Ok this one is a great tourist spot in my dear Florida , and lived for a while just 50 minutes from it by car with many memorable moments with the family, I have other posts on the City of Saint Augustine but again, need to tell you more on a City that is a must to visit while in Florida, Going down memory lane again with wonderful family experiences to remember forever, Therefore, here is my nostalgic Saint Augustine !!! Hope you enjoy the post as I.
In Saint Augustine’s early days, St. George Street was the main street, and today the thoroughfare is still considered the heart of the city. Here, visitors find historic attractions and some of the restaurants, galleries, bakeries and shops for which the city is famous. The street is a pedestrian-only street, lined with restaurants, shops, attractions, and history galore that makes it a hot spot for visitors and locals. Some of the local favorites along St. George Street include Columbia Restaurant (see post) where the “1905” salad is recommended, Florida Cracker Café which is very family-friendly and Bunnery Bakery & Café which serves excellent coffee and breakfast items. After the sun goes down, it stays alive for the nighttime crowd ,The Mill Top Tavern is a great place to grab a beer. They offer live music seven days a week and a deck view of the Castillo de San Marcos (see post).
The City Gate marking the north side of St. George Street, holds more significance than merely being two pillars standing next to each other. In 1808, Saint Augustine residents built the structure entirely out of coquina and used it as a line of defense against attacks. Visit Historic Landmarks , founded in 1565 as a Spanish military outpost, Saint Augustine rich and colorful history is at the forefront on St. George Street. Visit the Pena-Peck House, which was constructed in 1750 by order of the King of Spain and remains one of the finest surviving first Spanish period homes in the area. Next, check out the Oldest Wooden School House, located near the City Gates, the house was built more than 200 years ago out of cedar and cypress wood and offers a glimpse of school life in Spanish colonial times. There’s also the Cathedral Basilica, located between St. George and Charlotte Streets The annual British Night Watch parade takes place in December and Sir Francis Drake’s Raid, a historically accurate reenactment of a battle between English and Spanish soldiers, occurs each June.
Ponce de Leon sights what is today Florida and comes ashore at a Timocua village tucked safely into a small harbor off the Atlantic Ocean. Believing the area to be an island, Ponce de Leon name it Florida, because it was sighted duration the Festival of Flowers at Easter Time. The Village of Seloy was centered here at the Fountain of Youth and extended about one mile to the North and one mile to the West, up to the San Sebastian River ; he sailed it with the Santiago, Santa Maria, and San Cristobal ships, Pedro Menendez de Aviles founded the City of Saint Augustine on 1565 at the Timuca Village of Seloy, located at today’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park.Menendez would remained at this site for 9 months before growing hostilities between the Indians and Spaniards would lead him to move fortifications across the river in what is today Anastasia island, The first Catholic Mission in the present-day United States was established on this site in 1587.
A Cross made of Coquina, 15 stones long X 13 stones wide, was unearthed in 1874. Unfortunately, the folks were told that Coquina was not available on the Mainland in 1513, and had the Cross re-buried. An employeee re-discovers the Cross of Coquina, as a silver casque containg sevelely worn documentation that has been proven to be a parchment and inks was contemporary to the era of Ponce de Leon landing in Florida, . A Mrs. MacConnell begins a quest that will last until her death to verify the find and prove,once and for all, that she owned the site of Ponce De Leon’s Fountain of Youth. Work crew finds human bones while digging on the Fountain of Youth property in 1934 The University of Florida and, later, the Smithsonian Institution will excavate 90 Native American remains. The find is significant due to the fact that these are the earliest known remains of a Christian burial of indigenous peoples in what is now the United States, In 1987-88 University of Florida Graduate student makes an important discovery when his team locates a Spanish Well filled with 16C artifacts. A series of long narrow trenches which revealed some of the first Spanish structures foundations. In 1991-94 ,again, uncovered a Spanish buildings and burial of a pet dog that dates back to prehistoric times, about five hundred years before the Spanish arrived. During 2000-11 again was found a second barrel well, in that well they discover an olive jar used for storage from the 16C, a candle holder and a scoop made from a conch. 2013-present , the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park continues to provide historical accuracy to family fun.
I will add this memorable moment here, as very nostalgic, One of his trip that we sponsor our paternal grandfather Manolo came to visit us from Cuba in Ormond Beach Florida and from there we took him to see his old roots in Saint Augustine (grandpa born in Candelaria Tenerife). We went for coffees and Cuban sandwich at a place call café Camacho, no longer there for years but here for the family memories of always. My grandpa passed away in Cuba at the age of 98.RIP
The Florida historic coast on St Augustine and its heritage (see places for all) : https://www.historiccoastculture.com/venue-type/historic-buildinglandmark/
The local Ponte Vedra St Augustine tourist office on things to do in St Augustine : https://www.floridashistoriccoast.com/things-to-do/
The Saint Augustine tourist office on its heritage: https://www.visitstaugustine.com/things-to-do/all
There you go folks, uniquely Saint Augustine sits as another lovely nostalgic spot in the world for me and my family. As I said, its a must when visiting my old Florida, and always looking forward to be back, eventually, Again, hope you enjoy this post on my nostalgic Saint Augustine as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health, and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 