Orlando Day Trip

Old Aug 24th, 2007, 12:36 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Orlando Day Trip

DH and I are going to Orlando over Labor Day to visit our 26 year old son and his new bride who live there. We arrive on Friday afternoon and plan to go to Downtown Disney or CityWalk at Universal that evening. Planning on Sea World for Sat or Sun. The day we don't go to Sea World we are looking for something to do and considering Clearwater Beach or St. Augustine. I really can't see us just lying around on the beach all day and since we are staying in Orlando, don't want to be sandy and sweaty driving back, so the beach itself is not a big pull for us. Can anyone tell me if Clearwater Beach is fun to just walk around and shop and eat or would St. Augustine be a better bet?
PaigeS is offline  
Old Aug 24th, 2007, 01:36 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,360
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Although the driving distances and times are roughly equal, I think St. Augustine has much more to offer, particularly if you don't want to be sandy and sweaty driving back.

Here are some good St. Augustine resources from a previous post of mine:

For very basic information about the city and surrounding area, go to <http://www.getaway4florida.com/> and <http://www.st.augustine.com/>.

You'll definitely want to see "The Old Fort" (Castillo De San Marcos). 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.

Let me know if you decide to go there. I have some good restaurant recommendations, if you want them.
Orlando_Vic is offline  
Old Aug 24th, 2007, 02:03 PM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 17,801
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I haven't been to St. Augustine, but I can tell you that in Clearwater, the beach itself is the main attraction, while the shops and restaurants are nothing special.
NewbE is offline  
Old Aug 24th, 2007, 06:25 PM
  #4  
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 341
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I agree with Orlando Vic and NewbE. Clearwater Beach is great for beach fun, but St. Augustine sounds like more of what you are looking for. There is plenty of shopping, from an outlet mall on the interstate, to shops, boutiques, and restaurants in the old town area. If you like history, be sure to visit the fort and the surrounding area.
rascat is offline  
Old Aug 25th, 2007, 08:22 AM
  #5  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks, I think we will go to St. Augustine. OrlandoVic I'd love your suggestions for how to best plan our day and restaurants. Looks like the Trolley tours will be a definite way to go.
PaigeS is offline  
Old Aug 25th, 2007, 12:55 PM
  #6  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,360
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
O.K. PaigeS, Here are some of my very favorite restaurants, in no particular order:

The Reef <http://www.thereefstaugustine.com/>
Spectacular ocean views with very good seafood. Ask for a window table!

Old City House
http://www.oldcityhouse.com/

Gypsy Cab Co.
http://www.gypsycab.com/
Creative and eclectic menu.

Creekside Dinery
http://www.creeksidedinery.com/
A sister restaurant to Salt Water Cowboys. Great ambiance and consistently good food at moderate prices. Reservations not taken.

Salt Water Cowboys
http://www.saltwatercowboys.com/
Great ambiance, moderate prices & very good food (Their ribs are THE BEST!). Reservations not taken. Come early or be prepared to wait, sometimes up to 1 hour on weekends. The wait is worth it, so don't let this discourage you.

O'Steens Restaurant
Best known by locals, Very few tourists are aware of this place. It has a reputation for possibly having the best shrimp in town. They have no web site but are located just across the Bridge of Lions at 205 Anastasia Boulevard. Their phone is: 904-829-6974. It's a very small restaurant and reservations are not taken. You'll probably have to wait outside, and it can get hot in the late afternoon/early evening. People do not come here for the ambiance, as there is none here. The main attraction is the shrimp! Here is a pretty good review of O'Steens <http://tinyurl.com/2qtxgd>.

For Lunch: My absolute top pick is Cafe Alcazar. Again, no web site. It is located in the former Hotel Alcazar (south end of the Lightner Museum) which is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The restaurant is actually in the deep end of the old indoor swimming pool. You will have to hunt for it as there are no flashy neon signs to point the way. There are no reservations taken and they are only open for lunch, Tues-Sat, 11:30-3 P.M., I believe. Phone number is 904-824-7813.

Perhaps you have already or will soon notice that I have not mentioned the Columbia. It is located on St. George St. with a lot of pedestrian traffic from tourists. You may even pass by there. The Columbia is one of 7-8 similar Columbias around the state and is technically a Florida chain restaurant. Their food is not bad, actually good, but definitely not great. Any of the other restaurants I have listed offer better food or a better dining experience, in my opinion. This is just my personal bias. Others may disagree.

Let us hear from you after your trip and let us know how you made out in St. Augustine.

Orlando_Vic is offline  
Old Aug 27th, 2007, 08:57 AM
  #7  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks, Vic. I'll print this to take with me and give you all a report when we return next week. O'Steens and Cafe Alcazar both sound like just what we're looking for.
PaigeS is offline  
Old Sep 6th, 2007, 10:11 AM
  #8  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Posts: 115
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We did our day trip to St. Augustine on Sunday. Unfortunately I'd left the print out of restaurant recs in the car. It was raining and we were all tired and hungry so I asked a guy in an info both for the trolley tours to recommend a close place that served seafood. He recommended Florida Cracker Cafe so we tried that. It was fine but nothing remarkable.

I know the rain put a "damper" on our outing and if the weather had been nicer we'd have spent more time strolling around, but I was very surprised at how commercialized all the sights in St. Augustine were. Everything had an entrance fee and the tour guides were nothing to speak of. We paid for one of the trolley tours and paid extra for the Fountain of Youth. I was really disappointed in how cheesy everything was. We went to Jamestown about 15 years ago and that experience seemed so much better, especially from the historical viewpoint. Maybe my expectations were unrealistic.
PaigeS is offline  
Old Sep 10th, 2007, 09:24 AM
  #9  
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 895
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I loved St. Augustine and cannot come up with a single compelling reason not to go. It is a farther drive.

Clearwater Beach does have a fun event called "Sunsets at Pier 60" which is free and features "Busker" type performances. There was a parrot act, a living statue, a fire eater, a band, and some balloon artists, etc. when we were there. You should bring some $1 bills to tip the performers, if you go.
See: http://www.sunsetsatpier60.com/

Clearwater Beach does have the outdoor showers and restrooms so you can clean up before returning to Orlando.

We ate at Bob Heilmans Beachcomber - which was very nice.

ajcolorado is offline  
Old Sep 10th, 2007, 10:15 AM
  #10  
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 3,360
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
PaigeS
Sorry your trip to St. Augustine was a disappointment. As to the weather, you can't control the uncontrollable. It happens. As to forgetting your list of recommendations in the car, what can I say? If the weather had been drier, I'm sure you would have had a better time.

It is true that many of the historic attractions (e.g. oldest house) do have additional admission charges, but many of the trolley combo packages have some admissions built into their price.

I hope you'll have a chance to visit again.
Orlando_Vic is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Denise
United States
6
Jul 17th, 2011 12:19 PM
bm
United States
15
Apr 18th, 2008 12:41 PM
darfos
United States
9
Jun 24th, 2007 11:13 AM
saskdiamond
United States
9
Oct 27th, 2003 04:22 PM
Sara
United States
9
Jul 22nd, 2003 08:20 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -