By Saul Schwartz
My wife Fern and I had planned a trip to Florida during the pandemic which had to be canceled. In August, we spent two days in St. Augustine for fun and two days in Orlando for a conference. Our trip began with a two-hour flight from Washington National Airport to Orlando International airport. We then drove two hours from Orlando to St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States.
St. Augustine Walking Tour:
On our first morning in St. Augustine, we spend one and one-half hours on the St. Augustine free walking tour with Adam Johnson. We met Adam at 10 a.m. at the Old City Gates. On this hot and humid day, no one else joined the tour with us.
Old City Gates – Located at the north end of the pedestrian St. George Street, the two ancient stone columns were erected in 1808. Adam explained that the gates are made of Coquina rock, a limestone found exclusively on the coasts of Florida. The gates once served as the city’s defensive line and city entrance.
Castillo De San Marcos – Next, we went over to the Spanish fortress. This national monument was built by the Spanish government in 1669, making it the oldest fort building in the United States. In 1966, the fort became a national monument. It is located at 1 S. Castillo Drive. At 10:30 a.m., we watched a canon firing demonstration from the top of the fort, with information provided by a park ranger. Volunteers dressed as colonial Spanish soldiers fired a replica 6-pound canon. The demo is quite loud!
Constitution Monument – A rain shower then broke out and we headed over to Constitution Plaza to seek shelter. Adam explained that in the Plaza, we were looking over at the Constitution Monument. Constructed in 1813, the Monument celebrates the then newly founded Spanish government and the first Spanish constitution. Adam explained that the St. Augustine Constitution Monument is the only remaining one in the U.S., as all others were destroyed after a Spanish royal decree.
We ended our tour at Flagler College. In a tour by tip, you set your own price and we gave Adam $20 each. Fern and I would recommend booking a St. Augustine Tour with Adam at freetoursstaugustine@gmail.com.
Flagler College Tour: In the afternoon, at 2 p.m., we enjoyed the one-hour historic tour of Flagler College, located at 74 King Street. We purchased tickets in advance online for $17 per adult. The student led tour was crowded. Although the college was founded in 1968, campus buildings date back to 1888. The official tour is booked through legacy.flagler.edu. and takes place several times daily.
The historic tour focused on the former grand Hotel Ponce de Leon. This national historic landmark is now part of Flagler College. The exterior is a fine example of Spanish Renaissance architecture. It its prime, this hotel was one of the country’s most exclusive resorts. We first walked by a statue of Flagler and through the courtyard with its fountain at the center, featuring statues of turtles and frogs.
The tour includes the rotunda, a grand lobby with a 68 high foot domed ceiling, Italian marble floors and murals. The dining room is huge and includes 79 Louis Tiffany stained-glass windows which stream light onto hand painted murals on the walls and ceiling. The Flagler Room was the Woman’s Grand Parlor, and features handcrafted Austrin chandeliers, a clock containing the largest piece of white onyx in the United States and Flagler family mementos. Flagler made his money primarily from railroads and investments in Standard Oil.
Tips are optional, but we did tip our informative student guide. Of course, this is distinguished from a college tour for prospective students.
Pedestrian Street – We walked the length of pedestrian St. George Street. There are many restaurants, stores, and historic sites. The oldest wooden schoolhouse in the country is located at 14 St. George Street dates to the early eighteenth century.
Food options – We purchased food from Publix, a large supermarket with a wide variety of foods at reasonable prices. Kookaburra Coffee had a nice variety of coffee and tea drinks, as well as several vegan dessert items. It is an Australian- American chain of coffee shops with several Aussie pie options. We went to the small downtown location at 24 Cathedral Place. Fern and I spent several hours listening to music and had drinks at Pierre’s Pub in the historic district at 69 Saint George Street. The Pub has an exceptional outdoor seating area and shares space with the Aunt Anne’s pretzel chain. The Pub is a hidden gem, and the music group was exceptional. We gave a nice tip to the band on our way out!
Magnolia Avenue – On the second morning, we walked over to Magnolia Avenue, named as one of the prettiest streets in the United States. This residential street has a canopy of Spanish Moss handing from huge live oak trees.
Ponce de Leon and The Fountain of Youth Park – We then spent time in the park. Our advanced purchase allowed entry fee at any time the park was open. The park is located at 11 Magnolia Avenue. The $19.95 entrance fee includes parking.
We began our visit by drinking from the Fountain of Youth within the Spring House. The water has an odor and tastes like minerals! There are many possible activities within the park. We attended informative shows within the Planetarium and the Discovery Globe Theater. Colorful peacocks roam the grounds. We ended our visit with the river walk along St. Augustine’s inlet.
Lodging – By staying in the historic area, we were able to park our rental car, not move it and walk back and forth from the Airbnb to the old town easily. We avoided the high parking fees in the historic area that way. Our small unit on Locust Street was very close to convenience stores, as well. The price including fees was $195 per night.
Tips for Florida in August – The heat and humidity are intense, so have water bottles available, as well as sunscreen. Frequent rainstorms break out, so carry an umbrella. Bugs are everywhere and of many types, so bug spray is essential. We were surprised that almost all roads required toll payments.
In Orlando:
The conference was at the Caribe Royale Resort, located at 8101 World Center Drive. The huge complex contains several pools, a large fitness center and a few restaurants. Each room is a suite. The food at the Calypso Pool bar was surprisingly good for a conference hotel. Twice we had tasty garden salads with fish (grilled grouper and shrimp). Prices are on the high side, but the service was excellent. The hotel staff were very courteous and helpful.
Fern and I felt that two days was a good amount of time to explore St. Augustine before the conference in Orlando. It may be a more enjoyable city to visit when the weather is not as brutal.
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