locals decided to save it, come hell or high water.
Climb the steps to the top of the tower for a breathtaking, weak-knee view
of St Augustine and the Atlantic Ocean you won't want to miss!
Finish off your visit to St Augustine with a sightseeing Harbor Cruise. Ask
at the Municipal Marina for cruise times. Lucky visitors see dolphins playing
in the bay, and roseate spoonbills along the shore.
Had enough? Or do you want to stay another day? I always do - no matter how
many times I have visited the old city, I always find something new; something
I haven't seen before. Sometimes it's a new and exceptional place to explore;
sometimes it's a new person I've met. St Augustine always has something wonderful
to offer - you only have to look for it and be ready when it comes!
