Make no mistake. St Augustine is one of the best places to visit on the whole East Coast of the US, especially if you are from Europe. It has been called 'America's Most Photogenic City'.
In most towns in Florida, they seem to tear down any house thats over fifty years old, only immediately to rebuild it, and so many of the shops and restaurants are stuck in soulless malls dominated by the big brands. But St Augustine is unique. It oozes character. It is a veritable time-capsule. A stroll through St Augustine is a step back into the very genesis of the USA. The narrow ancient streets transport you to Spain, where the earliest settlers came from. Still today, the balconies of the 'casas' hang out precariously from the Spanish-style houses, creating a dramatic theatre set of early American colonization. Florida does not have much of a deep-rooted historical past. In fact, this is it.
But this is not a museum town. It is a vibrant, thriving small city attracting thousands of visitors who flock there by the thousands year-round.
You cannot talk about St Augustine with mentioning Henry Flagler (1830-1913). His stamp is everywhere so it is worth learning a bit about him. Henry was a founder of Standard Oil with John D. Rockefeller, and unsurprisingly become one of the wealthiest men in the world. With his abundance of wealth, he chose to unload some it by personally funding the whole of the Florida East Coast Railway, which opened up the sparse peninsular that was turn-of-the-century Florida. Without him, there would be no Miami or Palm Beach as we know it. It started when he first decided to visit St Augustine with his sick wife Mary in 1881 but could not find a decent enough hotel. So he tried to buy the recently finished Villa Zorayda, a small palace. However, the owner was not prepared to sell, so he set about building the magnificent 540-room Ponce de Leon Hotel (below). As with everything Henry undertook, no expense was spared. Today, it is part of Flagler College and is a must-visit (especially to sneak and and see the incredible Tiffany stained-glass windows).
By now, Henry had fallen in love with the challenge of the area and set about building the railroad line down to Miami and Key West. But he needed further opulent accommodation for his train guests, so he built the luxury Alcazar Hotel opposite (which had the largest indoor swimming pool in the world) and then bought the magnificent Casa Monica hotel next door. All these are well worth half a day's inspection. He went on to create several more such palatial residences such as the Hotel Royal Palm in Miami and the Royal Poinciana and Breakers in Palm Beach and the Casa Marina in Key West,

Flagler's Ponce de Leon Hotel, now part of Flagler College
To appreciate St Augustine fully, you have to be aware that this is the oldest continually occupied European settlement in the whole of the USA, with a colorful legacy that dates back to decades before the Pilgrim Fathers set foot in Plymouth.
The best advice we can give is to head straight for St George Street, a pedestrian artery through the historic district that will transport you into the heart of this wonderfully Spanish town. It is packed with interesting stores, bars and restaurants, completely devoid of any of the 'chains' that dehumanize the American shopping experience.
We also recommend grabbing something to eat at Casa Maya in Hypolita St, off St George. A table upstairs at Meehan's Irish Pub, overlooking the river and the magnificent Bridge of Lions, is another great place to relax, preferably with a Guinness. And don't miss having an early evening cocktail at the Tini Martini Bar on the waterfront.
But if you want a real treat, get a taxi out to Cap's On The Water, a couple of miles out of town, right on the river. It is fabulous with superb food. Slightly nearer is Beaches at Vilano. It is more of a burger restaurant but, again. right on the water. and a brilliant place for sunset.
The huge fort, the Castillo de San Carlos, dominates the water's edge of the town. It is worth a visit if you like old forts. It stands indomitably guarding the town, despite numerous attacks over the past four centuries, most famously by Sir Francis Drake who arrived in 1586 and promptly plundered houses, burned crops and did goodness knows what else before sailing on. English buccaneers ransacked the city again in 1665.
Through all the attacks, invasion and brutality, St. Augustine has somehow managed retained its special dignity, its fascination, its optimism, its colour and its beauty.

The elegant Bridge of Lions which takes you from the heart of the city to the beaches on Anastasia Island.
This is why we love this town. If you come to northern Florida, don't miss it. It is quite small, so you can walk from one side to another in half an hour. Flooding has been an issue following a couple of hurricanes of recent years as most the houses are only a few feet above sea level but many are now being dramatically raised. Global Warming is frightening some people, poor dears. But hell, if you live your life in fear of what might be, you'll end up missing all the fun.

A waterside house being raised.
As nearly all of the State is like a seabed (which, of course, it was), we had had only a distant hope of finding somewhere in Florida with a depth of history, houses more than 100 years old and real soil that will support something like an English garden.
And we found it all here. In beautiful St Augustine.
P.S. We are thinking of blending in to the South by repainting our RV. We gave this design a miss. Only in America!
