Skip to main content

St. Augustine, FL

The Tini Martini lit up for the holidays.

We needed one more night in a Marriott brand from hubby to keep his Platinum status for the year, so we decided to take an overnight trip to St. Aug, a place we've been a couple of times already.

Lodging
Fairfield Inn - We usually stay outside the city, and this hotel is a good option.  Clean rooms, newer hotel, and continental breakfast to prep for a day of walking around.  It's a good affordable option.

Restaurants
The Back 40 Urban Cafe - I found this little gem on Trip Advisor a couple hours before leaving for St. Aug. You will need a car to get here since it's a little outside of the old city downtown.  They have a happy hour hour each day from 3-6, and it's a hot spot for locals.  While we were eating, a couple about our age came in and ordered.  We asked them if they had been there before, and she said that they are there a couple times a month.  Hubby had the wet burrito, and I had the tacos, both with jerk chicken.  So good!  Lots of food for the money and a really great stop before heading into downtown.

Pizza Time - This was a quick stop for lunch before heading home.  We both ordered calzones, and while the crust was perfect and the portion was huge, there was way too much ricotta cheese and very little meat.  Next time we go we'll probably try the pizza instead.  For the money, it's a good bet.

The Tasting Room - We were ready for drinks after walking around looking at Christmas lights and we found this place.  The wine list is extensive, and there is a fair selection of small plate options along with regular dinners.  They offer a 4-course dinner option on the menu, which was about $50.  Adding a wine pairing is an extra $24.  We both agreed that if we were going to spend that kind of money on an option like this, we'd much rather go back to the Chef's Table in Winter Garden.  In any case, we chose a Monday Funday special Spanish wine for $30, an order of truffle fries (good but we had better at a place in Napa), and the best Creme Brule I have ever had, hands-down - Coconut.  It was absolutely delicious and so creamy!
Coconut Creme Brule and San Cristobal red blend @ The Tasting Room
Things to Do
Spanish Military Hospital Museum - The historical home we wanted to visit was closed for Christmas so we toured the hospital instead.  The guide, even talking at break-neck speed, was really informative.  My favorite part involved the history of the apothecary and use of certain herbs.  Very fascinating.  At $6 for a 40-min tour, this place is worth a stop!  So much interesting history to learn while visiting the oldest city in the US.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Boston, MA

I have always wanted to visit Boston and Salem, so we FINALLY made it happen this August.  Visiting at the end of August, doing a lot of the tourist-y stuff during the week is definitely the way to go.  The crowds were low Wednesday, Thursday, and most of Friday (the beginning of the Labor Day weekend). Hotel We stayed at the Boston Marriott at Long Wharf .  It’s not a cheap place to stay, but the location is fantastic if you are here to see the historical places in Boston.  It’s across the street from Quincy Market/Faneuil Hall and next to the New England aquarium and harbor cruises.  The Blue Line from the airport drops off at the hotel, as well as all of the tour trolley stops.  Walking into the North End/Little Italy is also very easy. Food I don’t even know where to start here, so I guess I’ll go chronologically.  I knew that I wanted 1) a lobster roll, 2) clam chowder, and 3) cannoli.  Check, check, and check!  Note, for Wednesday - Fri...

Celebrity Solstice - Dawes Glacier, Alaska

If you've ever booked a cruise during the pandemic, you know how frustrating it can be.  In 2019, we booked our Alaska cruise for May 2021. Well, May 2022 was our make-up cruise for the cancelled 2021 sailing.  Better late than never, right? Dawes Glacier - Endicott Arm Pre-cruise First, I’ll hit our pre-cruise stay in Seattle.  We hailed a Lyft from the airport ($50 + tip).  You need to cross the sky bridge and go down one level until you see the green barriers.  The signage was actually great, but several escalators to get there were on the fritz.  Our Lyft dropped us at the Fairfield Inn & Suites near the Space Needle.  The hotel seems newly updated and the front desk staff were very friendly and helpful. For dinner, we took the advice of the front desk staff and visited Thomas Street Warehouse .  The prices are actually really great for downtown, and they have a cool cocktail menu.  In the morning, we grabbed breakfast tacos at Jack’s...

Carnival Breeze - Southern Caribbean

The Breeze ports in Miami and does several different itineries.  We chose an 8-day, which included Curacao, La Romana, Grand Turk, and Aruba. Parking in Miami Premier Cruise Parking ( premiercruisepark@bellsouth.net ), 1415 NE 2nd Ave. Parking Garage $8 per day, including tax.  Free shuttle to port.  The wait for the arrival of the shuttle at the parking garage going to port can be a little long, but it's worth it to us.  We've used this garage twice and will use it again.  I believe that it is better to prepay so you don't have to do it there. The Food The steakhouse is very much the same as any of the other Carnival steakhouses, but still very good. We also ate dinner in Cucina del Capitano - excellent food and service!  Highly recommend!  We also made use of Guy Fieri's Burgers several times - hello yumminess!  Tandoor Indian cuisine (aft pool location) and Blue Iguana burritos were also amazing.  We did not starve on this trip! ...