When I was growing up in California, I remember reading about St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied European-established city and port in the continental United States and thinking how great it would be to see it. Now that I live in Florida, it has become one of my favorite places. Founded by the Spanish in 1565, the city has a long and rich history and definitely is a wonderful place to visit, which is what I did again recently.
St. Augustine is located on the East coast of Florida and has a beautiful waterfront, that never fails to up-lift even the most tired traveler's spirits, even if you have been there many times before.
Near the historic city center, is the Castillo de San Marcos, which is a fortification that was build by the Spanish, beginning in 1672, to help defend against attacks by pirates. It is the nations oldest Fort and is a must see place when visiting the city.
The downtown area is filled with shops, boutiques, and great places to eat that is always fun to explore!
This structure was built over 200 years ago and is said to be the oldest surviving wooden school house in the country.
Not too far from downtown, is the 100 plus year old Alligator Farm Zoological Park that has every species of extant gator, and other animals, alive today!
Including this albino gator that looks fake but is very real and quite alive!
Nearby, are neighborhoods that have examples of grand homes built during the Flagler era of the later part of the nineteenth century.
Down the road lies the Mission of Nombre de Dios where the first church services were held in the new world.
The grounds include an early cemetery that makes a nice place to walk around and take a break.
This tree is also located there, which almost looks like it could talk though fortunately it did not, at least while we passed by!
There is much more to see and do in St. Augustine, but I will leave that for you to discover during your visit to this amazing and timeless place!