St. Augustine won my heart with it's Old World Charm. I understand why Henry Morrison Flagler, the oil tycoon and real estate magnate who created Miami from swampland, chose this historic city as his home. Standard Oil founder Henry Flagler, built the Hotel Ponce De Leon, a perfect example of Spanish Renaissance architecture. It now serves as the centerpiece of a small liberal arts college known as Flagler college. This building received the prestigious status of National Historic Landmark, one of only 2,500 buildings in the US with the designation. The grounds and building was amazing!
We also toured Castillo De San Marcos, located along St. Augustine's inner shore which was constructed in the late 17th century with 12 foot thick walls. The Fort included a moat, deep freshwater well, a latrine flushed by the flood tide, and nonperishable stores made it an almost impregnable refuge for about 1,500 civilians against would be attackers. We were just in time to watch the soldiers fire a live cannon!
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| The Castillo De San Marcos is on the Mantanzas River. |
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Soldiers preparing to fire a live cannon.
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The Bridge of Lions with a clipper ship passing by.
Flagler College once the Hotel Ponce De Leon.
Cross erected in the spot where the first Catholic Mass was held in the US.
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