1313 November 11, 2025 Historic Saint Augustine

It was 34 degrees this morning in sunny Florida!  I wasn’t in a big hurry to get out and walk.  It was windy and it felt rather wintery.  I stripped the bed and gathered all the laundry.  I bundled up and went to the campground laundromat.  I walked after getting the washers started and then again while everything was drying. 

By 10:30 everything was clean and put away.

At around noon it was 50 degrees.  We took the Jeep and drove to Historic Saint Augustine.  We entered the city on the Bridge of Lions.

Saint Augustine is the oldest European settlement int the contiguous United States.  It was founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers.

We found parking at the Castillo de San Marcos or The Fort.  Built in the late 1600’s, this masonry edifice protected the port of Saint Augustine for more than one hundred years.  It is a National Monument and because of the government shutdown, it was closed to the public.  We were able to walk the perimeter of the fort.

We saw dolphins jumping in Matanzas Bay.

We walked to the city gates.

Saint George Street is open to pedestrian traffic only.  There were lots of shops and cafes and historic buildings. 

The oldest schoolhouse in America.

We wandered to Grace United Methodist Church.  Built in Colonial Spanish style the church was gorgeous with detailed terracotta arches, a round window, and belltower.

We found Cuban Café for lunch where we enjoyed very good Cuban sandwiches.

We walked on to the waterfront and down to the Bridge of Lions.

Ponce de Leon.

The Cathedral of Saint Augustine.

The Lightner Museum.

Flagler College was once the Ponce de Leon Hotel.  The building design is extremely intricate and the craftsmanship is excellent. 

Henry Flagler was an entrepreneur and industrialist who was a key figure in the development of the City of Saint Augustine.  He was responsible for building several hotels and was instrumental in the development of the Florida East Coast Railway.