The Nomadic Wanderings of Two Humans and One Dog: America's Oldest City

When we weren't at the beach or entertaining family in St. Augustine, we were generally off on a history lesson. Like I said before St. Augustine is the nation’s oldest occupied colony, founded in 1565, 55 years prior to the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock and to say there is an abundance to learn here would be an understatement. Not only does this place exude stories of the days of old, it is also rich in architecture and charm coming from mixing the old with the new.

Aviles Street

Old Town St. Augustine sucks you in the moment you walk upon her cobblestone streets; the Spanish style collides with a bit of British influence and it gives you that complete European feel. Aviles Street lies right in the heart of Old Town and is the oldest public street in the USA, today it is closed to cars and lined with cozy outdoor cafes and quaint local shops. Also in the heart of Old Town sits Flagler College, named by the Princeton Review as one of “Americas Best Colleges.” And although the college was built in 1968, the architecture mimic's that of the city and you would never guess it wasn't there from the beginning. Running along the Intracoastal is Castillo Drive; home to Mission Nombre de Dios, Castillo de San Marcos and eventually running into the Bridge of Lions before crossing over to Anastasia Island. Regardless of your mood, St. Augustine has something to explore.

Flagler College

Starting from St. Augustine’s beginnings we did the same, hitting Ponce de Leon’s, Fountain of Youth. Taking time for a sip of water, alright we guzzled the water and they even let Ethel have a cup of water from the Fountain of Youth! Do I feel younger? Well of course I do, even if it’s all my head, but a girl has got to do what she must to keep herself looking young and feeling vivacious! Ponce de Leon landed in Florida in 1513, prior to its settlement by Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565, and the park gives over 500 years of history of the area and its transition from Spanish, to British, and finally American acquisitions. Of course Tom and I were very giddy about learning the historical aspects, the prospects of life longevity, but Ethel was ecstatic to chase the copious amounts of peacocks in the park. This place is a definite must if you’re in the area and want to get an extensive history lesson that is fun for the entire family, plus the views of the Intracoastal are spectacular!

Guzzling water at The Fountain of Youth

Next up was the Mission de Dios, the home of America’s first mission, built in 1567, and often called the country’s “Most Sacred Acre.” Today its massive steel cross is believed to be the tallest in the country and the little chapel is still home to the first American shrine to the Mother Mary, “Our Lady of La Leche.” Walking the grounds you can feel the reverence of the property by the people visiting and preying in the little chapel, you are immediately aware as to why it is cherished and still has so many visitors to this day passing through her hallowed gates.

Mission de Dios

Just a little up the road from Mission de Dios, is Castillo de San Marcos. Ground broke for this miraculous fort in 1672 and it is built solely from coquina (to learn about coquina, click here), which pretty much made the place indestructible. Considering that this fort is still standing over 300 years of wear and tear, and by wear and tear, I mean the British tossing cannonballs at it and it looks the way it does is amazing. Especially when you consider that you are climbing the same stairs that the Spanish tread all those years ago while defending their claim on Florida, and that they haven’t had to be replaced to accommodate tourists is insane. This place, the stories of Spanish and British rule, the back the and forth and knowing what happened here, it’s spectacular, the history is so rich and I was mesmerized by it. I don’t remember learning about the territory wars in school, you know, it’s all Spanish and British history and predates anything American by a long shot, so being privy to this now, well I feel like I missed out on something in my education. Don’t worry though, I am geeking out on it now for all of us!

Castillo de San Marcos

St. Augustine Lighthouse

Just over the Bridge of Lions and back on Anastasia Island, lies the Saint Augustine Lighthouse, the oldest lighthouse in Florida. We had the pleasure of climbing the stairs to take in the panoramic view of St. Augustine and experiencing what it would have been like to carry the old kerosene pales up to the top of the stairs, needless to say, I need to do more bicep curls, that thing was heavy.

Stairs leading to the top of the lighthouse

View through the lighthouse window

Just outside of St. Augustine we found Tom’s version of heaven, The World Golf Hall Of Fame! This place is a golf lover’s mecca: an extensive museum, two golf courses, putting course, hole in one challenge and an interactive staff to make sure you’re getting the most out of your visit. We have toured a lot of museums, especially over this last year, but we have never entered one that was so much about creating an experience as this one was; not only did we learn, but they made learning about golf fun. If you are a golfer, this place is a must stop and talk about making us miss not having our clubs on the road with us, my hands were itching for a driver in my hands. This place in all honesty made me miss home just a little bit, our golf course view and a club house just around the bend, but then we returned to our beach house and I walked out to the ocean and shook my hankering for home right off!

Just outside of Jacksonville lies Kingsley Plantation and it holds a very interesting story. Zephaniah Kingsley and his wife Anna Kingsley where the owners and it’s the story of Anna that leaves one captivated. Anna was captured from West Africa and sold to Zephaniah as a slave and later became his wife and mother of his four children. He eventually left her in in charge of running Kingsley Plantation, giving her rise from slave, to wife of a plantation owner and then becoming a plantation and slave owner herself. A remarkable story given the time period of the late 1700’s and early 1800’s, granted at this time Florida was under Spanish control, but once Florida was gifted to America, their interracial marriage and her role in the plantation came under scrutiny and they moved to Haiti for some time. Eventually Anna took the issue to court after her husband passed and the court ruled in her favor and honored the treaty with the Spanish and reluctantly gave her back her inheritance. The gardens, the views and the tabby ruins here are amazing, but nothing as fascinating as Anna’s story, the mainstream and progressiveness of the Kingsley’s life was refreshing and encouraging; plus the strength she must have had to deal with any and all persecution she dealt with is just admirable.

Kingsley Plantation

St. Augustine gave us so many facets of life, from learning to lounging. The beach was the focus for much of our time here, the crash of the waves was invigorating and opened up that need to create. I spent many a morning and afternoon combing the beach and creating shell art, reading or running out to jump the waves. This place created so much magic for us that we will be returning after Christmas and for the month of January, a first for us, a return to a place on this trip. I know, still so much to see and do, but this place has captivated us and we can’t wait to spend a little more time here and hopefully y’all can bear with us on a few more adventures in St. Augustine. To hold you over until our return here are a few more photographs of our time here.

Shell Art: