Whether you're a travel enthusiast, an adventurer, or a stay-at-home hermit, you'll LOVE a trip to St. Augustine, Florida. This historical destination is the home of so many of my favorite childhood memories growing up. My mother’s father (Hi Papa!) attended the most beautiful college down there - Flagler College - which drew our family to the location. My grandparents still visit annually, while my mother and I try to go every other year. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to go for quite some time, as I had a lot of prior commitments in high school. Now that I am older, I want share my love for the city with others so that they can experience all that this unique town has to offer. The Odyssey serves as the perfect platform to do so! Here are a few of the reasons why St. Augustine is my favorite place to vacation at!

1. Touring the Historic District Downtown

St. Augustine is similar to my hometown, in the way that they both have historic downtown districts! I have always been drawn to things which are not from my time, and I love to see and learn about everything that has come before me. There are so many restaurants and little shops if you’re interested in purchasing some memorabilia, stylish clothing, jewelry, or other items! The stunning architecture makes St. Augustine the perfect destination for historical sightseeing -t is the oldest city in the country, you know!

2. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum

I’m sure you’ve heard of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! The franchise specializes in publicizing weird and unusual occurrences, ones that may leave you questioning whether it’s true or not - such as the real live snake man, or the size of the tallest man ever to walk the earth! This was, by far, one of my favorite attractions. It’s perfect for parties with children.

3. Castillo de Dan Marcos

This fort is located on the city’s waterfront. Fun Fact: It is actually the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States! Construction of the monument began when Florida was still a part of the Spanish Empire. The fort is both eye-catching and very interesting to learn about!

4. Tom’s Seashells Souvenirs

I recommend this store for anyone looking to purchase some memorabilia to remind them of their trip! I can’t even describe what exactly this store is like - It has EVERYTHING! I’ll never forget running up and down the little isles of the shack, looking for something to take home with me. Whenever my grandparents visit without me, they always bring back a little knick-knack from here! The best gift I brought home from here was a pearl necklace...It’s not what it sounds like. The package came with a sealed oyster and silver locket necklace. When you open up the package, you have to break open the oyster, find the pearl, match the color of the pearl to it’s meaning on the box, and finally, lock it into the necklace. Unfortunately, I lost mine years ago - but maybe you can go get one for yourself!

5. Walking through Flagler College

I am just a sucker for breathtaking scenery. The college campus is a great place to stop and take pictures with your friends and family, and to really soak up and enjoy the beauty.

6. Endless Ghost Tour opportunities

Not only is St. Augustine the oldest city in the country, it is also the most haunted! If you’re interested in taking a ghost tour, you’ve got plenty of options. There are numerous companies that provide these types of services. They have tours that are taken on foot, or by carriage! I’ve also seen some locations featured on famous paranormal shows! Some of my favorite haunted areas are the Huguenot Cemetery, the Castillo de San Marcos, the old jail, and “the tree”. Not really sure where exactly “the tree” is located, but it’s in front of someone’s spooky historical house.

7. Beautiful Beaches

The beaches here are absolutely gorgeous! There are also a ton of cute sea turtles on the shore. Sea turtles are born at night, and need to travel down the water by themselves, even though they’re extremely slow movers. My family has rescued so many baby turtles from predators by carrying them from the sand, and down into the water.

I could give a million reasons why I love this place and why it will be one of my first solo vacations in the future. Special shout out to some of my other favorite places that did not get their own features section - Saltwater Cowboy, Earthbound Trading Company, Columbia Restaurant, and Alligator Farm Zoological Park. I highly recommend you hop onto your favorite search engine and find more information on what the city has to offer. I can guarantee you will find something you’d enjoy, and you'll be willing to give it a try! Bonus: It’s far enough away from the theme parks to avoid noisy, annoying tourists, yet close enough to make a day trip to the parks as well.

Happy traveling! Bon voyage!