Old city featured in Elks magazine

“Visiting Yesterday Today, St. Augustine, Florida” is the title of a story by Patricia Ann McNair appearing in the December/January issue of “The Elks Magazine.”



McNair suggests that St. Augustine has it all from the white beaches to the rich history. She does point out though “while St. Augustine is not quite accurate when it bills itself as the nation’s oldest city (San Juan, Puerto Rico, actually has that honor), it is the oldest permanent European settlement in the continental United States.”

Tracing the history of the city, McNair lists the variety of points of interest including the Castillo de San Marcos and St. George Street to which “visitors also flock.” She describes the street as “a marvelous collection of restored and reconstructed buildings meant to pay homage to the architecture of the 18th and 19th centuries....

“Venture away from St. George Street, and you’ll find even more to enjoy, including pretty little frame houses built in the 19th century, boutiques and galleries, coffee shops and unique restaurants,” McNair writes.

McNair also tells of the St. Augustine Lighthouse — “the hardy are invited to climb the 219 steps to the top of the structure to experience one of the most stunning views afforded in the area. The ocean wind whistles around you as you face the sea or the city.”

McNair notes that “the most spectacular of Flagler’s hotels, the Hotel Ponce de Leon, was completed in 1888.”

Today it is the home of Flagler College.

Concluding with information on the city’s 450th anniversary celebration, she suggests: “Why not join in the festivities?”


“But then again why wait? Why wait to take in the city’s beauty, its charm, its history? Why not visit St. Augustine soon?”