Where We Be
| St. Augustine, Florida |
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| A rare moment of quiet on St. George Street |
| The Castillo de San Marco, the oldest fortification in the U.S. -- never taken in battle |
| Aviles Street is considered the oldest street in the United States |
| View from the bastions of the Castillo de San Marco |
| Robin poses with a parrot in our wonderfully funky Jungle Room at the Pirate Haus Hostel |
| Stairwell up to the Pirate Haus Hostel |
| Aviles Street contains some of the oldest homes in the country |
| The cannons on top of these bastions were capable of hitting targets well over a mile away |
| Boy, does it feel good to wear T-shirts and shorts again! We enjoyed 75-degree weather during our time in St. Augustine. |
| St. Augustine is eminently explorable on foot. The historic district is small and you can walk to the fort and other important sites. |
| Flagler College, ranked one of the ten most beautiful campuses by Princeton Review |
| Robin can't resist a good photo op with a fake pirate |
| Looking down at the lighthouse's elegant cast-iron spiral staircase |
| Saint Augustine Lighthouse |
| Personalized pancake made for us at the Pirate Haus |
| Lovely garden setting at the Saint Augustine Lighthouse |
St. Augustine is the oldest permanent European
settlement in the United States. It was established
in 1565, 42 years before the English settled
Jamestown and 55 years before the Pilgrims
stepped onto Plymouth Rock.
Our favorite experience was exploring "Old Town"
St. Augustine south of King Street. This area is just
off the beaten path, so the streets are narrower
and quieter and feel more authentic than the highly
touristed St. George Street. Ironically, some of the
true history of St. Augustine resides back here in
the untouristed streets – the oldest house in the
country, the oldest store, multiple buildings with
dates starting in “16—“ or the early 1700s.
Aviles Street was one of our favorites. The "oldest
street in the U.S.," it has brick paving, adobe
buildings, and flowering plants. Another fave was
Charlotte Street – in part because Robin ordered a
chocolate-covered eclaire from DeNoel French
Pastry that turned out to be the best eclaire we’ve
ever tasted.
Another must-see is the Castillo de San Marco, the
oldest fortification in the U.S. Being who we are, we
visited every last room, read every plaque, and
thoroughly explored the Plaza de Armas and the
bastions up top with their impressive cannons.
settlement in the United States. It was established
in 1565, 42 years before the English settled
Jamestown and 55 years before the Pilgrims
stepped onto Plymouth Rock.
Our favorite experience was exploring "Old Town"
St. Augustine south of King Street. This area is just
off the beaten path, so the streets are narrower
and quieter and feel more authentic than the highly
touristed St. George Street. Ironically, some of the
true history of St. Augustine resides back here in
the untouristed streets – the oldest house in the
country, the oldest store, multiple buildings with
dates starting in “16—“ or the early 1700s.
Aviles Street was one of our favorites. The "oldest
street in the U.S.," it has brick paving, adobe
buildings, and flowering plants. Another fave was
Charlotte Street – in part because Robin ordered a
chocolate-covered eclaire from DeNoel French
Pastry that turned out to be the best eclaire we’ve
ever tasted.
Another must-see is the Castillo de San Marco, the
oldest fortification in the U.S. Being who we are, we
visited every last room, read every plaque, and
thoroughly explored the Plaza de Armas and the
bastions up top with their impressive cannons.
