To celebrate the Fourth of July, a few girlfriends and I decided to take a short drive to St. Augustine Florida. It's in our Backyard and one of the most historical places in America. Off we went, a good ole fashion Girls ROAD TRIP!  Ok, not exactly the least expensive thing to do, but at least when you travel with your friends expenses are shared. There are all kinds of places to stay in St. Augustine, from Hostels to Bed and Breakfast Inns, Hotels, Motels and brand Hotel Resorts. Many are  near each other,  within walking distance and they are all expensive or sold out, this time of year, so plan ahead.  It's the celebration of Independance of  America, in America's first city. I guess crowds are to  be expected. We choice The Hampton Inn located in the Historic District. They offer large rooms, hot breakfast and a location close to area attractions. It's good to be central in a new place. We picked up the local guides at the hotel and the calendar of events for the weekend. We could have done a little research, but roadtrips are more adventurous, when you are not exactly sure of what to expect.  We found out that one of the local tours would send a shuttle to the hotel if we wanted to take the tour. We decided to take the SightSeeing Train to get the full lay of the land. They offer a narrated tour, free parking at the station,  and Step on and off service at 22 stops around the city. The complete tour takes about an hour, with plenty of time left to take a closer look at interesting stops. The ticket is also good for 3 days and a round of miniture golf at Bayfront Mini Golf. 

The local Quick Guide offered the most profound look into the valuabe experience offered by St. Augustine.  In the guide,Derek Boyd Hankerson,  an Ambassador for the Gullah/Geechie Cultural Heritage Corridor and the national Underground Railrod network to Freedom Project wrote, " The city of St. Augustine is a haven of heritage, from the earliest days of European contact, with free black sailors aboard Spanish expiditions, to the recruitment of Indian allies, to the acceptance of Minorcan immigrants, and later the establishment of the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind, St. Augustine has been a place for small groups to gather in a culture-rich community. St. Agustine represents an American city where freedom is enjoyed by all." 

We found St. Augustine, to be a quient little town, that seemed to dillibertly hold on to it's past, with a relentless, unapoligetic, sense of pride. I got the feeling here that everyone was well aware of there heritage as a town that fought intolerance even if they had to continue to challenge each other in order to stay true to that heritage. We were actually visiting a true American melting pot.  St. Augustine offered history, culture and pride, all in the package it came in, back in 1821, when the Spanish sold Florida to America. In 1883 Henry Flager, (Oil Tycoon) and his money came to the city. Visit St. Augustine and see the restoration of it's colonialized town, feel the village welcome and taste the flavor of the it's past.  For some of the best seafood anywhere, visit Barnacle Bill's on  Castillo Drive. They offer great prices and good food. Long lines are normal, but well worth a little wait. www.barnaclebillsonline.com. To get  that "one love" hippy kind of feeling, stop by Frantiques, home of the  Love Tree Cafe  on Cordova Street. They offer  a great healthy lunch menu of sandwiches, salads and wraps.  The antiques and collectibles are out of this world, it's a real groovy scene. Say hello to the  Frenchman, "Little Gemini",  real good people. There is plenty to do and see in St. Augustine. It.s the Fourth grade fieldtrip for many school districts and I'd say it would be well worth a grown-up weekend too. 

On the Fourth, we had the best vantage point in the city. On the Bayfront, we spent a couple of hours people watching, before we got to enjoy one of the East Coast's largest and most spectacular fireworks show, over the waters of Matanzas Bay. Jazz enthusiat can visit the San Sebastian Winery for great music in the Cellar Uptairs and a great view of the fireworks, although it will cost a little more than the free venue that we enjoyed. By now we all know that the water in the famed Fountain of Youth has no magical properties in it; but, I beleive we can find a spirit of youth and freedom,  in the colony that is still St. Augustine, Florida.  See our pictures at www.worldvillagetravel.com