Patricia Ann McNair
HEN you consider Florida and its numerous tourist attractions and delights, you might think of vast, sandy beaches; of theme parks, with their larger-than-life animal mascots; of modern and convenient high-rise time-shares; and of race cars and space ships and golf courses. It is playtime in the Sunshine State, a vacation spot that promises fun and sun pretty much anytime you plan your visit. What you might overlook, though, is Florida’s place in the history of our country. St. August- ine, Florida, is one city that truly celebrates its historic role, all the while providing visitors and locals alike with those things that the state is known for: beaches, fine weather, diverse dining experiences, sports attractions, unique museums, and (sometimes kitschy) tourist sites. Downtown St. Augustine, which was originally built around a plaza as decreed by King Philip II of Spain (who decided that all Spanish colonial towns should have a central plaza), is charming and pretty. It has authentic
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and reconstructed edifices and pleasant, cobbled streets laid out in a well-planned grid. While there are plenty of ways to get around in St. Augustine, it might serve you well on the first day of your visit to take a comprehensive tour with Old Town Trolley Tours to get an overview of the city and to get your bearings. Later, you might want to spend as much time on foot as possible so you can feel the temperate breezes and the warmth of the sun on your arms. Walking through the old city, you can closely examine and experience the small details of the place: the glint of light caught in the stone used to construct the city’s fort, Castillo de San Marcos, and the City Gate (as well as other buildings and houses), the particular swoop of the oak trees on Magnolia Avenue (named one of the most beautiful streets in the country by National Geographic), the begging call of seagulls on the wing, the perfumed fragrance of magnolias in bloom, the delighted giggles of children waiting in line for an ice
cream cone. There is much to enjoy here and much to discover.
A Turbulent Beginning
While St. Augustine is not quite accurate when it bills itself as the nation’s oldest city (San Juan, Puerto Rico, actually has that honor), it is the oldest permanent European settle- ment in the continental United States. Juan Ponce de León laid claim to Florida for Spain in 1513, and in 1565, Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés arrived in what would become St. Augustine from Spain. Along with more than six hundred soldiers and colonists, Menéndez settled the area under the name of San Agustín, but the next couple of centuries were not easy ones for this outpost of the Spanish empire. The village was burned by the English sea captain Sir Francis Drake in 1586, and it was attacked by English pirates in 1668. Not long after that, Spain’s Queen Regent Mariana recognized the town’s need for stronger fortifications and ordered the construction of something
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PHOTO: © WOLFGANG KAEHLER/CORBIS
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