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St. Petersburg, Florida – “The Sunshine City”

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The historical city of St. Petersburg (Population 250,000) is located in Pinellas County Florida. It’s the 5th largest city in the whole state. Founded in 1908, it is located in close proximity to St Pete whose fabulous beaches are known nationwide.

The city holds the Guinness world record for the most consecutive days of sunshine (768 days) with an average of some 361 days of sunshine each year. Not for nothing has it earned the sobriquet “The Sunshine City”. And is the perfect place to get that elusive tan.

The city offers a never-ending kaleidoscope of activities suitable for tourists and residents alike of all ages:

St Pete Beach

The Sunshine city faces the waterfront and as such has miles upon miles of pure, white sandy beaches and as such is a magnet for people who have a penchant for waterspouts, such as swimming, fishing, water skiing, and so forth. You can Jet Ski, parasail, paddleboard, boat, fish, swim or just amble along the sea shore collecting shells.

Museums

For art and history lovers, there are many world-class cultural attractions to explore in downtown St. Petersburg. In fact the city’s fame as a centre for art and culture spans not just the continent but all over the world. And has drawn both artists and art lovers from every part of the globe. Some of its most famous museums include:

  • The Dali museum: As the name implies its arguably the most well known centre for Salvador Dali’s eccentric art, in the world and is a source of inspiration for not just other aspiring artist artists but other visitors too.
  • Museum of Fine Arts,: The MFA has under its roof not just the collected and excellently curetted works of such celebrated artists as Monet and  Cézanne but historical artifacts dating back 5000 years!
  • The Holocaust Museum: “Never again” is the watchword for the Holocaust. And the Florida Holocaust Museum faithfully follows this watchword by informing all its visitors of the depths of human perversity. Founded by German Jews who escaped Nazi persecution, the museum has a heart stirring collection of artifacts from the terrible days of the Second World War. It also offers its visitors a virtual tour of the place.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium

The aquarium is a hospital for sick and convalescing marine wild life. Here you can see wild sea otters and nesting turtles. But perhaps the most popular attraction of the park is “winter’ the friendly dolphin who is the star of the book ‘Dolphin’s tale’ as well as the movies Dolphin’s tale parts one and two.

St. Petersburg Hotels

Since the city is an ideal playground for tourists from not just the country but all over the world. It has a large number of hotels to cater to every budget. The more popular ones include the Grand Hyatt residency and Spa at around 400 dollars to the Sand Pearl resort at around $350, to the under $100 budget options such as Mugnuson Hotel and the Clearwater beach Hotel.  

Discover the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine Florida

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When you hear about the Sunshine State, know there is a never-ending list of things you can do on your visit there. Especially for art and history enthusiasts, there exists an ancient city in Florida with the name of St. Augustine.

Originated more than 450 years ago, St. Augustine is home to some very significant historic landmarks.

You will find historic sites, assorted museums, and romantic inns. There is too much to do in St. Augustine in one day, but if you find yourself there, don’t miss visiting the Lightner Museum.  

The Lightner Museum sits in the historic Alcazar Hotel on King Street in the Downtown area of St. Augustine. This site is listed is the United State’s Register of Historic Places. 

This hotel was built in 1888 by Henry Flagler, back in the days when the Spanish Renaissance Revival architecture was thriving.

Citizens back then used to call it “The Castle of Happy Returns.”

The structure of this hotel features a spacious courtyard, with palm trees, and a fish pond which is built underneath a stone arch bridge.   

During its peak epoch, this hotel used to boast of more than 25,000 visitors per year. Guests at that time used to take pleasure in Turkish baths and archery ranges. They also used to dive in the world’s largest indoor swimming pool.

Celebs, businessmen, and politicians used to show up to have prolonged stays in the Alcazar.

Sadly, the Alcazar Hotel fell victim to the Great Depression. It closed its doors on visitors in the year 1932. The hotel could have faced demolition if it weren’t for Otto C. Lightner, who bought it in 1946.

After the purchase, the hotel was renovated and named after its new owner.

It was soon filled with prized collections, and Lightner decided to open its gates once again in 1948, with the new title of “St. Augustine’s Lightner Museum of Hobbies.” Because of this gesture, some famous historians have called him one of the first historical preservationists.

In 1968, St. Augustine began to make renovations and decided to open a new city hall on the first floor of the Alcazar Hotel. This plan was completed in 1973 and in the following year, Lightner Museum reopened. Ever since its launch, the Lightner has been both a local favorite and a renowned tourist destination in the state of Florida.

The museum highlights historic items from America’s Gilded Age. If you happen to be fortunate enough to visit this place, you will observe a Victorian village on the first floor. Inside it, a Victorian Science and Industry room and a fully equipped music room is also present.

On the second floor, there is everything inspired of glass; even a Louis Comfort Tiffany stained glass window. As for the third floor, there are collections of paintings, antique furniture, and sculptures.  

The present mission of this museum is to sustain its prominent collection for educational and public viewing pleasure.

For more fun-filled and lively updates on the Sunshine State, go follow our blog.  Tell us about your adventures in historic St. Augustine below in the comments.

Enjoying the Charm of America’s Oldest City – St. Augustine

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It would be very unfortunate to get a chance to visit Florida and not see America’s oldest city – St. Augustine, FL.

This city is 452 years old and is a panorama of great history and old-world architecture. This city was founded by the Spanish in 1565 and despite being old in infrastructure and buildings, St. Augustine has a lot to offer to its tourists.

Castillo De San Macros

This is an exceptionally beautiful place, encompassing over 335 years of American history. The “fort” is very old as its construction was first started in 1672.  Live cannon firings, as well as ranger tours, are easily seen here.

From this place, you may visit the famous St. George Street which is a pedestrian mall. You’ll absolutely love the old town touch you feel as you walk down the narrow streets of St. Augustine. The residents are very welcoming and you’ll find many small shops tucked in alleyways and side streets. 

Witnessing the Ghostly Side of St. Augustine

St. Augustine is home to many different energy vortexes both good and bad if you believe in that sort of stuff. St. Augustine is also known as a haunted city, being home to a number of haunted sites. There are nightly tours that will surely enlighten you with spooky ghost tales of spirits encountered, ghostly apparitions, murders, legends and much more.

St. Augustine Beaches

Though it’s one of the oldest cities around, St. Augustine has a number of water-related recreational activities that tourists and residents can enjoy. The beaches are quiet and calm, giving an excellent chance to visitors to relax in the warm Summer breeze of St. Augustine Beach. 

You may either choose to sunbathe or spend your time out in the water surfing or renting a boat from BoatSetter. 

In St. Augustine you can enjoy the Florida Beaches in whatever way you like.

Potter’s Wax Museum

There is history associated with every corner of this majestic city. The Potter’s Wax Museum was first built by a resident of St. Augustine named George Potter. He fulfilled his dream in this city in 1949, by building the first wax museum in the United States. This museum is now home to almost 160 wax figures, each of them different from the other. The museum still has its real founder’s creations and is known as a fun tourist attraction in St. Augustine.

It offers entertainment to both kids and adults, giving them a chance to take pictures with the wax statues of their favorite celebrities. You’ll never know who you will bump into.

Red Train Tours

The famous Red Train Tours in this city is the best chance of touring St. Augustine. It’s fully narrated with stop-offs at famous spots including restaurants, shops, hotels and sightseeing places throughout the city. 

Visiting St. Augustine, no doubt, is the best chance to catch a glimpse of the old world and the beginning of modern civilization in Florida. Not just this, the city is a tourist friendly place and provides an excellent opportunity to its guests to make the most of your stay in Florida memorable. So come on down and visit beautiful St. Augustine, Florida!