Page 19 - Guest Advantage Spring/Summer 2016

Trails and camping areas are found along meandering marshes.
Every day is eventful in St. Augustine. There are 45 spirited year-round celebrations of heritage and heroism. Reenactments range from the 18th century royal transfer of office to Drake’s Raid in 1586. Another popular event is the reenactment of the 1740’s torchlit Spanish Night Watch.
St. Augustine and the surrounding area have an amazingly varied and rich fine arts environment.
Working in every medium imaginable, art lovers can check out the work of more than 230 local artists in galleries and shops around the city. The antiques scene is no less sparkling. St. Augustine alone has more than 50 antiques dealers displaying their one-of-a-kind treasures.
In 1513, when Ponce de Leon first saw Florida, near the mouth of the St. Johns River, the flowers were in full Easter bloom so he called it La Florida (the flowering). Although de Leon did not stay long, the name has never left us.
The Spanish influence is everywhere in St. Augustine’s buildings. Many of its hotels, museums, churches, inns and public places have a distinct colonial flair. Spectacular archways, flying buttresses, stained glass windows and the magnificent lobbies of Henry M. Flagler’s grand hotels, all evoke a by-gone era.
The historic Colonial Quarter is a living theater allowing visitors to see how early settlers went about their lives, how they repulsed invaders or were occupied by them. Festivals are staged during all seasons of the year and are fun and informative and provide a perfect way for a family to learn together.
Anastasia Island, between the Intracoastal Waterway
and the Atlantic Ocean is an 18 mile vacationer’s paradise perfect for all outdoor recreational activities. Here you’ll find beautiful, clean, sandy beaches, the county fishing
pier and the Anastasia State Recreation Area, which offers camping, hiking, nature trails, birding, picnicking, fishing and volleyball. You’ll have an ample opportunity to view the spectacular abundance of native wildlife.
The St. Augustine Amphitheater, ranked as one of the
best outdoor concert venues in the United States serves up first class entertainment of every type. Aretha Franklin, Alan Jackson, Crosby Stills & Nash, Carlos Santana and more have graced this award winning stage. See staugamphitheatre. com for more information and a complete list of upcoming shows.
Our coastal waters are home to dolphins, playful, intelligent creatures often spotted frolicking in the waves close to shore. The area also hosts a sizeable colony of manatees. Spotting one of these gentle creatures in the wild
is a thrill you’ll not soon forget. Looking for American alligators is another favorite of visitors to Florida. The St. Augustine Alligator Farm on Anastasia Island opened in 1893 as the world’s first of its kind zoological park with the world’s only complete collection of crocodilians, not to mention snakes, monkeys, birds and educational wildlife shows.
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