My friend and I left Amelia Island on the next day, and stopped off at Timucuan Preserve along the way to St. Augustine. The preserve is a National Park that includes the Kingsley Plantation. The site history is a microcosm of Florida coastal history: it was originally Timucuan land, which was settled initially by the French before becoming a plantation growing numerous cash crops, dependent on the labor of enslaved people. The family has an interesting history, but on the day we arrived, the house was not open so there was no guide to take us through these various layers. We were left to wander around the grounds with copies of NPS brochures before pushing on to St. Augustine.
We arrived in late morning on a bright, sunny, December day. Our first stop was the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, which sits prominently within the old walls of the town near the water’s edge. It is shaped as a five sided star and once had moats between it and the city wall. The fort is well preserved, and we wandered its many floors, admiring the canons and observing the courtyard and the beautiful view of the ocean and lighthouse. The chapel is well preserved with frescoes and an ornate entrance.
Then we headed into the Spanish old town, which was burned a number of times because it was not as well defended as the fort. Our first stop was for lunch at the Spanish bakery and a wine tasting. The streets are enclosed, and we wandered them, admiring the large gardens and raised verandas. Then we moved into the more modern shopping area, looked at art, and meandered toward the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. It was cool and quiet inside, with recordings of Latin hymns lending a sense of the ancient to the gold statuary and beautiful painted choir loft. The Nativity set was out awaiting the birth of Christ in the coming week; elaborate paintings adorned the walls.
Our steps moved us closer to the more modern era. We headed toward Flagler College, which occupies the former Ponce de Leon Hotel, owned by Henry Flagler. It is an ornate Spanish structure and we passed statues of Flagler and Ponce de Leon. Flagler had three opulent hotels in St. Augustine, and the college is magnificent. Carols were playing from an organ.
We made a final pass through the slave market, which now contains a memorial to Freedom Riders, at that edge of town before heading back to our cars, where Tamu was waiting patiently for me. My friend and I parted ways here, as I was pressing on to Orlando for the night while she returned to Amelia Island. It has been a wonderful three days of visiting, both in Georgia and Florida.
