It is the holidays and what would the holidays be without a night of lights? So this year being our first in Florida we decided to take a day trip and go up to Saint Augustine. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, Saint Augustine is the oldest continuously European inhabited city in the United States. The information being shared here is copied from Wikipedia and I found it to be interesting enough to share.
St. Augustine was founded on September 8, 1565, by Spanish admiral Pedro Menéndez de Avilés, Florida’s first governor. He named the settlement “San Agustín“, as his ships bearing settlers, troops, and supplies from Spain had first sighted land in Florida eleven days earlier on August 28, the feast day of St. Augustine.[5]The city served as the capital of Spanish Florida for over 200 years. It was designated as the capital of British East Florida when the colony was established in 1763; Great Britain returned Florida to Spain in 1783.
Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1819, and St. Augustine was designated the capital of the Florida Territory upon ratification of the Adams–Onís Treaty in 1821. The Florida National Guard made the city its headquarters that same year. The territorial government moved and made Tallahassee the capital of Florida in 1824.
The county seat of St. Johns County, St. Augustine is part of Florida’s First Coast region and the Jacksonville metropolitan area. Since the late 19th century, St. Augustine’s distinct historical character has made the city a desired tourist attraction.
Saint Augustine is full of unique scenery and history setting this city apart from any other in the country. This historic city is loaded with a quaint charm and being steeped in history offers an abundance of stimulation for the senses. It is absolutely beautiful, there is so much to see and do.
Visitors will enjoy all aspects of this city as they stroll along the brick-lined streets and delight in the city’s European flavor, with centuries-old buildings, horse-drawn carriages, hidden courtyards, and so much more. Saint Augustine has plenty of history to explore — more than 450 years of it!
We ended up meeting up with a family member for dinner who lives and works in Saint Augustine and spent some time catching up, it had been a lot of years and an added bonus of visiting this wonderful city.
So after our visit to this amazing city we know this will not be our last trip here. There is so much to see and do and this being our fourth visit, first Christmas visit, we still have many unexplored areas to see and I know it wont be long before we are planning our next trip up to this beautiful and captivating place. Enjoy the photos and I hope if you have not had the opportunity to come to Saint Augustine that you add it to your bucket list of places to visit.
theroamingretirees.net 