What a great city St. Augustine is. As soon as we arrived yesterday, Andy and I did the “tourist thing” and rode the trolley around town and saw the sights. It is a great way to see it and all the city has to offer.
We went to dinner at Harry’s with Bob and Deb.
It was a great spot they had found earlier in the day and we enjoyed our etouffee and jambalaya dinners in the outdoor patio area complete with guitar player and singer. St. Augustine has more restaurants per capita than any other city in the United States.
This morning Deb and I rode the same trolley again so she could see the area and Andy decided once was plenty for him.
St. Augustine is where Juan Ponce de León (1474–1521) came ashore in search of treasures, riches and The Fountain of Youth in 1493 and is the oldest city in the United States.
The Bridge of Lions is a beautiful bridge that spans the ICW. It spans Mantanzas Bay from St. Augustine to Anastasia Island and was originally built in 1927 . The city is attempting to reconstruct the bridge to the tune of $78 million. It was included on the National Trust for Historic Preservation list of the “11 Most Endangered Historic Sites” in the nation.
This is what it looked like before they tore it down.
This is the stage it is at now.
Our boat sits in the marina right below as they drive pilings and barges work from 7 AM to 9 PM.
The Spanish oak trees line the streets and are dripping with Spanish moss. Story has it that Henry Ford was in town visiting Henry Flagler who brought the railroad to this part of the country. Ford thought that he could take the abundant Spanish moss and stuff his car seats with it. After a couple of months, bugs started crawling out of the upholstery. No one told him that you had to boil it first.
The largest, oldest (600+ years) and most well know of these trees is the one they call the Old Senator. Story has it that it was no named because it is old, shady and crooked.
To better show off the city the pictures are below with their captions.
The original city gates.
A couple of the many churches in the city.
A couple of the downtown shopping areas.
One of the many Bed and Breakfast’s in the area.
The St. Augustine Municial Marina where we have kept Good News for two days.
The history and architecture of this old city is amazing. Unfortunately, pictures do not really do it justice. Perhaps you will just have to visit it yourself one day to find out.
The Great Loop 
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