05 Apr 2012
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - Florida’s Historic Coast has been welcoming vacationers for more than 125 years, but as any recent visitor will tell you “Our History Is Not the Same Old Story”. Located midway between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, spring visitors to these special 42 miles of northeast Florida coastline will quickly find there is much that is new and exciting to experience. Whether visiting the nation’s oldest city of St. Augustine, playing the world class golf courses of Ponte Vedra or soaking up the sun at one of the Historic Coast’s beach communities, exciting new attractions and amenities await.
For example:
El Conquistador – now even more thrills!
Debuting last year on Sr. Augustine's Matanzas Bay, El Conquistador will soon be offering passengers even more thrills! The high-speed tour boat with the distinctive conquistador helmets mounted above its twin exhaust stacks will feature a new 30-minute thrill ride that is more “thrill” than “tour”. More donuts, figure eights and high speed turns, plus louder music and engines, this exclusive El Conquistador tour is sure to get the adrenaline pumping. http://elconspeedboat.com
Freedom Trail Audio Tour
In 2014, St. Augustine will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act and the pivotal role the city played in the passage of this landmark legislation. Today, visitors can follow a self-guided Freedom Trail and hear audio descriptions of what happened at 31 key sites throughout the area. Sponsored by Northrop Grumman and produced by the 40th ACCORD, Inc., the audio tour tells of tragedy and triumph during the summer of 1964 and many of the recordings feature the voices of actual participants. . For more information, go to www.accordfreedomtrail.org
Lost Ships
For the first time, a new tour at the St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum will give participants a close-up and personal experience with many of the artifacts from the 18th century “Storm Wreck”. Conducted by a professional underwater archaeologist from the Lighthouse Archeological Maritime Program (LAMP), the tour demonstrates both the methods used by marine archaeologist to excavate sites and the process they follow to indentify and date what they have found. www.staugustinelighthouse.org
Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth
Visitors to St. Augustine’s Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park learn about the fascinating archaeological discoveries made there get to taste a sample of the fabled water! This spring, visitors will find a new, 600-foot observation deck that gives a close-up look at the tidal salt marsh and leads to an authentic 16th century boat yard where a replica caravel, much like the ship that carried Ponce on his voyage of discovery, is under construction. www.fountainofyouthflorida.com
More Thrills, Chills, Brews and Food!
St. Augustine City Walks is known for their original, entertaining and educational walking tours of the Nation’s oldest city. This spring, the waiting list for these highly-popular tours will be considerably shorter – that’s simply because more tours are being scheduled daily. Choose from The Plaza Stroll; Tour de Chocolate; History, Mystery, Mayhem and Murder; Savory Faire; the St. Augustine Pub Crawl and more!. www.staugustinecitywalks.com
Sail Away to Romance:
Beginning this spring, guests at any of the Inns of Elegance will have an opportunity to go on a romantic sailing trip aboard the beautiful Schooner Freedom. Two 2-hour cruises are offered daily and each comes with a complimentary bottle of champagne! For details on these outstanding inns and this unique sailing opportunity, go to www.innsofelegance.com
Live Concerts:
In addition to nightly entertainers in St. Augustine restaurants and pubs, Florida’s Historic Coast will feature spring concerts for every musical taste. The St. Augustine Amphitheatre will host Martina McBride (April 13); Rise Against (April 27); and The Beach Boys (May 2) www.staugamphitheatre.com. Featured performances at the Ponte Vedra Concert Hall include Edgar Winter (May 20) and Aaron Neville (Aug. 7) www.PVConcertHall.com.
Events:
As always, spring on Florida’s Historic Coast is filled with exciting events featuring the very best in golf, great food, music and history. For a complete calendar of spring events, go here http://www.sapvb.org/marketing/uploads/022490929.pdf
Here are just a few highlights:
April 19-22: Sawgrass Wine Festival
. www.sawgrasswinefestival.com
April 25-29: Florida’s Birding and PhotoFest
www.FloridasBirdingAndPhotoFest.com
May 4-6: Gamble Rogers Folk Festival
May 7-13: THE PLAYERS Championship
www.pgatour.com or call 800-741-3161.
Located midway between Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Florida's Historic Coast features historic St. Augustine, the outstanding golf and seaside elegance of Ponte Vedra, 42 miles of pristine Atlantic beaches – the same beaches that greeted Ponce de Leon in 1513 when he discovered and named La Florida - an area whose boundaries included what would later become the eastern United States. For more information on events, activities, holiday getaways and vacation opportunities in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, go to the Visitors and Convention Bureau website at www.FloridasHistoricCoast.com, become a fan on Facebook or call 1.800.653.2489.
