St Augustine

Founded in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest city in the United States! However, visiting here was actually plan B for us. We were supposed to take a cruise to the Caribbean. However, my wife was pregnant and our doctor recommended we not go due to a Zika outbreak. Instead, we kept the Orlando flight and went to St. Augustine instead. Additionally, we had a great time and really enjoyed the history, restaurants, museums and walkability of this town.

Castillo de San Marcos

Castillo de San Marcos National Monument is the historic fortifications on the east side of the historic district of Saint Augustine. Tour the inside of the fort during the day, but it is also worth stopping by in the evening to see it lit up against the backdrop of water and sky.

Lightner Museum

The Lightner Museum is a great museum. Originally, the building was the Hotel Alcazar. However, now it is a museum. It is definitely worth a visit to not only see the art and artifacts on display, but go through the wonderful architectural views. 

Flagler College

You can take a historic tour or Flagler College. Tickets are available on Flagler’s website. It is now an active college, but it is fun tour to see the history of this building as it was originally a winter retreat for the rich and famous. The interior is a no-expense-spared for every aspect of the building. 

Anastasia island and St. Augustine Lighthouse

Just east of St Augustine historic district is Anastasia Island and the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum. The museum was pretty interesting and you are able to climb the stairs to the top of the lighthouse.

Regarding the island, after spending a couple of days/nights in the historic district, we moved over to Anastasia Island for some beach time. 

For Next Time

We had considered the Fountain of Youth, but a lot of reviews consider a bit of a tourist trap, so we skipped the fountain of youth on this trip. However, you might want to give it a try, despite it being inaccurate that Juan Ponce de Leon was searching it. 

ALSO CONSIDER VISITING THESE NEARBY AREAS

Check out some of the other sights in the Southeast Region. If you are a Disney fan, you could also consider spending a day in Disney World if you are flying in or out of Orlando.