Visiting Southern Cities…What to see in Charleston, St. Augustine, Daytona Beach…

Driving from the North, we passed through the Carolinas and Georgia on our way to Florida. There were a couple old southern cities we really wanted to see…Charleston, Savannah, St. Augustine, and Daytona Beach. Because Savannah was so amazing, and we stayed there longer, there will be a post on Savannah all by itself. So stay tuned for our Savannah post…

Being somewhat of a history lover, especially American history, I was so looking forward to these southern towns that I have read about in books. Following are our experiences, insights and recommendations on these few Southern cities…

Charleston:

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Charleston is a beautiful coastal port city, but to be honest, being so excited to see this historic city, although beautiful, I was not as impressed as I thought I’d be. To be sure, the houses were great and I especially enjoyed the cobblestone streets and narrow alleyways and it was interesting to imagine the wagons and carriages bouncing over the rocky streets,

but I think I had built up in my head some fantastic, historical city based on visions I’d imagined from books and movies. But it was still great to experience this historic, southern town.

Seeing the seaside mansions and the port with access to the Atlantic, it’s easy to see why this was, and still is, an important city for commerce. And why it was so important to defend and protect. There are three forts off the coast protecting the town; Fort Moultrie, Fort Johnson and Fort Sumter. You could see them far off in the distance from the waterside, and it was interesting to see, even if from a distance, the place where the first shots of the Civil War were heard. There are ferry tours one can take to the fort to see it up close, but we did not have the time to take the tour.

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The houses along the waterfront were huge, amazingly beautiful…and colorful. Which was a nice change from some of the more neutral color houses of the north.

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St. Augustine, Florida:

Founded in 1565, St. Augustine, Florida is the oldest city in the U.S., so we were excited to see the history of this town. While walking along the stone streets, you can get a small idea of the age of the town, but, as with any tourist town, the streets and shops were filled with tourist trinkets and less of the history we were hoping for. But still, a nice place to see.

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I especially enjoyed the Castillo de San Marcos, the 17th-century Spanish stone fortress overlooking the St. Augustine inlet. Huge stone walls with sharp angles reaching high into the sky along with the cannons used to fend off enemy attack. It was impressive for sure.

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I think one of the more interesting characteristics of the town were the walls. Back in its early history, instead of clay or other material to make the walls, they used crushed shells. This type of material was called ‘tabby’, a type of ‘concrete’ made with oyster shells; and it is still holding together even today.

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St. Augustine beach is a nice stretch of fine sand, perfect for walking with the pups. We have found that not all beaches allow dogs, so be sure to check for signs if the beach allows dogs or not.

Our final stop in St. Augustine was O.C. White’s Seafood & Spirits, claimed to be established in 1790. Although, we just had a cocktail and an appetizer, we had a lovely time on the patio with the dogs, to finish our day in the town. And our server and service were excellent.

We would recommend St. Augustine for its historic significance, old buildings and walls, some local restaurants and a beautiful beach, especially in the off-season when the tourist traffic is at a minimum.

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Daytona Beach, Florida and Surrounding towns:

On our way down along the coast towards Daytona Beach, we came to Flagler Beach, a cute little beach town which, I’m sure, is hopping in the summer, but was a sleepy, quiet place on a rainy December day. We found a cool place, Flagler Beach Winery, and although his wines were decent, his wine slushies were great.

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I could see having to be careful with these delectable drinks on a hot summer day; frozen, sweet wine… YUM! Definitely check out this winery right on the beach for a tasty, frozen treat. And they have daily specials and food as well. Tell them, Gypsies After 50 sent you. 😉

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Although, we did not have time to really explore Daytona, we got to at least drive through and see a bit of the famous town. We made it to Daytona Beach around sundown, just in time for a sunset walk on the beach with the dogs.

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We found a parking lot to sleep for the night and the next day, we headed down the A1A highway to Ponce Inlet. It was literally the end of the road along the Atlantic beach. A small village sitting at the end of a peninsula, it has not been as commercialized with touristy shops etc. as further north on the highway; a very nice excursion if you like more nature and less buildings and people.

It was a sweet spot to discover, with the bright orange lighthouse, nature trail full of trees and palmettos and a river trail to walk the dogs. We did find out though, that the actual ocean beach was off-limits to dogs. Which, as I mentioned, we have found on occasion. But we still got to see the ocean and have a wonderful walk through nature.

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We had a chance to eat at this fabulous Italian restaurant with some friends. It’s located in New Smyrna, just next to Ponce Inlet. Tiano’s Italian Restaurant is at the New Smyrna Golf Course, so it doesn’t seem like much outside, but the food is fantastic and the service is even better. Real authentic Italian food. Definitely recommend this one!

We are loving the south, the southern cities and really appreciate the warmer weather. Now onward to more southern adventures…Florida and beyond. Be sure to check out our Savannah post coming soon…..

Thanks for reading and remember…’Someday…is Today’.

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