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St. Augustine Journals

A Few Hours in the Nation's Oldest City

An April 2005 trip to St. Augustine by chadk78

Quote: On a recent trip to Florida for a wedding, my wife and I stopped in to visit the most historical of all American cities. Unfortunately, we only had a few hours to explore a city where you could easily fill up a week.

A Few Hours in the Nation's Oldest City

Overview

Quote:
When we arrived in St. Augustine, we first stopped in at the visitors center, where we picked up some information about the city and watched a brief movie about its history. From there, we basically just hit the high spots: a tour of Castillo de San Marcos and a stroll down St. George Street. This city, founded in 1565, appears much as it did during the colonial period and offers a wonderful experience for the whole family. Other points of interest, which we didn't have time for, but you may want to check out are the Colonial Spanish Quarter, Flagler College, the St. Augustine Lighthouse Museum, and the Lightner Museum.Quick Tips: The staff at the visitors information center is very friend...Read More

Florida Cracker Cafe

Restaurant

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This restaurant happened to be the first one we saw after we decided it was time to eat lunch. After studying the menu, we decided that they had a great variety at reasonable prices. We sat outdoors on a small porch, where we could watch the tourists stroll down St. George Street and enjoy the light breeze, which seemed to stir the whole day. I had the fried fish with french fries and cole slaw (I cheated my low-cholesterol diet on this trip), and my wife had some sort of spicy chicken sandwich. We were both very pleased, and our hungers were well-satisfied. I was especially impressed with the fries, which were well-seasoned. We split a piece of key lime pie, which seems to be the can't-miss men...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 12, 2005

Florida Cracker Cafe
81 St. George St
St. Augustine, Florida 32084
(904) 829-0397

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

Attraction

Quote:
This ancient coquina fort is the city's most prominent structure. Billed as impregnable (it forced away the British on several occasions), it has flown under four different flags (Spanish, British, American, and Confederate). Admission is $6/adult and worth every dime (your ticket is good for 6 days). Displays inside the fort tell about different aspects of its history, and especially interesting are the exhibits about the Native Americans who were "educated" here and the runaway African slaves who were given their freedom by the Spanish if they would help defend the city. A ranger led us on a very interesting and informative tour that dispelled several myths and ghost stories about the fort. The...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on April 12, 2005

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
1 South Castillo Drive
St. Augustine, Florida
(904) 829-6506

St. Augustine Cathedral

Attraction

Quote:
Upon entering this historic structure, you will only be able to say one word - "Wow." It is the nation’s oldest Catholic church and the most elaborate and beautiful one I have ever seen. Frescoes at the front and back of the church depict the life of Jesus. The stained-glass windows tell the story of St. Augustine, the patron saint of the city (this church is named in his honor). We were there the week after the death of Pope John Paul, and they had a huge shrine to his memory at the front. Upon entering, a sign urges visitors to be quiet and gives an invitation to pray or meditate here. Male visitors are asked to reverently remove any headgear. For those interested in architecture and/or relig...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 12, 2005

St. Augustine Cathedral
Intersection of St. George St. and Charlotte Ave.
St. Augustine, Florida 32084

About the Writer

chadk78

chadk78
Blacksburg, South Carolina

St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum

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Flagler College

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Old Town Trolley

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Lightner Museum

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St. George Street

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