St. Augustine, FL

St. Augustine is one of my favorite cities in the world.  It combines history with amazing seafood, beautiful beaches, and that small town feel and gives me that warm nostalgic comfort feeling from my past.  It is the beach I grew up going to since it was less than 2 hours from my home and as I got older it was my friends and I all piled into the car on our way to Spring Break.  I was lucky enough to get to spend 2.5 of the toughest years of my life there while I attended graduate school and even those harder times did not tarnish my view of the city but added more life to my love of St. Augustine.  Every time I go back to this city it always seems to bring this amazing sense of calm over me.  I love the water and always feel soothed by it but for some reason St. Augustine just adds even more to that.

This trip back to St. Augustine did not disappoint (well, almost).  The weather was perfect for a day of sightseeing through old St. Augustine.  I had a plan when I left but as most travelers know, plans don't always go as hoped.  I absolutely love the fried shrimp at the Florida Cracker Cafe on St. George street and had my heart and taste buds set on going there until we found out it was closed for renovations.  Talk about disappointed.  I could almost taste the shrimp before I got there and my hopes were quickly dashed with one little closed sign.  Unfortunately, my hunger was still there and we ended up trying the White Lion instead.  The fried shrimp were good there too but not the same.

We spent the rest of the afternoon walking around the waterfront and watching the Castillo San Marcos and the Bridge of Lions before doing a little shopping and walking up St. George street.  The chocolates from Whetstone are every bit as good as I remembered them and I actually had to go back again to get more before leaving as the first few I bought were gone before I even left the street.

When I am back home in Florida I always have to go see the beach so we took a drive down to St. Augustine Beach so I could dip my toes in the water before going to dinner at Saltwater Cowboys.  For me, Cowboys is another one of those comfort places with delicious southern seafood, complete with hush puppies and creamy grits as sides.  I love deviled crab and always have to get it when I come here.  The restaurant itself sits on a little marsh with a country style porch to sit on and enjoy while you wait for a table.

My time in St. Augustine always feels a bit short but I also always leave relaxed and knowing that I will be back again.