Florida’s fountain of youth
Executive summary by darmansjah
History books taught us that Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León
“discovered” Florida
500 years ago in 1513 while seeking the fabled fountain of youth. But before
the peninsula was claimed by de León, it was home for more than 12,000 years to
Paleo-Indians who built civilizations around its water-filled sinkholes and
left behind archaeologically rich middens (giant piles of oyster shells) as
proof of their bayside existence.
Today, finding a genuine slice of “Old Florida” can be a scavenger hunt. The
breezy Spanish colonial city of St. Augustine is an exception to the rule. A
pair of marble lions greets visitors crossing the regal Bridge of Lions into
the walled city. Looming over it is Castillo de San Marcos, a 17th-century fort
surrounded by a moat and occupied at various times by Spanish, British,
Confederate, and U.S. soldiers. The fort’s warren of chambers echoes with the
stories of pirates, three signers of the Declaration of Independence,
Spanish-American War deserters, and even Seminole Chief Osceola, who was
incarcerated here in 1837 for leading the native resistance against the U.S.
Along King Street sit historic Flagler College and the Lightner, an
antiquities museum housed in an 1887 Spanish Renaissance Revival masterpiece.
It was commissioned by oil tycoon Henry Flagler, who is credited with salvaging
the city and planting Florida’s tourism seeds. St. George Street, St.
Augustine’s main drag, may have become overly touristy and crowded with T-shirt
emporiums and fudge shops, but the side streets still harbor scrubby garden
courtyards and off-the-radar bars, such as the 130-year-old Mill Top Tavern,
where you can imagine what Old Florida was like before it became the Sunshine
State. —Adam H. Graham
Travel Tips
When to Go: Spring (March-early June) and fall (late
September-November) average temperatures are a comfortable 70-85ºF. Keep in
mind that Atlantic hurricane season is June-November.
Where to Stay: Stroll from the intimate St. Francis Inn
bed-and-breakfast in Saint Augustine's brick-paved historic district to nearby
restaurants, shops, galleries, and museums. Or watch the sun rise over the
Atlantic from the oceanfront House of Sea and Sun, a comfortably elegant 1920s Flagler
heiress’ home turned bed-and-breakfast on St. Augustine Beach.
How to Get Around: The Old Town
Trolley narrated tour route encompasses 22 hop-on and hop-off sightseeing
stops, plus a free shuttle to St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum. Purchase three-day
passes online ($21.32 adults, $9.27 ages 6-12).
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