St. Augustine

St Augustine, Florida is the oldest city in the U.S., and is known for its Spanish colonial architecture and beautiful beaches. It was really wonderful to visit during the Christmas Season with all the festive decorations and lights. We toured the historic area on the Red Train Trolley,which was a great way to see the city. There were so many gorgeous old buildings and churches to visit, especially the Cathedral of St. Augustine. The Castillo San Marcos National Monument, a 17th-century Spanish stone fortress was a really cool walk back in time. They had live cannon firings and other demonstrations.

We did some birding at the Guana River Wildlife Management Area and Fort Mose Historic State Park. A local birder, Alta led us on our hike/bike where we saw our first wood stork. We also visited Anastasia State Park and saw one of the old spanish quarries where some of the material that was used to build the Castillo San Marcos came from while we were hiking. The St. Augustine Light Station was open to climb to see the view from the top, the actual light keepers house, and several historic buildings. We are looking forward to coming back visit this lovely city and beach in April!

Next stop, Reddick, Florida!