Curator’s statement
Did you know that St. Augustine is the oldest city in the continental United States? My family and I chose to visit the weekend before Thanksgiving. For years we’ve talked about driving up to this historical city to explore, so we were happy to finally make it happen. As a bonus, we were able to catch the start of their annual Nights of Lights holiday event.
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Things to do in St. Augustine
Flagler College
Stay close to the beach! We chose the Hyatt Place hotel, which was a five-minute walk to the ocean. The beach was great; it had a wide expanse of sand that was perfect to run around on and play games.
You have to visit the Castille de San Marcos National Monument. This fortress was built by the Spanish to defend St. Augustine, and is the oldest masonry fort in the continental US. On the weekends, they often run demonstrations of soldiers marching and then setting off cannons. Seeing the cannon being set off into the water was a cool (and loud) experience.
Visit the Spanish Military Hospital Museum. This gem of a museum is located on the oldest street in St. Augustine. It’s small and a tour takes about 45 minutes, but we learned a lot about the medical practices in the Second Spanish Period of the city.
Tour Flagler College. You can take an official tour from the college for $20 per person, or just do your own self-guided tour to see the grounds. The architecture is amazing and learning more about railroad pioneer Henry Flagler was interesting.
Have a fun night out at Nights of Lights! There are pretty holiday lights everywhere from about mid-November through early January, plus many Christmas-themed events and activities around town (such as a Christmas night market and skiing!). I would also recommend taking a trolley tour, especially if you have kids with you. It's less walking and more fun driving with a large group through the streets to see all the lights.
Places to eat & drink in St. Augustine
Palomilla steak at Columbia Restaurant
Harry’s Seafood Bar and Grille: Harry’s features a New Orleans and Cajun menu, and has a gorgeous courtyard to eat in.
Columbia Restaurant: Known as Florida’s oldest restaurant, it was pretty packed, and we quickly saw why. Don’t miss the complimentary Cuban bread with butter—it’s amazing—as well as the palomilla steak dish.
Piesano’s Stone Fired Pizza: We had delicious pizzas and pasta here (I loved their marinara sauce!).
Casa Reina Taqueria & Tequila: We didn’t get to eat here, as the wait time was really long (make a reservation!), but it seemed really popular.
Relámpago Coffee Lab: A beautiful coffee shop with great coffee drinks plus warm customer service and a cute courtyard.
Need to know
Look out for the uniquely ornate doorknobs and handles around town. They are beautiful!
If Harry’s courtyard is packed, or outdoor dining is not your thing, ask to be seated upstairs. Their second floor back room is lovely with vibrant paintings of New Orleans culture.
Don’t forget to take your National Parks Passport to the Castillo de San Marcos for a stamp. If you do forget, however, you can purchase a set of three blank stickers for $1.25 and stamp them to put in your passport later.
In the lobby entrance of Flagler College, to the right, there is a “design a window” screen table, where you can create your very own stained glass window following the prompts. My kids enjoyed doing this. You can even email your finished design to yourself.
Travel Advisor
Kadija Bridgewater
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For more inspiration and insider recommendations, visit our St. Augustine page.