Sunshine & Summertime

 When people ask me where I think the best places in Florida are, St. Augustine is always at the top of my list. The city is filled with history, family friendly, pet friendly, and packed with award-winning museums and restaurants. The Ximenez-Fatio House, which managed a ranking of the number one museum in St. Augustine during the pandemic of 2020, is no exception. Don Andres Ximenez built the house and warehouse in 1798 for himself and his bride, Juana Pellicer Ximenez. Juana's father, Francisco Pellicer, led the Minorcans from New Smyrna to St. Augustine in 1777 at the invitation of British governor Colonel Patrick Tonyn. This is the same group of Minorcans I've previously mentioned who fled their captivity as slaves of Dr. Andrew Turnbull. Pellicer brought about 600 people to St. Augustine, and they settled at the north end of St. George Street near the City Gate. In his original plan for the location, Ximenez included a grocery store and storage room, tavern, and billiard ...

 The Oldest Store Museum Experience recreates the original St. Augustine general store owned and operated by C.F. Hamblin in 1908. The contents of the museum were once Hamblin's own property. When he initially opened the general store, its primary purpose was to supply Henry Flagler with whatever goods he would need to move forward with his many construction projects, including the famed Ponce de Leon Hotel (which later became Flagler College). The living history tour guides act the part of clerks and salesmen as they demonstrate the latest inventions for turn-of-the-century "modern" living - everything from unicycles to tonics to a goat-powered washing machine. In an effort to protect, preserve, and catalog the massive amount of 19th and 20th century American memorabilia sitting there, the building housing all of it was purchased by Historic Tours of America. A 5,000 square foot, climate-controlled facility was built to warehouse the items, with the first floor being use...

 Dating back to the early 18th century the Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse is located at the north end of St. George Street in St. Augustine, not far from the City Gate. None of the wooden structures built in the city before 1702 still stand, because the British burned Spanish St. Augustine to the ground that year. As a result, the earliest property records for the schoolhouse date to 1740. The original structure consisted of a one room, single story building with a detached kitchen, made of wood siding with a coquina chimney, where food was prepared for the family. Kitchens were commonly separate structures in those times, not only to keep the house cool during the hot summer months, but also to prevent any kitchen fires from spreading to the residential areas of the home. The exterior of the house was made of bald cypress and red cedar bound together by wood pins and iron spikes, all made by hand. In addition to the separate kitchen, there was a privy with a privacy wall and a well, al...

 The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Keeper's House serve as both a scenic attraction and a maritime museum. Still an active aid to navigation on the North Florida coast, the Lighthouse and Maritime Museum is a private, non-profit museum dedicated to its mission "to preserve, present, and keep alive the stories of the Nation's Oldest Port as symbolized by our working St. Augustine Lighthouse." Standing 165 feet above sea level, the Lighthouse overlooks the Atlantic Ocean and Matanzas Bay from Anastasia Island. Visitors can climb the 219 steps to the top of the Lighthouse for an incredible view of the city of St. Augustine and the ocean. You'll have the opportunity to experience life at a Light Station through the exhibits at the Keeper's House, stroll through the grounds, check out the gift shop, or take a "Behind the Scenes" guided tour, included with admission. "Behind the Scenes" tours are offered on the hour from 11am to 3pm every day. It ...

 In 1878, oil magnate and industrialist Henry Flagler left New York with his ailing wife and headed to Jacksonville. On doctor's orders, they were advised to leave the climate of Manhattan for warmer, milder Florida so that Mary Flagler could try to recover from tuberculosis. Sadly, she didn't survive the trip. Shortly after her death, he remarried and moved about 35 miles further south to St. Augustine. He found the area beautiful and full of possibilities for tourism, but severely lacking in accommodations. He began making large real estate investments, including his flagship hotel, the Hotel Ponce de Leon (now Flagler College). The city jail at that time was not only an eyesore, but it was within view from one of Flagler's hotels. He knew that his rich guests wouldn't want to see the jail while they were vacationing, and that its presence outside their hotel room windows could diminish their experience in such a charming city. Furthermore, he feared that such an unpl...

There are 33 Ripley's Believe It or Not! museums across North America, but did you know that none of them were opened during Robert Ripley's lifetime? Or that the original and first odditorium is located in St. Augustine, Florida? My first visit to a Ripley's Odditorium was during my most recent trip to the Oldest City, and it piqued my curiosity about the history of the building and of Ripley himself. Castle Warden, shown above, was built in 1887 by William G. Warden of Philadelphia as a winter home. It's an imposing four stories of poured concrete Moorish revival architecture. Warden himself was partners with Henry Flagler and John D. Rockefeller in the Standard Oil Company, the president of the St. Augustine Gas & Electric Light Company, and the financial director of the St. Augustine Improvement Company. Because of Warden's wealth and influence, the castle home was a center of winter social events during his life and ownership. The castle remained in the War...