Top Fun Spots of St. Augustine, Florida

St. Augustine, Florida is a well preserved city.   Along the Matanza River which is the main entrance into St. Aug., my friend and I saw extensive marsh areas where habitat can live.  As one who enjoys nature, I found this body of water a must see.  What makes it so interestingly dark is that its name actually means killings!  Since St Aug. is the oldest surviving european city, many battles took place where many people were slaughtered.  Chaos was nothing new to this area in its over 450 year history.

Stepping back into history on a horse drawn carriage along the waterfront is a great way to begin a tour of this ancient city.  Perhaps one can imagine the executions that took place here as the Spanish murdered Protestants found in this brand new world. 

Call me morbid, but as I thought about the history of Florida’s oldest city and the killings that the Spaniards did, I wondered how the town even survived.  The early settlers were probably scared to death all the time wondering when pirates would attack.

Across the Bayfront, the architecture of St. Augustine is unable to be equaled.

It will come as no surprise, those early pioneers prepared themselves  from being attacked.  Walls went up around the city like a fortress.  Clearly no one would sit by to see their town stolen from them.  European countries  ( mostly spanish) learned how to protect St. Augustine-the birthplace of America.

The old city gate was once the only way into the walled town.  This is now called the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument  

The old city fort was not an easy construction .  It began in 1672 and was completed in 1756.  The above pillars were rebuilt with coquina in 1808.  This material was a type of limestone from shells.

St. Augustine certainly has many sites to see that go along with its rich history.  I found the oldest Florida ice plant lovingly restored and turned into a distillery for whisky, rum, and the likes of fine spirits.  Yes.  I tried some. Yummy.

The distillery is located in the historic neighbor of Lincolnville where the freedom march took place during the civil rights era.  

The charm of this city can not be overstated, but what one needs to understand is that this it was also known for much work done by Martin Luther King and locals during those early years of fighting for equality. Enjoy these plaques below that talk of that era.

Rich History

This home owned by Mrs. Tyson who is still alive met Martin Luther King.  She was known for feeding those during the darkest hour for the rights of blacks in the community.  The architecture of the area is Victorian looking.

Explanation of the historic freedom trail landmark 

Another interesting note is that some of the buildings in St. Augustine are considered occupied by ghosts.  Here are a few exampes where ghosts may have been seen.

Touring the oldest wooden school house in the country is a must.  You are also given a diploma of “finishing” school after you are done touring the gardens and the school house. 

This home was delapitated, but is on the main street MLK visited. It was very spooky looking.

Another Victorian Style Home in the Lincolnville district

As I conclude this post I want to summarize a few places to see:

1.  St. Augustine’s waterways and architecture.
2.  St. Augustine’s Whisky distillery and winery.
3.  Lincolnville district which can give you a sense of the civil righs era.
4. Ghost tours that explain a bit of weird findings in homes.
5. Museums such as the oldest school house.  I got my diploma! Perhaps nature walks or just checking out the sites of the local merchandise.  Lots of shopping to be had.

Thank you for dropping by.  This was a fun post to write as I just fell in love with this town.  It is a great place for a honeymoon full of all kinds of fun things one can do.  Below again are my ducks making their way across the water.