Gribblenation

The Castillo de San Marcos has guarded St. Augustine for over 325 years.  The coquina stone structure took 23 years to build (1672-1695) and would see service until the turn of the 20th Century.  The fort would be under the command of four different countries, but it was never taken by military force. Views of the exterior coquina stone walls of the fort - Doug Kerr, 2013. The castillo would serve as the ultimate permanent replacement of nine prior wooden forts that existed in St. Augustine the century prior to the start of San Marcos' construction.  The fort was attacked twice by the British in the early 18th century, 1702 and 1739, yet the fort and the city would not be captured.  The fort would finally fall into British hands - and renamed Fort St. Mark - not by force, but by treaty in 1763.  In the Paris Treaty signed to end the Seven Years War, Britain gained Florida from the Spanish in return for Cuba and the Philippines.  A second Treaty of Paris wou...

The historic St. Augustine Lighthouse towers above nearby Anastasia Island. The 165 foot structure began operation in 1874.  It is the second lighthouse to occupy the island.  The first, a 73 foot brick tower and built slightly to the east, began operation in 1824.  The original lighthouse was part of the old Coquina Watchtower built by the Spanish in 1683.  When Florida became a United States Territory in 1821, the Territorial Council requested funds to convert the watchtower to a lighthouse.  It opened three years later as Florida's first lighthouse. The lightkeepers home - which now serves as the Maritime Museum. Nearly three decades and one Civil War later, the original lighthouse was in danger of falling into the Atlantic.  In 1871, construction began on the current tower which is constructed of brick and sits on a concrete foundation.  By 1880, both the coquina keeper's house and former lighthouse had fallen into the ocean.  The lighthouse ...

Within a city over 450 years old, there are numerous structures that are treasures of historical significance and civic pride. The nearly three centuries old Castillo de San Marcos or Mediterranean styled architecture attract tourists year round. However, a comparatively young 90 year old bridge linking St. Augustine over the Matanzas Bay to Anastasia Island has become the symbol and gateway to the city.  The Bridge of Lions, a double-leaf bascule drawbridge named after the pair of marble lions that guard its western bank, has been a glorious symbol of the city since its opening in 1927. One of the two marble lions that are located at the bridge.  While the bridge was being fully rehabilitated from 2005-2010, the marbles were removed to storage.  They returned to the bridge in March 2011. Construction of the Bridge of Lions began in 1925 to replace a wooden structure that was built in 1895.  Considered by locals as an 'eyesore', the wooden toll bridge had become ov...

Zero milestone of the Old Spanish Trail Back in early March 2013, I embarked on a road trip where I visited some of the historic coastal cities of the Southeastern United States. Norfolk, Virginia, Charleston, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia and St. Augustine, Florida were the cities that I had stopped in along my way down south. Upon arriving in the main historic district of St. Augustine, I had parked my car and started heading to the historic Castillo de San Marcos National Monument , which is the site of a historic fort that was originally constructed by the colonial era Spanish. During my walk to the fort, I had walked past an old stone sphere, just a few blocks north of the historic downtown area. Upon further investigation, I had found that it was the Zero Milestone of the Old Spanish Trail , which was a highway through the southern tier of states in the United States of America, stretching from St. Augustine all the way to San Diego, California . The Old Spanish T...

The second city stop during our honeymoon was St. Augustine, Florida.  We stayed at the historic and amazingly impressive Casa Monica Hotel .  The hotel was first opened in 1888, then spent many years vacant, and then later as the St. John's County Courthouse until it was renovated and re-opened as a hotel in 1999. For the entire set on flickr, head here . A view of Flagler College from our hotel balcony.  After checking in, and taking in the views from the balcony, we walked down St. Georges Street on our way to Castillo de San Marcos.  St. Georges Street is the heart of the Old City.  The pedestrian only street is home to numerous shops, restaurants, inns, and it's not limited to St. Georges.  You can find a lot of treasures ducking down an alley or two. Just north of St. Georges Street is the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument .  The fort is the oldest masonry fort in the United States as construction began on the structure in 167...