Exploring St. Augustine, Florida, at Christmas

• St. Augustine is America's oldest town, founded in 1565. You will learn more when booking your Old Town Trolley Tour. These tours are so much fun and engaging—there are 22 stops and you can hop on and off the trolley. This should be the first thing you try doing. It allows you to see everything St. Augustine offers and learn about the complete history so you can appreciate it while on your stay.

• One of the best things to do is the Regatta of Lights Cruise. You get a breeze on the boat and music, and there are people on the upper and lower deck. You get to view all of the town's Christmas lights from the water—a new perspective from walking through town and the trolley ride. They offered hot chocolate and a selection of different beverages as well as cookies, a nice treat to have while cruising.

• A beach day is a must. Head to St. Augustine Beach, located on Anastasia Island, and gather shells and go in the water for a swim.

• See Castle Otttis on Vilano Beach. This impression of an Irish castle over 1,000 years ago is in remembrance of Jesus Christ, and another good reason to visit during Christmastime.

• Head to "Ripley's Believe it or Not" to walk through the museum and see "Crocodile Man" and the world's tallest man, Robert Wadlow. You can stand alongside him and get your photo taken and height compared against his. And please stand against the red painted wall behind the giant magnifying glass and take a picture of one another! It's something I see on my cell phone photos often and still gives me a very good laugh!

• Stop by Potter's Wax Museum and take your photos with wax figures of famous people like Elvis and Michael Jordan.

• You must eat, outdoors unless it's raining, at O.C. White's—they have live music and holiday lights, plus the very best seafood as well as other great options. It was so lovely and really tasted so good!

• Go fishing with the family at St. John's Ocean and Fishing Pier. They also have amenities and food.

• On Wednesdays, the farmers market is from 8 am-12 pm, where you can gather and learn from a farmer. There are lots of vendors available, art studios, and fresh foods made and sold.

• O.C. White's, bought by George Potter in 1948. He is also the one and only owner of the wax museum you should visit.

• Columbia Restaurant has a great Spanish vibe and decor with fantastic food in the historic district of St. Augustine. It's been one of the top local restaurants since 1967.

• Harry's Seafood Bar & Grill is beautifully lit at night with lots of natural and inviting landscaping throughout. They have live music and decently portioned sizes for the price.

• Saint Italian Restaurant is very elegant—they have amazing servers with fantastic food and a very nice atmosphere. You could stay a while with friends and family. This is also a great choice for a romantic evening dining experience, but they offer a children's menu, too.

• The Drunken Horse brings a taste of France. This is a wine and dine with excellent food in every regard—has to be a top for me even when all the others are great! They play French music and it's beautifully decorated as if you were in France.

You cannot choose wrong deciding to go to any or all of these restaurants during your vacation.