Picturesque St. Augustine, Florida
is America’s oldest city, with over 450 years of history jam packed into quaint
cobblestone streets and low coquina walls. It’s famous for many things: the
shopping, the beaches, the food, the history, the hauntings, the churches, and
the architecture (to name a few). Like any popular tourist destination, there
are a certain number of “tourist traps” that seem to channel the bulk of the
public’s attention. St. George Street is the main pedestrian shopping drag, and
it’s always chock full of eager-eyed visitors looking for a unique gift or a bite
to eat.
Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with
these kitschy shops, all candy stores and beach towels, but if you’re looking
for something a little more off the beaten path, you’ll have to get off St.
George Street and seek out the local haunts. For starters, there’s Aviles
Street; possibly the only place in the world where you can find a Polish deli,
haunted antique store, an historic home, a Spanish military hospital, an art
gallery, and a Cuban breakfast joint all within a couple of blocks of each
other.
On any given summer afternoon, you’re
likely to find a huge crowd of people on Anastasia Island, just over the
well-known landmark that is the Bridge of Lions. The beachgoers flock to
Crescent and St. Augustine Beaches in droves, but what many don’t realize is
that there’s a second island right around the corner. Vilano Beach lies just
over a tremendous bridge that offers unbeatable views. It’s home to some
gorgeous – and less crowded – beaches of its own, as well as several phenomenal
restaurants and hotels.
The history of St. Augustine, FL draws in a
lot of visitors alone. Many come to catch a view of the well-preserved
historical homes and buildings that make visitors feel as though they’ve
stepped straight into the past. There are well-known historical places that get
all the spotlight, but so much of old St. Augustine isn’t as frequented.
Linconville is the name for the neighborhood that boarders the popular downtown
area. A drive down King Street – which transects the historic tourist spots and
continues on through stretches of residential neighborhoods, small gourmet
restaurants, and treasure troves of pawn shops and furniture boutiques.
As with any “must see” destination, there
is a lot more than what meets the eye here. St. Augustine truly embodies what
it is to tour a popular destination and barely scratch the surface. It took us
well over a year to fully realize all there was to the quaint little town and
to fully appreciate the sprawling world outside of the downtown area. St.
Augustine is more than just a five miles strip of beach and a long row of gift
shops; it’s miles of deeply wooded hiking trails, unique houses with hundreds
of years of history still called “home” today, and some secret little beaches
that make you feel like you’re the only one around. Let this historic Florida
town be an inspiration to you on all of your travels. Seek out the unseen,
think like a local, and don’t always follow the crowds.
Enjoy everything that St Augustine has to
offer while staying in a excusive vacation home with International Vacation Home Exchange,
IVHE.com. Follow this link to view homes
across Florida or click on one of the pictures above for listings in St.
Augustine.
Many thanks to our blogger Emma Sledge.
Many thanks to our blogger Emma Sledge.
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