St. Augustine

If I had a bucket list this destination would be a check!  It may be cheating (lol) but I tend to add and check off items after the fact.  We stop in a lot of charming and interesting spots but to me a destination has to have a little magic. St. Augustine meets my criteria for a destination. It is the oldest city in the US and was founded in 1565.  We took two days to explore the city, the first day was a walk around looking at all the beautiful old buildings.  

We had a great lunch at O.C. Whites, est. 1790 which even has its own ghost!  Mrs. Worth, who lived in the building in the 1800’s, reportedly haunts the premises.  I don’t know for sure, but any establishment that can claim a ghost has got to be old.  We did not have the good fortune to see her, but had great food and service.

This is our birds eye view of old town from our balcony table.

We also took some time to walk through the public marketplace.

St. Augustine’s public market is bordered by the cathedral and the Government House providing a storefront for residents to offer goods for sale to the public.  The grid design of the central plaza and city streets were part of King Phillip II’s royal decree of 1598, which was a plan for all Spanish colonial towns. 

The second day was spent at Castillo de San Marcos the still imposing fort overlooking the harbor.  This fortress is such an integral part of St. Augustine’s history that it calls for at least a condensed timeline. 

The city was founded in 1565, work began on the fort in 1672 and completed in 1695.  In 1763 Florida was given to Great Britain through the Peace of Paris Treaty at which time it became known as Fort St. Mark.  In 1783 the same treaty recognizes the independence of the US and returns Florida to Spain.  So back to Spain but in 1821 Spain cedes Florida to the US at which time it was renamed Ft. Marion.  In 1924 Fort Marion is proclaimed a national monument and in 1933 it was transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service.  In 1942 the Park Service restored its original name to Castillo de San Marcos. 

                               

The birds eye view from Wikipedia

Spanish importance of this area became evident when Ponce de Leon discovered the best return route for their treasure ships from the Caribbean was along the Gulf Stream, through the Bahama Channel and past the shores of Florida.  Florida needed to be protected to prevent pirates and their enemies from using the coast to raid their ships. 

                             

Soldiers Bunk

Sally Port

 Officers Bunk

Here Comes the Big Guns

The tools to clean and load the big guns

Finally, a shout out to Gene because I know you are reading this!  Have a good day!

Next destination is Cumberland Island to see the wild horses..................