#FrayLife Guide to a Day Trip in St. Augustine You’ll Never Forget
Spending all your time in one place can get old, even in a beautiful place like Jacksonville. What better way to switch things up than to grab your friends and hit the highway for a spontaneous day trip?
Make your next destination St. Augustine! A historical beach town located on the coast, the views and things to do are reason enough to explore the area, and we’ve got you covered with all the best!
Food
I’ll just come out and say it… one of the main way people choose places to travel is based on food. When it comes to St. Augustine, food does not have to be of concern because the city is filled with bars and restaurants that will make your tummy happy.
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Being as St. Augustine was founded as a Spanish town, this family restaurant is the perfect cultural spot to enjoy a bite. This “gem of Spanish restaurants” has various locations around the state, but their St. Augustine location is beautifully placed in the heart of Downtown and is spacious enough for a large group!
#FrayLife Tip: The Columbia Restaurant is famous for their 1905 Salad, which is tossed at your table and goes great with either of their house-made sangrias for the authentic Spanish experience!
Pizza Time
What time is it? Pizza Time! With a line wrapped around the block on most nights, all you need to do is walk by to see it’s a favorite to the locals. They serve up New York Style pizza, calzones and other Italian dishes, so this casual dining spot is a good option if you’re looking to please people with different tastes!
#FrayLife Tip: Pizza Time only accepts cash, so be sure to hit an ATM before you grab a slice.
Serving up all the good stuff, A1A Ale Works is the perfect place to go for dinner and drinks. The menu features delicious starters, salads, hours specialties and more, so there’s bound to be something to please everyone. Ideally located on the corner of King Street, if you can snag a table on the upper balcony you’ll be blessed with one of the best views.
#FrayLife Tip: A1A offers happy hour specials from 4-7 p.m., and a late night happy hour from 10 to close, so grab your people and hit the town.
Dessert
And now, for everyone’s favorite thing to eat, dessert! Sure, a lot of restaurants have good dessert options on their menus, but why not spread out and experience bites from more places? You certainly won’t regret it in St. Augustine, with dessert options lining the streets begging to be tried.
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Cousteau’s Waffle & Milkshake Bar
Picture this: waffles, chocolate toppings, berries & whipped cream. Okay, now I’m hungry. Cousteau’s offers a large selection of waffle combinations, my favorite being the Belafonte, that will make your mouth water just reading the menu. And if gourmet waffles aren’t your thing, the milkshake list is just as tempting with flavors like Electric Jellyfish and Deep Search.
If you’re looking for a light, refreshing dessert to help you beat the Florida heat, you have to stop by the Hyppo for ice-cold, gourmet popsicles. Made from the freshest ingredients they can find, this popsicle shop offers over 450 flavors that rotate as the seasons change, so you will never run out of new flavors to try!
#FrayLife Tip: Why not take some home and make it a bozzy treat? The Hyppo has a recipe for a Strawberry Mint Moscow Mule Poptail…now that’s a good way to enjoy a popsicle.
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Were ice cream sandwiches your favorite as a kid? Now you can try them with a twist: pie filling. With locations in New Jersey, South Carolina and Florida, this family-owned shop offers dozens of flavors of ice cream sandwiches with a layer of pie filling. Yum!
#FrayLife Tip: Peace Pie takes online orders for certain states in packs of 12 or 24, so if you can’t hit it on your day trip just get it delivered to your door!
Attractions
Standing proud as the oldest city in the country, St. Augustine is home to many historical museums and landmarks that give the town its identity. If (I mean when) you get the chance to make the day trip, these are three things you’re not going to want to miss out on seeing.
Castillo de San Marcos
This masonry fort is the oldest and largest still standing in the US today. Now a national park, you have the opportunity to enter the fort and immerse yourself in the history of the battles fought in the very place you’ll be standing.
#FrayLife Tip: If you want to walk inside the walls of the fort admission is $15 for adults 16+ and free for those 15 & under, but there is no cost for walking around the premises.
While the exact date of construction is unknown, St. Augustine is credited as home to the oldest wooden schoolhouse in America. The historic building is located Downtown on King St. and offers a self-walk tour complete with your own diploma for only $5!
St. Augustine Ghost Tours by Ghosts & Gravestones
BOO! Being the oldest city in the country brings with it other features…like ghosts. The story of St. Augustine is filled with thrilling tales told vividly on ghost tours hosted by Ghosts & Graveyards, which are sure to have you looking over your shoulder like you never have before.
#FrayLife Tip: Use code GHOST19 by Feb. 28 for $5 off the Frightseeing Tour.
St. Augustine Beach
Less than a 20 minute car ride from Downtown, St. Augustine Beach is the perfect place to retreat if you’re growing tired of the city. If the weather is warm enough when it comes time for your trip, throw on a suit and spend some time soaking up the sun. If not, grab your beach chair and a blanket and take in the views, because let’s face it, there’s never a bad day for a beach day.
If you don’t have time to make the trip out of Jacksonville, why not try checking out a new neighborhood instead? You might want to put Avalon on the list and here’s why.
View More Articles By Haley Dick