cd

We will be in St Augustine for one day/ night. Can you recommend a hotel on the beach? We want to walk Old Town, have a nice dinner (restaurant? ) and walk the beach the next morning before leaving.

Daniel_Williams

I took the trolley out to the beach while I was in St. Augustine and stayed in Historic St. Augustine. The beach was maybe 20 minutes by trolley from the Old Town, they're not within easily walkable distance. There are some terrific places to eat with ambience in the Old Town. The beach is pleasant and tranquil enough but I'd recommend staying in the Old Town if possible rather than by the beach. The Old Town just has such a special energy.

I loved the inn/B&B I stayed at, the Penny Farthing Inn, if you like that sort of thing. I was within walking distance of most major attractions.

cd

Thanks Daniel I will look at that. Restaurant?

shelleyk

I agree with Daniel that you are better off staying in the historic district. Be prepared to pay $10/day for parking unless your motel/ B and B has parking. There is little to no street parking in the HD. When we stayed in town, we drove out to the beach in about 15 minutes. It is not someplace I would want to stay unless a beach vacation was my main goal. I did a trip report including my recent visit to St. Augustine. If you are interested, click on my name.

Daniel_Williams

Hi cd,

The Penny Farthing Inn did have parking if you're interested. They really made me feel at home there. The two places in the heart of Old Town that I liked were the Floridian (charming interior and exterior with plenty of options for vegetarians) and Catch 27 (seafood). Neither are what I would call upscale, more down-to-earth (which I tend to prefer).

I hope you have a great trip; Old Saint Augustine is definitely a charmer. If you get a nice day, be sure to visit the Castillo San Marcos for a fascinating slice of US history; highlight of my visit!

Best wishes, Daniel

cd

Shelley, I read your report and thank you for it.

Daniel, I made a reservation at Penny Farthing Inn and thank you for the recommendation! Looking forward to staying there this Monday.

Thanks to you both.

Daniel_Williams

Give the gang at the Penny Farthing my very best wishes. If they don't remember me, I was the Montrealer who arrived in Saint Augustine by Greyhound with the glasses. Anyway, I hope you like them as much as I did.

cd

Daniel, I'm sure we will like them as much, he is already letting us come in early at 12 noon!

cd

Daniel, We did enjoy the Inn, the owners and staff are very welcoming and helpful, and talking with the other guests was pleasant. Betty, the housekeeper, did remember you as a very nice young man! The touch that I liked about the Inn was the bottle of Sherry on the dresser for us and the personalized attention. I have decided however that I prefer hotels. I want to have a coffee maker in my room and small frig and a ice bucket with available ice cubes. Different strokes. We also enjoyed Catch 27. The fresh fish was a real treat. Thanks for all the suggestions. We had a wonderful sunny day making the hop on and off tour fun.

Hobbert

I always enjoy The Columbia restaurant. The 1905 salad, the palomilla, and the ropa vieja are my favorites. The room is lovely- all Spanish tile and fountains. The gift shop is nice too- lots of Christmas gifts come from there

Daniel_Williams

Hi cd,

How thoughtful of you to reply. How wonderful that Betty remembered me and had a kind word to say (and remembered me as "young" ). She was a sweetheart, as were Marie, her husband and her son; they really went above and beyond the call of duty with their New Year's Eve party and afternoon treats while I was there. They made a really tasty eggs benedict. I totally respect that hotels are more your thing, but think it's cool that you were willing to give this B&B a try anyway and appreciated it for its positive attributes. I hope you liked the location. I'm the flip; I'll stay at a hotel if need be but I've discovered over the years that I'm happiest in a small inn or B&B. How cool that there ARE different strokes for different folks. Glad you liked Catch 27!

Isn't the Matanzas Bay just gorgeous with the Castillo de San Marcos?

Thanks for reporting back. Appreciatively yours, Daniel

SandyBrit

Bookmarking. Thanks.