Florida: St. Augustine Old Town Trolley

On our way back from a side trip to retrieve a lost bag (oops), we stopped in St. Augustine. We quickly learned we could have spent the entire week in St. Augustine, but we only had one day. We decided to hop on an Old Town Trolley Tour and see as much of the city as we could in a small amount of time!

Much like the trolleys in other tourist cities, this was a great way to see lots of things without having to deal with traffic or parking, or any of that mess. Plus we had a fun guide who knows far more about the city than any of us could dream of reading in a brochure or guide book.

According to their website, the trolley highlights more than 100 historical sites (like this statue of Flagler) and has 23 stops. Your ticket is good for 3 days, so use the opportunity to hop on and off at your leisure. It's a great way to rest tired little legs, too.

Our guide told us stories of the development of St. Augustine into a beautiful tourist destination. In the late 1800s, Henry Flagler (who was John D. Rockafeller's partner in the Standard Oil business) built elaborate hotels that would become the go to winter getaway for the rich. According to our guide, "You couldn't rent a room for the night or the week, you got one for the entire season." 

Flagler was also responsible for the building of the Old Jail we visited - check out our post on that interesting piece of the town's history tomorrow. Learn more about Flagler's influence on the city here.

The trolley tour was fun - we even crashed a wedding or two. (These people were trying to take photos on a very beautiful side street, and we drove through the middle going both ways!)

One of the final stops on our tour was the "Old Senator," a live oak tree that is more than 600 years old, far older than these trees usually get. A Howard Johnson has grown up around it, but the Senator doesn't seem to mind.

At the end of the tour, the kids each got to ring the trolley bell!

The Old Town Trolley starts at $25.74 for adults, $10.30 for kids 6-12, and is free for those 5 and under. You can build your own package, adding on discount tickets to other St. Augustine attractions, as well. We added the Old Jail and Potter's Wax Museum. It also includes free parking.