Florida’s Historic Coast Story Ideas

Plan a visit to Florida’s Historic Coast and take advantage of special offers and themed packages for visitors to enjoy with great golf deals, romantic escapes and family fun.

THRILL SEEKERS

Adventure travelers will have plenty of stories to tell after a visit to Florida’s Historic Coast. Put these activities on your “must conquer” list.

• Hover over alligators and crocodiles on the challenging Crocodile Crossing zip line course at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park. Or enjoy a bird’s-eye-view of the beautiful St. Augustine Aquarium grounds and the surrounding wild Florida at the new Zip Stream Castaway Canopy Adventures.
• Swim with dolphins at Marineland Dolphin Adventure or snorkel among reef fish and rays at the St. Augustine Aquarium
• Kayak the ocean and rivers through “real Florida” with professional guides from Anastasia Water Sports, Kayak St. Augustine, St. Augustine EcoTours or Ripple Effect EcoTours.
• Learn to surf from the pros at the Pit Surf Shop.
• Reel in the big one on one of several deep sea charter fishing boats
• Climb 219 stairs to the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse
• Soar over the city in an beautiful 1935 "model" Waco biplane

MUSIC MATTERS

Year-round, visitors can catch their favorite musicians at two of North Florida’s most unique and popular concert venues. The Ponte Vedra Concert Hall is a small concert venue that is ideal for intimate concert sessions hosting performers such as Mavis Staples, John Hammond, Indigo Girls, the Florida Chamber Music Project and many more. The St. Augustine Amphitheatre is the largest outdoor concert hall between Atlanta and Miami, and this summer will host performers like Fleet Foxes, Brad Paisley, Hank Williams Jr., Little Big Town and may other of today’s great performers. The newest music venue on Florida’s Historic Coast, The Colonial Oak Music Park provides a venue for up and coming local artists in a relaxed outdoor atmosphere where visitors can walk right in and enjoy free performances.

Visitors can enjoy more performing arts with the EMMA Concert Association, which opens its season each fall, as well as the First Coast Opera and free summer concerts at the beach, Concerts by the Sea and historic downtown area, Concerts in the Plaza.

HISTORIC INNS

St. Augustine has more than 25 historic hotels and bed & breakfast inns. These are some of the most appealing lodging choices for visitors seeking a romantic retreat to Florida’s Historic Coast and with their growing popularity new ones are opening up and existing ones are renovating and expanding. In 2017 the newly renovated Marker 8 Hotel & Marina opened up providing a magnificent view of St. Augustine’s skyline and The Collector Luxury Inn and Gardens, a collection of 9 historic buildings with 30 guest suites opened to the public. The St. George Inn is adding 10 new rooms in 2018, each with views of either the St. George Street or Castillo de San Marcos. As with all construction and renovations of buildings in St. Augustine, innkeepers follow strict architectural guidelines to ensure quality details and architectural preservation of the historic buildings and neighborhoods of the Nation’s oldest city.

ROMANCE

An average 300 weddings take place each month on Florida’s Historic Coast. Popular wedding locations include TPC Sawgrass, Casa Monica Resort & Spa, Lightner Museum, San Sebastian Winery, The Treasury on the Plaza, The Pioneer Barn, Hammock Beach Resort, Marineland Dolphin Adventure, Renaissance World Golf Village Resort, many of the quaint Bed & Breakfast Inns and several other unique venues found in the area.

You don’t have to be getting married or renewing vows to have a romantic visit. Here are some tips sure to touch the heart.

• The area’s 42 miles of beaches provide the perfect, peaceful place to watch the sun rise.
• See the sun rise from your own private oceanfront balcony at the luxurious Ponte Vedra Inn & Club
• The coquina sand of Ponte Vedra Beach makes for a stunning sunset stroll
• A stroll along the Bayfront in St. Augustine at dusk is the perfect way to end the day
• Take in the panoramic view from the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse
• The area’s temperate climate allows for outdoor dining all year round.
• Enjoy a private carriage ride through the historic streets of St. Augustine
  
  

STAYING FIT

Squeeze Fitness into your vacation: Staying healthy while on vacation can be a real challenge. On Florida’s Historic Coast there are dozens of golf courses, miles of beaches and trails, and plenty of unique activities that keep visitors fit while having have fun when they vacation here. Here are some fitting ideas:

Get in of Golf Fitness with these Great Golf Deals on Florida’s Historic Coast; participate in daily yoga, spin and golf fitness classes at Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort & Spa; explore new heights at St. Augustine Alligator Farm’s Crocodile Crossing zip Line adventure; make it a SUP Saturday with Kayak St. Augustine paddle board lessons; get your swing on at the PGA TOUR Academy at World Golf Village in St. Augustine or at the new Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach - each offers personalized instruction programs. St. Augustine Cycling offers organized 20 to 40 mile daily endurance rides that start at different locations around Florida’s Historic Coast. And there are plenty of popular Runs taking place in 2018:

March 3: Spud Run – Half Marathon, 5K and Cabbage Crawl
July 14: Bridge of Lions 5 K
September 15: Endless Summer Run/Walk
November 10 & 11: St. Augustine Half Marathon

Florida’s Historic Coast has a Forty-two mile stunning oceanfront is the perfect playground for surfing, swimming and playing in the sun. Include a family beach and waterfront experience with nature programs at a state park or take an eco-tour to learn more about the coastal estuaries.

FUN FOR THE KIDS

Kids enjoy living history, especially when it includes hands-on experiences. Kids Krew guided tours takes little ones on a guided tour where they become one of the pirate crew, look through a real spy glass in search of soldiers, learn how to use a compass and more. Attractions like the Colonial Quarter, Castillo de San Marcos, The Old Florida Museum, Fountain of Youth Archeological Park, and the St. Augustine Pirate & Treasure Museum each offer exciting interactive experiences where kids see and feel how our history happened. One of the newest ways to edu-tain kids is with a visit to the St. Augustine Aquarium to feed the sharks and rays or perhaps learn to snorkel in the tank filled with Florida reef fish and rays.

For more ideas on stories about Florida’s Historic Coast, visit www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com/media

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