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The Ponce de Leon Hotel was built by Henry Flagler in 1888. It was state of the art for that time and the first public accommodation in Florida to have electricity. It now houses Flagler College.

The signature sight in St. Augustine is Castillo de San Marcos. The fort was built between 1672 and 1695.

One of many old home seen in St. Augustine.

At right is the Bayfront Marin House Inn one of many locations for finding historic accommodations.

America’s oldest wooden schoolhouse is more than 200 years old.

Photos by Warren Resen

By WARREN RESEN, Member of the Florida Outdoor Writers Association

ST. AUGUSTINE, FL — In five years, St. Augustine will begin three years of celebrations commemorating the time in 1513 when that ubiquitous explorer, Ponce De Leon, arrived on the shores of Florida in the area of where St. Augustine now stands.
Starting on January 1, 2013 and continuing through December 31, 2015, all stops will be pulled out to celebrate this momentous event. St. Augustine’s mayor, Joseph Boles, recently told a group of visiting travel writers to be sure and invite everyone to come to the party.

Formerly founded as city in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest continually occupied European city in the continental United States. It was a city in the century before the Jamestown Virginia Colony was founded in 1607. Locals like to joke that when Jamestown was founded, St. Augustine was in need of urban renewal. The Pilgrims landed on that famous Massachusetts rock in 1621. So what has St. Augustine been doing for almost 500 years?

It has seen the flags of five nations fly over its territory including the stars and bars of the confederacy and many others now forgotten in the mists of history. It was a major city in the last unsettled frontier in the continental United States, long after the Wild West was tamed. And then came Henry Flagler with his railroad and the history of Florida changed forever, and quickly.

Where Henry went, luxury accommodations were certain to follow. He built the Ponce de Leon Hotel here in 1888. It was state of the art for that time and the first public accommodation in Florida to have electricity.

Electrical service was so new that many people, fearing for their lives, refused to push the “ON” button. Henry employed people at the hotel just to turn the lights on and off. Other luxury hotels, built by Henry Flagler, quickly followed. The Ponce de Leon Hotel is now Flagler College, and I was informed, the most affordable private college in the United States.
Across King Street from Flagler College, housed in a building that was once another of his luxury hotels, is the Lightner Museum. If you’ve ever wondered what happened to all of those treasures your family so casually disposed of over the years they, or representations, are in the Lightner.

In the Old City, everything is within easy walking distance. AAA named St. Augustine one of America’s “Most Walkable Cities.” At more than 200 years old, the oldest wooden school house in the United States is a must visit. The oldest house in the oldest city and the venerable St. Frances Inn, built 1791, are just blocks apart. The St. Frances was a private residence until it was converted into a lodging in 1845. Today it is the oldest B&B in the Oldest City.

The signature sight in St. Augustine has to be Castillo de San Marcos, built between 1672 and 1695. It is the oldest masonry fort in the continental U.S. and spans the history of Florida from the early Spanish period to the end of the Seminole Indian Wars.
Despite its antiquity and historical significance, St. Augustine keeps reinventing itself. It is a living organism not a sterile, unchanging museum. The best way to familiarize yourself its many sights is to take a narrated Old Town Trolley tour, getting on and off whenever the mood strikes.

Pedestrian friendly and a perennial tourist favorite, St. George Street is wall-to-wall old houses and shops. Most buildings have been there a long, long time. Today, many are places of historical interest and open to the public. The retail shops have been retail shops seemingly forever. Where once buggy whips might have been sold, today’s shops might specialize in crystal, hand made crafts or the all important tourist T-shirt.

The lack of chain lodgings and restaurants are at first unnoticeable to visitors. The extensive choices of places to eat and sleep is one of St. Augustine’s charms. Stop for lunch wherever your fancy takes you, but stop in for cocktails at the famous Tini Martini Bar at the Casablanca Inn on the bay front. Treat yourself to dinner at the charming Bistro de Leon on King Street or the elegant Raintree Restaurant in an 1879 Victorian home. St. Augustine is a virtual cornucopia of Spanish, French, Greek, German, Asian, Swiss and Southern Cracker cuisines.

There are motels of all types and price ranges but, St. Augustine prides itself as being one of the earliest Bed & Breakfast destinations. There are officially 27 B&B’s, all delightful and totally unlike your typical chain motel. But some have taken it one step further.

Six B&B’s have formed an association called “The Inns Of Elegance” to differentiate their offerings from the run-of-the-mill inns. Guests stay in accommodations in buildings with histories going back in some cases as much as 200 years. Antique furnishings are the norm and some rooms even feature Jacuzzis.

Romance is the theme of these inns. Gourmet breakfasts for guests are included and offerings of afternoon tea and wine breaks are a delightful respite in the day’s activities. Casa de Solana and the Bayfront Wescot/Marin B & B are good examples of these special B&B’s. With only eight elegantly furnished rooms, the Inn on Charlotte is one of my favorites. It is small, intimate, and features truly memorable breakfasts.

A city this old is sure to have some interesting tales of apparitions in the old houses. Taking one of the famous and highly entertaining evening “ghost” tours is a must. But there is so much more to enjoy in St. Augustine. There are nature walks, a climb to the top of the lighthouse, boating, fishing, kayaking and art galleries. When the sun goes down, St. Augustine’s night life comes alive.

The upcoming celebrations will commemorate the 500th anniversary of the area’s discovery. I wonder what St. Augustine has in mind for the 500th anniversary of the city’s actual founding?
The best part of visiting St. Augustine is that it is less than a day’s car trip for most Farmer & Rancher readers. Check their official web page to keep abreast of activities and announcements and start planning now.