cmcfong, I will definitely go to Casa Monica for tea. I wanted to see that hotel anyway -- heard so many good things about it.

Tandoori Girl posted some names of restaurants in St Aug a while back and that seafood place was one of them..with tables out by the water.
I will check tomorrow.
There used to be a real English tea parlor, a British man and his wife ran..scones and clotted cream and the works but they left.sigh.
A report will arrive tomorrow evening!
(what I do for Fodors :D)

Hi!
Just returned from a day in St Augustine.
The weather was perfect, ocean breeze and low 80's.
Not very crowded although there were school groups with young'uns wearing matching tee shirts and jostling and giggling, it was quite cheerful actually.
We wandered every back alley and side street, enjoying finding ourselves all alone among the old old old ! buildings and listening to the sound of many birds.
Flowers are spilling out of window boxes, trees are in full bloom, it is very nice to be there right now.

Here are some things I found that might be helpful..
Old Town Trolleys Ghost & Gravestone Tours at night, 7 nights a week, for 1 hour and 20 minutes..which can be great considering the heat and sun beating down on you during the day..904.826.3663 or www.ghostandgravestones.com
You must make reservations.
They say, "wear comfortable shoes , you don't want to become DEAD on your feet" LOL.
But most of it is on a Trolley of the Doomed :)

The Monterey Inn is where we would stay. Excellent location and looked much nicer than the chain hotels along A1A...there are small streets in the heart of Old Town with B&Bs that are lovely, but I cannot say that I know anything good or bad about any of them..just that they are pretty.

Go to the Lightner Museum.. www.lightnermuseum.org

former Hotel Alcazar, now a museum thanks to Otto Lightner, Chicago publisher .. the building was built in 1888 , it became a museum in 1948..it is very interesting and a relief to get in out of the sun.,

Casa Monica has a restaurant for lunches, sandwiches were arouind $10- and up..salads were more. It is very quiet and subdued and nice but perhaps not everyones cuppa tea ( it was not ours)
The cafe is nice for coffee and pastries early, when you can sit outside and people watch..
They do a Sunday Brunch that is supposed to be excellent!
And at night there is the Cobalt Lounge .

There is a restaurant called Scarlett O'Hara's, heard of her but never ate in the restaurant.
There is a seafood place right in town called Harrys (it might be a chain)
There is an excellent bistro called Bistro Hypolita on Hypolita St..I really recommend a meal there.
I did not see any restaurant that struck me as a Breakfast place. But there are pancake houses and that sort of place all along the road, so I think you will not have trouble finding a good place to start your day.


I hope this helps some. It was a beautiful day, I think a friend from the UK will be charmed..
S

Thanks so much for the nice report, Scarlett. I am going to copy it to my friend. So glad to hear the Monterey Inn looked nice. We made our reservations this morning! I'd love to do the ghost tour... we'll see how it goes. I would imagine you can find ghosts just about anywhere in St. Augustine.

I suppose the weather will also be nice in early November.

Thanks again -- your day sounds wonderful!

Hi Jayne, glad to help.
Ghosts in St Augustine? lol, yes, there seem to be a few, here is what they offer on the Ghost Tour..
The Old Drug Store
rests on an old Indian burial ground. The Spanish Military Hospital
Melancholy spirits, death beds and whispers..
The Old Jail, listed on the National Haunted Places register..who knew there was such a thing??? it is the sight of countless super natural occurences..
Have fun ... whoooooooo~