strass

Hi all,

My husband and I are looking for a long-weekend getaway in early May. He's a CPA and we'll be celebrating the end of tax season. We're in our early 30s, live in Chicago, and are well-traveled, and we're looking for someplace that isn't too long of a plane ride away. Some other criteria:

--Looking for a mix of relaxation and exploration.
--We like history, old architecture, etc.
--We enjoy discovering new restaurants and bars/pubs.
--Husband is something of a beach bum.

We've been to New Orleans and Key West. Are also considering San Francisco (I've been, but he hasn't), Napa Valley, Carmel/Monterey, and maybe St. Augustine. Is St. Augustine incredibly overrun with tourists? It sounds gorgeous, with a historic old center and great beaches nearby. Any feedback on St. Augustine or recommendations for other destinations would be appreciated!

earthhopper

St. Augustine sounds great. The travel season goes year round. So, there is nothing like peak and off-peak.

So, if you're okay with the tourist hordes, it's a doable, nay, go for it

But you also consider St. Croix Island, Maine. I'd recommend St. Croix Island. Great history and plenty of sun and sand.

strass

Thanks, earthhopper.

I forgot to mention above: another idea is Santa Fe/Taos. No beaches, but we like hiking and being outdoors.

Orlando_Vic

My wife and I have owned a beach condo in St. Augustine for 16 years. In terms of weather and smaller crowds, early May should be perfect for a visit. Yes, there are tourists, but I would not say that St. Augustine is overrun with tourists in the same way that Orlando (Lake Buena Vista & I-Drive areas) is.

Coming from Chicago, You'll either fly into Jacksonville or Orlando. The drive from Orlando is longer (2 hours) but I don't know how air fares will compare.

Here are a couple of web sites for general information:

<http://www.getaway4florida.com/> and <http://www.st.augustine.com/>.

A good way to get an overview of the entire historic area is by sightseeing train or trolley <http://www.redtrains.com/> or <http://tinyurl.com/yhb57v> which offer a number of packages with some admissions included and all-day reboarding privileges. You can see a lot in one day this way.

There are wonderful beaches, many inexpensive, but good restaurants, history, small art galleries and shopping (2 outlet malls). I think it meets all of your requirements.

mrsd2fan

St. Augustine is beautiful. You may also want to consider Savannah, GA..another very pretty town.

strass

Thanks for the links! And yes, Savannah is probably worth looking into, too. I've heard great things about it, and I haven't traveled much in the South.

JaninSF

My husband and I had a wonderful time in St Augustine. Great historical sites and fun shopping. Very good food at reasonable prices, right on the water for some restaurants. Weather was very pleasant. We flew to Jacksonville and rented a car for the drive to St Augustine.

strass

Thanks, JaninSF! We're doing something very similar. Did you visit any beaches? We're thinking about the state park, Vilano, and Crescent.

Ike

If it's not too late........

http://www.seaisland.com/

Sea Island is not too far from SA. You could also visit Amelia Island and stay at the Ritz Carlton there.

bobludlow

Ike, you've got to be joking about Sea Island: why recommend $700/night accomodations in a golf resort for people who "like history, old architecture...a mix of relaxation and exploring...husband is something of a beach bum"?

St Augustine is a fine choice though it probably won't be a place you'll need to revisit down the road. Personally I would rather visit most any of your other choices first (Taos, Santa Fe, San Francisco, Napa, Carmel, Monterey). The town center reminds me a bit of New Orlean's toursited areas with a few fun tourist-oriented restaurants and shops. The beaches both north and south of town can be quite pretty but may take a little exploring to find. The town fort is worth a two-hour visit as is the Believe It Or Not mansion.

Please let us know what you decide to do.

strass

Hi Bob,

Well, we're off to St. Augustine next week. I do think it'll be a good fit for us and for what we're looking for right now, although San Fran, Carmel, etc. are certainly still on our list!

$700/night golf resorts aren't really our thing--we're staying at the St. Francis Inn in the old town center. We like being able to walk places.

Thanks, everyone!

bobludlow

Have fun on your trip. The Columbia Restaurant on St George St (that's Saint George Street) might be a fun place for a meal.

mah1980

I wasn't that impressed with St. Augustine. It was nice, but a little too touristy. I would recommend Northern California or Charleston/Savannah over St. Augustine.

Mascolor

Greetings from Jacksonville!

Having grown up in St. Augustine I am always happy to see people interested in coming to visit. The architecture is stunning. Not-to-be-missed and easily enjoyed within walking distance of the Inn: Flagler College (used to be the Ponce De Leon Hotel, Lightner Museum (across the street from the college), and of course the Fort. If you enjoy seafood, go to Osteens (just across the bridge), Saltwater Cowboys off of AIA, and the newer Schooners just north of town. You will be staying in the quaintest part of the city in my opinion. Enjoy!

kswl

strass, please do a trip report. I'll be down there for a long weekend/board retreat the first weekend in June and haven't ever been.

Ike

Bobludlow...what gives you the right to criticize a poster who's just suggesting information for another poster. Is that the proper manners on this board. I thought the program was trying to help a poster with his question. So why do you question my answer. I could have suggested a lot of places but Strass was looking for as follows.......

"--Looking for a mix of relaxation and exploration.
--We like history, old architecture, etc.
--We enjoy discovering new restaurants and bars/pubs.
--Husband is something of a beach bum.

Now you tell me a trip to Sea Island or even Amelia Island like I suggested
is out of the question. You tell me you can't relax at SI or AI, discover restaurants or relax on the beach....even history. Man you can drive withing 20/30 miles of either and find all the history you want. You got a problem criticixing posters who answer a legitimate question. I could have suggested a lot of other places that fit the bill but these two were close to SA and I have no plans to go back to SA after the one time I went. I could have suggested Idaho, Montana, Vancouver Island, Quebec City, Napa, Santa Barbara, Colorado, San Antonio, Santa Fe, Naples, FL, The Point, Saranac Lake, NY, Blackberry Farm, TN, The Greenbrier, Inn at Little Washington, Savannah, Charleston, New Orleans, Dallas, TX, Wyoming, et al, all of which I have visited. Now don't you think you might owe an apology. If not, then fine, I have a place in my heart for guys like you.

beachbum2

St. Augustine is such a fun and cute town. My husband and I used to head down every spring when we were young and poor. We went this easter to the Ginn Hammock Beach resort with our 3 kids. It's 25 minutes south of St augustine. It has been at least 8 years since we had been to St. Augustine, but it hasn't changed much. It was still beautiful and fun. The Ginn resort was fantastic. It was like staying at a Ritz with better accomodations right on the beach. The beach is beautiful (lots of shells) I felt like it was all for me...very few people. Just beautiful. We are both beach bums and loved it. Depending on the amount of time you have....you could do a few days at Ginn and a few days at a B and B in St Augustine. We loved going to the forts, etc when we were there years ago and there are great restaurants too. I think it would be a great choice if you have never been there. We are already planning our next trip back. My hubby may even do a golf trip there next month.

strass

Thanks, all. The Columbia is definitely on our list--we love Spanish and Cuban food. I'm a little concerned about all the tourists, too, but we're usually good at dodging them. And we plan to spend a fair amount of time at the beaches. I'll be sure to do a trip report when we return!

bobludlow

Ike, you delicate flower,
I agree that the point of this board is to help other participants with their questions. Unfortunately your recommendation was not what strass was looking for. It was bad advice, and if no one called people on bad advice this board would be much less useful. If you don't believe me, ask strass, who wrote:

"$700/night golf resorts aren't really our thing--we're staying at the St. Francis Inn in the old town center."

You're a fine one to get in my face for simply disagreeing with you. What kind of a person complains about "bad manners" and then turns around to write "I've got a place in my heart for guys like you"? You're a real piece of work.

I wouldn't be surprised if you turned around and recommended that the "beach bum" and his gal should visit the beautiful beaches of Idaho, Montana, Quebec City, or Wyoming. Oh, wait - you just did that. But of course I wouldn't dream of criticizing.

mwMinnesota

Although it appears to be to late for suggestions, I would suggest Charleston. Great architecture and history as well as great restaurants.