St Augustine: Queens of the SE Coast Pt.1

When our international trips were delayed a 2nd year due to COVID, we decided to re-visit some old favorites on the Southeast coast. We divvied up the trip between three historic cities: St Augustine Florida, Savannah Georgia, and Charleston South Carolina. I call them the “Queens” because each is majestic in their own way and (in my humble opinion) they outshine every other city in their respective states.

We began our trip by flying into Savannah and driving to St Augustine, where we spent three nights at Agustin Inn. We stayed there before when we went for a Mumford & Sons concert and loved its location.  It’s in the old quarter, so we could walk out in the early morning and enjoy the cobblestone streets and Spanish buildings before tourists arrived.  In the afternoon, we’d drink coffee on the porch and people watch.  At night, we enjoyed live music from our window looking down at the Florida Cracker Cafe patio, which hosts live music every night and a boisterous audience.  St Augustine’s old quarter has the New Orleans joie de vivre but without the crime and offensive smells.  It’s a family-friendly destination, especially for kids who love history.

Aviles Street

We skipped the tourist attractions (of which there are many) and explored beyond the old quarter.  The neighborhoods north of Flagler College were great for walking or bike riding.  Memorial Presbyterian Church was our favorite building. Like so many other landmark buildings in St Augustine, it was built by Henry Flagler and designed by architects Carrere & Hastings, but it has an extra Italian flare that the others don’t.  It’s a Taj Mahal, built as a resting place for a beloved daughter who died in childbirth.  The other Flagler buildings were more heavily influenced by Spanish and Moorish designs.

Memorial Presbyterian

Memorial Presbyterian

Flagler College

Cathedral Basilica

Cathedral Basilica

Cathedral Basilica

There were three restaurants that we LOVED, two of which we would have returned to had we stayed longer.  The Floridian was our favorite overall, as it had a well shaded patio and inventive healthy food with lots of flavor.  We could have happily sat there for hours, sipping our drinks and listening to Flagler College faculty converse on all sorts of topics.

Floridian drinks

Fish Camp Fancy @ Floridian

Cornbread Stack @ Floridian

Our second favorite was Aunt Kate’s on the Tolomoto River, which traces its history back 100 years and has that unpretentious vibe that all great local places have.  We actually tried to eat at Cap’s on the Water first, but it was packed and required free valet parking, so we moved on to Aunt Kate’s and were so glad we did.  It’s directly on the water and has a boat dock and bait shop attached.  While not healthy, the seafood was fresh and delicious and the atmosphere was lively.  We tried our first Conch Fritters here, yum!

Pelicans @ Aunt Kate’s

Fish Tacos & Fried Conch

Deck Bar @ Aunt Kate’s

Aunt Kate’s

Aunt Kate’s

Our third favorite was the Ice Plant Bar, a swankier option than the others with a VERY lively bar scene.  It’s in a beautifully restored building and away from the crowded areas of St Augustine. We walked from our inn and enjoyed our return walk through the Flagler campus which is very pretty at night.

Eric @ Ice Plant

Toilet @ Ice Plant

Ice Truck

Ice Plant Bathroom

What I love about St Augustine is that you get a small historic town with fabulous dining options AND a beach destination.  The beaches are a short drive across the Bridge of Lions.  An early morning walk or bike-ride along that bridge is a nice treat, before all the tourists invade the fort and traffic gets too bad. The minute you cross the bridge, you’re in a beach town.  Our favorite spots were Ocean Hammock Park (a local favorite) and Crescent Beach, where we watched windsurfers.

Three nights was all we had in St Augustine but I could have happily stayed a week.  There are only a few places where Eric & I repeat visits, and this is one of them.  Stay tuned for the second part of this trip, when we visit Charleston South Carolina.