St Augustine is full of History. It is said to be the oldest city in the United States. Ponce De Leon first discovered it in the year 1513, and at that time also discovered the famous “Fountain of Youth” It was the first city to be discovered almost a half century before the English landed in Jamestown. The rich History of St. Augustine is quite interesting even for those who are not particularly interested in history.

The beauty of the city is almost breathtaking. The lush landscaping and the fabulous old architecture are certainly something to behold. The Flagler University building is spectacular. Henry Flagler (oil tycoon) built it in the late 1800’s as a wiinter resort, along with the Cordova and the Alcazar Hotels. These buildings are still standing and operating as a university, a hotel and a museum and are quite fabulous in themselves.

St. Augustine Beach is also known as Anastasia Island. This East Coast beach is breathtaking. There are many exquisite hotels on or very near the beach. The Castillo Real is one such hotel that is not to be missed. A small boutique hotel with only 60 rooms, but a true gem for any traveler.

Shopping in St. Augustine is plentiful. Again there is something for everyone. There are fine bakeries, second hand stores, clothing boutiques, cigar shops, souveneir and novelty shops and a multitude of antique stores.

While touring St. Augustine you will find many horsedrawn carriages available for hire which take passengers on a personally narrated tour, pointing out all the historical places of interest as well as some of the local hot spots. Most vacationers enjoy a day of just wandering through the streets of downtown St. Augustine. This is a really great way to just take it all in. On the downtown streets you will see a little bit of everything. There are many local street performers, artists and galleries and shops of every kind asn so many fabulous little restaurants. The Columbia Restaurant is another must see during your visit, offering amazing authentic Spanish cuisine.

St. Augustine is great destination for a romantic getaway, a girls’ getaway, a family trip, or any type of vacation.

I suppose my love of the beach and beach vacations stems from growing up here and having it all made available to me most of my life. As a child, money was scarce but we could always scrape up enough to go to the beach for a day or a long weekend or a week or so. Oh, the memories that flood my mind. The most inexpensive of meals tastes so much better when you are at the beach. Anything from an egg salad sandwich to bologna to peanut butter and jelly becomes the best thing you have ever eaten when you enjoy it at the beach. And for entertainment, all you really need is a reliable inflatable floating contraption of some kind and a bucket and a shovel (and some kind of sunscreen preparation). Only your imagination will limit the fun and relaxing and interesting things you can do.

If you have never enjoyed a vacation at one of our beaches, you are in for a treat. It does not matter if you are traveling with your teens or younger children or grandma and grandpa. It does not matter if you are planning a romantic get away for two or a singles vacation for six. The beaches offer so much enjoyment for everyone.

The beach accommodations range from the luxurious to the ‘bargain basement discount’ places. Beach resorts and condominium rentals and hotels and cottages are all available to you. You just have to decide on your particular needs. Do you want to find a destination that has a lot of night life and some great restaurants? Do you like to fish or sail? Would you be satisfied by just working on your tan and reading a book or gathering shells? It is all available at the beach.

Almost any of the airports here are only a short distance from a beach somewhere. There are world famous theme parks not too far from our beaches. Beach resorts abound that will give you the best of both worlds, the enjoyment and beauty of our beaches as well as discounts at some of the theme parks and the more local sight-seeing excursions.

Check out the hotel and/or resorts all up and down the gulf coast and you are bound to find something to fit your budget. I particularly like to try to find one of the old Florida cottage accommodations with a pool and the old Australian pines whispering in the breeze and offering you respite from the noonday sun. They are very casual and not so crowded for sure. And actually, I prefer my lodgings to have some sort of kitchen facilities because I don’t always feel like leaving the beach for long enough to find a meal somewhere or a refreshing cocktail. Those kinds of establishments are not as easy to find as they once were because they have given way to the larger hotel chains and resorts. Don’t get me wrong, if it fits the budget, a nice resort is a great way to enjoy the beach too and they will usually have a beach bar or restaurant directly on the beach so you don’t even have to get in your car to meet those needs. Many of the more exclusive resorts have staff that will come to you while you are out enjoying the beach and offer to bring you one of those refreshing libations or perhaps just a snack to tide you over until your dinner reservations later that evening.

Maybe I should have been a travel agent or spokesperson for the tourist industry, but I would probably just steer everyone towards our beaches. Except for possibly European travel, those beach related travel experiences have been my favorites. Whenever I think of traveling anywhere else, I get the distinct feeling that I hear something out there calling to me…sounds a little like seabirds and the gentle lapping of those waves on the shore…is that the whisper of the Australian pines I hear too? To me it is all like the sound of beautiful music beckoning me back to the place I love most, like the lap of my mother, my beloved Florida beach.