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Travel Report
St. Augustine, Florida Living History & Contemporary Cool ©www.visitstausgustine.com
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Flager College
stablished in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest continuously occupied city in America, so it’s no wonder that incredible historic sites and structures greet you at every turn. The famous Castillo de San Marcos, an impressive fort built by the Spanish, anchors the town at the picturesque waterfront, and the surrounding historic grid is pedestrian friendly and also serviced by cute tourist trolleys. The city has seen a complicated and bloody battle for its occupation over the ages, plus it has suffered many devastating plagues and fires, which is probably why it’s so haunted! An entertaining after-dark Ghosts and Gravestones Tour will enlighten on where all the spirits remain, and why! It was also a popular haunt for privateers, and you’ll find the St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum contains one of the largest authentic pirate artifact collections in the world. Even the local Flagler College is a national historic landmark, renowned as an excellent example of Spanish Renaissance architecture. But as much as the beautifully restored city
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is as old world charming as you’ll see, it is in no way old-fashioned. They have been smart to repurpose the ancient buildings to create trendy cafes, brew pubs, artisan distilleries, hip wineries, modern art galleries and avantgarde dining nooks to jettison it into the 21st century. And the tourism appeal is also boosted by surprising natural urban attractions like Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park right in the heart of the historic quarter. There’s also a lot to explore beyond the history. The surrounding beaches of the national park are beautiful, and are one of the best places on the planet to find prehistoric shark’s teeth, and their waters are teeming with dolphins and whales. And if you take a trip across the bridge to Anastasia Island you can enjoy the opportunity to climb a legendary lighthouse and visit a crocodile farm where you can even zip-line over their habitats! There’s a whole lot packed into this small region of northern Florida, so plan on spending more than a week to really take it all in. Visit: www.visitstaugustine.com SUSAN CAMPBELL @suectravel