Oldest Town In America...

We had an extra day on our drive from Daytona to Tallahassee and decided to spend it in St. Augustine. The Spanish influence is everywhere... the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods are rich in architectural beauty. This place was founded in 1565... that's 55 years before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock...

We dropped in for tappas at Columbia Restaurant and the food was great...

Wandered around a bit for a couple hours taking everything in and ended up at the site of the Spanish built Castillo de San Marcos. This is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States and was built by the Spanish while Florida was under the Spanish empire.

I was curious how America gained possession of not only the fort but the town of St. Augustine and Florida as a whole... so I did a little digging. In 1821 Spain and the US signed the Adams–Onís Treaty which would effectively cede Florida to the United States.

I find this stuff fascinating and I have never seen anywhere in America that looks so foreign, so different... and it was beautiful. I only wish we had more time so we're excited to come back. If you find yourself driving on i-95 through Florida or you're looking for your next vacation... St Augustine is a solid choice to spend a week immersed in history and plenty to do. Amazing beaches 5 minutes from town center.