Jump to content

Anybody been to St. Augustine Florida?


gregintenn

Recommended Posts

My wife wants to go on a trip for our anniversary in June. I'd like to take her somewhere we haven't been. Would this be an interesting place to spend a few days?

 

Do you have a particular place to stay that you'd recommend?

 

I'm open to other suggestions as well.

Link to comment

It's been a good while since I was there, but I really liked the city. There's a lot to do if you get out and look around. There's a dog track not too far away in Orange Park that was always fun. Tons of great seafood, beaches, some great fishing also out of St. Augustine. Castillo de San Marcos is a very old fort like from the 1700's that I really enjoyed.

  • Like 3
Link to comment

if you golf, go.  if not, you might be pressed to find something besides the beach.

 

except for Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth  (spoiler alert..........that water is nasty)

 

 

Right.  You either need to both enjoy golf or sitting on a quiet beach with little else to do.  There's not much there, but some like it that way. 

Link to comment

its a nice place but the fort proper took up maybe 2 hours tops, and that would be going extra slow.  The rest of the *immediate* area is not too exciting as I recall.  We were on a grand tour when we did it and hit Disney (sigh... we were kids...)  and busch gardens (awesome, but its hours away in tampa) and some other stuff in that big triangle.   Theres a LOT within a few hours drive in several directions, but if you are sitting in saint A, youll have to dig to fill more than a couple of days.  I would grab a web-map, look for attractions that interest you, in some radius of some main attraction, and depending on how much driving you want to do once already that far down, and go from there...

Link to comment

They have an alligator farm and a fort lol...I used to live in Jacksonville so I know the area pretty well. Not a whole lot to do, but its a nice little get away from the normal places people usually go in the Carolina's or the gulf coast.

Cool restaurants and a few little tourist things to do, but mainly its just an old "oldest in the country" little town on the beach. The ghost tours are pretty cool also.

Edited by tennesseetiger
Link to comment

How long are you looking to stay Greg? The Fiance and I really like going to St. Augustine but it's not a place I could spend more than a few days at. Honestly, you can see the whole thing in a day or two and then probably be pretty bored. Also, I've never been but I don't think the beach is all that special there.

 

My suggestion would be to hit it on the way down. Spend a day or two and then move on to someplace with more to do.

 

What does your wife enjoy the most? Is she the type that likes to site on the beach all day or does she like shipping/attractions? I would recommend Siesta Key beach on the gulf side and then a visit to St. Armands Circle where they have shots and restaurants.

Link to comment

Greg... I'm gonna change it up... go to Charleston... Plenty to do, plenty to eat, close to the ocean... I never get tired of goin....

 

leroy

 

Good call. Savannah GA is also really nice. It's probably one of my favorite cities I've visited. I really like history and looking at old homes. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
We have been going every year for the last 5 or 6 years and plan to go again this year. We always rent a house close to the beach in St. Augustine BEACH. The beaches are pet friendly. We are to the point now where we just go and bum around. The lighthouse is cool. If you like country music ( Thompson Square) that is where they filmed their video Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not. There is definately a lot of history there in the city. It's worth just walking around the old coblestone streets. The tours are awesome such as Flagler College and the hotels. The architecture is amazing. The history behind Mr. Flagler is pretty interesting. They also have a pretty cool cemetary there with some pretty messed up stories. A church where MLK preached, the original Woolworths and cool restuarants. The Santa Maria is a novelty restaurant that sites over the water, the food sucks but they give you a basket of bread to feed the fish from your table. My wife always makes me take her to O.C .White's there in the harbor for our anniversary. Beach Combers in St.Augustine Beach is right on the beach behind The Pit Surf Shop, it's a dive but has great food. Another one we always hit up is Cap's On TheWater. I also believe they have an IDPA club down there. I've been married long enough that I may be able to check it out this year.
  • Like 2
Link to comment

+1 on Savannah. Great town.

St. Augustine has some cool bits, but you'll have to dig. The fort is cool, several lighthouses in the area are fun, also check out the National Guard Armory. It's just down from the fort and is the oldest armory in the country. They also have the distinction of being the first place a militia was raised in what would become the U.S. and parts of the current structure date back to that first muster.

It doesn't take long to see it, but I thought it was a neat bit of history. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment

Good call. Savannah GA is also really nice. It's probably one of my favorite cities I've visited. I really like history and looking at old homes. 

Thanks everybody! I'd thought maybe a couple of days in St. Augustine, then move on up the beach to Savannah. She's been to Savannah, but I haven't.

 

 

Greg... I'm gonna change it up... go to Charleston... Plenty to do, plenty to eat, close to the ocean... I never get tired of goin....

 

leroy

Thanks Leroy. We've been to Charleston many times. I love that old town, but looking for something new to us. Sort of like Gulf Shores; if I go one more time, I'm eligible to run for mayor!

 

Eric, If you've never been, you've GOT to go to Charleston, SC. Hell, spend a month there. You'll not run out of things to see and do.

 

I had a great aunt and uncle who lived there. He was in the Navy, and stationed there. After he retired, they just stayed. I used to love to go and spend time with them there in the summer. He hated kids, but for some reason, he and I always got along great.

Edited by gregintenn
  • Like 1
Link to comment
If you go to savannah, you need to visit Fort Pulaski and Fort James Jackson. Fort Pulaksi is a big place and takes a few hours to get through. Fort James Jackson is much smaller but still very interesting. If you're like me, the reenactor will drop an 1855 Enfield rifle on you. :)

The Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum is really cool too.

Charleston is really nice too, lots to do. For us, HHI has become the "go to" beach vacation spot.
Link to comment
Stay at the Kenwod Inn (b&b) and walk to downtown. A1A Ale Works has tasty suds and good casual dining.

Out on the beach, there is a restaurant called Southbeach Grill (sit upstairs for dinner). Another favorite is Saltwater Cowboys.

Love St. Augustine. Edited by Hiker
  • Like 1
Link to comment

Thanks everybody! I'd thought maybe a couple of days in St. Augustine, then move on up the beach to Savannah. She's been to Savannah, but I haven't.

 

 

Thanks Leroy. We've been to Charleston many times. I love that old town, but looking for something new to us. Sort of like Gulf Shores; if I go one more time, I'm eligible to run for mayor!

 

Eric, If you've never been, you've GOT to go to Charleston, SC. Hell, spend a month there. You'll not run out of things to see and do.

 

I had a great aunt and uncle who lived there. He was in the Navy, and stationed there. After he retired, they just stayed. I used to love to go and spend time with them there in the summer. He hated kids, but for some reason, he and I always got along great.

 

I think that's a great idea. It should only be a 2 hour drive up to Savannah. I've been to Charleston before but I was 17 and it was cold(march) so I didn't have a great time. I think I would enjoy it more now honestly. 

Link to comment

Having lived near Savannah and gone to St. Simons several times, I would suggest St. Simons over Savannah.  Partly for me is that the charm that people see in Savannah becomes mundane when you see it all the time, so someone who visited it as a tourist might have a different opinion.

 

Without a doubt, Tybee Island (so-called "Savannah Beach") is one of the worst beaches that I have ever gone to.  There was clay in the sand; it was weird.  They have a horrible parking situation and not much else to do.  Some of the locals call it the Redneck Riviera because those same locals go there for the day in the summer.  I can't understand it as a vacation destination, though, especially when there are other nearby places.

 

Amelia Island/Fernadina Beach is another location between St. Augustine and Savannah.  Its basically the first island on Florida's Atlantic coast.  When we stayed at Amelia Island, we would do a day trip to St. Augustine.  The one thing I remember about St. Augustine is it is home to the 'oldest everything" in America--oldest jail, oldest school, oldest fort, oldest city, etc.  If you like ghosts, it is probably a good city for that.

 

Come to think of it, all these beach towns seem to run together in my mind.  I think St. Simons is the ritziest of the them.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
  • Admin Team
Between St. Augustine and Savannah, it's worth taking the NPS ferry out to Cumberland Island National Seashore. It's pretty uninhabited, and you can watch the descendants of the Carnegie's old horses run the beach.

Heck, if you're going for your anniversary, I'd spend the night at the bed & breakfast on the island, The Greyfield Inn - greyfieldinn.com
Link to comment

Been to St. Augustine twice and loved both trips. But I love looking at old stuff and museums. Get tickets for the trolly tour and you can hop on and off where you want and get back on when you want. Here is a list of things from tripadvisor that may give you some ideas on what's there and what you might like.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g34599-Activities-Saint_Augustine_Florida.html

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

TRADING POST NOTICE

Before engaging in any transaction of goods or services on TGO, all parties involved must know and follow the local, state and Federal laws regarding those transactions.

TGO makes no claims, guarantees or assurances regarding any such transactions.

THE FINE PRINT

Tennessee Gun Owners (TNGunOwners.com) is the premier Community and Discussion Forum for gun owners, firearm enthusiasts, sportsmen and Second Amendment proponents in the state of Tennessee and surrounding region.

TNGunOwners.com (TGO) is a presentation of Enthusiast Productions. The TGO state flag logo and the TGO tri-hole "icon" logo are trademarks of Tennessee Gun Owners. The TGO logos and all content presented on this site may not be reproduced in any form without express written permission. The opinions expressed on TGO are those of their authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the site's owners or staff.

TNGunOwners.com (TGO) is not a lobbying organization and has no affiliation with any lobbying organizations.  Beware of scammers using the Tennessee Gun Owners name, purporting to be Pro-2A lobbying organizations!

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to the following.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Guidelines
 
We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.