Page 316 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

314  FL ORID A

u Daytona Beach i St. Augustine a museum that re- creates an
18th- century garrison town,
* 63,000. k @ n 126 E Orange * 14,000. @ 52 San Marco Ave,
Ave, (386) 255-0415. (904) 829-6401. n 10 Castillo Dr, and Peña-Peck House, a fine
∑ daytonabeach.com (904) 825-1000. _ Arts & Crafts First Spanish Period home
Spring Festival (Apr). dating to the 1740s. The Oldest
This resort is famous for its ∑ floridashistoriccoast.com Wooden Schoolhouse, built
23-mile (37-km) beach, lined from cypress and red cedar
with a wall of hotels. The America’s oldest continuously wood in the mid-1700s, is also
waterfront boardwalk offers occupied European settlement was located on this street. The heart
concerts in the bandstand, founded by the Spanish colonist of the Spanish settlement is
arcades, and go-karts. During Pedro Menéndez de Avilés on the Plaza de la Constitution, a leafy
Spring Break, nearly 200,000 feast day of St. Augustine in 1565. square flanked by Government
college students descend on Today, this town has many attrac- House Museum and the grand
the beach for this ritual party. tions for the modern tourist, not Basilica Cathedral. The splendid
This is also one of the few least its 43 miles (69 km) of beaches Flagler College started out as
beaches in Florida where cars and the fact that it is within easy the Ponce de Leon Hotel, built
are allowed on the sands, a reach of several golf courses and by Henry Flagler (see p286) in
hangover from the days when marinas. St. Augustine burned 1883, a year after he honey-
motor enthusiasts, such as down in 1702 but was soon mooned in St. Augustine.
Louis Chevrolet and Henry rebuilt in the lee of the Its gilded and stuccoed
Ford, raced on the beaches. Castillo de San Marcos. cupola has symbolic
The Daytona International This mighty fortress is the motifs representing Spain
Speedway nearby draws huge largest and most complete and Florida, notably
crowds, especially during the Spanish fort in the US. the golden mask of the
Speedweek in February and Constructed of coquina, Timucuan sun god and
the Motorcycle Weeks in March a sedimentary lime stone the lamb – a symbol
and October (see p38). formed by sea shells and of Spanish knighthood.
Across the Halifax River corals that could with- Ask about the face
downtown, the Halifax stand the impact of hidden in the mosaic
Historical Society Museum cannon balls, this national floor. The other resorts
occupies a 1910 bank building monument is a superb Cleopatra (c.1890) by Flagler built here are
and displays local history. example of 17th- century Romanelli, Lightner the Cordoba and
To the west, the Museum of military architecture. Museum Alcazar Hotels. The
Arts and Sciences has exhibits The historic heart of latter, a three-floor
from 1640 to 1920 and a St. Augustine is com- Hispano-Moorish
planetarium. Gamble Place, pact and easy to explore on foot. structure, is now the Lightner
run by the museum, is a Horse-drawn carriage tours are Museum, devoted to the
hunting lodge built in 1907 popular and depart from Avenida country’s Gilded Age. Its exhibits
for James N. Gamble, of Menendez, north of the Bridge include glass works by Louis
Procter & Gamble fame. of Lions, which was opened Tiffany, and its Grand Ballroom
Museum tours include the across Matanzas Bay in 1927. houses an eclectic exhibit of
Snow White House, built for The 18th-century City Gate is “American Castle” furniture.
Gamble’s grandchildren. the entrance to the Old Town. The lovely Ximenez-Fatio
Its focus is the pedestrianized House, a Florida Heritage
E Museum of Arts & Sciences St. George Street, lined with Landmark on the National
1040 Museum Blvd. Tel (386) 255- attractive stone buildings. Some Register of Historic Places, is
0285. Open daily. Closed public hols. of the main attractions here are now a museum run by the
& 7 ∑ moas.org the Spanish Quarter Village, National Society of Colonial
Dames. It seeks to re-create the
genteel boardinghouse that it
was in the 1830s, when invalids
and adventurers first visited
Florida to escape the harsh
northern winters.
E Castillo de San Marcos
1 S Castillo Dr. Tel (904) 829-6506.
Open 8:45am–5:15pm daily.
Closed Dec 25. & 7 limited.
8 call for details. ∑ nps.gov/casa
E Lightner Museum
75 King St. Tel (904) 824-2874.
Open daily. Closed Dec 25. & 7
A panoramic view of Daytona Beach, Florida ∑ lightnermuseum.org
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp326–8 and pp329–31

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