A Low Key Guide to a Staycation in St. Augustine Beach
Or, a summary of our family trip
Summertime is many things (which we covered at the beginning of our last monthly unscripted conversation) and one of them includes the modern day pressure to plan a riveting vacation for oneself and/or your family. Given the current climate of high airfare costs and safety disruptions, a staycation may be just what you need to feel the ease of escape within the confines of transport by automobile.
Living in Florida is ideal for this concept, as any location is theoretically within two hours to a sunny beach. Not that I am trying to sell anyone on moving here. The commuting is just as congested as when school is in session and everywhere we look, condominiums are popping up in place of the bald cypress and southern live oak trees. But I digress and I certainly understand the economic and warm weather draws. I’m not hating on anyone (who is decent) that is considering moving here.
The closest beach to us is St. Augustine, Florida. It is also a family favorite. In less than an hour’s drive, we find the oldest city in America. It is rich in history and culinary delights. Not ten minutes away is the Atlantic coastline and a vibrant beach town. As you arrive from downtown, you pass the famous Alligator Farm and St. Augustine Amphitheatre, a quick left on A1A Beach Boulevard, then a bend to the right leads you to the land of easy breezy. Here, the perpendicular streets begin counting down from 16, until the mecca of A street is reached.
In my opinion, between 16th and E street is the optimal area to hunt for lodging. Along this strip, you have multiple walkable public beach access points, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, and the required family activity of miniature golf as a substitute when one of the spawn goes rogue on water activities.
Below is a list of recommended foodie options, all within a few miles of the St. Augustine beach strip.
Bronx House Pizza off A1A — You can’t go wrong with their stromboli, garlic knots (a must), antipasto salad and chicken parmesan hero
Kookaburra Coffee off A1A – Our friends loved their cold brew (they sell by the plastic bag for $20 a pop), and my hubs enjoyed their passion fruit kombucha (flavors alternate on tap). There are multiple locations scattered in the city as well, including downtown and at the amphitheatre concert venue.
Coneheads Ice Cream off A1A- This staple dessert joint used to be cash only but not anymore! The kids loved their strawberry ice cream in homemade waffle cones and our middle child selected a delectable orange and pineapple variety. Bonus feature- a giant hotdog is located inside, great for photo ops.
A1A Burrito Works off A1A — Order take out at the walk up window and expect a bit of a wait. We did this on a Sunday night to watch the Gold cup USMNT vs Mexico final at our airBNB. Unfortunately, the US lost 1-2. Fortunately, our Mexican food comforted our woes. We certainly recommend their “world famous UFO” (pressed taco), the green chile burrito, their salsa (incredibly fresh and a chunky style) and the rice and refried beans. You can grab a drink while you wait on your food and enjoy their outdoor covered patio.
Beachcomber off A street – A seafood restaurant directly on the sand (and, incidentally, the location of one of my husband and my first dates). We sat outside and enjoyed local brews on tap, grouper bites, crab cakes and a trigger fish wrap. The highlight of the meal was their gator tail, which the whole family was impressed by. In the past, gator tail has felt bland and stringy but Beachcomber’s gator tail sourcing and their frying batter recipe is working for them.
Stir it Up off A street – A consistent winner in our book. Great for any meal (they close at 6), it is a casual walk up spot right off the beach. They offer smoothies in any combination one can think of (our favorite is the Uprising, a pep-you-up combo of bananas, peanut butter, espresso concoction and coffee beans), multiple wraps, sandwiches, and quesadillas. A family of four can easily fill up on a smoothie and a large veggie quesadilla. Do not forget the dipping sauce! We ordered before closing time and left our quesadilla at the house while we enjoyed the sunset on the beach. It was the perfect later night snack to munch on before movie night.
After checking out of our accommodations at the beach, we stopped by downtown St. Augustine on our way back home. For the introverted Knocker, it is best to achieve this tourist adventure during the week and in daylight hours, if at all possible. Although we live less than an hour from this area, I have never actually walked the Castillo de San Marcos. This historic fort was built by Spain in order to fight off the British from claiming the land that is modern day St. Augustine and to protect the Atlantic trade route (says nps.gov).
We bought two adult tickets ($15 each, kids under 15 were free) and walked the fort. Scattered amongst the lower level rooms and on the rooftop were interesting facts about the background of Florida, Spanish settlers, and notable figures of history. My particular favorite tidbit was the story of Antonia Avero (1717-1792), a Spanish woman who owned multiple real estate properties in Spanish, Florida, which was reportedly common. She did flee to Cuba when the British claimed the land. Her daughter eventually returned to Florida to reclaim said properties. Our oldest son loved learning the layout of the fort and the multiple strategies utilized in battle. I searched for a biography on Antonia Avero but to no avail.
Once we completed the military-enthusiast tour of the fort, our daughter insisted on a walk along St. George Street to “check out the shops AND go in.” This is the main strip of downtown St. Augustine where there is no shortage of ice cream, coffee, souvenir shops or interesting people watching. We stopped at a tasty joint off of Spanish Street for lunch, Treylor Park, where we thoroughly enjoyed an appetizer of Nachos Grande (fried chicken, bacon, cheese, chives and a delicious sauce over waffle fries) and an order of both veggie and shrimp and grits tacos.
As we took a left off St. George Street, we caught a glimpse of the Governor’s House Museum, where Kara and her husband threw one banger of a marriage reception in the year 2008. Our final stop as we meandered back to our car before our parking time dwindled was to Peace, Love, and Little Donuts off Cathedral Street. There, two boys desperately needed to void, and a mother agreed to the purchase of a cold brew in order for them to do so. It was a delicious drink, so everyone won.
There you have it. I barely skimmed the surface of the possibilities of St. Augustine. Please drop us a comment if you have visited the area, and include your favorite spots and recommendations. I hope you are able to vacation there soon, and tell them Knock it Off sent you!
❤️ If you enjoyed this post, please click the like button at the bottom - it helps others discover our stuff!
🗣️ Maybe leave us a cawwwwment below!
☕️ Buy us a coffee. Kara may or may not blow it at Starbucks.
🫶🏼 Or, consider sharing it with someone who needs a vacay.
📸 Follow us on Instagram @knockitoff.substack for even more KNOCK IT OFF content!
**Our posts may contain affiliate links, meaning we get a small percentage of the amount purchased through a link at no additional cost to you.**
not as kid friendly for little ones such as yours. however, one of my favorites is the San Sebastian winery. perfect for a girls day girls night and the tour is fun as well
I’ve always loved St Augustine! It felt super far away and exotic to me when I was a kid in south Florida and I’m dying to take my kids!