Column: A youthful trip to Florida's northeast coast

The next time you see me, I will probably look a lot younger. That is a result of drinking the water at the Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine, Florida, the oldest city in the United States.

Shelby Senior Services recently sponsored a trip to St. Augustine, Jacksonville and Amelia Island. High on my list of highlights for this trip were the Fountain of Youth, the historic St. George Street, Fernandina Beach in Amelia Island, Flagler College, and a narrated cruise on St. John’s River.  

After seeing the famous fort in St. Augustine we journeyed up the road to the Fountain of Youth. While the fort is iconic in the history of the U.S., people of a certain age, like me, couldn’t wait to taste the supposedly magic water of the fountain to once again be young.

However, the water tastes awful! I better get quick results because I wouldn’t want to have to drink that all the time.

Actually, the Europeans who came to the area had no idea that the natives of St. Augustine were so tall and lived so long. Normal Europeans were short and their life expectancy was around 40 years, whereas the natives were tall and many lived to be in their 80s. They returned to Europe convinced that the natives were giants!

Over time, the water of the Fountain of Youth became known as being responsible for native tallness and longevity. Guess I will remain short and older!

While in St. Augustine, St. George Street, located across the street from the fort, is a mecca for shopping and ice cream. The pedestrian-only street is lively with music, places to eat and visitors making new friends. It seemed as if every other person was walking his/her dog and stopping to chat with fellow dog walkers.  

Fernandina Beach is where one can gather shells, stick your toes in the water, and enjoy a leisurely stroll. Waves gently wash up on the pristine beach which goes on for miles. It is a beautiful stop on a vacation.

St. John’s River goes through the heart of Jacksonville. It is the home of a large military base, and the military personnel are part of the huge population. Jacksonville is the largest city in Florida.

A cruise on the river highlighted the wide variety of businesses that make Jacksonville flourish.

Henry Flagler built several grand hotels in St. Augustine in the late 1880s. His home became the Hotel Ponce de Leon, and upon his death the hotel became Flagler College.

Flagler College’s Lightner Museum is where our group picture took place. Otto Lightner founded the Lightner Museum in 1948. He was a publisher and collector of art, history, architecture and design, according to the brochure, which went on to say that it is located in the former Alcazar Hotel, another “Gilded Age” resort hotel commissioned by railroad magnate Henry Flagler in 1888.

The college has beautiful, historic buildings. The lush, manicured landscapes of the many locations of the college is a testament to the men who made their fortunes in Jacksonville.  

I cannot stress enough that this is only a sampling of the places we enjoyed on our journey to Florida’s northeast coast. Please join us on future trips and make memories that last for a lifetime.

For more information on traveling with Shelby Senior Services, call 317-701-5984.

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