Recently, I was chatting with someone from out of town who asked me how we (the people of Northeast Florida) were dealing with the effects of the oil spill. I was a little shocked, because neither my home town nor the entire eastern (or most of the western) coast of Florida has seen even one tar ball from the Deep Water Horizon Disaster. Not one.
Later it occurred to me that out of towners who only got their news in passing from the major national sources (as most people do) would have no reason to know how far the oil effects have spread. The news story lies in the places that have unfortunately been deeply impacted by the spill, not in the areas that remain untouched. Yet that lack of knowledge has cost (and continues to cost) the state of Florida a lot of tourist revenue during our most popular season. People are cancelling vacation plans left and right with no reason.
My pseudo-nephew enjoying the beach a few weeks ago.
So I thought I’d take some time in the coming weeks to use my blog to promote that (1) The vast majority of Florida’s beaches are doing just fine and (2) Even if the oil spill spreads to the Florida coasts, the Sunshine State is about more than just beaches. My hope is that some of my fellow Floridian and Gulf Coast Bloggers will jump in the on the action and try to help our communities let the tourists know that they don’t need to cancel their vacations.
Florida is still here and it’s still awesome!
Just to reiterate Point #1, the vast majority of Florida beaches are completely oil and tar free. Other than parts of the extreme western panhandle, our coastlines have fortunately been spared thus far in the ongoing disaster. From Cedar Key down the west coast to Key West and back up the east coast to Jacksonville, there are still thousands of miles of beautiful beaches and emerald waters perfect for sunning, swimming, fishing, boating, surfing and more. Make no mistake, it’s so hot out there you can cook a Lean Cuisine meal on the sidewalk, but there is no tar and no oil. Just a whole lot of sand and sun.
As far as Point #2 goes, even if the oil spill does spread to our shores (which, unfortunately, is a possibility) there are plenty of other ways to enjoy your summer vacation in Florida–starting with St. Augustine.
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
If you’re not familiar with my gorgeous hometown, it is a must-see for anyone interested in the history of this country. St. Augustine is often referred to as the Nation’s Oldest City but technically it is the Nation’s Oldest Continually Occupied European Settlement (try putting that on a T-shirt!). We are home to the fabled Fountain of Youth, the very first Ripley’s Believe it or Not! Museum, and the ancient coquina fortress known as the Castillo de San Marcos.
We’re so awesome we had our own category on Jeopardy last week!
Here are some of the highlights of St. Augustine:
- Romance: St. Augustine is chock full of charming bed and breakfasts, moonlit carriage rides and quiet bistros.
- History: St. Augustine boasts the Oldest House and Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse in the country.
- Family: St. Augustine is home to the St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, Alligator Farm (you can feed the gators, pet the birds and hold the snakes) and Marineland (you can feed and swim with dolphins–though not at the same time, that’s a bad idea).
- Nature: St. Augustine has a number of beautiful state parks in the area including Washington Oaks, Faver Dykes, Princess Place, Guana River State Park and Fort Matanzas State Park. Many of these parks have great hiking trails, beautiful gardens, camping spaces and a network of creeks and tributaries great for kayaking.
- Sports: St. Augustine is covered in gorgeous golf courses and picturesque fishing holes (both salt and fresh water). We’re also home to the World Golf Hall of Fame (which I promise is not nearly as boring as it sounds–there’s an IMAX Theater!)
- Art: St. Augustine has an eclectic community of incredible artists. Our downtown galleries open their doors to the public once a month for the First Friday Art Walk and are always worth a good browse.
- Music: St. Augustine is covered in bars, pubs and eateries with great live acts performing almost every night. We are also home to the newly revamped St. Augustine Amphitheatre whose upcoming shows include Pat Benatar with REO Speedwagon, Paramore with Tegan + Sara, The Flaming Lips and Lady Antebellum. (I’ve seen a couple of shows there and it’s AMAZING. Ocean breeze, great acoustics, always a great time. )
- Food: St. Augustine has some of the best cuisine around. From traditional Southern pleasures to fresh seafood and Cuban delicacies, your stomach will appreciate your trip to St. Augustine. (And so far the oil spill has had no impact on our seafood either, I had fried shrimp at a favorite local haunt last week and it was delicious as always!)
Whatever your favorite type of vacation may be, St. Augustine has something for everyone to enjoy! Don’t let the oil spill scare you away. If anything, we need your tourist dollars now more than ever! Here are a few more resources on things to do and places to stay in St. Augustine:
If you’re interested in promoting your part of the Gulf Coast on your blog, let me know and I’ll be happy to help cross promote! And if you have any questions about the sites to see and places you won’t want to miss in St. Augustine, leave a comment or send me an e-mail, I’m always happy to help!
Later days,
Shannon
