A visit to the oldest city in the US should definitely be on anyone's Bucket List - it's a college town, a beach town, and a town of significant historical interest. And for anyone who loves history, this is where it's at. Not only did the city celebrate 450 years of history in 2015, but they celebrate all their colorful past all year long every year. They re-enact the pirate raids, the coming of the British, the reading of the emancipation proclamation and the struggle for equality for our African American citizens. They commemorate just about every hero or scoundrel the city has known in its long history, from Ponce de Leon and Pedro Menendez to Richard Searles and Sir Francis Drake. It's not uncommon to see folks dressed out as pirates or soldiers of the Spanish garrison and citizens of the colonial past any time you might choose to visit. The Spanish Quarter, which was a living history museum depicting life in 1740 unfortunately closed last year, but it is currently scheduled to reopen in the spring of 2013 as the Colonial Quarter with a wonderful and exciting array of exhibits and costumed docents eager to share their colonial skills and lifestyles for three centuries of history.
  
The Plaza was laid out according to exacting measurements    St George Street at night.
for all of Spain's colonies. A monument to the constitution of
Spain and this market venue can be seen on the Plaza.
  
Castillo de san Marco is the oldest masonry fort in North              The Basilica and Cathedral of St Augustine.
America was completed in the 17th century.

Watching history come alive is part of the fun.
  
British Night Watch commemorates the peaceful arrival      Not so peaceful were the pirate and privateer raids.
of British rule from 1764 to 1784.

  
Here's a BIG HEAD parade....................................................And Captain Mayhem, one of our favorite local pirates.

      
A Spanish Soldier from the Castillo Garrison     The barkeeps at a local tavern

 
Flagler College, once the Ponce de Leon Hotel.               And Artesian well on St George Street.

Two years ago, the schooner Lynx visited St Augustine and this past year the HMS Bounty came into our humble harbor.
               
         HMS Bounty                                        And any time you need a break from all this history,
                                                                     there are dozens of restaurants, big and small to visit.