Quirky St. Augustine

Of course we have to go to the fun places too. Most were free and just took a few minutes while others were tours that cost a bit but were worth the fee.

This is called the Zero Milestone. It was the start of an automobile road going from St. Augustine to San Diego built back in the 1910-1920’s. It ran where US-80 and US-90 now run (depending on the state).

I had to visit the cemeteries, of course. Both Huguenot and Tolomato were closed but we could see inside the fence. Tolomato was founded in 1565 and is the oldest cemetery in Florida. No ghosts seen.

The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse (supposedly in the U.S. but probably just in Florida) has a large chain around it. It was put around the building in 1937 to keep it together in hurricanes. Not sure if this really works, but hey, it is still here!

The bridge in this area is called Bridge of Lions and was completed in 1927.

The Ponce de Leon Hall was once a hotel but is now a part of Flagler College. My college was never like this. Electricity was installed by Thomas Edison! Outside in the courtyard is a fountain with 12 frogs that can be used as a sundial. Inside is amazing woodwork. We weren’t allowed to visit the dining hall but it contains Tiffany stained glass windows said to be valued at $3.5 million. The list of people who stayed at this hotel includes Samuel Clemens, Henry James, five U.S. presidents (Cleveland, Roosevelt, Harding, Johnson, and McKinley), Babe Ruth, Will Rogers, Gary Cooper, and John D. Rockefeller.

Constitution Plaza has a weird juxtaposition of eras and themes. There is a monument built in 1814 to celebrate a new Spanish constitution. Another monument is a memorial to honor men who died in the Confederacy though a plaque has been added to honor black men from St. Augustine who fought for the North. Finally, there are footstep in the sidewalk showing where civil rights activist Andrew Young was beaten during a peaceful protest in 1964. Andrew Young later became a US Congressman, an Ambassador to the UN, and the major of Atlanta.

The tastiest part of our visit was a tour of a chocolate factory.