Saint Augustine, Florida

 

 

St. Augustine (founded 1565) is where my parents have decided to retire to.  I happen to think the city rocks.  It is a beautiful historic city (oldest in the U.S.) and there is much more to it than just interesting roads.  St. George Street is the main shopping district, and is coincidentally the old part of town.  The oldest schoolhouse in America is located on the street, which is car-free and full of pedestrians no matter what the season.  Castillo de San Marcos is an old fort right in the middle of the historic district, and is where the Spanish protected the city long ago.  There is also a wax museum and a museum of random artifacts related to St. Augustine called the Lightner Museum.  Unfortunately, the red BUS US 1 sign above has been replaced.

 

House Construction Timeline 

St. Augustine Beach  (October 2004) 

St. Augustine  (scenes from October 2004) 

St. Augustine  (scenes from December 2002) 

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These are pictures from my first visit to St. Augustine in 2001:

This assembly greets you as you enter the historic part of St. Augustine WB from the Bridge of Lions (FL A1A).  You can see the kind of old buildings that are common in the city. This is just further north on Bus. US 1 and FL A1A.  This is where A1A meets Bus. US 1 after coming in from Vilano Beach. 
South Bus. US 1 and FL A1A in St. Augustine.  Go to the Ramada Inn for low holiday rates, too.  We stayed in other hotels, for the record. A rare, and now-replaced white-on-red sign for Business US 1.  It's such a shame these have almost all disappeared.  You can see Flagler College in the far left background.
St. John's CR A1A is the old alignment of FL A1A still in service.  It is called A1A Beach Blvd. and is lined with hotels and surf shops.  It is is nice little road with access to the beach. This is on the outskirts of St. Augustine on US 1 SB at FL 312.  FL 312 is a newer highway that connects St. Augustine Beach to US 1.  It goes over the Intracoastal on a big bridge with a 50 mph speed limit.
The beach from Vilano Beach (just north of St. Augustine) in the evening hours.  Taken by my dad. This is the same beach in the nighttime hours.  It's a pretty cool picture, I suppose.  Also taken by my dad.