The Night Of Lights in St. Augustine, FL

Every year between Mid-November until the end of January, St. Augustine has the whole city lit up for the holidays and this is called The Night of Lights. My best friend and I decided to spend the weekend to enjoy a mini-vacation to get away from the stress of 2020. We both haven’t been back to the city in over nine years so it was a new experience for the both of us. If you aren’t familiar with the city, St. Augustine is located in North Eastern Florida. It was founded in 1565 by Spanish Explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabited European-established settlement in the United States proper. The town has Spanish architecture buildings and definitely brought me back with memories of Spain. Spain ceded Florida to the United States in 1819, and St. Augustine was designated the capital of the Florida Territory upon ratification of the Adams-Onís Treaty in 1821. Later on the territorial government moved the capital to Tallahassee in 1824. 

We left on a Saturday mid-morning arriving around noon to check into our hotel. We stayed at the Marker 8 and Marina which is across from downtown on the other side of the Bridge of Lions. Marker 8 Hotel and Marina is the perfect location for magnificent views of the city’s bay front and skyline. A series of intimate garden spaces, a cantilevered boardwalk, and a new poolscape create a relaxing (yet high-end) experience for their guests. Marker 8 is the secret treasure just steps away from St. Augustine’s famed Historic District. If you are looking for luxury in the heart of St. Augustine, then you must check out Marker 8 Hotel and Marina. The hotel includes free on-site parking, a free drink at check in, happy hour from 5-6 with free appetizers, free breakfast, and every room has a view. It was only a ten minute walk into town, and we loved every minute staying at Marker 8. 

After being able to check in early, we went straight into town to our first stop which was the St. Augustine Distillery. Before we did any whiskey tastings, we ate lunch at the Ice Plant Bar upstairs from the distillery. Inspired by the historical period of the early 20th century, the original “Ice Plant” building dates back to 1927, an experience like no other in Florida. It was like walking into an old factory. Make sure to check out their wonderful menu since we ordered the French Toast & Eggs Benedict. After we were done with lunch, we headed downstairs for the free twenty minute self-guided tasting tour. We got to learn about the distillation process and how the company turned local agriculture into spectacular spirits. There were four signature cocktail samples which ended the tour with an Old Fashioned. Immediately when we were finished, we headed a couple blocks down the street for another free self-guided tour at San Sebastián Winery. Complimentary Tours and Wine Tasting run about every 20-25 minutes, lasting approximately 45 minutes in length and offered seven days a week. It took us forty-five minutes to get through eight tastings, and if you aren’t a sweet wine drinker like me, I would suggest skipping the tour since the first two wines were the only dry tastings. For the rest of the afternoon we spent our time exploring St. George Street, which is a pedestrian-only street in the middle of downtown St. Augustine. It is full of shops, restaurants, art galleries and attractions. Make sure to check out The Oldest Wooden School House located at 14 St. George Street near the city gate. It is oldest wooden school building in the United States. The exact date of construction is unknown, but it first appears on tax records in 1716. Later that evening around 5pm we headed back to the hotel for happy hour! It was perfect since the sun was setting on the marina and we saw dolphins! 

Let me start off telling you on what not to do for dinner… don’t think you shouldn’t make reservations! We thought heading for dinner at 8pm would be fine, but no it wasn’t since it took four restaurants to finally be seated for dinner. We ended up Meehan’s Irish Pub, not our original choice since our first pick didn’t do reservations. It was still a great place since we got to sit outside to people watch while we ate our food. We ended the night walking around looking at all the Christmas lights!

The next morning after finishing our delicious breakfast and checking out of the hotel, we headed back into town to visit Castillo de San Marcos. We did not go in it since it was an hour wait with a limit of 100 guests, but we explored around the outside of the fort. The oldest masonry fort in the continental United States, the Castillo de San Marcos is a large Spanish stone fortress built to protect and defend Spain’s claims in the New World. It’s a National Monument and, at over 315 years old, it’s the oldest structure in St. Augustine. It’s one of the main attractions in St. Augustine for all ages! There’s plenty of things to do at the Castillo, from the numerous rooms that once housed soldiers and prisoners, to the large interior courtyard and gun deck which offers a great view of the city. Passes to the Castillo may be purchased at the ticket booth on site or online. A ticket to get in is $15 and good for 7 days. Children under the age of 15 have free admission. Active military who present their military “CAC” Card are eligible for a free annual pass to all National Park Service areas which includes the Castillo de San Marcos. The card allows the military member and up to three other adult guests into the fort for free. (COVID-19 Update: Castillo de San Marcos is open Wednesday-Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. A maximum capacity of 100 visitors in the historic fort at any time will be in effect.) Next we headed to Cousteau’s Waffle & Milkshake Bar for brunch. It is a little dessert shop specializing in hand-spun milkshakes & Belgian waffles with creative toppings. The food was so delicious and a must stop while visiting the town.

Before leaving St. Augustine, we walked around St.George street one more time and ended up finding a new distillery called City Gate Spirits. They offered another self-guided free tasting for the public! We enjoyed a free tasting of flavored varieties of rum, vodka, whiskey and moonshine inspired by local lore and the flavors of Florida. Exclusive to St. Augustine, the distillery is the only place you’ll find at City Gate Spirits. Unfortunately they don’t ship, so you would have to buy straight from their distillery. I ended up buying the Smoked Maple Whiskey & Apple Pie Moonshine since they were that good! It was our favorite tour that weekend! We had a great time, the weather was perfect and definitely will be back soon!