FUN AT THE OLDEST CITY IN THE U.S.

Hello all,

Florida has a lot of places to see and visit and one of my favorite places is St. Augustine. It lays claim to being the oldest city in the U.S.  It is known as the Ancient City. It was founded 42 years before Jamestown. and 55 years before the Pilgrims arrived. St Augustine was founded by the Spanish explorer and admiral, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés in 1565. It still has a historic district lined with cobblestone streets that today are bustling with shops , delicious restaurants, and Inns.

 It is home to the Ponce De Leon's Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. At the park there is a small fountain they say they believe was his fountain of youth and you can purchase bottles of water from the fountain. The park has many recreated Spanish and Tucuman Indian buildings you can walk in and explore. They also have guides dressed in period costumes that will tell you tales of life back then.  When we were there they had a demonstration with an ancient canon. A very nice place to visit.

 The city is home to the  Castillo De San Marcos, which is the oldest masonry fort in North America and the only one in the continental U.S. from the 17th century still standing. It is constructed of coquina rock and took 23 years to build. It has guarded St. Augustine for 300 years and is very well preserved and open to the public. This place is huge.

The city is also home to the worlds oldest Ripley's Believe it or Not that opened in 1950. It can also boast being home to the nations oldest wooden school house built in 1716. The school house has a small museum inside. Also there is the St. Augustine Lighthouse Tower that was built in 1874. It houses a maritime museum and is believed to be very haunted. When we were there we did notice a few strange noises and saw things like a light coming on in another room In fact, St. Augustine is reputedly one of the most haunted places in the country. You can take one of many ghost tours, or stay at its very own haunted St. Francis Inn. . St. Augustine is also home to the Potter Wax Museum, which is the oldest museum in the U.S. and has over 160 figures. Then there is one of Florida's oldest attraction St. Augustine  Alligator Farm and Zoological Park which opened in 1893.

 This city is so rich in history. But lets not forget its beautiful beaches, it is after all Florida. Its beaches stretch for more than 20 miles. Its most popular is Vilano Beach, which offers a fishing pier, para sailing sea do rentals, picnic shelters and outside showers. Vehicles are even permitted on this beach. There are also the Ponte Vedra Beac,. Crescent Beach, Anastasia State Park Beach, and St. Augustine Beach to name a few.

There's plenty to do and whatever you choose. you'll have a lot of fun visiting St. Augustine.