St. Augustine, along Florida’s northeastern Atlantic coast, is a city that has it all, from its spectacular beaches to alligators galore, to a multitude of unique historic attractions that offer fun for the entire family — even the family dog.
Best of all, many of the attractions in this more than 450-year-old city are in the old walled city or close by, making it super easy and relaxing to visit. Our hotel offered a free shuttle to the old city, eliminating any parking issues. Not to worry about the alligators, many are living happily on an alligator farm and welcome visitors.
St. Augustine also could easily win the award for the country’s most dog friendly city.
During our visit, the area was filled with 4th graders from throughout Florida who come here on school trips to learn about the city’s remarkable history.
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History comes alive in the historic district, the oldest, continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States. It is truly a time capsule that showcases centuries of American history.
St. Augustine was founded in 1565 — 42 years before the English colonized Jamestown and 55 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.
The heart of St. Augustine can be found in 11 pedestrian-only blocks of the city’s historic district. Except for tourists clad in shorts and toting cameras, this could be the St. Augustine of the 1700s or 1800s.
The main thoroughfare is St. George Street, lined by 18th-Century Spanish colonial houses that are now historic landmarks, and dotted with boutiques filled with arts and antiques as well as restaurants.
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Don’t miss the Oldest Wooden School House, dating back to the late 1700s. It has been preserved to reflect the homestead life of the Minorcan settlers, as well as school life in the 1800s. The self-guided experience begins as the professor comes to life and welcomes visitors. All visitors receive a diploma after exploring the school. Don’t miss the child wearing a dunce cap.
We began our St. Augustine discoveries at the Fountain of Youth. Travel can be tiring and if drinking from the fountain can help us stay young, why not? My not so young Labrador retriever, Sam, was even offered a cup of the spring water but he preferred the bowl.
It is officially Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. Our first stop was the Spring House with the original spring that was recorded in the 17th century land grant. Of course, everyone knows de Leon failed to find a real Fountain of Youth but it is still fun to imagine that our drinks will bring eternal youth.
Check the schedule for the musket firing demonstrations and be sure to visit the blacksmith shop where costumed interpreters demonstrate their skills.
The park tells the tragic story of the Timucua civilization who had a bustling town on this site when the Spanish first arrived. Disease and warfare spelled doom. Visit the large replica Timucuan family house and special meeting house. They traveled by dugout canoe and there is now a replica canoe on the waterfront. Learn about the 1,000 year-old domesticated dog burial discovered here.
Many excavations on this property proved that this is indeed the original location of St. Augustine. It began when Pedro Menendez de Aviles discovered a harbor that he named San August’n. On September 8, 1565 Menendez landed at the harbor site, heard Mass, and took possession of Florida in the name of the Spanish king.
Red Train Tours bills itself as St. Augustine’s original sightseeing tour and the trips begin in Ripley’s Believe It or Not’s parking lot. Benjy Feldman, a veteran of nearly nine years as a tour guide and trolley driver, was in charge of our hour-long adventure.
Passengers, including families with children as well as dogs, were welcomed aboard to have fun and learn history. More students might fall in love with history if they had the experience of learning about the past from Benjy. He not only makes the area’s unique history come alive but he is full of jokes.
As we passed the Old Jail, Benjy related harrowing tales of the harsh conditions inside the jail that served as the county lockup until 1953 and is now one of the city’s many unique attractions.
“In the early days prisoners could look out the window and see the gallows where many prisoners paid the ultimate price,” he told the passengers. Descriptions of the cramped quarters, minimal food, unsanitary conditions, and beatings would tend to make anyone think twice about potential criminal activity.
We stopped to view the impressive group of downtown buildings and learn about how oil magnate Henry Flagler envisioned St. Augustine as “America’s Riviera” and transformed the slumbering town into one of Florida’s earliest resorts at the end of the 19th century.
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Back at Ripley’s Museum, don’t miss a tour of the oddities. It was established here shortly after Ripley’s death in 1949 in a former hotel. It was the first museum to showcase some of the amazing artifacts Ripley collected in his extensive travels around the world. The museum also served as the exterior for many segments of Ripley’s TV series. Check out the wax replica of the world’s tallest man, Robert Wedlove, who lived in town for a time.
The new Space Oddities gallery includes a giant replica of the International Space Station made entirely from matchsticks, crayons carved into characters from Star Wars movies, and displays showing how the human body changes during space travel.
In 1893, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm opened as a small exhibition of Florida reptiles. It soon became a quintessential Florida attraction. Over the years it grew into a modern accredited zoo. It remains one of the area’s most popular attractions and is the only facility in the world housing every species of crocodilian.
Be sure to visit Maximo, a 1,250-pound monster saltwater crocodile hatched from an egg collected on an Australian riverbank. He is the largest animal in the park. One of the special encounters (extra charge) is a close up of Maximo from the feeding platform.
For the super brave there is the most brag-worthy zip-line attraction called Crocodile Crossing. You can look down and see live alligators and crocodiles and zip past tropical birds at eye level. More than 50 different obstacles take participants flying, climbing, and zooming through the zoo.
There are also Galapagos Tortoise Encounters, Rain Forest Sloth encounters, and Behind the Scenes Tours.
Time your visit to include one of the popular twice-daily alligator feeding sessions. Another highlight is the regular interactions between alligators and trainers. As the trainer walks amidst the large gators, calling several by name, the gators open their massive jaws revealing their rows of teeth. When a tooth is worn down, it is replaced and alligators often go through 3,000 teeth in their lifetime. Clearly, they have no need for dentists.
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“Alligators are actually quite smart and are well adapted to their surroundings which has helped them live on earth for millions of years,” the trainer explained.
The great defensive Fort Castillo de San Marcos dominates the waterfront across from the Old City. Now a national monument and the nation’s oldest masonry fortress, it has 13-foot-thick walls. The fort never surrendered despite many days of siege. It was built after Sir Francis Drake burned the town in 1586 and later pirates and Native Americans threatened the settlement’s existence.
Guides tell the swashbuckling history of the fort from its beginning when it was the northernmost defender of Spain’s Caribbean empire. The fort endured battles between the Spanish and English and the Civil and Seminole wars.
Children are invited to become a Junior Ranger. It is a fun way for the whole family to learn more about the fort. Pick up a booklet at the information desk. Read exhibits and view the movie in the theater or take the self-guided tour. Attend a ranger talk or demonstration and ask questions. Then complete the activities in the booklet and earn an official Junior Ranger Badge.
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Across the street is the picturesque black and white striped St. Augustine Lighthouse — visitors are welcome to climb the 219 steps to the top for a panoramic view of the city, bay, and ocean beyond. A museum displays maritime artifacts and provides visitors with a look at what life was like for lighthouse keepers and their families.
Cruisers aboard Victory III enjoy waterside views of the fort, the lighthouse, and if lucky, passing dolphins in Matanzas Bay. The boat is owned by the Usina family whose ancestors first arrived here from Majorca and have lived in the area since 1777. Michael Usina’s great grandfather started the boat business ferrying people to the nearby islands and beaches before the bridges were built.
The Southern Oaks Inn is a great choice for families as well as anyone traveling with a dog. It boasts its own Dog Park with shade, toys, and water. Dog treats are at the ready at the front desk, as are homemade cookies for the human guests. A buffet breakfast, with lots of choices and fresh cooked eggs and other items, is included. There’s also a large swimming pool. Located about five minutes from the Old City, the free shuttle that runs from 10am to 10pm eliminates parking stresses. Dogs are welcome on the shuttle.
Travel Tip of the Month: For information on the St. Augustine area visit FloridasHistoricCoast.com or call 904-829-1711. For the Southern Oaks Inn visit southernoaksinnstaug.com or call 904-342-2354.
Deborah Williams lives in Holland, NY and is a veteran travel writer whose work has appeared in national and international publications. She is the recipient of the Society of American Travel Writers’ Lowell Thomas Gold Travel Writing Award.