Monday, July 17, 2017

Visiting Florida's First Coast

This weekend, Mike and I spent an impromptu weekend in North Florida.  This area is quickly becoming one of our favorites; it's just over three hours from Charleston, and there is so much to do.  When our friends told us they were playing in a kickball tournament in Jacksonville, we wuickly booked a hotel room to cheer them on Saturday morning.  Let me just say, it was hot this weekend.  We had a great time watching their games, but afterwards, getting to cool off in the hotel pool was much-needed.  We spent the evening in St. Augustine and the day Sunday at Jax Beach.  I thought it'd be fun to round up some of our favorite things to see and eat if you're ever down on Florida's First Coast.
St. Augustine: This was our first time to downtown St. Augustine.  I've always seen photos of the beautiful churches and Spanish-inspired buildings, so this was on our must-see list.  The Plaza de la Constitucion was our home base.  We first walked south, down some of the residential streets (Cordova, St. George, Aviles) to check out the little shops and homes.  The houses, fences, and even the bricks in the road have such attention to detail that I could have walked around and snapped photos all day.  To the North of the plaza, we walked through the city market on St. George and around the Castillo de San Marcos.  Our last stop as across the Bridge of Lions to lighthouse.  While we didn't golf while we were in St. Augustine this time, it's also home to the World Golf Village and some awesome courses - click here to check out more on those.)
Jax Beach: There are so many miles of beach in this part of Florida, that I feel like it's never overly busy.  There are tons of shops, restaurants, and parking along Jax Beach, and it's never too hard to find a parking spot and beach access point.  The beaches are flat and the waves are just right!
Daytona: Though technically just south of the First Coast, Daytona is another great beach to explore.  It's only 30-45 minutes from St. Augustine, and while you're there, you should definitely catch a race or tour the Speedway. 

Where to eat: We love the food in this area!  There are so many delicious restaurants (but I obviously just take photos of the coffee shops (come on, they're so fun!).  The photos below were taken at our favorite breakfast spots, Bold Bean and Delicomb.  Lunch or dinner, make your first stop Cantina Louie.  My obsession with Charleston's Mexican food is pretty well documented, but this place is better than any I've found in South Carolina.  They have a couple of locations in Jax Beach and St. Augustine.  Culinary Outfitters, Pizza TimeIce Plant in St. Augustine are favorites, as well.
What were you up to this weekend?

10 comments:

kerri @ cheshire kat said...

yay for some florida fun! i am obsessed with st. aug. and it's just one of my fav tiny towns. you should see it during the holidays - my fav time to go! glad you had a fantastic weekend!

xoxo cheshire kat

BLovedBoston said...

being from Jax it's nice to see when people visit :) St. Augustine is one of favorite stops to make when we go back to see my parents for a visit! xo, Biana -BlovedBoston

Ashley @ The Wandering Weekenders said...

It sounds like y'all had a great last minute trip to Florida! I've heard that St. Augustine is just beautiful!

Ashley @ A Cute Angle said...

St. Augustine looks BEAUTIFUL! Gosh, I need to get to the beach!

Kate at Green Fashionista said...

So much fun! Yay for getting to St. Augustine, one of my favorite spots in North Florida. I still need to check out Jax Beach. Glad you guys had such a fun impromptu weekend <3
Green Fashionista

Jen said...

You can never go wrong with a last minute trip to Florida! :) Looks like you all had a great time!

Julie said...

What a fun little weekend!

Emily @ Martinis | Bikinis said...

Isn't St Augustine such a gem? I just love exploring that cute city and some amazing food. I haven't been to Jacksonville in like 10 years but Daytona is an easy drive for us so we were there recently. Love spending a weekend or week beach side!

Lauren Honeycutt said...

The East Coast of Florida is fantastic! I'm so glad that you had a chance to visit!

Missy said...

What a fun trip! These are great photos. I have never been to St. Augustine and I really want to go now.

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