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Top 10 Historical Places In St. Augustine You Need To Check Out Now!

Do you want to explore Florida most uniquely? And wondering where to start your tour… While the place is world-renowned for its beautiful beaches, the famous Kennedy space center, and alligators, you should start your journey from St. Augustine. Yes, you read that right! St. Augustine, America's oldest city, should be the place from where you should start your Florida exploration.

Being the oldest continuously inhabited European-founded settlement in the United States, St. Augustine has a lot to offer to its visitors. After all, this place is home to numerous historical sites. We will converse about some of those places in this blog post. But first, let's talk briefly about the historical value of St. Augustine and how it came into being.

A Brief Intro to St. Augustine

Pedro Menendez de Aviles, a Spanish admiral, founded St. Augustine on September 8, 1565. Spanish later made it their capital to rule the territory they have captured on the continent. The city briefly (1763–1784) became a part of the British Empire. The city remained under Spanish rule until Florida became part of the United States in 1819. Therefore St. Augustine is a place of great historical importance and attracts tourists from different parts of the world.

So, if you are in Florida and want to discover many interesting and amazing things, St. Augustine is the place to start.

Historical Sites to Visit on Same Day Road Trip in St. Augustine

Since St. Augustine is a part of so many historical events, it is home to many historical sites that are worth exploring. Some of the most famous among them are;

#1- Castillo de San Marcos National Monument

If you're in St. Augustine this is the first place you should set foot on. After all, it is a legendary reminder of the mighty Spanish kingdom. And, yes… it is also the oldest masonry fort in the United States built between 1672-95. It was built to protect the residents of St. Augustine from enemy attacks.

#2- Colonial Quarter

Another important historic place that you can take a tour of in St. Augustine is the colonial quarter. This 2-acre property will give you a demonstration of how colonial Spanish and British forces lived and operated. You will be able to climb a 17th-century watch tower replica, fire off in a musket drill, and forge away with the blacksmith.

#3- St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum

The Lighthouse is one of the most sought-after historical sites in St. Augustine. It is a 165 feet structure with 219 steps. You can climb to the top of the lighthouse to get a striking view of the entire city and ocean. You can also get access to its lens room.

#4- Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse

Due to the availability of recorded historical data, this school is believed to be the oldest wooden school building in the United States. The school was established by the Genoply family in 1788. You can get access to old textbooks and other school supplies dating back to the eighteenth century.

#5- Spanish Military Hospital Museum

Another majestic historical monument in St. Augustine is a Spanish military hospital. While you're in this building, you'll have the chance to learn how Spanish physicians used knowledge from Europe and Africa to treat their patients. In addition, the museum displays a wide range of medical equipment from the 18th century.

#6- The Old Jail

Listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, the Old Jail is another historic place that you must visit while in St. Augustine. A visit to this place will give you an idea of how the prisoners were treated during the 18th century. You will have access to cells designed for men, women, and death row inmates.

#7- Cathedral Basilica

Another must-visit place in St. Augustine is Cathedral Basilica. You would be surprised to learn that this is the oldest catholic parish in the United States built between 1793 to 1797. By the way, the church is a designated National Historic Landmark.

#8- Fort Matanzas

Another place that you should include in your visit list is Fort Matanzas. Spanish built it in 1742 to shield St. Augustine from the British offensive. Just so you know, you can only visit the fort by passenger ferry. So, plan your visit accordingly.

#9- Lightner Museum

This museum is housed within the historic Alcazar Hotel. Are you reading about this hotel for the first time? Well, it was built in 1888 by Henry Flagler; the renowned railroad magnet. When inside the building, you will find yourself surrounded by art, architecture, and history.

#10- Oldest House Museum Complex

This house is a designated National Historic Landmark and is the oldest surviving Spanish colonial residence. So, if you are a true history enthusiast, this home deserves a special place on your "must-visit places in St. Augustine" list.

To Sum Things Up…

If you want to explore Florida, start your trip from St. Augustine; one of the historic cities in the United States. This city is home to some of the world-renowned historical monuments such as Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, Colonial Quarter, St. Augustine Lighthouse & Maritime Museum, Spanish Military Hospital Museum, etc…

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St. Augustine, the most ancient city in the US carries different locations that are famous for being the hotbed for different paranormal ethics. With the help of a reliable ghost guide, you can easily have the fun of getting spooked. A few of the many haunted places are unfolded in this slide. Get into the infographics for more details.

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St. Augustine, the oldest American town, boasts a distant past in every corner. From discovering the collection of eccentric items to enjoying the fascinating architectural feat- you have so many things to do in St. Augustine. This slide makes a list of the top historic landmarks in St. Augustine. Go through the infographics & discover the best antique heritage on your next tour.

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A photo tour is specifically for the travelers who want to save the best & happiest moments of their lives. Taking photos is a very common human behavior. But taking a photo tour is a very special feeling. This slide brings all the probable apprehensions that you need to follow before making a schedule. Just run over the infographics & have the best photo holiday experience.

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A haunted truth tour is known for experiencing the strange sensation by revealing the brutal history of a mysterious place & investigating the paranormal activities. This part of dark tourism comes with many psychological, social, & learning benefits. Being a voyager, you should run over this infographics which will tell you why this voyage is in demand even after its creepiness.

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Group tour is not the preferred option for a traveler who wants to enjoy the sights with luxury. But a resilient voyager does not mind traveling in a group. Still, everyone has to be aware of the challenges that a group tour brings before making their calls. Just go through the infographics & make yourself known to all possible provocations.

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Struggles Of Being A Tour Guide

The tourism or travel industry is a very broad-ranging industry. The interest of maximum individuals to spend their free time on travel is making the industry bigger & fast-growing by degrees. From strengthening the economy by attracting many visitors to offering many jobs to the people working in hospitality & transport- everything this tourism industry brings.

However, if you receive a poor travel experience this time, you may not await to visit again with pleasure. That’s why there are the tour guides who ensure you to have a successful travel experience on your every tour. Besides offering quality guidance, tour guides also promote natural & cultural heritage so that the travelers can become aware of the significance of the place which may stimulate their re-visit intention.

Since tour guides play a cardinal role in the development of tourism lines, so, getting handsome packages is not so surprising. But money can’t give you all the happiness, which means there also exist various struggles of being a tour guide.

Let’s hit on this article to know more about the challenges that tour professional encounters commonly.

Struggles That Tour Guides Experience

The job of a tour guide is not as easy as it seems. Rather, this profession is extremely tough that anybody can ever expect. It does not matter what fantasies you have about tour guides, because if you go deeper, you can realize the sweat & tears behind this walk of life. The challenges that someone may face as a tour professional are in the following. Let’s have a look at them closely.

No Stable Income

No Labor Insurance

Extended Work Hours

Continuous Test Of Patience

Loneliness

Repetitive Visit To The Same Place

No Stable Income: It is true that a tour professional earns well for his job. However, the problem is the income does not have any stability. The income basically depends on how many tour groups you have for leading in a month. It means if you have more groups to lead, then you may have a greater chance to make more earnings. Otherwise, you have to be satisfied with fewer earnings in that month. The biggest challenge comes during the off-seasons when a tour guide may hardly find a group to lead. It becomes too harsh for a tour guide to surviving in that case.

No Labor Insurance: Labor insurance is only given to those who are officially the employee of a company. That means if you are not an agent’s hired help, then you won’t have any employment security. So, if you want to have some labor insurance, then you have to become a certified tour professional. It would not be that easy to get the certification. Overall, it is complicated to insure your elbow grease.

Extended Work Hours: A tour guide’s job is more than traveling with a group of voyagers. Besides traveling, their job is to keep the travelers satisfied with the service, & make the voyage as smooth as possible. Everything will work smoothly as long as the undertakings are carried out as per the plan. But when something happens which is not in the plan like- problem with the hotel rooms, weather issues, delays in arrival due to traveler’s sloth, etc., it may force the tour guide to work for more hours so that everything would remain hassle-free in the very next day.

Continuous Test of Patience: Traveling with a group of individuals would be a fun when it happens respectfully. But not all tourists’ behavior can be of the same kind. Some travelers will respect you & respect your job. But some voyagers will treat you disrespectfully & take everything for granted. You may find some behaviors that are completely intolerable. However, being a professional, you can’t have a conflict with them. Because if you do so then you may lose your job. In that case, your ability to communicate patiently would be the win-win approach.

Loneliness: A tour guide used to travel around the world with a group of tourists. But those tourists can’t be as close to you as your family members or best buddies used to be. So, despite being surrounded by many individuals, you may feel lonely in many instances during a tour. And it occurs because of the absence of intimacy that everyone wants to have in their day-to-day life.

Repetitive Visit To The Same Place: Traveling to new places always brings a thrill. But when you travel to the same place again and again, there occurs a severe depletion in the excitement. Being a tour guide, you can’t say how many times you will visit the same place. It becomes so frustrating to deliver the same speech on different occasions while guiding a group of travelers. Still, you can’t show it. And I guess nothing is more difficult than keeping your frustration within yourself just because of your profession. 

Conclusion

All professions have their own challenges, so as the profession of a tour guide. Thus, when choosing your career, you have to consider both rewards & struggles associated with that sphere. But if you want to explore new places as a traveler not as a guide, then be sure to hire a trusted tour guide so you can have the best experience on your every voyage.

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Historical tours are specifically for those who have a huge interest in knowing history. But anyone who loves to travel can go on a historical tour anytime. You have to take enough time while screening the history around you. And don’t hesitate to take the help of a trained tour professional if you want a worry-free voyage. Hit on this infographics for more enlightenment.