St. Augustine Vacations: Guided Tours of the Old City
The charming city of St. Augustine, Florida is a wonderland of recreational
delights for visitors to this area to explore. There are numerous
compelling factors that combine to make St. Augustine the attraction
it is for Americans and for people from around the world. Perhaps
the first and greatest attraction that draws people to St. Augustine,
FL is the ancient nature of the city. St. Augustine boasts the oldest
continuous existence of any city in the United States. It's understandable
therefore how it has developed nicknames such as "the Old City"
and "the Ancient City". By North American standards, St. Augustine
has roots that go back a very long time. And even today many elements
of those early origins are still apparent in and around the Old
City of St. Augustine.
As you travel in and around Saint Augustine you might very well
feel like you're in 17th century Spain- for that is the dynamic
left by St. Augustine's early settlers. Towers, forts, lighthouses,
and other historic European-styled architectural structures are
scattered throughout the city; waiting to be explored by St. Augustine
vacationers. Some of the most famous and most popular of these historic
attractions include: the Castillo de San Marcos, the Mission of
Nombre de Dios, Fort Mose, the Authentic Old Jail, the Oldest Wooden
Schoolhouse and the St. Augustine Lightener Lighthouse and Museum.
There are numerous ways to enjoy the historic nature of this charming
Florida city. Because there is so much history to take in on a St.
Augustine vacation, one of the most popular ways to explore the
area is via a guided tour. And for St. Augustine vacationers there
are certainly no shortage of tour types to choose from. On any given
day you and your family and friends can choose from walking tours,
historic trolley tours, horse-drawn
carriage tours, and train/bus tours.
A walking tour through St. Augustine lets you meander through the
ancient streets of the Old City at a leisurely pace. Your experienced
and knowledgeable tour guide will treat you to a trip in time as
well as through space. St. Augustine walking tours offer trips to
and through a variety of historic city landmarks, including: railroads,
black history sites, historic colonial cemeteries, plantations,
as well as the Old Village. In addition to the quaint, Spanish styled
buildings, a St. Augustine walking tour also takes you through some
of the area's most lavish period hotels. Most of these impressive,
extravagant structures were built during the Victorian era by the
Standard Oil Tycoon, Henry Morrison Flagler.
If you like the idea of meandering about the city at a leisurely
pace but you'd rather not do it on foot then there are several other
options available to you on your St. Augustine vacation. A horse-drawn
carriage ride is a perfect way to enjoy the historic sites in a
mode of transportation taken right out of the era that you will
be learning about! Another popular option is a St. Augustine trolley
tour. A trolley tour is able to show you many of the city's most
beautiful sections, while still providing an old-style feel of transportation.
Another quaint and unique form of tour transportation available
to visitors to St. Augustine is the famous "Red Train tour". The
Red Train takes a one hour tour circuit that circles the historic
downtown district and then takes in more modern St. Augustine attractions
as well.
There are many reasons why you might want to take in one or more of the tours available in and around St. Augustine. First and foremost, these tours provide a detailed glimpse into the uniquely historic nature of St. Augustine. Very few historians would dispute St. Augustine's claim as being the oldest, continuously occupied settlement in North America. But beyond this, St, Augustine is Spain's colonial capital. Considering the rich history of St. Augustine that is available to be discovered, it's well worth the trouble to take a couple of tours to learn from a knowledgeable native to the area. Few locations anywhere else on the continent can offer such a depth of history.
Of course, another reason why these various, open-air tours are so pleasant to take part in is due to the balmy central Florida climate! Why be stuck inside your hotel all day when you could be enjoying the sunshine and warmth of central Florida while strolling along with a walking tour, or on board a horse-drawn carriage or open-air trolley? A guided tour (no matter which one you choose) lets you enjoy St. Augustine's near-tropical climate, as well as the many historic landmarks that make this city such a jewel of early American history. It is experiences such as these that serve to make St. Augustine one of America's top family vacation spots.
For more information on a Florida Vacation Package in historic and
charming St. Augustine, click
here…
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