A Little Background
French Huguenots settled the area in 1562. Three years later, Spanish explorers arrived on the scene, wiped out the Huguenot men (the women and children were spared), and established a settlement named “St. Augustín.” The next 200 years were far from dull in the colony as the Spanish settlers survived attacks by invading pirates, Native American tribes, and rival British settlers. The town was given to Britain at the end of the French and Indian War in 1763, but the British gave it back to Spain 20 years later. Then, in 1821, the United States acquired Florida and the rest, as they say, is history.

Oldies But Goodies
In a town chockablock with historical sites, you might be wondering where to start. Several organized tours can whisk you around to all the top attractions by bus, open-air train, carriage, or on foot. Whichever mode of transport you choose, you can also break out on your own and create a self-guided tour of St. Augustine's historical highlights. Here are some favorites:

• The Oldest House, a dwelling that dates back to the 17th century.
• The Oldest Store Museum, an emporium of products from the turn of the century, featuring high-button shoes, butter churns, spinning wheels, 1890s bathing suits, barrels of dill pickles for sale, and medicines that are 90% alcohol.
• The Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse in the U.S.A. will surely be a treat for the kids. This 19th-century schoolhouse is held together by wooden pegs and handmade nails and has an animated display of a typical classroom from that time, complete with a dunce cap and a dungeon for students who misbehaved.
• Along with the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, the Old St. Augustine Village Museum showcases each period of the town’s history, from Spanish colonial times to the 19th century. Costumed interpreters take on roles from each period, including a pirate, a quilt maker, and a snake-oil salesman. The Star General Store sells crafty Victorian-era goods.
• The Lightner Museum, a grand, Renaissance-style building, hosts a huge collection of Victorian memorabilia. The Victorian Science and Industry Room displays shells, rocks, minerals, and Native American artifacts, while other exhibits include stuffed birds, an Egyptian mummy, steam-engine models, and beautiful examples of Victorian glassblowing.
• Ponce de Leon never set foot in the Fountain of Youth Historical Park, but it is the site of a thousand-year-old Native American village. Astronomy fans--check out the fascinating 45-minute guided planetarium show about 16th-century celestial navigation.

Back to the Future
If you tire of all this historical sightseeing, St. Augustine has plenty more fun up its sleeve. A trip to Florida wouldn’t be complete without seeing a real, live ‘gator, and the St. Augustine Alligator Farm & Zoological Park is home to over a thousand of them--even rare white 'gators. You can also marvel at geckos, prehensile-tailed skinks, lizards, snakes, tortoises, spider monkeys, and exotic birds. Kids will especially love the petting zoo with pygmy goats, potbellied pigs, miniature horses, mouflon sheep, and deer, as well as the 20-minute alligator and reptile shows taking place hourly throughout the day.

A trip to the Sunshine State also wouldn’t be complete without a trip to the beach. While St. Augustine’s got plenty of shoreline, your best bet is to park your towel at Anastasia State Recreation Area, a scenic four-mile stretch of sugary sands wedged between dunes and the ocean. After soaking up the rays, you can also hike a nature trail or go windsurfing, sailing, canoeing (on a saltwater lagoon), and saltwater fishing (note that a license is required for out-of-state visitors).

If you're a duffer you can work on your handicap at a number of golf courses. The Ocean Hammock Golf Club is the newest and brightest star, while The Slammer & The Squire offers a unique golf-course environment set amid a wildlife preserve.

While the crowds are modern, the ambience evokes the charm of the olden days in St. Augustine’s nighttime haunts. Old Town boasts the biggest selection of bars, pubs, clubs, and eateries, and on a weekend night you’re sure to see revelers making the rounds. Mill Top Tavern, a local favorite, is a rustic tavern housed in a 19th-century mill, featuring music every day from 1pm to 1am. Cozy up by the fireplace and snack on oysters at Scarlett O’Hara’s, a 19th-century wood-frame house featuring live jazz, rock, and R&B nightly.•