OH THE PLACES WE SHOULD GO - REMEMBERING ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

(Written by Sheila Gail Landgraf)

Who would ever think you would find something Irish in St. Augustine, Florida? Well, I did! For the sake of all of you still looking for St. Patrick's Day adventures, I'm posting the information here for you under the WHAT TO DO FOR FUN part of this article; but first I must tell you my own St. Augustine stories.

The lovely city of St. Augustine is a place I lived in when I was only four years old.  My father had been laid-off from his work in the sheet metal industry and he knew of a place where he could find work in St. Augustine, FL.  We loaded up the old rambler, said goodbye to the cornfields of Alabama and headed for the ocean breeze. 

I had never seen the ocean before.  I fell in love. 

We rented an old upstairs garage apartment owned by two spinster sisters on the historic side of town.  Some of my father’s buddies involved in the same lay-off gravitated toward the coast with us. We all became neighbors in the same neighborhood.   All of the kids knew each other and we played in the alleys of those old apartment buildings together.  Tin garbage-can tops became the shields of knights and yardsticks were their swords.  Fair ladies had tea parties in the shade underneath the creaky old stairs that were wearing old and turning gray from the salty air that surrounded us.  Today this place has been demolished and the land has been used for part of the busy tourist section.

Dad worked hard during the week and Mom spent all her time cleaning the house and cooking meals.  Those old hardwood floors were so shiny you could use them for mirrors.  We dined on a silver colored metal table with a black and white formica top and metal chairs with red vinyl seats.  Life in St. Augustine was just grand.

The history of the birth of our country surrounded us every day.  Of course, being only four, most of it went right over my head.  I do remember when we visited the first and oldest little red school house (it is weathered now, not red.)  I remember it well.  I thought it was a big deal to be going inside any school, much less the oldest school in America.  In those days we often strolled right by Ponce De Leon’s Fountain of Youth without even giving it a second thought.  We are all living proof that the story is just a fable. 

We grocery shopped every Thursday in the old market district, and every Sunday afternoon after church we headed for the beach at Anastasia Island.  We would gather our sand-buckets and beach-balls and floats, put on our flip-flops and head for an afternoon of uninterrupted fun.  My parents and their friends became kids too, once we got to the ocean.  They threw frisbee, flew kites, collected seashells and built sand castles with us.  It was a great place to be growing up and a total escape from any cares at all; just long leisurely days filled with sunshine and the imaginations that children have.

Now I love going back to the place where I formed so many good memories.  It is not quite as wonderful to me now, because the old apartments have long been torn down and replaced by more modern buildings and the old Spanish Fort has become very crowded with tourists.  Everything is much more commercialized and a whole lot busier than it was in my memories.  Still; St. Augustine will always be charming and quaint.  It is a very beautiful city.  I still love going there and it will always remain a favorite destination for me.

WHERE TO STAY:

If you venture out to St. Augustine today, the new will be mixed with the old.  You will have so many good choices of lodging that your head will spin trying to make a decision.  You will find all of them listed at www.oldcity.com/bed-and-breakfasts.  There are both fine hotels and wonderful bed and breakfast establishments everywhere.  There are vacation homes and cottages for rent by the week, month or just the weekend. 

I personally love the old established places on St. George Street.  There are many of them.  If you stay on or around St. George Street within Old Town, you will be within walking distance of many historic sites, shops and restaurants.  Old Town is not that far from some sandy beaches and there are lots of close by parks to explore too.

If you are more into the beach scene than the history scene, I highly recommend staying somewhere on Anastasia Island.  There too you will have a million great choices in a place to lay your head.  Check that same website for suggestions.  Anastasia Island is where we would take our Sunday outings to the beach when I was a child.  The beaches are absolutely beautiful.  The sunsets are amazing.

If you simply came for the fishing but your family wants to enjoy some other things too, you might consider staying at Devil’s Elbow Fishing Resort.  These are a string of quaint and simply designed little beach cottages with front porches and tin roofs.  They are cute and very comfortable.  They remind me of the first little house that my parents built just after we lived in St. Augustine, and I think these designs are in keeping with how beach cottages used to be. They have all the modern conveniences and are quite cheerful for everyone, though not fancy at all.  They face the ocean and the dock with plenty of piers so you can drive your own personal boat up and park overnight without a problem.  There is a guy named Hank who will greet you and give you the low-down on the best fishing spots.  Fish till your heart is content.  If you don't have your own boat, there are lots of charters available. Your loved ones will be close enough to lots of other fun activities, so this might be the best of both worlds for a true fisherman and his family.

WHAT TO DO FOR FUN:

Wherever you decide to stay, there will be a million and one choices of something fun to do. 

Take a horse-drawn buggy ride with a tour guide who knows his history. 

Take a night boat cruise and admire the twinkling lights of the old city from your boat deck in the ocean with your drink in your hand. 

The city is full of museums, shops, restaurants and antique stores. 

History abounds in this oldest city in America.  See the old fort, Ponce De Leon’s Fountain or The Oldest School House.

There are plenty of places to play golf and tennis. 

As I mentioned earlier there is deep sea fishing, or you could chose to just go beach combing and search for shells or simply take a swim or sunbathe. 

St. Augustine has its own personal light house! There is a museum at its base and it is great fun to explore. 

Quaint old churches beacon you to come inside for some quiet meditation.

Old buildings of architectural legacies are everywhere. 

The Henry Flagler Museum is a must see for anyone who comes to St. Augustine.  The history here is amazing.

You should also visit the old stone fort called Castillo de San Marcos. 

At Christmas don’t miss the “Nights of Lights.” 

On Independence Day the fireworks are amazing. 

There is a wax museum to wonder through.  (They all look so real! You will be creeped-out for sure. As a child I thought they had waxed real people!) 

Drive across the Bridge of Lions and take a tour of Anastasia Island.

Enjoy the Art Walks on the First Friday of each month, and check to see what festival will be going on when you arrive in town.    

Here is your Irish tip: If you go in the middle of March you can discover the St. Augustine Celtic Music and Heritage Festival.  I’m sure you were not expecting to hear of that event in St. Augustine, Florida, but it is true that the oldest city has some CELT hidden inside its walls.  

This totally Irish event has happened for the last seven years and the entertainment and excitement keeps growing and growing because the people love it.  The Festival is held at Francis Field from March 10 – 12 and includes live entertainment with music on two separate stages.  There are Highland Games with clans from Ireland and Scotland participating in whiskey tasting and other Celtic activities.  Irish storytelling is featured!   Of course there will be a St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown St. Augustine on March 11th at 10 a.m. 

If you want to know more about this Irish side of Florida visithttp://www.celticstaugustine.com.  You never know what you will find where these days!

St. Augustine is also host to an annual Seafood Festival and there are many other such festivals throughout the year.  Just surf the web and check them out according to the date of your visit. There is something for everyone all the time.

WHERE TO EAT: 

One hobby that everyone seems to agree on is eating.  St. Augustine has some great restaurants with your favorite food selections just waiting for you.  There are so many eclectic variations of food here.  


Let’s start with Old Town where The Raintree is an excellent choice.  The restaurant lives in a renovated 1879 Victorian house.  It serves delicious international/contemporary/traditional food selections with your choice of fine wines.  

Another smaller, cozy, intimate place in the old Historic part of town on Cordova Street is The Old City House Inn and Restaurant.  Excellent world cuisine is served in a warm elegant atmosphere.  It is small, so make reservations.  The smallness adds to the experience in this case.

A lot of people seem to love The Reef, which is well worth checking out if you don’t mind driving a way down A1A to the beach.  They say the view is as awesome as the food and many people enjoy their meal and take a stroll down the beach afterward.

There seems to be a trend starting in St. Augustine with food trucks that serve gourmet meals.  They buy their vegetables fresh and local and they serve up food near the waterfront from their funky food trucks.  They (these creative restaurant owners and chefs) come up with quirky slang sayings, like “the funky fork” to describe their food, which is excellent and quite healthy to boot.  I love fine dining, but I have to admit the spunk and passion of all of this has turned my head and sent me to ordering from places I usually would not venture out to.  

Two examples are the Uptown Scratch Kitchen which serves both lunch and dinner, and Crave, which only serves lunch.  Both restaurants have amazing menus that change every day.  The staff is funny and entertaining.  They are a bit “off the wall” which only lends to the novel experience.   The selection is astonishing for such an unpretentious front, and the food is usually to die for.  Give it a shot; I think you will like it.    Start with lunch and when your taste buds get the message, gravitate to dinner.  The only complaints I heard were the people who sat on the picnic table in the open outside fresh air and didn’t know how to anchor their food on a windy day. This wasn't a problem for a country girl like me. Oh well, the effort was worth what the taste buds experienced here.  

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All food is fresh and new everyday.  I think this could catch on everywhere!  

There are lots more places to dine in St. Augustine and the surrounding area.  You get the idea. 

I highly recommend you grab your flip-flops and load up the car.  

Ships ahoy!!!