No Siesta on this Bike Ride

Quick American history buffs, what is America’s oldest settlement?  Plymouth right?  No.  Well then it must be Jamestown?  Um, no.   Try moving farther south down the east coast.  Founded in 1565, St. Augustine, Florida is the “oldest continuously occupied settlement of European origin in the United States” and we have the Spanish to thank.  If you are doing the math, St. Augustine was settled 42 years before Jamestown.  And to make the Pilgrims looks like a bunch of pikers, it was 55 years before those black and white clad pious troopers landed at Plymouth Rock.    

The town’s street design was introduced by the early Spanish settlers and dates to the late 16^th century.   Today, St. Augustine’s Historic Colonial District preserves 36 structures dating back to this very early colonial period.  No other city in the United States can make such a claim.  It's also the only city in America with the dominant architecture being Spanish in origin.   

It’s lucky that those buildings remain considering St. Augustine’s busy past.  In an effort to flood the town with Spaniards the country sent six expeditions to America in an effort to colonize all of Florida.  They all were disastrous failures.  This then opened the door to the French who thought Florida would be a good spot for their Protestant population (the Huguenots).  While not exactly overrunning the state, the French did find some success in settling a small port city to the north, what is today Jacksonville.  Spain, seeing this incursion, sent men and munitions to garrison St. Augustine.  From their base in town they were able to move the French out of Jacksonville.  Following the French came the English, then pirates, statehood in 1845, and finally the Confederacy.  Much like Austin at times seems out of place in Texas, St. Augustine is also somewhat different.  During the Civil War the town was maintained by soldiers who remained loyal to the Union. 

The Ponce de Leon Hotel, now Flagler College

Following Reconstruction enter Henry Flagler, a partner in JD Rockefeller’s Standard Oil.  Flagler was a railroad man and his new rails into and out of St. Augustine brought wealthy snow birds from up north.  He built three large and ornate hotels.  They all still stand just repurposed now for other uses.  When the automobile was perfected the tourists came in even larger droves.  They still do.  And for the locals, an important anniversary is approaching this year.  It will be St. Augustine’s 450^th birthday.

A good way to celebrate is on the saddle.  There are a number of rides you could take.  To the north of town lies Vilano Beach.  It’s a spit of land between the Tolomato River and the Atlantic Ocean.  St. Augustine Beach is another spit of land nestled between the Matanzas Rivera and the ocean.  Both offer good rides.  Just Google where you want to go, more often than not the first hits will be suggested rides from MapMyRide or a similar app.   Take a cool drive too, the A1A highway has been designated a scenic and historic highway. 

The city’s website has some great maps and info for where to park your car for your bike ride: http://www.staugustinegovernment.com/the-city/maps-libraries/maps-library.cfm.