St. Augustine - Old World Charm
Fifteen years ago I was in Germany on a business trip. My client took me to a small town outside of Bonn, named Bad Munster Eiffel. This tiny Bavarian hamlet had a wall around it and at the main gate, a cornerstone was marked 1050 A.D. It occurred to me that this town had been there long before the trees that built the Mayflower had even been planted. I further contemplated the fact that the history of the United States is brief in comparison to the rest of the world.
In this country there are few places where you can see and taste the Old World from which ours was formed. But there is one place where you can see modern American history cross that of old Europe. That place is St. Augustine, Florida. St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest city in America, being established in 1565. It was established by Spain during the height of the Spanish empire. They built a fort there called Castillo De San Marcos that was, in the ensuing 500 years, occupied by the French, the British and the Confederate Armies. It remained in the custody of a foreign power until 1821 when the United States of America took possession of Florida from Spain, ending foreign control of the city of St. Augustine and its ties to the old world.
In the 1800s after the American Civil War, during which St. Augustine and its fort were occupied by Confederate forces, the great industrialist Henry Flagler took an interest in the city. He built several grand hotels to serve the clientele of his railroad, which stretched from the Northeast, all the way down the coast to Key West. These buildings still stand today. One has become a college. Tourism took off in St. Augustine in the 1920’s and by the mid sixties, St. Augustine had become a well known tourist attraction. The city fathers have managed to maintain the “Old Section” of town just west of the fort in original condition and as you walk the narrow streets lined with artisan shops you can clearly see the old European influence. The outdoor cafes, bistros and specialty shops feature cuisine from virtually everywhere, and it is hard to find a bad seat just to eat and people watch. Artists of all venues line the streets with their works.
The Fort itself is a national landmark. Re-creationists from various eras dress in period clothing each weekend and man the ramparts. The cannons are fired and the walls are stormed just as they were during the many battles the fort has stood through. These re-creationists are very meticulous and well educated on the parts they play and will spend all the time you want explaining each and every item and each and every event. A second fort about 10 miles south, Ft. Matanzas is the site of battle between the Spanish and the French for control of St. Augustine. Though off the beaten path, and requiring a ferry ride to visit, it is really worth the effort. Besides the historical sites at St. Augustine there are numerous points of interest that are sure to appeal to a wide variety of people. My personal favorites include the countries oldest Alligator Farm, featuring albino (white) alligators. These creatures don’t survive in the wild for obvious reasons, but they have them here. They also have the largest alligator ever held in captivity, more than 20 feet long! Another favorite is the St. Augustine lighthouse, which you can climb to the top of and has its own rich history, as well as the museum of weapons. There are twenty or so more museums, displays and places to see so you will not lack for things to do.
Getting there is easy. The St. Augustine Airport is a well-run, modern facility with a new terminal building located just four miles north of the city. It features an ILS approach, two VOR approaches and two GPS approaches and has a control tower. The airport authority must have plans for this airport because they have been in the process of buying up the property surrounding the airport for a number of years now. The airport itself is the home to a Grumman (now Northrop) facility that refurbishes Grumman A-6 Intruder aircraft for the United States Navy.
The FBO is Galaxy Aviation and they do a great job. You can get half-day rental cars (I paid $19.95 plus the tax) for day trips and they provide full services and fuel. There is a terrific restaurant upstairs in the terminal building with a tremendous view of the airport. The walls are lined with memorabilia from the airport and in particular from the aerobatic world of aviation that the St. Augustine airport is the center of, here on the East Coast. Though there is no shortage of hotel accommodations both on and off the beach should you decide to over night, St. Augustine has become one of my favorite day trips. While our country’s history is just 226 years old, St. Augustine holds interesting insights into the time before national sovereignty and the time leading up to the Industrial Revolution.
Old World charm, southern hospitality and rich American history is how I would describe your visit to St. Augustine.
By Michael Leighton You can reach him via e-mail at av8tor0414@aol.com, or find him on the web at http://web.mac.com/mkleightion