Page 125 - Travel Guide to Florida 2020

ATTRACTIONS St. Augustine has plenty of tours to guide you
With more than 450 years of history, around town, from art walks and a “pup crawl” ANNUAL EVENTS
St. Augustine is the oldest continually (a walking tour on which you can bring your
occupied European settlement in the U.S. The dog) to nighttime ghost tours and culinary- JANUARY
city takes its history seriously and has 36 focused themes. There’s even the St. Augustine Old City Pirate Fest, St. Augustine
buildings of colonial origin still standing in the Scavenger Hunt: The Pretty Ancient City, where TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, Jacksonville
historic district. To get the real skinny on the you embark on a quest for treasures while
FEBRUARY
city’s history without wearing out your feet, discovering the city’s many great sights.
Amelia Island Book Festival
step aboard the Ripley’s Red Train Tours or Old A visit to St. Augustine isn’t complete
DONNA Breast Cancer Marathon, Jacksonville
Town Trolleys. Both sell all-day tickets so you without stopping by the St. Augustine
Northeast Florida Scottish Highland Games
can hop on and hop off as you please. Lighthouse & Maritime Museum. Its exhibit,
and Festival, Green Cove Springs
While in St. Augustine, embrace your Wrecked, tells the story of a Revolutionary St. Augustine Spanish Wine Festival
early explorer on a visit to Castillo de San War-era shipwreck off the area’s coast. World of Nations Celebration, Jacksonville
Marcos, a national park that began construc- In Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Zoo and
tion in 1672. The structure is considered the Gardens will take you on a world tour of FEBRUARY–APRIL
Amelia Island Chamber Music Festival
oldest masonry fort in the country. animals without ever leaving Florida. From its
Over at Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Wild Florida area to Monsoon Asia, the Africa
MARCH
Archaeological Park, you can drink water Loop, and more, you’ll view dozens of animals
Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance
from its “fountain”—but you may come away that are hard to spot elsewhere. Gate River Run National 15K Championships,
with fun memories more than ageless For a different view of Jacksonville, use Jacksonville
qualities. It’s located on the actual site of the the St. Johns River Taxi in the downtown THE PLAYERS Championship,
first settlement in St. Augustine and was area. The taxi service also offers tours. Ponte Vedra Beach
founded 42 years before Jamestown and 55 A popular attraction in Fernandina
APRIL
years before Plymouth Rock. Check out the Beach is Fort Clinch State Park, where
Springing the Blues Festival, Jacksonville
cosmos in the planetarium, visit the history and nature meet. Explore one of the
Timucuan Village or marvel at the sound of best-preserved 19 -century forts in the MAY
th
the Spanish cannon. For all the dog lovers country, then hike or bike on the park’s Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival,
out there, the Fountain of Youth is a pet- trails, featuring maritime hammocks, Fernandina Beach
friendly attraction. massive live oak trees and wildlife. Jacksonville Jazz Festival

JUNE
DOWNTOWN JACKSONVILLE • VISIT JACKSONVILLE/RYAN KETTERMAN Drake’s Raid Re-enactment, St. Augustine

SEPTEMBER
Florida Heritage Book Festival Writers
Conference, St. Augustine
St. Augustine Founding Celebrations
OCTOBER
Creekside Music & Arts Festival, Palm Coast
Spooktacular, Jacksonville Zoo

NOVEMBER
Duuuval’s Bold City Bash, Florida-Georgia
football game, Jacksonville
Jacksonville Light Boat Parade
Kids Free November, Jacksonville
Tommy Tant Memorial Surf Classic,
Flagler Beach
NOVEMBER–JANUARY
Nights of Lights, St. Augustine
DECEMBER
Dickens on Centre, Amelia Island

2020 TRAVEL GUIDE TO FLORIDA 123