st. augustine |

This weekend’s St. Augustine Lions Club Spring Festival has reimagined its seafood festival past.

St. Augustine’s Fort Mose was a haven for runaway slaves and free blacks under Spanish rule.

St. Augustine’s Fort Matanzas is a small stone fort on a pristine island. You take a short ferry ride for a ranger-led tour and spectacular scenery — and it’s all free.

Here are five cool things I was surprised to discover about America’s oldest city — from the story of a fiery pepper to a tasty locally made gin.

Faver Dykes State Park offers excellent kayaking, productive fishing and woodsy camping just 15 miles from historic St. Augustine.

St. Augustine Pirate Museum offers rare, authentic artifacts; it’s a real museum. But it injects of dose of Disney and interactive exhibits to make it fun for kids.

With charm, history and the beauty of nearby natural areas, this special destination offers visitors a long list of adventures. St. Augustine’s appeal starts with two key assets: The historic district with its shady brick lanes and and the natural beauty of the region,

This original Florida roadside attraction still thrills, especially in the spring and early summer when its rookery fills with hundreds of nesting birds. The gators and crocs are well-presented with lots of information as well as entertainment.

The don’t-miss experience when visiting St. Augustine is touring the Castillo de San Marcos — the historic Spanish fort.

This out-of-the-way rural area on the St. Johns River offers good hiking, kayaking and springs. With Welaka as a base, we explored a place little changed by the years.

Washington Oaks Gardens State Park near St. Augustine has two sides — historic gardens amid ancient live oak trees on one side and a beach with fantastically shaped coquina rocks on the other.

Anastasia State Park is a stone’s throw from historic St. Augustine and offers 139 cozy campsites on a four-mile-long pristine beach that shimmers in the Florida sun.

Comprehensive guide to Florida’s craft breweries, next-gen neighborhood taverns for sipping suds, playing games and meeting new friends.

These terrific county parks are popular with locals, but not well-known to people even one county away. At these hidden gems, you’ll find springs, beaches, wildlife and even great campsites.

Free days in national parks come six times a year and they’re a good deal. Some Florida national parks now charge $25 and $35 for admission.

It’s spring in Florida: Azaleas are blazing in white, lavender, pink and red at this Florida state park with a rich history. About half the park’s flowers are in bloom, so this is the ideal time to visit because as more open, others lose their blossoms.

Diverse eco-systems are the hallmark of North Florida state parks with camping, from beaches to cool springs and deep woods hideaways. Part 4 in our series.

Black Caesar was a pirate of some renown who roamed the Florida Keys, or so goes a legend worthy of mention during Black History Month.

Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs has survived since 1936. Now it’s a small but serene spot to enjoy glorious flora, colorful birds, gators and more. It’s located on Old 41 Road, a pocket of Old Florida that is having a renaissance.

Comprehensive guide to 25 Daytona Beach campgrounds, including pop-up campgrounds for the Rolex 24, Bike Week, Daytona 500, Biketoberfest and other special events.