St. Augustine is visited by more than 4-million visitors each year. They come for the romantic ambiance, the fascinating history, beautiful beaches, inspiring architecture, unique attractions, great golf, and our luxurious resorts, elegant Bed & Breakfast Inns and fine hotels.

We allow visitors to have a very special St. Augustine experience through our web-based Railcar 90 Program, an exclusive club that provides immersion experience, behind the scenes information and special offers to the consumer. Please visit our web site www.Getaway4Florida.com and log-in to the Railcar 90 program for the description of the first experience that will provide visitors the opportunity to learn more about living in colonial St. Augustine as they become re enactors. We will be adding more programs over the next few months. And a complete catalog of Tapestries of our Nation’s Oldest City, a collection of unique experiences for groups and meetings (6 to 500 people) is available on our meetings web site- www.MyFloridaMeetings.com.
 
Following are contacts and more information about how to have the kind of visit described.
 
Complete information about  St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches and access to our Vacation Planner are available on our web site, www.Getaway4Florida.com or by calling 1-800-OLD CITY (653-2489).
 
Getting Here:
Though St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and The Beaches is a world away from average, you needn't travel far to envelop yourself in its history and luxury. The area is less than two hours away from most major Florida cities, including Jacksonville, Daytona Beach, Gainesville and Orlando.

By Land
St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and The Beaches are easily accessible from the north and south by Interstate 95, U.S. Highway 1 and scenic Florida Highway A1A. Our Western visitors are served by Interstate 10. Interstate 4 and Interstate 75 connect the area to Central and Southwest Florida.

By Air
Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) is approximately 50 minutes north of St. Augustine, and 30 minutes from Ponte Vedra. This 3-concourse airport is served by national and regional airlines that connect St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and The Beaches to most major U.S. cities.
The Daytona Beach International Airport (DBIA) is an equal distance to the south, and provides service to more than 150 destinations worldwide.

The St. Augustine – St. Johns County Airport (SGJ) The St. Augustine/St. Johns County Airport, just five minutes from downtown St. Augustine and 15 minutes from Ponte Vedra Beach, has full services and facilities to accommodate seaplanes, small aircraft and charter jets. For more information, contact Galaxy Aviation, 904.824.1995.  
 
Accommodations:
A complete listing of accommodations in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, from quaint B&B Inns and historic hotels to family friendly motels and luxury resorts is available on our web site, www.Getaway4Florida.com.
 
Accommodations listed were:
The Inn on Charlotte Street
Host, Lynne Fairfield
52 Charlotte St.,  St. Augustine, FL  32084
Local Phone: 904-829-3819
Toll-free: 800-355-5508
Fax: 904-819-1403
http://www.innoncharlotte.com
 
Carriage Way Bed & Breakfast Inn
70 Cuna St.,  St. Augustine, FL  32084
Local Phone: 904-829-2467
Toll-free: 800-908-9832
Fax: 904-826-1461
http://www.carriageway.com
 
Casablanca Inn on the Bay Bed & Breakfast Inn
24 Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Local Phone: 904-829-0928
Toll-free: 800-826-2626
Fax: 904-826-1892
http://www.casablancainn.com
 
Holiday Inn St. Augustine Beach
860 A1A Beach Blvd.,  St. Augustine, FL  32080
Local Phone: 904-471-2555
Toll-free: 800-626-7263
Fax: 904-461-8450
http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/1/en/hotel/sgjbe?_requestid=217318
 
The Beachers Lodge
6970 A1A South, St. Augustine, FL 32080
Tel: 904-471-8849
Fax: 904-471-3002
http://www.beacherslodge.com  
 
Dining:
There are many dining options available in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and the beaches. You can get a list of restaurants form our web site, www.Getaway4Florida.com or visit the St. Augustine Independent Restaurant Association (SAiRA) web site for a list of the finest independently owned and operated restaurants in St. Augustine where visitors can experience and celebrate the culinary and cultural diversity unique to our area. www.staugustinerestaurants.com
 
Dinner - Raintree Restaurant
102 San Marco Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084
Local Phone: 904-824-7211
Fax: 904-824-8909
http://www.raintreerestaurant.com
 
Lunch - 95 Cordova (Casa Monica Hotel)
95 Cordova St. - St. Augustine, FL 32084
Phone: 904.810.6810 - Fax: 904.810.6811
http://www.casamonica.com/95cordova
 
Dinner - O.C. White’s Restaurant
118 Avenida Menendez, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Local Phone: 904-824-0808
Fax: 904-823-8598
http://www.ocwhites.com
 
Lunch – Spanish Bakery
42 St. George St.,  St. Augustine, Fl. 32084
1-904-471-3046
http://www.thespanishbakery.com
 
Dinner- Barnacle Bills
451 A1A Beach Blvd.
St. Augustine, FL  32080
Phone: 904-471-2434
http://www.barnaclebillsonline.com
 
Reenactors available for private engagements:
City Gate Productions- Michelle Reyna
P. O. Box 1348
St. Augustine, Fl. 32084
Telephone:  904.823.9852     904.501.1253
E-mail: Producer@citygateproductions.com
http://www.citygateproductions.com
Visit the Events Tab on their site for some dining experiences like you had at Raintree Restaurant or 95 Cordova Restaurant.
Reenactors for historic occasions.

Presentations include:
Dining with historic characters Diamond Lil, Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, Edmund Kirby Smith: Pirates galore – Three Sheets to the Wind Pirates: Marie Pacetti, a Menorcan settler from 1778: Henry Flagler’s wives – and many more.
 
Henry Flagler’s third wife: Mary Lily Keenan Flagler
Portrayed by Dianne Jacoby
23  Rhode Ave., St. Augustine, FL 32084
904-806-0454
www.paintedlady.biz  
 
Henry Flagler
Portrayed by Tom Raynor
904-829-5807
 
Captain William Mayhem (pirate Magic)
Bill McRea
http://www.myspace.com/williammayhem
 
Spanish Soldier
Portrayed by Jeffrey Edel, Historic Weapons Supervisor
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument
(904) 829-6506 x233
Jeff_Edel@nps.gov
www.nps.gov/casa
 
Unique Experiences Available without special arrangements:
 
Maritime Archeology:
St. Augustine Lighthouse LAMP Program:
http://staugustinelighthouse.com/lamp.php
 
Shipwreck Sailing Tours
Presented by Outreach Sailing Adventures aboard the vessel Schooner Momentum
Visitors get to take part in a maritime archeological exploration of known shipwrecks, and look for undiscovered ones.
Operates out of St. Augustine Municipal Marina – call 202-860-6529 or visit
 
St. Augustine Eco Tours
Zack McKenna
11 Avenida Menendez (St. Augustine Municipal Marina)
904-377-7245
http://www.staugustineecotours.com
 
Specialty, narrated and customized tours are available through:
St. Augustine Sightseeing Trains- www.redtrains.com
 Old own Trolleys – www.historictours.com
Tour Saint Augustine – www.StAugustinetours.com
Ancient City Tours- www.ancientcitytours.com
North Florida Tours – www.adlibtours.com  
 
Events where visitors can experience interpretive programs with reenactors without special arrangements:
 
Changing of the Guard – Get a blast of history every Saturday night from June 14 through August 2, except July 4th weekend, when the changing of the guard takes place at 7 p.m. at Government House in St. Augustine’s Plaza de la Constitucion.  An elaborate drill by 1740-era Spanish soldiers ends with a brilliant flash and boom as they fire their muskets to signal the city is secure for the night.  For more information, please call 904.825.1004 or visit www.plazaconcerts.com.
 
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument: Every Saturday and Sunday there is a Spanish Guard presentation that includes firing of the cannons at the 17th Century fort. For more information and schedules visit www.nps.gov/casa
 
Fort Matanzas National Monument - Historic Weapons firing Demonstration
(1st Saturday of every month)
Take the National Park Service’s ferry to Rattlesnake Island and experience daily military life at Fort Matanzas – the 18th century Spanish fort that guarded the southern approach to St. Augustine.  From 10:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m., authentically clad re-enactors will demonstrate Spanish muskets and cannons at the fort.  Admission is free.  Fort Matanzas National Monument is located on A1A at the south end of Anastasia Island approximately 15 miles south of St. Augustine.  For more information, call 904.471.0116 or visit www.nps.gov/foma.
 
June 7 – Drake’s Raid on St. Augustine
Relive history as the English corsair, Sir Francis Drake, and his raiders return to St. Augustine in an authentic re-creation of the 1586 sack of the city.  Open to the public, the raiders’ camp at the Fountain of Youth Park features displays of the arms and armor, craft skills, and lifestyles of the period explained by costumed interpreters. In the late afternoon, Drake and his followers will descend on the city’s historic district.  Early evening will witness the English attack on the town, the Spanish residents’ defense, with pike and musket skirmishes, and the simulated destruction of the town by the invaders.  For more information, please call 904.829.9792 or visit www.searlesbuccaneers.org/Drakes.htm.
 
June 26 -29 - 22ND Annual Greek & Menorcan Landing Day Celebration (240th Anniversary) Bring the whole family to celebrate this festive tribute to the arrival of the first colony of Greeks in North America.  Hundreds of Greeks came with Minorcans and Corsicans with Andrew Turnbull, registering on June 26, 1768 with the governor of the East Florida Province, colonizing what would be known as the New Smyrna Colony.  St Photios Shrine serves as a memorial to those Greek colonists by witnessing the Orthodox Faith and promoting the Hellenic culture.  Admission is free. The St. Photios National Greek Orthodox Shrine is located at 41 St. George Street in St. Augustine.  For more information, call 904.829.8205 or visit www.StPhotios.com.     
 
August 28 – 30
CITY OF ST. AUGUSTINE 443RD BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
Put on your 16th century party hat in celebration of St. Augustine’s 443rd Birthday! On Thursday at the Native American village of Seloy (now the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park) will come alive with demonstrations of culture and lifestyles of those that were native to the land for at 500 years prior to the Spanish 1565 settlement as well as the Seminole Indian Tribe, and other Eastern U.S. tribes that have been part of Florida’s history. The encampment will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Thursday Evening, bring the family to enjoy an Indian Pow Wow that will honor the Native American traditions that are a part of the city’s history.  On Friday evening, the gardens surrounding the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum located at 19 San Marco Avenue, gets lively with a variety of 16th century entertainers including jugglers, madrigal singers and actors presenting authentic skits and comedies.  On Saturday, the Birthday celebration continues in the early morning with a re-enactment of the landing by the city’s founder, Don Pedro Menendez de Aviles, at the Mission of Nombre de Dios – the exact landing point of the Spanish colonists in 1565.  The landing reenactment will be followed, as it was 443 years ago, with a celebration of Mass. Beginning at noon, on the grounds of the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park, there will be a living timeline that represents the 443 years of the city’s history. Costumed reenactors tell the story of our history through authentic presentations by crafters, militia, foods and more. Then at 1 p.m. there will be a Cooking Contest where foods dating from the 16th century will be presented and judged. There will be plenty of food on hand for sampling the Spanish flavors that have influenced the culinary culture of St. Augustine.  Then, beginning at 4:43 p.m., the days activities culminate at the 443rd Birthday Party at The Colonial Spanish Quarter on St. George Street. There will be live musical entertainment and birthday cake for all. Admission to each of the St. Augustine 443rd Birthday Celebration events is free. For more information, please call 904.825.1004.
 
October 6 & 7
18th Annual Colonial Folk Arts & Crafts Festival  
See colonial craftspeople from throughout Florida demonstrate “Lost Arts” such as spinning, weaving, basket making, blacksmithing, pottery making and many other arts and crafts.  Historical musical performances, Children’s hands-on craft experiences, storytelling and much more show how entertaining the old days could be.  The event takes place each day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum, 53 St. George St., St. Augustine.  Admission is free. For more detailed information, contact 904.810.5587.
 
October 10 - 12
10th Annual Greek Festival
Everyone can be Greek for the weekend at the Tenth Annual Greek Festival hosted by Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday at the Special Events Field in downtown St. Augustine.  Enjoy a delicious assortment of Greek foods, pastries and beverages along with nonstop entertainment with live Greek music by The Hellenic Band of Jupiter and traditional Greek dances by the Nisiotes dance troupe.  Come join in a fun filled weekend to experience St. Augustine’s Greek heritage.  Admission is $1.00.  For more information, call 904.823.5906 or visit www.holytrinitygoa.org/greekfest
 
November 22 - January 31
15th Annual Nights of Lights Celebration
Named one of American Bus Association’s 2007 Top 100 events in North America, Nights of Lights is a 2-month long celebration of the Holiday Season.  More than two million tiny white lights will glow along the ancient streets and historic buildings of the Nation’s oldest city when the 15th Annual Nights of Lights celebration sparkles to life at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, November 22.  Tracing its origins to the Spanish tradition of displaying a lighted white candle during the Christmas holidays, the spectacular lighting in St. Augustine reflects the city’s 443-year history while creating a beautiful setting for the holidays through January 31.  For more information, call 800.653.2489. 
 
DECEMBER 7
An Evening of British Isle  Music
Experience what night-time entertainment was like during St. Augustine’s British occupation at St. Augustine's Spanish Quarter Museum on St. George Street behind the Taberna Café.  Entertainment will be provided by Ken Bloom, The Bilge Rats & more!  The fun begins at 8 p.m. and is free to all.  Bring a blanket or a lawn chair.  Refreshments and libations are available.  For more information, call 904.819.2629 or visit www.britishnighwatch.org
 
December 8
British Encampment and Grand Illumination
Experience what St. Augustine was during the British occupation of the old city from 1763 to 1784.  The British encampment will be located at St. Augustine’s Spanish Quarter on St. George Street.   Open 9 a.m.  to dusk, visitors can listen to Fife and Drum Corps, meet British Soldiers, and see a Musket Competition at 3 p.m. at the Castillo de San Marcos.  The Grande Illumination of the British Night Watch Parade begins at Government House on the Plaza at 8 p.m.  This ceremony is an impressive pageant of color and light that reflects the customs of the 18th Century British when they occupied the city.  At 7:30 p.m. everyone can purchase lighted candle as they follow the torchlight parade from the Government House around the Old City and back to the Plaza to hear the British Governor’s holiday proclamation.  Soldiers fire their muskets in a Volley of Joy to salute the season! For the grand finale residents and visitors sing Christmas carols in the Plaza.  For more information, call 904.819.2629 or visit www.britishnighwatch.org
 
December
15th annual Holiday Tour of Bed & Breakfast Inns
Tour St. Augustine’s historic Bed and Breakfast Inns, all decorated in Holiday finery.  In addition to being able to enjoy each Inn’s dazzling Christmas season displays, tour participants will be able to enjoy taste treats throughout the Holiday Tour: Each Inn unites with one of St. Augustine's leading restaurants and confectioners, who serve complimentary samples.  The tour takes place from 2 to 5 p.m. each day; half of the inns welcome visitors on Saturday, and half on Sunday.  Tickets in advance are $35.  Proceeds from the Holiday Tour will go to the St. Augustine Empty Stocking Fund.  For more information, call 904.819.3566 or visit www.staugustineinns.com