Daytona Beach and St. Augustine
We are not big race fans, but we had heard of the Daytona 500. However, we did not plan to roll into this seaside town 3 days before the big race. It was crowded! We settled into a beach front RV park and half of the rigs were flying flags of their favorite racers. But, the site was nice and we were right on the Atlantic Ocean.
Strange thing, this Atlantic Ocean. You have to get up real early to see the sun over the sea.
When you have spent your whole life on the west coast you just take for granted that the sun always sets over the ocean in the west.
The surf was good and every day for recess we donned our life jackets and got slammed against the sand. This sand was very red in color, and if you looked close it looked like crushed sea shells.
We drove north up the coast road towards Jacksonville. About 50 miles north we came to St Augustine. None of us knew anything about this town and we were not prepared for what we found. St. Augustine represents the site of the oldest continuously occupied European and African American settlements in the United States. As part of Ponce de León's 1513 claim to La Florida, St. Augustine was established in 1565 by Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés on the site of a Timucuan Indian village.
Spain's "new world" wealth came mostly from the Caribbean. Spanish Galleons would have to sail in convoy for protection against freebooters, enemy warships, and privateers. They would follow the wind and current in a great circular route from Spain westward to Caribbean ports, then northward from Cuba, past Florida, and then back to Spain. The French colony of Fort Caroline on the St Johns River in northern Florida, was a nest of pirates and a threat to the Spanish treasure fleets. In 1565 the Spaniards destroyed Fort Caroline and established St Augustine.
In 1672 the Spaniards began building Castillo de San Marcos (above) which they completed in 1695. This is the oldest masonry fort in the country. This is a very impressive structure. Cannons ring the top wall and the small structure you can see at the base of the wall is a cannon ball oven they would use to heat the cannon balls red hot and then fire them at incoming enemy ships to set them on fire (no one told me how they got the red hot balls into the cannons though).
Since the beginning of its construction the Castillo de San Marcos has played an important role as a strategic military post in the New World. Many flags have flown here during the Castillo's illustrious history as an active military fortification, including the Spanish (1695 - 1763) the British (1763 - 1784), the Spanish again (1784 - 1821), the United States of America (1821 - 1861), the Confederate States of America (1861 - March of 1862), and finally the United States of America again (1862 - 1900). Changes in occupation of the fort came about only through military agreements or political treaty. Amazingly, the Castillo, although attacked, was never taken by force.
By the late 17Th century, St. Augustine had become the seat of Spanish military, political, and ecclesiastical power in Florida. During the time St. Augustine was held by the Spanish, African slaves from the English Carolina Colony found Florida a safe haven. The Spanish Crown granted refuge and freedom to blacks if they embraced Catholicism and pledged allegiance to the King.
Today, the heart of St. Augustine retains the distinctive plan of a 16th century Spanish Colonial town, much of which has been preserved or restored. The numerous remaining colonial buildings in the historic district present an impressive array of architecture from 1703 to 1898.
Some of the most noted buildings in the district are located on the Plaza de la Constitución, the colonial community's focal point. Here are found the Government House (governor's residence, built 1713), Trinity Episcopal Church (1825), and the Basilica Cathedral of St. Augustine which incorporates the 1797 parish church and is one of the oldest Catholic religious buildings in the U.S.
During the late 19th century, St. Augustine became the destination of America's rich and famous. In 1885, railroad tycoon and former Standard Oil partner Henry Morrison Flagler moved Florida's resorts to a new level with his 540-room grand Ponce de León Hotel in St. Augustine. The first of three Flagler hotels in the city, the Ponce de León (now the main building of Flagler College) combined exotic Spanish Renaissance and Moorish architectural features with innovative poured concrete construction.Whisked south in their private cars on Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad, notables such as the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, and Morgans made St. Augustine their winter home.
Strange thing, this Atlantic Ocean. You have to get up real early to see the sun over the sea.
When you have spent your whole life on the west coast you just take for granted that the sun always sets over the ocean in the west.
The surf was good and every day for recess we donned our life jackets and got slammed against the sand. This sand was very red in color, and if you looked close it looked like crushed sea shells.We drove north up the coast road towards Jacksonville. About 50 miles north we came to St Augustine. None of us knew anything about this town and we were not prepared for what we found. St. Augustine represents the site of the oldest continuously occupied European and African American settlements in the United States. As part of Ponce de León's 1513 claim to La Florida, St. Augustine was established in 1565 by Don Pedro Menéndez de Avilés on the site of a Timucuan Indian village.
Spain's "new world" wealth came mostly from the Caribbean. Spanish Galleons would have to sail in convoy for protection against freebooters, enemy warships, and privateers. They would follow the wind and current in a great circular route from Spain westward to Caribbean ports, then northward from Cuba, past Florida, and then back to Spain. The French colony of Fort Caroline on the St Johns River in northern Florida, was a nest of pirates and a threat to the Spanish treasure fleets. In 1565 the Spaniards destroyed Fort Caroline and established St Augustine.
In 1672 the Spaniards began building Castillo de San Marcos (above) which they completed in 1695. This is the oldest masonry fort in the country. This is a very impressive structure. Cannons ring the top wall and the small structure you can see at the base of the wall is a cannon ball oven they would use to heat the cannon balls red hot and then fire them at incoming enemy ships to set them on fire (no one told me how they got the red hot balls into the cannons though).
Since the beginning of its construction the Castillo de San Marcos has played an important role as a strategic military post in the New World. Many flags have flown here during the Castillo's illustrious history as an active military fortification, including the Spanish (1695 - 1763) the British (1763 - 1784), the Spanish again (1784 - 1821), the United States of America (1821 - 1861), the Confederate States of America (1861 - March of 1862), and finally the United States of America again (1862 - 1900). Changes in occupation of the fort came about only through military agreements or political treaty. Amazingly, the Castillo, although attacked, was never taken by force.
By the late 17Th century, St. Augustine had become the seat of Spanish military, political, and ecclesiastical power in Florida. During the time St. Augustine was held by the Spanish, African slaves from the English Carolina Colony found Florida a safe haven. The Spanish Crown granted refuge and freedom to blacks if they embraced Catholicism and pledged allegiance to the King.
Today, the heart of St. Augustine retains the distinctive plan of a 16th century Spanish Colonial town, much of which has been preserved or restored. The numerous remaining colonial buildings in the historic district present an impressive array of architecture from 1703 to 1898.Some of the most noted buildings in the district are located on the Plaza de la Constitución, the colonial community's focal point. Here are found the Government House (governor's residence, built 1713), Trinity Episcopal Church (1825), and the Basilica Cathedral of St. Augustine which incorporates the 1797 parish church and is one of the oldest Catholic religious buildings in the U.S.
During the late 19th century, St. Augustine became the destination of America's rich and famous. In 1885, railroad tycoon and former Standard Oil partner Henry Morrison Flagler moved Florida's resorts to a new level with his 540-room grand Ponce de León Hotel in St. Augustine. The first of three Flagler hotels in the city, the Ponce de León (now the main building of Flagler College) combined exotic Spanish Renaissance and Moorish architectural features with innovative poured concrete construction.Whisked south in their private cars on Flagler's Florida East Coast Railroad, notables such as the Vanderbilts, Rockefellers, and Morgans made St. Augustine their winter home.The old hotel (now a college) has the largest collection of Tiffany stained glass windows in the world. They are insured by Lloyd's for $20 million dollars.
We enjoyed this city so much we spent 2 days here touring the sites and walking the streets. This was a very pleasant surprise and worth a visit if you are in the area.
Back to the Pan handle.
posted by James C. Paton at 11:47 AM
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