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| Welcome Sign to the City of St. Augustine |
Our second RV trip was a weekend getaway in January 2018 to the oldest city in the United States. We stayed on Site #3 at North Beach Camp Resort, which is situated on a barrier island just 4.5 miles from historic St. Augustine off of Coastal Highway A1A. Its location was perfect! The front of the resort faces the beach access on the Atlantic Ocean next to The Reef restaurant and the back of the resort is located on the channel of the Tolomoto River, next to Aunt Kate's restaurant. It features cabin rentals, RV sites with full hookups, tent camping, campground store, laundry, bathroom, and shower facilities, an outdoor pool, and more.
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| Entrance sign to North Beach Camp Resort off of Highway A1A in St. Augustine, Florida |
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| Site #3 was very spacious and semi-secluded |
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| The camp resort had a nice pool area |
We arrived late on a Friday afternoon and after getting situated, we walked across US A1A to the beach access. Although it was cloudy and overcast, we still enjoyed the beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean. We then took a nice long walk around the campground and noticed that some of the sites were occupied by friendly, long-term residents who decorated their sites with landscaping, accent lighting, and other personal touches. Some strung tiny lights in the tall oak trees which looked like fireflies twinkling in the night. Unfortunately, our camera could not capture the beauty of everything lit up.
After dinner, we enjoyed a glass of wine while watching a movie under the stars on our outdoor TV. The weather was beautiful. We kept the RV windows open all night, and the sound of the waves crashing on the shore lulled us off to sleep.
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| View of the ocean just across the street from the camp resort |
We got up early the next morning and took an Uber over to downtown St. Augustine. Founded in September of 1565, St. Augustine features Spanish colonial architecture and is home to the 17th century Castillo de San Marcos, and many historical sites. We entered through the Old City Gates and wandered down St. George Street and then up and down the many cross streets throughout the city, stopping in the many shops and historical sites. We had a nice lunch at Pizzalley's Chianti Room where we enjoyed their house salad and delicious deep-dish pizza. After lunch, we continued walking through the town exploring the oldest home, schoolhouse, jail, several churches, museums, bed and breakfast inns, hotels, unique shops, and other historical sites.
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| Entrance into the city |
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| Castillo de San Marcos |
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| Ripley's Believe It Or Not |
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| Legendary Fountain of Youth |
One of the most outstanding sites we explored was Flagler College which was founded in 1968 and features beautiful Spanish Renaissance architecture. The building was originally constructed as the Ponce de Leon Hotel by Henry M. Flagler and was completed in 1887. During WWII, it was taken over by the federal government and used as a Coast Guard training center. After the war ended, it reverted back to operating as an exclusive luxury hotel. Due to declining visitor numbers, Ponce de Leon closed in 1967 but reopened in 1968 as a private four-year liberal arts college.
It was such a beautiful day that we walked halfway back to the resort before grabbing an Uber to take us the rest of the way. We made a nice dinner in the RV, then strolled down to the lake to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
There is so much more to explore in this area, too much for one day, so we'll be back again in the near future.
For more information about North Beach Camp Resort, visit:
