St. Augustine, part 3
This is Florida, so what you can expect is heat. The heat settles in on you from the time you first step outside. Our trip happened in late June, so the weather was always something you were dealing with. In the various restaurants and shops across town, the A/C is apparently set at a permanent 66 degrees, so you have very cold climates indoors and the wall of heat outdoors. You had to laugh at the difference as you walked in a store. It was much like the experience of walking from a normally temperatured room into the deep freezer.
The downtown area of St. Augustine carries the significant mark of Henry Morrison Flagler. Flagler's hotels are among the highest and certainly the most breathtaking buildings in the city. Mr. Flagler came along in the 1880's and turned this old-time town into a tourist destination. Rich from his partnership with John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil, Flagler constructed two phenomenal hotels in St. Augustine and built his railway down to the city so he could get the guests down there. He went after well-to-do individuals from the northeastern U.S. to come down to his hotels. The two properties, the Ponce de Leon Hotel and the Hotel Alcazar, now serve as the home of Flagler College and the Lightner Museum, respectively. The Flagler College / Ponce de Leon building is staggering in its Spanish architecture and luxury. This motel, constructed in 1885 - 1887, featured several hundred rooms, a 68-foot high ceiling in the lobby, electricity (a new invention at the time) set up by none other than Thomas Edison himself, and a dining room with not one but two orchestra lofts for bands to play in from above the guests' heads. Guests were required to pay for the entire season, lasting roughly three months from January into April. At other times of the year, it was too hot!
Since he had his guests down there for three months, he needed them to have something to do. So he built the Alcazar across the street, and it featured swimming, a casino, a beauty salon, an archery range, and other entertainments for the guests. It also is a one-of-a-kind structure and is now a fitting home for the Lightner Museum, a collection of a number of "Gilded Age" items.
Mr. Flagler's lesson to us is, certainly, to have good things, someone has to go before and pave the way. His hotels were lavish and are very much enjoyed today. In doing these projects, he brought in the best people. The architects who did the Ponce de Leon and the Alcazar were Carrere and Hastings, who would later proceed to fame with their New York Public Library design and work on the U.S. Senate building.
Mr. Flagler was a shrewd businessman as well. Flagler's friend (?), Franklin Smith, decided to build a hotel next to the Hotel Alcazar - the Casa Monica. The furnishings to open this grand hotel were to arrive by train. They however did not make it in time, being lost somewhere in the Virginias. Mr. Smith was faced with financial loss and had to find a buyer. The buyer? Yes, Henry Morrison Flagler, the only one in town with the necessary funds. He bought the finished hotel at a considerable discount. Three weeks later, that long overdue shipment of furniture showed up, and he was ready for business. The owner of the railway delivering the furniture? Henry Morrison Flagler.
St. George's Street is also a popular spot for visitors. This row of shops and restaurants is reminiscent of the French Quarter with its European feel. This no-car road is a charming part of the town. Long after the museums close at 5:00, this town is still hopping with sightseers.
Those looking for something a little less historical will find the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum a welcome change. This collection shows the odd and unusual, from a 30-foot high erector set ferris wheel to a shrunken head from the Amazon, to lifesize figures of the world's tallest and fattest men, to a walking vertigo sure to send your head for a loop. At the end, you'll remember lots of interesting things and ask yourself, "What was all of that for?"
Over beside the fabled spot of the Fountain of Youth discovered by Ponce de Leon is Magnolia Street, a quiet road with overarching trees almost kissing overhead. Spanish moss droops from the limbs and forms a quaint tree canopy. This street has been immortalized in several movies and was the site of a number of episodes of the hit TV show, Friends. St. Augustine also features several beaches to complete its accomodating environment. You can kick your toes through some of the seashells that compose coquina and find plenty of space for relaxing.
The downtown area of St. Augustine carries the significant mark of Henry Morrison Flagler. Flagler's hotels are among the highest and certainly the most breathtaking buildings in the city. Mr. Flagler came along in the 1880's and turned this old-time town into a tourist destination. Rich from his partnership with John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil, Flagler constructed two phenomenal hotels in St. Augustine and built his railway down to the city so he could get the guests down there. He went after well-to-do individuals from the northeastern U.S. to come down to his hotels. The two properties, the Ponce de Leon Hotel and the Hotel Alcazar, now serve as the home of Flagler College and the Lightner Museum, respectively. The Flagler College / Ponce de Leon building is staggering in its Spanish architecture and luxury. This motel, constructed in 1885 - 1887, featured several hundred rooms, a 68-foot high ceiling in the lobby, electricity (a new invention at the time) set up by none other than Thomas Edison himself, and a dining room with not one but two orchestra lofts for bands to play in from above the guests' heads. Guests were required to pay for the entire season, lasting roughly three months from January into April. At other times of the year, it was too hot!
Since he had his guests down there for three months, he needed them to have something to do. So he built the Alcazar across the street, and it featured swimming, a casino, a beauty salon, an archery range, and other entertainments for the guests. It also is a one-of-a-kind structure and is now a fitting home for the Lightner Museum, a collection of a number of "Gilded Age" items.
Mr. Flagler's lesson to us is, certainly, to have good things, someone has to go before and pave the way. His hotels were lavish and are very much enjoyed today. In doing these projects, he brought in the best people. The architects who did the Ponce de Leon and the Alcazar were Carrere and Hastings, who would later proceed to fame with their New York Public Library design and work on the U.S. Senate building.
Mr. Flagler was a shrewd businessman as well. Flagler's friend (?), Franklin Smith, decided to build a hotel next to the Hotel Alcazar - the Casa Monica. The furnishings to open this grand hotel were to arrive by train. They however did not make it in time, being lost somewhere in the Virginias. Mr. Smith was faced with financial loss and had to find a buyer. The buyer? Yes, Henry Morrison Flagler, the only one in town with the necessary funds. He bought the finished hotel at a considerable discount. Three weeks later, that long overdue shipment of furniture showed up, and he was ready for business. The owner of the railway delivering the furniture? Henry Morrison Flagler.
St. George's Street is also a popular spot for visitors. This row of shops and restaurants is reminiscent of the French Quarter with its European feel. This no-car road is a charming part of the town. Long after the museums close at 5:00, this town is still hopping with sightseers.
Those looking for something a little less historical will find the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum a welcome change. This collection shows the odd and unusual, from a 30-foot high erector set ferris wheel to a shrunken head from the Amazon, to lifesize figures of the world's tallest and fattest men, to a walking vertigo sure to send your head for a loop. At the end, you'll remember lots of interesting things and ask yourself, "What was all of that for?"
Over beside the fabled spot of the Fountain of Youth discovered by Ponce de Leon is Magnolia Street, a quiet road with overarching trees almost kissing overhead. Spanish moss droops from the limbs and forms a quaint tree canopy. This street has been immortalized in several movies and was the site of a number of episodes of the hit TV show, Friends. St. Augustine also features several beaches to complete its accomodating environment. You can kick your toes through some of the seashells that compose coquina and find plenty of space for relaxing.
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