Living in Florida

A Walk Through St. Augustine - The Oldest Continuously Inhabited City In The United States

St. Augustine, "the nation's oldest city", just north of Jacksonville - indeed the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the United States, having been founded by the Spanish in 1565.

St. Augustine's founder, Don Pedro Menendez, came ashore on September 8, 1565, and chose to name the settlement after the patron saint whose feast day coincided with the day of landing. Of course, before the Spanish ever set foot on Florida soil, the Timacuan Indians had already been here and they watched Menendez and the roughly 1500 colonists and soldiers settle here. Over the last few centuries the city experienced governments from different countries, including Spain, Britain, and since 1821, the United States.

The real rise of this community came in the late 1800s when Henry Flagler (1830 to 1913) built two hotels and took over a third as part of the Flagler hotel chain. Flagler was the co-founder of Standard Oil, and although not as well known as some of the other early magnates of capitalism, he was one of the wealthiest individuals of his time. Flagler had a major impact on Florida: he founded the Florida East Coast Railway as a means of transporting guests to and from the north to his hotels in St. Augustine, Palm Beach, and Miami. A honeymoon visit to St. Augustine in 1881 with his second wife inspired Flagler's vision to transform this sleepy town into a winter playground for the rich.

Three of Flagler's former St. Augustine hotels are still in use today: Flagler College (the former Hotel Ponce de Leon), the Lightner Building - St. Augustine's City Hall (the former Alcazar) and Casa Monica, redone as a county courthouse in the 1960s, and reopened in 1990 as the restored Casa Monica Hotel. During the late 19th and early 20th century Flagler also developed a residential neighbourhood called the Model Land Company tract.

Within a few short years Flagler's dream of a resort town for northerners faded and he, and the wealthy northern visitors, moved further south. He continued to develop the Florida East Coast Railroad down the peninsula, into and across the Florida Keys, creating hotels and communities along the way.

St. Augustine is centered around the Plaza de la Constitucion, which anchors the Lightner Museum / City Hall, Casa Monica and Flagler College, three stunningly beautiful structures. Located in the former Alcazar Hotel, the Lightner Museum houses collections of legendary hobbyist and antiques collector Otis Lightner.

St. Augustine has a wealth of other historic and architecturally interesting structures. The most historically significant structure in St. Augustine is the Castillo de San Marcos, built by the Spanish between 1672 and 1695. The 19th century Lighthouse Museum is located in the St. Augustine Lighthouse on Anastasia Island east of town across the Bridge of Lions. St. Augustine also houses the oldest store in town dating to the turn of the last century. Talking about old buildings, St. Augustine is home to the Gonzalez-Alvarez House, dating back to 1727, known as the "Oldest House Complex", a National Historic Landmark.

The Mission of Nombre de Dios is located on the west bank of Matanzas Bay, and it is said to have been the site of the first Catholic Mass in what is today the United States. The Spanish Quarter Village is a living history museum composed of a collection of colonial period houses where guides recreate the dress and lifestyle as seen in 1740.

Ponce de Leon's Fountain of Youth National Archaeological Park exhibits foundations and artifacts of the first St. Augustine mission and colony. It also houses the Landmark Spring, Explorers Globe and Navigators' Planetarium. St. Augustine also houses the Oldest Drug Store and the nation's Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse, built more than 200 years ago while Florida was under Spain's rule.

If you have a chance to explore this historic city in detail, you will see what a unique destination St. Augustine really is. In fact, the city welcomes around 2 million visitors every year who come to discover a unique historic part of America. A settlement with authentic Spanish roots is a truly unique sight in the U.S. and it is definitely worth a detour.

Yesterday I was staring out over the lake behind my second-floor studio, as i often do on sunny afternoons.

The reflection shimmering from the lake was uplifting. I took this as an omen of a satisfying Christmas family

reunion in a few days. Lots of birds live there, many ducks, seagulls and egrets, plus others that drop in.

A few minutes later I hear a loud commotion among the ducks,an alarm I'm familiar with. What could be bothering them?

As I get to the window, a big, fast and mighty bird is making a low pass over the lake. Our national symbol streaks

over my building like a jet. Dreaming of having a tasty duck for dinner, it was taking a close look at the situation, formulating a plan of attack no

doubt. I lingered awhile, hoping it would return. No luck. I wish him and his kind a great new year.

1905; The granddaddy of them all, Columbia Restaurant bears the distinction of being the oldest restaurant in Florida as well as the nation's largest Spanish/Cuban restaurant, with 13 rooms extending an entire city block. Some of their waiters have been there a lifetime, there are stirring flamenco shows most nights, and owner Richard Gonzmart has an evangelical zeal when it comes to authentic Cuban sandwiches and the tossed-tableside 1905 Salad, at 2117 East Seventh Ave,Tampa..

.1926 That's a long time to be the alpha dog, but Coney Island's Michigan style chili dog is the coin of the realm, especially when eaten atop a brown vinyl stool at the counter with an impossibly thick chocolate shake at your elbow. The franks cost more than the nickel owner Pete Barlas charged back in the day [well, and he added a 5 cent extra charge for anyone who ordered ketchup on their chili dog], but son Hank and grandson Pete Barlas II haven't let prices get out of hand. 250 Dr Martin Luther King St. N, St. Petersburg.

1935...There, on Bayshore Boulevard with the awesome views of Hillsborough Bay, they've been serving seafood to Tampa's well-off for as long as most people can remember. The Colonnade Restaurant property has been in the Whiteside family for over a century, through five generations, each one adding to the long menu. Some dishes are homey [cornflake-coated grouper], others just odd [cokes served with an olive] but everyone agrees that the window seats are prime downtown real estate. 3401 Bayshore Boulevard, Tampa.

1945.Woody's Waterfront started as a tiny baithouse for anglers doing their thing along Blind Pass, a rocky little inlet carved out by the ferocious hurricane of 1928. Back then it was burgers and such. It still is, only now with margaritas and live music six nights a week. Servers hustle through the patio,tight-set, with high-gloss picnic tables and turquoise sun umbrellas, hefting paper lined baskets of fried shrimp and the ultimate Woody burger [mushrooms,fried onions,bacon and cheese] But be forewarned,their tagline is "We're so close to the water, your burger will get wet". 7308 Sunset Way, St.Pete Beach....

1948 Robert Edson Heilman may have passed away in 2007, but his legacy, Bob Heilman's Beachcomber, witness to countless birthdays and anniversaries, lives on. Pinot noir fanatics love it for their own reasons [Burgundy,Oregon, even his own FoxyRock], fried chicken fans for another. But what people hold dear are the thick steaks, the soft piano music and the clubby conviviality..at 447 Mandalay Avenue, Clearwater Beach..

.1950; It's been featured in the Food Network, but that has not made Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish uppity. Prized for it's laid back style and inviting picnic tables, the big-time draw is, of course, the smoked fish: Smoked fish spread with saltines is fabled, the salmon is excellent, the mullet is an intensely fishy acquired taste. But Ted Peters also produces some beloved cheeseburgers and German potato salad that is balanced precariously between the zing of vinegar and the smoke of bacon.This is a beer-drinking establishment, it closes early and, for a price, they will smoke your catch for you [they can even make kingfish taste good, and that's saying something]. at 1350 Pasadena Avenue in South Pasadena...

.1951- Big bathtub planters outside, froufrou English collectibles inside, and it's dog friendly. The Chattaway in the Old Southeast neighborhood is a quirky bird with a legion of followers. The central draw is the burger, but the Chattaway is also cherished for it's historic ramshackle glory [it started in the 1920's as a general store with a gas pump]. It's cash only with a daily special: Monday Cubans,Tuesday Catfish,Wednesday Sloppy Joe's Thursday Spaghetti, Friday Juanita's choice [usually either shrimp or tuna salad]. at 358 22nd Avenue South. in St.Petersburg..

.1952-It's time travel, pure and simple. Munch's Sundries and Restaurant's booths are lined with Lakewood Elementary class pictures from the 1960's. On the walls are tacked-up, and down-home, morsels of wisdom, and on tuesdays every table is topped with the fried chicken feast- two pieces, mashed potatoes and gravy. Some people swear by the fried green tomatoes and open-faced roast beef sandwich, others applaud the crazy cheap breakfast offerings, but all hail the house milk shakes. at 3920 Sixth Street South, St.Petersburg..

.1960- Back when shakes cost 15 cents, Biff-Burger dotted the southeast. It stood for Best In Fast Food. They had drive-in service and walk-up windows, they had "roto-broiled" burgers topped with a closely-guarded secret sauce concoction. Now there is only one left. Burger King may be responsible for the near-extinction of Biff-Burger, but this one stayed strong. It still has the original neon sign; the menu runs to barbecue, burger baskets and soft-serve. On friday nights it fills with hot-rods and their fans. At 3939 49th Street North,St.Petersburg....

1963-Marjorie Wright is long gone, as is her vision of Wright's Gourmet house as a local go-to for caviar,truffles and other persnickety stuff. Instead, stalwarts stand in line for red velvet cakes, pecan pies, and monster sandwiches.[best: the turkey pecan salad or the "beef martini" with it's rare roast beef, wine marinated mushrooms and crisp bacon slices] During the holiday season, Wright's is bedlam, it's refrigerators stacked deep with pies and cakes. At 1200 South Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa..

.1963-La Tropicana Cafe won't win any beauty pageants, it doesn't take credit and only opens til 3pm. Still, just as the old guys finish sipping their cafe con leches and dunking a little cuban toast, it fills again with businessfolk, tourists and locals intent on acquiring the Coco Special [that's a small cuban sandwich and black beans with rice] or an order of ostrich egg size deviled crab. A coffee shop that pulses with Ybor's original spirit, it also has a drive through window for when you need your con leche para llevar. 1822 E Seventh Ave. Tampa.

Florida was settled by Spain in the 1500's. St. Augustine is the oldest city in the US.. The Tocobaga natives lived around Tampa Bay thousands of years ago. They subsisted on fishing and made crude tools from seashells. They lived only along the coast, not inland.
Through the years, colorful characters have populated, explored, plundered and preserved Florida.

Some historical figures include " the people of the glades," who migrated to the lower peninsula about 11 thousand years ago. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, who came to Florida searching for the Fountain of Youth, eventually dying from a native's arrow., and Black Caesar the pirate, who ambushed sailing ships passing his refuge at present-day Caesar Creek. Local folklore recounts tales of his buried treasure, cruelty and daring raids.
Nineteenth century Florida welcomed naturalist John James Audubon. And 20th century Florida would not be the same without writer and conservationist Marjory Stoneman Douglas.

The oldest airline in the country started in 1914, when the mayor of St.Petersburg was a passenger on a seaplane to Tampa, across the bay.World War One Ace Eddie Rickenbacker was the founder of Miami based Eastern Airlines. Bruce Olds, founder of the Oldsmobile car company, was the developer of Oldsmar, a Tampa Bay city. The Dinner Key auditorium on Bayshore drive in Miami's historic Coconut Grove area was previously the Pan American World Airways seaplane base during the 1930's. The historic Don CeSar Hotel in St.Pete Beach was a military hospital for wounded soldiers during World War Two.

Orlando is rightly famous for Disney World and the other exciting theme parks in the region, but it also has some fine museums and cultural centers that can give you a nice change of pace and culturally enrich your vacation. Here is a brief guide to some of the museums of Orlando.

Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens

Albin Polasek (1879 - May 19, 1965) was a Czech-American sculptor and educator, and you can get to know his works on the beautiful grounds of his estate. The sculptures are placed in the museum's lush gardens on the shores of Lake Osceola.

Railroad Central Florida Railroad Museum

If you are fan of the old railroads of America, then this is the place for you. The museum has railroad artifacts and memorabilia with particular emphasis on Central Florida.

Harry P. Leu Gardens

The Harry P. Leu Gardens are situated on fifty acres of peaceful grounds. Here you can enjoy "Old Florida" at a leisurely pace. Stroll along meandering paths shaded by ancient oaks, forests of camellias and giant camphor trees or take a guided tour of the Leu House Museum, a restored late nineteenth-century home that began as a Florida farmhouse. You can also enjoy the Garden House with its romantic view of Lake Rowena.

Mennello Museum

The Mennello Museum of American Folk Art endeavors to preserve, exhibit, and interpret an outstanding permanent collection of paintings by Earl Cunningham (1893-1977). The Museum also seeks to enrich the public through special exhibitions, publications, and programs that celebrate outstanding traditional and contemporary Amercian folk artists.

Morse Museum of American Art

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art houses the most comprehensive collection of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany found anywhere, a major collection of American art pottery and representative collections of late-19th and early-20th century American paintings, graphics and the decorative arts.

Wells'Built Museum of African American History