This was a short trip to St. Augustine, Florida, we left on a Thursday and drove back on Sunday. We also went during college spring break and bike week, which I would suggest not doing. The closest hotel I could find on Expedia, that was not $300 a night, was 12 miles out on a Golf Resort. It worked out, but we had to get up and drive every morning, whereas if you get a hotel in St. Augustine you could walk to most of your destinations. In St. Augustine, there are numerous “tours” and “packages” that you can purchase through companies. We elected not to do this and do our own thing which worked out perfectly. I will suggest that if you do not take the tours to grab coupon books at the hotel because there is a coupon for just about any and everything you can imagine.
DAY 1
On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday they do weapon firing at the fort every hour beginning at 10:30 a.m. We walked up to the fort just in time to see the cannon fire. You can walk around the outside of the fort for free, but to go inside the fort it is $7/person and children 15 & under are free. You ticket is also good for a week.A beautiful view of the fort. There is parking at the fort, there is a 4 hour max that cost $6. There is a parking garage located near St. George St that we used and it is $12/day. I would suggest just parking in the garage and skip parking at the fort because you can walk to the fort from the parking garage.You can see in this picture where there used to be a moat around the fort.I love this picture because the men are dressed up like the Spanish Conquistadors and it is just them walking across the bridge.We stopped and got our picture made with the Spanish Conquistadors.This is inside the fort, where the soldiers may have slept.This was made while we were walking around the top of the fort looking down into the center.A picture of one of the cannons on top of the fort.After the fort, we walked across the street to St. George St. This is where you will find most of the shopping and food. The Oldest School house is at the beginning of St. George St. It is about $5/person, but there is a coupon in the coupon book from the hotel.This is the oldest wooden schoolhouse. The construction date is unknown, but tax records say 1716. Inside there is a teacher and a class of children, you push the button on the wall and it gives a brief 5 minute history of the schoolhouse. You can also walk around the grounds, which is very small.This was a little hidden gem we found located on St. George St. It is St. Photios Greek Orthodox Shrine. It is free to visit, and it shares some facts about the Orthodox Christianity. It is a little hard to find but worth the stop.This is a garden located on St. George St.The title of this place says it all, it really is French Fry Heaven! The garlic parmesan fries are so delicious! Also, most of their menu items are gluten free! There is also a 10% coupon in the coupon books.This is a map located on a pole on Aviles St. It shows what the town looked like in 1572. St Augustine is the oldest town in the United States and there is so much rich history to learn about.El Galeon is a replica of a 500 year old pirate ship. It is $15/person to tour it. It has only been in St. Augustine since January and will only be there until summer 2015.This is the main deck of the ship. We are standing at the front looking toward the back.I was standing in the middle of the ship on the main deck looking up.This is on the second deck, it has numerous cannons, flags, and maps of where the ships would have sailed in the 16th century. There is also a third deck, you can go down there and watch a video of how and why the ship was made.The is the walk from the ship back to land.The city gates, they were constructed in 1808 and have been partially restored in 1965. This is the beginning of St. George St.Present Moment Cafe is a vegan, organic, and gluten free restaurant located on King St. It has wonderful food and you can order breakfast any time of the day.
DAY 2
The second day we decided to tour the old jail because it is located beside the Fountain of Youth. It is $10/person for a guided tour of the jail and worth the money. This was one of our favorite things. It was so educational and interactive with the kids. There is also a coupon in the coupon book. This is the second floor of the jail where the male inmates would have stayed.There are so many photo opportunities inside and outside of the jail. In this jail the windows are just bars and that is the heating and cooling system, also there is no plumbing. The jail was in operation until 1953. It holds 70 inmates, male and female. The female inmates stay downstairs along with the solitary confinement rooms. The sheriff and his family lived at the jail, their house is attached to the side.This is a picture of the gallows from the second story inside the jail. I was looking through the bars. There were hangings that were performed in that exact spot.Next, we went to the Fountain of Youth. It is $15/person admission and parking is free. Even though it is “touristy” there is a lot of history regarding the Fountain of Youth.This is where the “Fountain of Youth” is located. Ponce de Leon found the Fountain of Youth in 1513 and it is mineral water that has an after taste to it. Right under the sign is a small stream of water that you put your cup under to get a taste of the Fountain of Youth.There are peacocks everywhere. You can actually buy a handful of peanuts for 25 cents and feed the peacocks!The statue of Ponce de Leon. There is also a pier to walk out on, a planetarium where you can see the stars the night he came to the coast of Florida, and a Discovery Globe which is a 2 story rotating globe that shows the path Columbus and Ponce de Leon took to the Americas. All of this is included in the ticket price.They also do cannon firing on the weekends every 30 minutes.We ate lunch at Happy Bunny Bakery. The food was delicious and they have numerous Gluten Free options including sandwiches and desserts. The service on the other hand was not so great.St. Augustine lighthouse and Museum. It is $10/person to tour the lighthouse and the grounds. You must be 44 inches tall to go up in the lighthouse for safety reasons. Since we had a toddler and had to switch up going one adult was half price. Parking is free.There are 219 stairs to the top! There are numbers posted everywhere and that is for an app on your phone, you download the app, click on the number and it is an audio tour explaining things about the lighthouse. It was very helpful.That is looking down from the top of the lighthouse at the keepers house. Every 2 hours someone had to climb those 219 steps with a pale of lantern oil to keep the light burning. They were also surprised inspected on a regular basis, so they could not miss a trip up those stairs!The light is now a 1000 watt light bulb and is automatically rotated now, it used to be on a pendulum .The view of St. Augustine from the top of the lighthouse.St. Augustine Beach! Parking is free but really hard to find.
