Exploring St Augustine, Florida

Long weekend in Florida

We set out for a long weekend adventure in Florida for Karen’s brother’s graduation from Physical Therapy school. We set out after work Wednesday night to catch a flight to the Jacksonville, FL airport. We took a shuttle from Jacksonville to St. Augustine where Karen’s brother had been attending school. Founded in 1565, St . Augustine is one of the oldest cities in the United States which makes you feel as if you’ve gone back in time as you stroll through the quaint streets surrounded by Spanish Colonial architecture. Once we arrived in St. Augustine we checked into our Airbnb that we were sharing with Karen’s family. It was a great location just about a block away from the beach. We had a good night catching up and laughing with family.

The next morning we walked a few minutes down the road to Kookaburra coffee shop for delicious honey badger lattes. Once we were all caffeinated, we set out for a morning walk on the beach. It had been a while since Brit and I had been to the ocean, so it was a nice change of scenery from our normal Midwest views. After building up our appetite and walking along the beach we stopped at an amazing Mexican spot just about a block away called Burrito Works. It was a cool spot with great food. Highly recommended. We then set off to explore St. Augustine’s historic downtown. In the midwest, we’re used to early/mid-April being almost winter-like with trees and flowers just starting to emerge after the long months of cold temps. We were in love with the fully-grown tropical flowers and immaculate gardens scattered all throughout the city. We were very jealous that our annuals such as hibiscus and bougainvillea grew like trees there. Apart from the amazing plants, the historic buildings of St. Augustine make you feel as if you’re strolling the streets of a Spanish European town.

Here are some of our favorite spots we found while exploring for the afternoon:

• Crucial Coffee Cafe: Cute wooden coffee shack with a cozy garden patio. The small building is a 400-year-old farmer's stable converted into a coffee shop. Well worth a stop to relax in the beautiful garden patio in the back.

• St. Augustine Distillery: Distillery in a restored circa-1907 ice plant, and now one of the most visited craft distilleries in the world. The distillery offers free self-guided tours with a tasting of their craft spirits with mixers. Guided tours are available as well. We did the self-guided tour and enjoyed going our own pace through the distillery. They have a great gift shop to explore and purchase items tasted from the tour. Above the distillery, you have to check out the ice plants restaurant and bar where they serve craft cocktails and farm-to-table food. One of the coolest spots in St. Augustine that can’t be missed.

• Henry’s Seafood Bar & Grille: We sat out on their beautiful patio for dinner. They had excellent food and atmosphere. Highly recommended for a nicer dining option.

• Castillo de San Marcos: A fort built in the 17th century by the Spanish to protect trade routes. We explored around the edges of the fort for free and took in the great views. You can purchase tickets for $15 for adults (kids under 15 are free when with an adult) to explore the fort’s interior.

• St. George Street: One of the central streets in downtown St. Augustine. Full of restaurants and shops to explore. It’s a beautiful passageway to explore with its cobblestone streets and colorful buildings. We strolled through, taking in the sights, and even stumbled upon some live music.

• Flagler College: Flagler is a private college in St. Augustine with a beautiful campus to explore. It was once Flaglers first St. Augustine hotel, the Ponce de Leon. The campus is home to incredible architecture, towering palms, and beautiful gardens.

Our next day we spent one more morning in St. Augustine before setting out for Orlando, FL where Karen’s brother is now living and planning to make home. Some of Orlando’s highlights from our short stay include:

• Winter Park: City near Orlando full of great shops and restaurants

  • Prato for an amazing Italian dining experience with its modern take on many classics. Great atmosphere with indoor and patio options. We sat inside by an open garage door for an indoor/outdoor experience.

  • Washburn Imports was a unique furniture/antique shop by day but turns into an Imperial beer/wine bar by evening. Great spot to hang out for a happy hour with craft drinks and small plates.

  • Briarpatch for an amazing brunch spread. On the higher end for brunches but with the delicious food and eclectic interior it is well worth a visit while in the winter park area.

• East End Market: a collection of artisanal vendors in one marketplace. Very cute spot to pick up gifts, baked goods, and coffees. Some of our favorite vendors include:

  • Gideons Bakehouse to get the biggest cookies.

  • Lineage Coffee Roasters to get your caffeine fix.

  • Freehand Goods for handmade and local goods. They have a great candle selection for good prices which we had to pick one out to take home.

  • La Boutique by LF&F for unique gifts and home decor. We picked up a cute piece to take home.

• Wellborn: A cute oasis in the middle of downtown Orlando. Features a charming garden patio, rooms available to stay in Orlando’s oldest house (built in 1883), and craft cocktails and small bites to enjoy in the inside lounges or at the many garden patio spots.

• Harry P Leu Gardens: Botanical garden oasis near downtown Orlando. Beautiful spot to explore and experience the local tropical plants.

After our day in Orlando, we had to head to the airport later in the evening for our journey back home. We’re excited for future travels back to explore more of this area.