I've been to Florida before, but I've never been to the city of St. Augustine.
The city's architecture was European-inspired and I liked it.
The city was busy with a lot of people, but had a good vibe.
I've wanted to visit St. Augustine for a long time, but I never got around to it.
I've lived in Florida for 13 years and have had a lot of friends and family encourage me to visit St.
The Nights of Lights is an annual holiday celebration that runs from mid-November through January. The hotel I stayed at overlooks the Matanzas River and the bridge of lions.
The town has beautiful cobblestone streets, European-inspired architecture, and festive Christmas displays. There are some things I learned from the trip.
The Historic District felt like an old world European city to me.
St. Augustine is the longest-occupied city in the US. It has a rich history with a mix of cultural influences, from its Spanish founders and 18th century British rulers to the Gilded Age tycoons who turned it into a tourist destination with newly built resorts and hotels.
The layout of the town was influenced by European influences.
There are colorful signs and stucco walls in the Historic District.
There were colorful shutters, balconies filled with potted flowers, and vibrant terracotta roofs.
Wooden doors, wrought iron doors, and doors of all shapes and colors were just some of the unique doors I saw. I took a lot of pictures of the doors because I thought they were pretty.
I enjoyed reading the stories about the town's past on the plaques and signs that were posted around the city. There was a sign on King Street that described how the Americans were held as prisoners of war.
I thought the holiday decorations made the village more charming.
I was amazed by the holiday decorations that were all over the city. The banisters leading to my room at the hotel were adorned with decorations.
I saw wreath hung from street lamps around town. There was an art gallery on King Street with an exhibit about a fictional character, and shops along the busy street filled their windows with holiday displays.
Customers were invited to write holiday messages or prayers on blank tags and hang them on a Christmas tree in the center of the store at Two Sparrows.
The people added to the charm. I saw people wearing Santa hats, matching holiday outfits, and a variety of ugly Christmas sweaters.
The Plaza de la Constitucin is a grassy square in the center of town where a lot of people and families take pictures.
I took a six-minute walk to the Plaza de la Constitucin after checking in. There are cannons from the Civil War and an early-1800s obelisk that was built in honor of the Spanish government in this rectangular plaza.
Nights of Lights festivities took place in the square. A large Christmas tree and a raised pavilion are located at the center of the plaza.
The covered market at the eastern end of the square dates back to the 1500s. I saw families lounging in portable camp chairs and taking pictures in front of the festive decorations throughout the square.
The historic buildings surrounding the plaza gave me a better idea of the place.
The Governor's House Cultural Center is one of the buildings that surround the square.
The Lightner Museum has art and history exhibits, and I stopped to take pictures outside of Ponce de Léon Hall, a liberal arts school.
The Alcazar and Ponce de Léon hotels were once used as well-to-do tourists' hotels.
I liked the architecture of the college.
Ponce de Léon Hall is a residence hall for Flager College and used to be a luxury hotel. I stopped to take a Polaroid for a young couple from out of town who wanted a picture in front of the building.
The Hall was built in the 19th century and features arched walkways that surround a large courtyard, concrete towers with intricate moldings, terracotta roofing, and stately brick columns. There is a statue of Henry Flagler in front of the entrance.
The Governor's House Cultural Center and Museum contains information about the political and cultural history of St.
There are glass displays about the history of the town at the Governor's House Cultural Center and Museum. St. Augustine's architectural makeup was influenced by Spanish and British rulers over the centuries.
I saw a permanent exhibit of artifacts from the building's renovations in the lobby and there were rooms for art exhibits in the center of the building.
The Cathedral Basilica was closed for a private wedding and I didn't get to see it.
The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine was closed for a wedding ceremony. I was able to read about the history of the building.
The first mass ever held in the United States is considered to have been held in 1565 at the site.
The Lightner Museum looked like a castle to me.
The Lightner Museum had castle-like towers, arched corridors, and walkways. The elements are a combination of Italian Renaissance and Moorish architecture.
The bridesmaids wore elegant red and green gowns as they passed through the museum grounds. The feeling of friendlyness I experienced throughout the town was emphasized by the fact that other visitors like me kept a respectful distance from the wedding group.
There are many shops, restaurants, and courtyards on St. George Street.
St. George Street is completely off-limits to cars, but there are many shops and restaurants on the street. The gardens and courtyards were between the buildings. The architecture here seemed simpler and less ornate than what I've seen around the Plaza de la Constitucin.
The balconies that I saw were mostly built with wood rather than stone, the roofs had wooden shingles instead of terracotta tiles, and the buildings were simpler and less elaborate. The area had a nice vibe because of the foot traffic and brick streets.
There was a coffee shop and a beer tavern in one of the courtyards. There are gift shops in the courtyard that sell Florida-themed souvenirs. Kids lined up to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus at the end of the square.
The town was lit up by millions of lights after dark.
I thought the town looked like a children's holiday book as the light displays turned on.
I made a point to circle back to the plaza just after dusk, and I'm happy I did. The trees in the park were lit up with string lights that draped over the square and twinkled on and off in a coordinated display. The Christmas tree at the center of the plaza was off when I passed by, but it still glowed with multi- colored lights.
Families and couples lined up at the edge of a gazebo near the tree, which had an elevated, well-lit platform that was a convenient place to take photos with holiday lights in the background.
I saw a guitar player at the plaza's artisan market. I remember going to midnight mass with my family on Christmas Eve when I was a child because of the church bells and the guitar music.
I don't get to spend many holidays with my family, so it was comforting to be surrounded by so many happy people.
Even though it has European-inspired charm, I still think it has a Florida flair.
As someone who's lived in Florida for over a decade, I'm fond of the state's notorious weirdness, and was amused to see some of it in St.
There were ornaments on display in shop windows. On many occasions, I passed people dressed in full pirate garb, with swords, hats and all. The Castillo de San Marcos Monument is located across from the Pirate & Treasure Museum and was built to protect the town from marauders.
I enjoyed walking across the bridge at night.
The bridge is named after the two pairs of marble lions that guard its entrances.
I decided to walk across the bridge after sunset to see the holiday festivities from a distance because the bridge has a raised sidewalk.
The boats in the marina were decorated with colorful lights and I could still hear the sounds of Nights of Lights from afar.
There were multi-colored reflections on the water after the lights were on. Passengers on the Old Town Trolley Tours were singing Christmas carols from the bridge.
The Nights of Lights festivities felt more rowdy as the night went on.
The daytime festivities felt family-friendly to me, but the after-dark hours of Nights of Lights felt distinctly adult.
After sunset, I noticed that the bar-hopping crowd expanded into many of the streets around the city, making the sidewalks more dense and loud.
I could hear loud music in the bars after I got back to my hotel. Even in the later hours of the night, the area never felt unsafe, as the vibe around town continued to feel upbeat.
I think it's important to plan ahead for parking and dining if you're visiting this time of year because the holidays were busy.
I'm glad I went, but my next visit will probably be during the off-season. The busy time of year is due to tourists who visit for the holiday lights and celebrations.
Many of the parking lots in the Historic District were already full by the time I arrived. I chose to stay at a hotel near the center of the city that had reserved parking spots for me. I think it would have been difficult to get around if my hotel was close to the main sites.
The town is built to accommodate walkers with pedestrian-only areas and clearly marked crosswalks, so I didn't pay much attention to the number of people on the streets. It was hard to find a place to eat or drink in the evening.
I passed many places that only offered food to go that had lines that stretched out the door. 39 people were waiting outside of a popular restaurant.
When I was a solo traveler, I was able to squeeze into a single bar seat outside at Casa Maya, a Mexican restaurant and bar, where I enjoyed a delicious shrimp and Guajillo dish. Next time, I'll make a reservation for the restaurants I want to go to.
I ended my trip with a walk and breakfast at a bakery.
On my last morning in town, I woke up early and took a stroll around the brick streets. At this time of day, I thought the city was more local. Most of the sidewalks were occupied by people walking their dogs or preparing for work.
I stopped to watch the boats in the marina wait for their turn to go under the bridge.
I thought of stopping at a popular breakfast spot along Avenida Menendez but realized that other early risers had already congregated there. Since I wanted to avoid long lines, I waited until the French bakery, Le Macaron, opened at 10 a.m., and ate breakfast at its booths that overlooked the river.
The weekend was a good one with the cobblestone streets and holiday displays.
I like to experience Christmastime like they do in storybooks, bundled up in the snow, serenaded by Christmas carols, and surrounded by over-the-top baubles and decor.
St. Augustine's holiday displays, friendly crowds, and cheery atmosphere made for a great solo vacation. I was happy to swap the snow for palm trees and the river for a better place.
You can read the original article.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
