St Augustine??

[expatmum]

I'm new to these boards and still not sure if I'm posting in the right board. After spending 2 weeks in Orlando in July, we're planning on going to St Augustine for a few days. I found good offers on both Casa Monica and the Hilton Historic Bayfront. Does anyone have any personal experiences on either one of these hotels? Both have good reviews on tripadvisor.....

 

[spiceycat]

Casa Monica has definitely been recommended.

but I just don't know Hilton have an excellent reputation.

 

[HopperFan]

They would be my first two choices. Both are right in the historic district, and you can walk all over from them. Parking can be prime in Historic area. Casa Monica is beautiful and has been highlighted on the Travel Network. Hilton is only about 2-3 years old and is very cool, built to fit right in. If you can get a bayfront balcony room there, it would be great.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I would kill to stay at either one but if I had to choose it would be Casa Monica. Where did you get the good deal on this? We usually just drive up from Orlando and od not stay in St. Augustine. I do not feel it is more than a day trip but you might have found more to do than I did .

Be sure you go to the light house. It is one of the most haunted places in America AND when we were there we actually got some images on our photos. One was a child and one was an older man with a moustache wearing a rain slicker hat from about the early 1900's.

 

[HopperFan]

I know they were just running great rates at Casa Monica via AAA Escapes.

 

[HeatherC]

I was there years ago, so I don't remember. How far a drive is it from Orlando. Well actually Davenport...we are staying at Regal Palms and looking for some daytrips this time around.

Thanks.

Heather

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I was there years ago, so I don't remember. How far a drive is it from Orlando. Well actually Davenport...we are staying at Regal Palms and looking for some daytrips this time around.

Thanks.

Heather

A little more than an hour. This is a good day trip but start out early so you can choose what you want to see. You need to go to the fort and as I stated the lighthouse is pretty neat. Do not bother with the Fountain of Youth it is a rip off if you ask me. There are tons of little shops some of which have fairly nice stuff and some of them have junk but it is fun to poke through. There is also a beach if you want to go swimming. We took a walk along it after the lighthouse but did not swim. They had this huge pier and for some reason stuff like that gives me the creeps (yes I know it is weird but energy producing windmills give me the creeps too).

There are fun restaurants too. WE went to Harry's which was highly recommended but it was just okay. We also ate at a place on the beach but I cannot remember the name but there was a seafood restaurant next to it (white and blue) which filled with cars by the time we were through with dinner so I will try it next time(sorry I just cannot remember the names).

 

[HeatherC]

Wow...thanks for all the suggestions! I think we will definitely do this one day since it isn't too far. Good to know about the fountain of youth and that we should bring bathing suits if the kids want to take a dip. I know my Mom would like this since her and my dad were planning on visiting there over the winter and didn't get to.

HeatherC

 

[tripletots]

I would kill to stay at either one but if I had to choose it would be Casa Monica. Where did you get the good deal on this? We usually just drive up from Orlando and od not stay in St. Augustine. I do not feel it is more than a day trip but you might have found more to do than I did .

Be sure you go to the light house. It is one of the most haunted places in America AND when we were there we actually got some images on our photos. One was a child and one was an older man with a moustache wearing a rain slicker hat from about the early 1900's.

You're kidding, right.

St. Augustine is one of my most favorite places in the US. (I've never been out of the US). I have never heard about the lighthouse being haunted. I have to take a closer look at my pictures from last August. We will be back for 3 days before Disney this Aug. We'll have to look closer. Are there any shows or books on this? Brochures? Something?

 

[Mortlives]

I
Be sure you go to the light house. It is one of the most haunted places in America AND when we were there we actually got some images on our photos. One was a child and one was an older man with a moustache wearing a rain slicker hat from about the early 1900's.

I would love to see those photos. Could you post them, please? We've been on many of the ghost tours in SA and never got anything interesting. My favourite is the "Ghosts of the Matanzas" pirate ship tour. I'd recommend that to anyone, it's good fun.

Actually, last time we stayed at the Pirate Haus, and when we were leaving Captain Conrad told us our room was haunted. I guess that explained the area rug that kept bunching itself up under the fridge door so you couldn't open the fridge. You think I'm kidding, but we weren't moving it. Anyway, that's a good, less expensive option, and it's right in the historic district. And you get pirate pancakes for breakfast.

 

[makinorlando]

We were just in St Augustine for DDs 4th grade class trip. It was a great day. We spent our time in the St George's Street area and Castillo de San Marcos. They kids got to see a blacksmith in action, a furniture maker and learned about what life was like for kids and the women in a house. We visited the Oldest schoolhouse in America and the Castillo - that was awesome - the kids had a wonderful tour guide that really brought the history to life. The are SOOO many shops along St George's St.

We are planning on taking a day trip with just the two of us, as I know there are many things we did not see in our time there and we would like to do one of the Haunted Tours as well

 

[Donald is #1]

Is St Augustine really only an hour from Orlando? I have always wanted to go there. If it is within 2 hours of WDW then i may consider a day trip there on my upcoming trip or a following trip.

 

[HeatherC]

I think it may be a little bit further than an hour. I think I read somewhere that it was like 118 miles from MCO.

I posted that we were staying in Davenport...which is probably 20 minutes or so closer once you get out of the parks and navigate to the highway.

From what I remember, it can be a day trip but I would probably suggest getting an early start. Since my kids still wake up before 6am this is not a problem for us!!

Have a great trip.

Heather

 

[spiceycat]

you can do in 1 1/2 hours once you are out of Orlando - I think they were still working on I4 - which slows everything down.

my brother lives in St Augustine.

 

[makinorlando]

you can do in 1 1/2 hours once you are out of Orlando - I think they were still working on I4 - which slows everything down.

my brother lives in St Augustine.

I agree that it is more than 1 hour it is 113 miles from my home - we live about 30 miles NE of Orlando, and while I did not drive but rode in a bus, I do believe it was almost 2 hours - we left the school at approx 7:45, and I have a photo taken 3 miles from St Augustine at 9:47.

We took Rt 417 to I-4 to I-95 to US1, and with the exception of some local traffic getting onto the toll road, we did not hit traffic - we are east of the I-4 and 408 construction.

It was well worth the travel time - we were gone from 7:45am and arrived back at DDs school at about 5:45.

 

[Donald is #1]

I think it may be a little bit further than an hour. I think I read somewhere that it was like 118 miles from MCO.

I posted that we were staying in Davenport...which is probably 20 minutes or so closer once you get out of the parks and navigate to the highway.

From what I remember, it can be a day trip but I would probably suggest getting an early start. Since my kids still wake up before 6am this is not a problem for us!!

Have a great trip.

Heather

you can do in 1 1/2 hours once you are out of Orlando - I think they were still working on I4 - which slows everything down.

my brother lives in St Augustine.

I agree that it is more than 1 hour it is 113 miles from my home - we live about 30 miles NE of Orlando, and while I did not drive but rode in a bus, I do believe it was almost 2 hours - we left the school at approx 7:45, and I have a photo taken 3 miles from St Augustine at 9:47.

We took Rt 417 to I-4 to I-95 to US1, and with the exception of some local traffic getting onto the toll road, we did not hit traffic - we are east of the I-4 and 408 construction.

It was well worth the travel time - we were gone from 7:45am and arrived back at DDs school at about 5:45.

Thanks everyone! Even if it is 1.5 to 2.5 hours, I won't mind the drive. I may or may not have time on my upcoming trip, but I will try to plan it on for my next one.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I think it may be a little bit further than an hour. I think I read somewhere that it was like 118 miles from MCO.

I posted that we were staying in Davenport...which is probably 20 minutes or so closer once you get out of the parks and navigate to the highway.

From what I remember, it can be a day trip but I would probably suggest getting an early start. Since my kids still wake up before 6am this is not a problem for us!!

Have a great trip.

Heather

Well maybe an hour and 15 min but my husband drives like maniac! I could take more time for sane people.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

You're kidding, right.

St. Augustine is one of my most favorite places in the US. (I've never been out of the US). I have never heard about the lighthouse being haunted. I have to take a closer look at my pictures from last August. We will be back for 3 days before Disney this Aug. We'll have to look closer. Are there any shows or books on this? Brochures? Something?

I am not in the least kidding. I have tired to get my son to post the pix but he is just a PIA about it. I will see if my husband has time since I have promised this on another thread also.

As far as the lighthouse goes you can check it out on line and check out the show the TAPs(The Atlantic Paranormal Society) did I am not sure what channel it was on but just google TAPS and you will find it.

I asked the sweet little old ladies who worked in the gift shop and they had some pretty hair raising stories to tell me. They spoke about their encouters very matter of factly and they told me it happened so often that they were used to it. They said only one employee gets freaked out anymore.

If you do go to the light house be sure and speak to the people in the gift shop.

One of the stories involved a game of tapping on the wall and she said that it had happened just the day before. She said it was a child and the child would do something like tap tap and she would tap back and then the child would do tap tap ....tap....tap and the woman would tap back the same pattern.
She said it had happened before but that on the day in question she was too busy and all she had to do was tell the spirit she could not play and finally it would stop.

 

[Pembo]

Just got home from a trip to St Augustine and then WDW. It was a 2 hour drive almost exactly. In St Augustine don't miss Alligator Farm, a really cool place and the Castillo and take a drive down A1A to Fort Matanzas, it's free and pretty cool after you've been to Castillo, plus we saw dolphins in the wild.