Carriage Way Bed and Breakfast Florida FL Newsletter August 2011

Carriage Way Bed and Breakfast Florida FL Newsletter August 2011

Top things to do in St Augustine Florida during the Summer

Summer has definitely arrived and so I thought that it would be appropriate to focus on what I think are the top things to do in St Augustine Florida during the Summer. It appears that no matter where you travel in Florida or anywhere else for that matter, how you manage your day is going to be important to enjoying the historic sites and attractions in the oldest city.

The Castillo de San Marcos and the St Augustine Lighthouse are two of the most popular sites in St. Augustine and we highly recommend them to our guests at the Carriage Way Bed and Breakfast. Since neither one of these St Augustine sites are equipped with a Carrier, it is highly recommended that you tour these sites in the morning after that delicious and hearty breakfast. Plan on staying at least two days in St Augustine, so that you can use the mornings to see these St Augustine attractions.

Late mornings and early afternoons should be spent enjoying the shopping, as you move in and out of the shops on St. George Street. Be sure to step off St. George Street to find more custom goods, gifts and treasures. Many of the art galleries are located on side streets. This would be a great time to mention The Hyppo on Hypolita Street for a gourmet Popsicle. One of the wonderful design features of this original Spanish city, is it's passive cooling features. The buildings are built right up against the streets to provide additional shade and the Plaza de la Consticion helps capture the sea breeze and provide comfort to weary visitors as they walk the streets of the oldest continuously occupied European city. Mi Casa Cafe is a popular St Augustine restaurant on St. George Street for sandwiches, cold beer and live music. The restaurant is located in a courtyard setting with huge shade trees, fans, and did I mention cold beer?

Unplugging from your busy life is often difficult to do at home, so visiting the historic and romantic city of St Augustine is an opportunity to do what YOU want to do. Return to your Inn and enjoy that siesta that you never seem to have time for or curl up in the porch swing on the Veranda and enjoy a good book.

Take advantage of a three day pass on the Old Town Trolley. Sit back and with the wind in your hair, enjoy an hour and a half narrated tour of this nearly 450 year old city. The Oldest Jail, the St. Augustine History Museum and the newest St. Augustine Museum, the Oldest Store Museum Experience are located next to each other and provide an excellent interactive experience into the history of St. Augustine.  The St Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum has been a big hit, loaded with authentic pirate artifacts, including rarely-seen shipwreck treasures from the Florida Division of Historical Resources.

If you can't get shopping off your mind there are two large outlet malls; St. Augustine Premium Outlets and the St. Augustine Outlets and they stand divided by I-95, about 20 minute drive from the St. Augustine Historic District.

St. Augustine is known for great restaurants, so the evening is all about food. There are about three dozen St Augustine restaurants within a five minute walk of the Carriage Way, so getting into a hot car defeats the point of staying in the historic district of St. Augustine.

Later in the evening enjoy a Concert in the Plaza, and if it is Thursday night, a romantic carriage ride for two, or sunset cruise on the Freedom Schooner in Matanzas Bay. If ghost tales and hearing about the dark history of St. Augustine is your thing, try out the Ghostly Gatherings carriage ride through the narrow back streets of St. Augustine.

As your day comes to and end, your mind has been thinking more and more about that comfortable bed and the luxury sheets that await your tired body at your Inn. Florida Romantic getaways and a midsummer night special in the historic district of St. Augustine, is a real Florida vacation experience. Enjoy your midsummer night's dream special by staying three nights or more, Sunday through Thursday and receive one night free.  Carriage Way is the better way to stay!

Carriage Way Bed and Breakfast "Likes" the Oldest Store Museum

I had the opportunity to preview St. Augustine's newest attraction, the Oldest Store Museum.  The contents of the store were purchased 10 years ago by Historic Tours of America, which also owns the Old Town Trolleys, the Oldest Jail and the St. Augustine History Museum.

The museum is a wonderful collection of 1,000's of items from the original C.F. Hamblen Store, which was one of the three largest suppliers in Florida during the early 20th century.  During that time if Hamblen didn't have it, you probably didn't need it.  Visitors to St. Augustine might remember when the store was located on Aviles Street.  This new museum is located next to the oldest Jail on San Marco Avenue.  I was amazed at the like new condition of the items in this old general store.  The museum has a nice collection of washing machines, including a goat powered unit, which I am sure was every housewife's dream to have.

Next time you are visiting St. Augustine, make sure that you visit the newest store in town, The Oldest Store Museum.  It will definitely put a smile on your face and you might even remember of few of these items from your youth.  Make sure that schedule enough time for this St. Augustine attraction and stay locally, it is the better way to stay for history!