We are finally in Florida but we brought some of the northern cold weather with us. Here in northern Florida the temperatures vary wildly as cold fronts move through. Most days were in the 60s but we had two nights in the mid-30s. But, no snow so we aren't complaining.
St Augustine is a very scenic, touristy town. We hit many of the highlights. When you arrive by boat, the main symbol of St Augustine is the Bridge of Lions, the artsy drawbridge right downtown.
The other maritime symbol of St Augustine is the lighthouse marking the ocean inlet. We walked over the Bridge of Lions and out to the lighthouse on a warm but breezy day.
St Augustine is the oldest city in America and there are many "oldest" buildings there. Most prominent is the old Spanish fort that guards the city, just inside the inlet and north of the Bridge of Lions. Unfortunately it was not possible to tour the inside of the fort as the national park is closed due to the government shutdown.
One of the main reasons for Spanish exploring in Florida was Ponce de Leon's quest to find the Fountain of Youth. Its right here in St Augustine.
The Fountain of Youth park is located on Magnolia Street which has been maintained in the historical Florida horticulture landscaping with streets lined with old Live Oak trees and draping Spanish Moss. Some of these trees are over 600 years old, meaning they were probably growing here when Ponce de Leon came through in 1513.
Moving from the historical to the present, Trip Advisor reports that St Augustine is famous for having the second best pizza in America, coming from Pizza Time on St George's walkway. We had to try it and can confirm that it is very good pizza.
St Augustine is a very scenic, touristy town. We hit many of the highlights. When you arrive by boat, the main symbol of St Augustine is the Bridge of Lions, the artsy drawbridge right downtown.
St Augustine is the oldest city in America and there are many "oldest" buildings there. Most prominent is the old Spanish fort that guards the city, just inside the inlet and north of the Bridge of Lions. Unfortunately it was not possible to tour the inside of the fort as the national park is closed due to the government shutdown.
One of the main reasons for Spanish exploring in Florida was Ponce de Leon's quest to find the Fountain of Youth. Its right here in St Augustine.
Moving from the historical to the present, Trip Advisor reports that St Augustine is famous for having the second best pizza in America, coming from Pizza Time on St George's walkway. We had to try it and can confirm that it is very good pizza.
We also sampled several of the coffee houses downtown. One picturesque spot was Coffee Perks. Initially we were sitting outside with our dog, Rivah, in the brisk cold breeze. We were told that dogs were welcome, so inside we went. St Augustine is one of the few American cities where dogs are welcome in some eating facilities.
Walking back to the marina, we were treated to the decorative lights in the "Oldest town square in America." We ended up staying five days in St Augustine and only saw a small sampling of all it has to offer.
