Holiday events are everywhere you turn in SWFL this year. But sometimes, it’s fun to get out of town and experience something different. If you have a few days to wander over the coming weeks, head north for the St. Augustine Nights of Lights, an annual event that runs from November through the end of January.
During Nights of Lights, businesses and organizations light up St. Augustine, with a particular focus on the waterfront buildings. Exploring this illuminated town in temperatures milder than our own will quickly put you in the holiday spirit. My top tip for experiencing the lights—ditch your car in favor of one of the many tours available. You’ll enjoy the experience much more if you are not dodging the heavy traffic and many pedestrians.
To experience the lights from the water, I booked a one-hour boat tour on Scenic Tours. Tickets were $20 each (plus $5 booking fee for a total of $45 for two adults), and included hot chocolate and cookies. The lights were beautiful and festive, but after about the third circle of the waterfront area, my 16-year-old and I would have gone ashore happily. Still, it was a pleasant night, and peaceful out on the water, and we had cookies. https://scenic-cruise.com
Next time, I would book a trolley tour rather than the boat. There also are tours by carriage, golf cart—you name it. Visit www.visitstaugustine.com to find them all.
What to do
Viewing the lights will not consume much of your time. Luckily, there is much to do in St. Augustine. We spent the first day exploring the area by Old Town Trolley (www.trolleytours.com ). This gave us a feel for the layout of the town, as well as a brief history of St. Augustine from the trolley drivers. We also took a Ghosts & Gravestones tour with Old Town Trolley. Like St. Augustine, it’s fun and quirky. It’s not scary, so appropriate for all ages. Passengers disembark at a few stops along the way, including a graveyard and the Potter Wax Museum.
The area that centers on St. George’s Street is a bustling little city with lots of shops, restaurants, and bars. While there are lots of the usual tourist traps selling t-shirts and souvenirs, there also are plenty of unique stores. Our favorite shopping, as well as a Luli’s Cupcake & Bakery (well worth a stop) was on San Marco Avenue. Shops, including vintage and thrift, line the route between the historic district and the location of the Oldest Store Museum Experience and the Old Jail Museum (which offer interesting tours with older kids, but would skip with little ones). My teenager spent the bulk of her time at Declaration & Co. at 63 San Marco Ave., partly because of its stock of Gilmore Girls items and clothes that she drooled over, but also because she won a $50 gift card in their Black Friday giveaway (www.shopdeclaration.com). We devoted the rest of our shopping budget to Second Read Books, a tiny second-hand book store at 51D Cordova Street.
For younger kids who dislike shopping, head over to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm (www.alligatorfarm.com). Other kid-friendly attractions include: Colonial Quarter (https://colonialquarter.com), The Fountain of Youth (www.fountainofyouthflorida.com), and the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument (www.nps.gov/casa).
No matter the ages of your kids, the campus of Flagler College worth a visit, especially when it is lit up at night.
Where to eat
There are many dining choices in St. Augustine. We visited The Columbia, the Florida-based Spanish restaurant chain at 98 St. George Street, for a delicious dinner with attentive service. (The Tampa location is Florida's oldest restaurant, and the largest Spanish restaurant in the world). It was harder to find open spots for breakfast, but we did stumble across Schmagel's Bagels at 69 Hypolita Street. Schmagel’s serves bagels (obviously) and breakfast sandwiches, as well as coffee and hot chocolate. Schmagel’s limited indoor seating was closed, but its large patio was very comfortable, and the food and service both were excellent. Dessert options, however, are wide and plentiful. We were in town for just two days, so we were able to sample only Luli’s (as mentioned above) and fantastic ice cream sandwiches at Peace Pie World at 8 Aviles Street (https://peacepieworld.com).
Where to stay
The author's name written on her pancake at Pirate Haus.
I stumbled across the Pirate Haus while searching for a hotel. It was cheap, but I was little leary—maybe it’s too cheap and too quirky. In the end, I decided we could deal with quirky for two nights. It turned out to be a wonderful decision. We couldn’t have landed in a better location. It’s smack in the middle of the historic district. Parking is very limited (we managed to snag one of the hotel’s three spots for $10 a night), but there are lots very close by for $10-$20 a day. A pancake breakfast for everyone is included in the room rate. We enjoyed coffee, tea, and our names written in pancake batter. The pancakes are massive and will fuel your kids all day.
It’s a family-oriented hotel (bachelor and bachelorette parties are banned), and kids will love the brightly decorated rooms and roof deck. I knew going in that it might be noisy, and it was, but it was not excessive. I normally travel with a noise machine, but forgot it on this trip, and had no trouble sleeping.
The beds and pillows were comfortable. We only were in the the room to sleep, but the location was so perfect that we would stop back during the day to use the bathroom or drop off jackets and shopping. There is no individual temperature control in the rooms. The hotel guide provides advice on adjusting the vents, or how to contact staff if you want a different temperature. The entrance to the hotel is a steep flight of stairs, so it would be a bad choice for someone with mobility issues, and I also wouldn’t want to haul a stroller up and down the stairs. The hotel guide states that they buy the cheapest possible soap and shampoo, and this is accurate, so just bring your own.
Pirate Haus is old and unique. If you go in wanting luxury and perfection, you will be disappointed. But if you want a bargain and have some fun, it’s the perfect spot.
Pirate Haus Inn. 32 Treasury Street, St. Augustine.
Another option: Casa Monica Resort & Spa. 95 Cordova Street, St. Augustine.
Originally built in 1888, Casa Monica is nestled in the heart of St. Augustine's Historic District and within walking distance to popular sites such as Flagler College, Lightner Museum, Castillo de San Marcos and St. George Street.
Getting there
The drive from Naples “should” take about 5 hours. Our trip north took more than 7. My advice: no matter what Waze tells you, just stay on I4 and deal with the traffic around Orlando. The side roads are congested, too, and even more frustrating.
A final note: If Verizon is your cell provider, plan for lots of frustration in St. Augustine. Our phones would occasionally have reception, but more often not.