I live in Jacksonville, Florida just north of St. Augustine so I am very familiar with the area and visit St. Augustine frequently. It has great weather all year around even in the winter. I'm writing this article in December and it's currently in the 70's. My wife and I visit there frequently because it offers so many things to do and see as you would imagine for the oldest city in the United States.
Family and friends from out of State ask me what I would suggest they do when they come for a visit. For sure I'd recommend they check out St. Augustine. Here are the top 5 things I always suggest they do.
1. Hop on the Old Town Trolley Tour, Sightseeing Train or a horse-drawn carriage.
St. Augustine's largest industry is tourism and therefore offers a lot of things to do. One of the things I'd definitely recommend is to take one of the tours they offer. You'll have three choices, the Old Town Trolley, the sightseeing train or a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride. All the tours are good but the one I'd recommend is the carriage ride because it's more personal, you can ask questions and they even make stops at certain places of interest for you to explore.
2. Visit The Alligator Farm.
This isn't an ordinary zoo! This place is awesome. You'll see some of the largest alligators and crocodiles in the world like Maximo, a 15 foot, 1250 pound crocodile and rare albino alligators. If you go, be sure to be there when they feed them. You'll actually see Alligators leaping for food and hear the crunching as they bite into their food with powerful jaws.
3. Take A Ghost Tour.
Explore the darker side of the nation's oldest city and let a ghost be your guide. Revisit the site of the terrible tragedy that occurred in 1873 at the St. Augustine Lighthouse and enter the town's most haunted building, the old jail, for an up close and personal encounter. Some ghost tours are informative, outfitting you with ghost detection equipment, while others are more dramatic, reenacting some of the twisted tales they describe. Some are on foot and others can be taken in trolleys, hearses, and even sailboats. These tours offer something to believers and non-believers alike as they all detail some of the most interesting aspects of St. Augustine's true history.
4. Go On A Pirate Ship
The Pirate Ship Black Raven is a one-of-a-kind live pirate show full of music, thrills and pure entertainment. Participate in their adventure, sing along with the crew, and find your inner pirate while you see the beautiful sights of the Matanzas River.
5. Rent a ScootCoupe.
You can rent anything from motorcycles, scooters, or mopeds but what I suggest is a really cool thing called a ScootCoupes were made for beach cruising. They offer comfortable side by side seating for 2 adult passengers so you can enjoy all the sites together with your companion. They also have a 3 wheel design too. The ScootCoupes go about 40 mph so you can ride all day and explore the entire town and coast. With 42 miles of beaches and 72 miles of beautiful coastal highway, you will have a blast. You can also take a GPS self guided tour. The tour will take you to the Castillo de San Marcos, The Fountain of Youth, Flagler College, as well as the Old City and Settlement areas where the trolleys can't fit.
There is a lot to do in St. Augustine. It is a wonderful place to take your wife, date or family to. The only other thing I would suggest is you visit O'Steen's Restaurant if you like seafood. They have the best fried shrimp I've ever had. It's easy to find, just ask anyone who lives there.
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