Visual Traveler: Historic St. Augustine, FL

       Banners at Alcazar Hotel/City Hall celebrating St. Augustine's 450th anniversary
                                       Photo credit: Lisa Waterman Gray
​What's in This Post  
1) Learning to Love Hispanic Architecture
2) Celebrating St. Augustine's 450th Birthday
3) Beyond Hispanic Architecture
4) Historic St. Augustine Slideshow

Learning to Love Hispanic Architecture

During elementary school, my family and I moved to Walnut Creek, CA, near Oakland. After living in Providence, RI, Pittsburgh, PA, Hartford, CT, and Grand Rapids, MI, we had 'landed' in a place that looked far different from our previous hometowns.

It was the first time our neighborhood had palm trees, and our Bay Area incorporated plenty of Hispanic architecture. The red tile roofs and adobe especially captivated me. However, we returned to Pittsburgh after only a year and half, leading my parents to call that time 'our California vacation.' But my love of such architecture would continue into - and throughout - my adulthood.​

                                      Photo credit: Lisa Waterman Gray​

When I interviewed for my first full-time professional position, in Kansas City, my prospective boss treated me to lunch at a restaurant situated amid the Country Club Plaza, where block after block of lovely buildings from the 1920s mimicked the look and feel of Seville, Spain - from tiled roofs to ornate iron work, and mosaics (see above). And I felt like I was home again.

       Photo credit: Lisa Waterman Gray - Los Poblanos Historic Inn & Organic Farm

I later had a similar feeling during multiple trips through  New Mexico and Arizona. Little did I know St. Augustine's architecture would appeal to me the same way.

Celebrating St. Augustine's 450th Birthday

As our group of journalists toured St. Augustine, the architecture in this historic city thoroughly captivated me. Bright crimson and yellow banners celebrated its monumental birthday, from dozens of small ones hanging and flapping in the breezy courtyard of our 1700s-era hotel, the St. Francis Inn, to long dramatic banners hung along the front wall of the magnificent Alcazar Hotel/City Hall (see above photo).

Perhaps my favorite collection of Hispanic-style architecture appeared throughout the small, private Flagler College campus. Warm red tones punctuated tile roofs and exterior window treatments and complemented pale concrete/shell/stone walls and occasional brick towers, as tall palms swayed nearby.

Beyond Hispanic Architecture

From a stories-tall rooftop we caught a breathtaking view of what was once the Hotel Ponce de Leon. Now an integral part of the campus it included a garden area encircled by college buildings displaying quintessential late 1800s Spanish architecture. We even had undisturbed views of Alcazar Hotel and other city buildings, along the periphery.

In a city this old, plenty of other historic architecture filled historic neighborhoods. We toured the Oldest Wooden School House Historic Museum and (lovely!) Gardens, viewed Castillo de San Marcos National Monument from a distance after bright lights cast a ghostly nighttime glow on the historic limestone fort, and admired a plethora of shops amid the adobe-wrapped Colonial Quarter. 

There are plenty of fun activities to keep you busy during a St. Augustine visit. And if you appreciate gorgeous architecture, it's a terrific place to spend time too.

                                    Historic St. Augustine Slideshow
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Disclaimer: As a travel writer I may receive complimentary stays, admissions, meals, transportation, and, occasionally, products I am asked to review. However, I make every effort to report my experiences fairly and honestly.

​Please note these photos are older. While they reflected the character of this destination during my visit, specific details have undoubtedly changed.