St. Augustine is a beautiful town located on the east coast of Florida, about 40 miles south of Jacksonville. I can finally say that I’ve been to the oldest city in the United States! The Spanish colonial architecture, huge historic distric, and charming Victorian homes made our St. Augustine Anniversary Trip a perfect memory.
We stayed at the gorgeous Peace and Plenty Inn, a Victorian bed and breakfast hotel in Historic St. Augustine. We parked the car at our hotel and walked everywhere we went. Our Tranquility Suite had a jacuzzi tub and a full balcony. We enjoyed sitting on our private balcony every night, reading and talking. The breakfast was excellent.
There were tons of stores in the St. Augustine Historic District. In three days we barely scratched the surface. One of my favorite stores was Southern Lights Candles. Yankee Candle eat your heart out! Susan, the shop owner, said I could call her and order soy candles for fall and winter and have them shipped in a medium flat rate USPS box. I also found Swan Creek soy candles for sale on Amazon.
Two of the best things I ate in St. Augustine were the Country Girl Sandwich and the Cuban Panini. They were purchased at the Grilled Cheese Gallery (this restaurant doesn’t have a website, sorry!) and Cafe del Hidalgo. The Grilled Cheese Gallery is located on Cathedral Street. The Cathedral of Basilica, “America’a First Parish,” is nearby. You can hear the bells ring and play hymns between 5 and 6 pm. Historic churches and religious monuments in St. Augustine are worthy of their own post. If you’re interested, you can read about the history of the Catholic Church in Florida here.
The history of St. Augustine is fascinating. There are many monuments and fountains. I took photos of my favorites. Statues of Juan Ponce de Leon and Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles stand guard along the Old Spanish Trail Auto Route as you enter the historic City of St. Augustine from the north. A 17 foot replica of Michelangelo’s David stands beside the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum. I never knew the original was so tall. As I mentioned earlier, we barely scratched the surface of St. Augustine. We did not have time to see the St. Augustine Lighthouse or the Fountain of Youth.
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We took the Ghost Tour with Old Town Trolley in St. Augustine. We wore masks and practiced social distancing while riding on the trolley. The Hugenot Cemetary was one of the first stops on the tour. Protestant yellow fever victims were stacked on top of each other in these graves. Colonial Park Cemetary, in the Savannah Historic District, has yellow fever victims buried there as well. Read A Trip to Historic Savannah on Our 30th Anniversary to see historic sights in Savannah. The Potters Wax Museum and the Old Jail were included in the haunted locations we visited. I don’t believe in ghosts, but I enjoyed the history part of the tour.
We had a great time in Historic St. Augustine. I hope I get to go back someday.
Blessings,
Kristie
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We went there last year for a day. It was so much fun. Not sure if they told you, but the David statue was closer to the traffic light and had to be moved back and a hedge around because there were too many car wrecks. I would definitely go back again.
I didn’t know that! I can see how it would be distracting. lol
St. Augustine is one of my absolute favorite places! Living in Florida, I am fortunate that it is only a 2 hour drive. I will take note of your food recommendations – always looking for new places.
Happy Anniversary!!
Thanks, Alexandra!
I’ve been to many parts of Florida but never had the opportunity to see St Augustine. I know I’d love it as I enjoy all places that are historic and full of vintage homes and lighthouses. It looks like you had a wonderful and happy anniversary !
Yes, Pat, we sure did!
Happy Anniversary! St. Augustine is on our bucket list. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by, Lynda!
Happy anniversary! My boys and I learned a bit about St. Augustine through a history movie or two and I thought it did look like an interesting area to visit.
There’s so much history in St. Augustine. We barely scratched the surface!
What a fabulous mini break! It sure does look like there is lots to do in St Augustine. It’s always nice to visit somewhere you’d like to go back to. Thank you so much for sharing and for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party!
Thanks for hosting a great party!
Planning a trip there. Interested in Victorian architecture. Are there any house tours you know of?
Some of the tours that were available aren’t because of covid. They’ve especially postponed the walking tours. But you can try this private tour: https://www.viator.com/tours/St-Augustine/Exclusive-Private-Historical-Tour-of-Downtown-Saint-Augustine-Florida/d823-244618P1?mcid=61846