St. Augustine Florida Travel Guide

Visitors to St. Augustine hotels always want to know one thing: “Which way to the beach?!”

Situated along the east coast of Florida, St. Augustine and the surrounding areas are known for their beautiful beaches. Guests staying at St. Augustine hotels certainly know that this area has year-round perfect weather, making a trip to the beach an ideal activity during their vacations.

Guests of St. Augustine hotels, such as The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village, often choose to visit one of St. Augustine’s most popular three beaches: Crescent, St. Augustine, or Vilano beaches. Crescent Beach is located to the south of St. Augustine; St. Augustine Beach is the city’s public beach; and Vilano Beach is known for its serenity.

Beach access is easy for visitors staying in St. Augustine hotels. Most beaches require a small daily fee for vehicles but, in return, you’ll enjoy public areas for swimming, playing, and relaxing in the sand. In addition, St. Augustine hotel guests will also find an array of places to eat, shop, play volleyball, rent water-skis, fish, and much more.

Guests of St. Augustine hotels may also enjoy checking out the Anastasia State Park and Recreation Area. This park is a protected bird sanctuary and offers swimming, hiking on nature trails, beach equipment rentals, a boat ramp, and other fun things to do. Visitors staying in St. Augustine hotels, such as The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village, can grill out, have lunch at the concession stands, or use one of the picnic areas. No matter what your goal for the day, Anastasia State Park will have something for you.

Whether you’re looking for a relaxing day in the sand or fun in the water, visitors from St. Augustine hotels will not be disappointed with St. Augustine’s most popular beaches.

At the “Bob Hope: Shanks for the Memory” exhibit, located at the World Golf Hall of Fame, visitors at Florida golf resorts – especially the adjacent Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village – can to enjoy the story of famed comedian/actor Bob Hope’s life. Claiming the largest collection of Hope memorabilia, the exhibit features more than 400 artifacts that from Bob Hope’s life as guests from Florida golf resorts travel down a path through different eras and locations.

As guests from Florida golf resorts wind through the displays, they’ll visits places such as England, Cleveland, New York, Hollywood, Palm Springs, and Washington D.C. – all places that were important to Bob Hope. Throughout each area, Florida golf resort guests will be treated to special stories about his wife, his achievements in entertainment, and the relationships he shared with many of the World Golf Hall of Fame members.

Not only was Hope friendly with professional golfers, he also had many friendships with other celebrities and Unites States Presidents. Visitors from Florida golf resorts will also get to see a small, but treasured piece that Hope owned from as far back as 1942, including a PGA of America money clip that he carried for the remainder of his life. Florida golf resort guests will also see his PGA Distinguished Service award, an honor he received for serving on the organization’s advisory board.

Bob Hope was an inspiration to many as a result of his work with the USO and in supporting the American troops. Guests of Florida golf resorts, such as the adjacent Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village, will learn during their tour that Hope was even named an Honorary Veteran in 1997, the first time in history the military bestowed that honor. Hope was recognized for his humanitarian services to the troops.

Finally, visitors from Florida golf resorts will be treated to a video presentation, hosted by Arnold Palmer, highlighting some of Hope’s best-known comedy skits, as well as tributes from some of golf’s greatest players. The exhibit is on display at the one-and-only World Golf Hall of Fame throughout 2009.

For travelers visiting one of St. Augustine’s Florida golf resorts, carving out some time to take the family to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park is a must. Visitors to The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village one of the premier Florida golf resorts, have been enjoying the animals here since 1893, making this one of the state’s oldest animal attractions. The Alligator Farm began when two men, George Reddington and Felix Fire, began collecting alligators they found on Anastasia Island.

Today, the Alligator Farm features not only reptiles such as alligators and crocodiles, but many other creatures as well. Visitors from Florida golf resorts will have the opportunity to see exhibits such as the komodo dragons, the wading bird exhibit (herons, egrets, storks, and more), and exotic birds and mammals.

A favorite exhibit of Florida golf resort guests and their families is Maximo, the largest animal in the park. Over 15 feet long and 1250 pounds heavy, Maximo is a Saltwater Crocodile who was originally hatched in Australia before he was sold to a farm in America. Guests of Florida golf resorts can watch Maximo from underwater viewing windows.

In addition to visiting the animal exhibits, Florida golf resort guests may want to watch one of the many daily wildlife shows available at the Alligator Farm. One of the most popular sights to see is the daily alligator feedings. Florida golf resort guests will be amazed at the creatures leaping for their food and the power of their jaws. To learn more about alligators, watch the Realm of the Alligator, an educational and entertaining show filled with facts about these amazing animals.

Many more exciting things await visitors from Florida golf resorts at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. Take a break from the course at The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village and experience a day the whole family can enjoy.

This winter, visitors to such St. Augustine hotels as The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village will have a chance to enjoy St. Augustine’s 15th annual “Nights of Lights Celebration,” where the historic city is illuminated with millions of white lights during the holiday season. The event traces its roots to a Spanish tradition where folks would light a candle during the Christmas holiday.

At the end of November, visitors of St. Augustine hotels participated in the “Light-up Night” ceremony, where the switch was flipped, instantly covering the town in sparkling lights. Festivities for the ceremony began in the afternoon at the city’s historic Plaza de la Constitucion. Holiday performances thrilled guests of St. Augustine hotels, including singing and dancing troupes and swing bands music.

After the official light-up ceremony, guests of St. Augustine hotels will have 10 weeks to enjoy the show of lights in the city. Many fun holiday events accompany the Nights of Lights, including a visit to the Winter Wonderland. Located at the St. Augustine Amphitheater, kids staying with their families in St. Augustine hotels can enjoy ice skating, sliding down the ice slide, games, visits with Santa, and much more.

Other activities that guests of such St. Augustine hotels as The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village may enjoy include a variety of train and trolley tours throughout the city, providing a warm and cozy view of the millions of lights. Ride along on Santa’s Big Red Christmas Train Tour, or try the Holly Jolly Christmas Trolley tour.

Many other fun holiday events await visitors to St. Augustine hotels. Check with your concierge at The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village for a complete listing to make your holiday trip to St. Augustine memorable!

For visitors to St. Augustine hotels who are looking for a truly unique experience for the entire family, consider taking a day to visit Marineland, located just 20 minutes south of St. Augustine. Marineland’s Dolphin Conservation Center is open to the public and offers the opportunity to do what many people have always dreamed about: swimming with dolphins!

Guests of St. Augustine hotels such as The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village can choose from a variety of program options, ranging from greeting the dolphins from the edge of the pools, to shallow water encounters, and all the way up to deep-water swimming. For those St. Augustine hotel guests who are in a more creative mood, perhaps you’d like to choose a program where the dolphins paint a masterpiece for you to take home!

Although the dolphins no longer participate in show performances, a general admission option is available to St. Augustine hotel guests who just want to watch the dolphins play and swim. Marineland is open daily from 8:30am to 4:30pm, and an inexpensive general admission ticket grants guests access to various viewing areas where you can watch the dolphins in their 1.3 million gallon pool.

In business for over 70 years now, Marineland is dedicated to preserving the life of bottlenose dolphins. Visitors from St. Augustine hotels can visit the conservation center to learn more about the dolphins and the missions of the facility.

Finally, for those guests of St. Augustine hotels who are planning a wedding or special event, Marineland’s facility allows for guest seating up to 400 people as well as beautiful arrangements for receptions and parties. Plus, attendees of your event will be thrilled with the presence of the dolphins as extra guests at the party!

For travelers staying in St. Augustine hotels or Florida golf resorts such at the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village, a visit to The World Golf Hall of Fame is a must during your trip. Located in St. Augustine, Florida, the Hall of Fame opened in 1998 in order to pay tribute to the greatest men and women golfers in the world. The museum is a non-profit organization and is supported by golf organizations from all over the world.

At the Hall of Fame museum, visitors of Florida golf resorts will find permanent displays as well as a variety of temporary, rolling exhibits. Those staying at St. Augustine hotels can tour the museum to learn about the game’s history, heritage, and techniques as well as the players themselves, golf course design, equipment, clothing, and newer topics such as environmental concerns.

Membership into the Hall of Fame is considered to be among the highest honors in golf. A place in the Hall of Fame is not only reserved for professionals, but amateurs, architects, journalists, and others who have positively impacted the game of golf. St. Augustine hotel guests can be part of a real treat when the annual induction ceremony is held this year on November 10, 2008.

Members of the Hall of Fame are selected based on established criteria in five categories: PGA Tour, International Ballot, LPGA Point System, Lifetime Achievement, and Veterans. A board of directors chooses each year’s inductees. At the induction ceremony, special vacation packages are available to those looking to plan a very special Florida golf resort vacation. This year, six new members will be inducted, bringing the total to 126 members.

If you love golf, plan a trip to The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village the signature Florida golf resort of the World Golf Village, home of the Hall of Fame. Admission to the Hall of Fame gives you access to the museum, a round on the putting course, and a film in the IMAX theater. Cap off your visit with a stop for lunch and maybe follow it with your own memory-making round of golf at one of the nearby Florida golf resorts.

For guests of St. Augustine hotels, October may be the perfect time to go on one of St. Augustine’s ghost tours. It has long been rumored that St. Augustine is haunted, and it may be even spookier so close to Halloween!

The tours are safe and friendly for all ages, so for families staying in St. Augustine hotels, parents need not worry about taking the little ones along. Tours range from walking to riding, to even sailing. Tours include a professional storyteller, who will tell haunted tales throughout the tour. Most importantly, nothing is made up on these tours! Anything you see or hear is authentic and real…there are no special effects.

Guests of St. Augustine hotels can enjoy the walking tour every night of the year, including holidays. The way will be lighted by lantern as your tour guide takes you through two cemeteries, haunted bed and breakfasts, and many other ghostly sites. For those staying in St. Augustine hotels, you may find it especially appealing that this tour was voted number one in the state of Florida.

Another ghost tour lets the visitors ride along as you visit old city streets, the haunted lighthouse, and many other old St. Augustine sites. The guide will tell stories along the way of unsolved mysteries and murders, as well as give you the chance to disembark for an up close and personal inspection of several sites. Visitors staying in St. Augustine hotels will certainly enjoy this trip as they take this journey through the night.

Finally, for St. Augustine hotel guests who prefer a ride on the water, sign up for an hour-long sailing ghost tour on the bay. Enjoy stargazing as you sail along the haunted waters and listen to ghost stories told by the crew. On this tour, St. Augustine hotel guests will also enjoy snacks and drinks along the way.

October is the spookiest month of the year, which makes it the best time for guests of St. Augustine hotels to explore one of the most haunted cities in Florida.

For guests of Florida golf resorts looking to take a break from the course, there is always something to do in St. Augustine, every day of the week and all season long. Known as the “Old City,” visitors of Florida golf resorts in the St. Augustine area will enjoy the multitude of activities and options for entertainment there are here.

During the winter, Florida golf resort guests may enjoy taking advantage of the sunny and mild afternoons by walking along the streets and shopping at the many stores. St. Augustine is known for having a beautiful array of antiques, handcrafted gifts, and blown glass among other unique gifts. For those Florida golf resort guests who are seeking style, you’ll find plenty of options for fashionable clothing, shoes, and accessories. When night falls and the temperature drops, Florida golf resort guests will certainly enjoy the Nights of Lights celebration in town, where millions of white lights sparkle in the evening.

For guests of Florida golf resorts visiting St. Augustine in the spring, the weather will quickly warm up enough for your daytime tee time, tennis, and other sports. Spring breaks are the best times to plan family trips to the famous historic sites of St. Augustine. Springtime is also a very popular time for guests of Florida golf resorts to hold weddings in the Old City, with the orange blossoms and azaleas around town all in bloom.

In the summer, take a break from your Florida golf resort to make plenty of time to visit one of St. Augustine’s many gorgeous area beaches. When not on the course, guests of Florida golf resorts will love to try parasailing and other water sports that are available. Summer evenings are also perfect for a stroll down St. George Street as well as dinner and drinks in one of St. Augustine’s many fine restaurants. Guests of Florida golf resorts enjoy dining al fresco at restaurants such as A1A Aleworks, the beautiful Reef Restaurant, and Panama Hatties.

Finally, when the weather begins to cool again in the fall, and the sun begins to set a little earlier, guests of Florida golf resorts will really enjoy going on one of the many ghost tours in St. Augustine. The cooler weather is also perfect for a romantic carriage ride through town (perfect for proposals!), where you can bundle up with a blanket and enjoy the company of your significant other. St. Augustine also offers Florida golf resort guests the opportunity to ride on a narrated carriage, where you can learn the history of the town while you take in the sights.

There is always something happening in St. Augustine, and we’re sure that guests of Florida golf resorts, including the Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village, will love finding new things to do every day of the year. Stop by the concierge desk for more information on making your stay at this Florida golf resort a memory that lasts a lifetime.

The nation’s oldest and only remaining 17th-century stone fort still stands overlooking the Atlantic Ocean in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida. The site of over 330 years of history, Castillo de San Marcos is frequently toured by local visitors and guests from St. Augustine hotels interested in the history of the area.

The Spanish founded the city of St. Augustine in 1565. Over the next century, nine wooden forts defended St. Augustine. Following the 1668 attack of an English pirate, it was decided by the Queen Regent of Spain that a masonry fort should be constructed to protect the city. Hundreds of years later, guests from modern St. Augustine hotels can still see the structure that resulted.

In October of 1672, construction began on the fort that would become the Castillo de San Marcos. The process took 23 years, with the famous fort finally being completed in 1695. The structure as it was built then is not a far cry from the fort explored by guests from St. Augustine hotels today – despite many attacks, various periods of reconstruction, and occupation by the Spanish, British and Americans.

The Castillo is a masonry star fort made of a stone called “coquina”, which literally means “little shells.” Coquina is composed of ancient shells that have bonded together to form a type of stone similar to limestone. It was ferried across the water from nearby Anastasia Island to build the fort. The texture and weight of the materials and the sheer size of the building typically amaze visitors from St. Augustine hotels.

Nowadays, the Castillo continues to come alive for Florida golf resort visitors partaking in vacations at premier St. Augustine hotels like The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village. For those from St. Augustine hotels who can tear themselves away from the greens, there are great offerings at the fort, such as Ranger talks, museum exhibits, historical weapons demonstrations, living history reenactments and other special events.

There are so many interesting sights in St. Augustine for Florida golf resort guests looking to explore America’s oldest city. One of these is Flagler College, which is located in the downtown area of historic St. Augustine, Florida and features buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Florida golf resort guests can tour the college’s 19 acres, the centerpiece of which is Ponce de Leon Hall, built in 1888 as a luxury St. Augustine hotel. The architects of the hall were John Carrere and Thomas Hastings. The were commissioned by Henry Morrison Flagler, famous industrialist, oil magnate and railroad pioneer who made his mark in St. Augustine, Florida near the end of the 19th century.

Flagler and his partner, John D. Rockefeller, each showcased his wealth in Florida. Thus, it’s no wonder that the former Hotel Ponce de Leon is a National Historic Landmark and considered one of the finest examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture. According to students, tourists and Florida golf resort guests alike, most of the buildings maintain their original appeal in a way that makes it seem like time stood still for centuries here.

Since its founding in 1968, the college has spent more than $43 million restoring the historic campus and adding new buildings. Of the 15 buildings on campus, eight are historic, contributing to the feeling Florida golf resort guests get of being transported to another era. The dining room still boasts Tiffany windows valued in the millions, and what are now dorms once housed presidents and celebrities who stayed at the resort.

Just four miles from the Atlantic Ocean, Flagler College’s setting fascinates Florida golf resort guests from modern day luxury St. Augustine hotels such as The Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village. The school’s buildings and its location in the heart of the city make it a great place to catch a glimpse of St. Augustine’s extensive past during a Florida golf resort vacation.