St. Augustine, Florida

St. Augustine is about 1 hr and 45 minutes away from Orlando. So this city could be done in a day or you could choose to stay a little longer to see more of the city and beaches. When I visited with my family, we went up from Orlando for the day.

We did one of the hop on, hop off trolley tours that conveniently drove us through the city in an open air trolley all while knowledgeable guides told us about the sites. Two trolley companies I saw advertised were the Red Train Trolley Tours and Old Town Trolley Tours. Tickets for one of these tours can be purchased at the St. Augustine Visitor Information Center for around $23. There is a convenient parking garage located next to the visitor center as well.



We got off at a few stops including Castillo de San Marcos and the Fountain of Youth. We visited on a windy,chilly day in January, so even though its Florida I would recommend a jacket as the open air trolleys can be cold.

This national monument has National Park Service Rangers there that give talks multiple times a day. From the top of the fort, there are stunning views of the surrounding inlet and city. There are old cannons to explore as well as old rooms within the walls.                                                                                                                       Entrance fee to Castillo de San Marcos: $10

At Ponche de Leon's Fountain of Youth Geological Park, explore a replica Timucua Village, St. Augustine Watchtower, Timucuan dugout canoe and a cannon firing. There is a theater with an informative video to watch as well as the actual Fountain of Youth itself you can drink from with provided cups. Wandering around the grounds are beautiful peacocks of all colors to admire.


Fountain of Youth entrance fee: $15




You could easily spend more then one afternoon in St. Augustine exploring The Ripley's Believe It or Not! Museum, The Spanish Military Hospital, The Old Jail, the lighthouse, beaches and more!

What is a natural spring and how do they form?

According to wikipedia a natural spring is "any natural situation where water flows from an aquifer to the earth's surface"

Limestone is very common beneath the surface in Florida. When the limestone is closer to the surface, it is easier for the chemical weathering process to occur through acidic rainwater.

Rainwater becomes acidic as it flows through soil and comes into contact with carbon dioxide. This acidic rainwater can then dissolve the limestone when it penetrates beneath the surface.

As this process (dissolution) continues to happen over millions of years, different caves and cavaties form in the limestone.

Sinkholes can then form once these cavaties collapse and allow for water in the aquifers to rise up and fill them in through precipitation or change in sea level.









There are more then 900 freshwater springs in the State of Florida. Some animals that can be found in springs include the west indian manatee, different species of fish, the american alligator, the loggerhead musk turtle, otter, dear and bird species.