The Slammer and Squire and the King and Bear at the World Golf Village were designed by the legends of the game: Snead, Sararen, Palmer and Nicklaus...
The old matrimonial custom of having "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue" to ensure the luck of your wedding ceremony can also be applied to your honeymoon. And whether it's your first or your second chance at romance, the St. Augustine area is the perfect place to build on old traditions, and create new ones, in your life together.
Something Old
Stroll hand-in-hand through the historic district and step back in time at Colonial Spanish Quarter, the Oldest House and the Oldest Wooden School House in the U.S.A. If you get hungry, grab a homemade pastry at the tiny Spanish Bakery. Admire Henry Flagler's legacy at the elegant Lightner Museum, where Tiffany windows and other works of art inspire awe, and take a Legacy Tour of grand Flagler College, keeping an eye out for Henry's ghost. Speaking of ghosts, cuddle up to one another during a spooky, guided ghost tour, available by land (try GhoSt Augustine Haunted Pub & Hearse Tours) or by sea (try Ghost Tours of St. Augustine).
Rent a private coach and take a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride though the historic district and along the bayfront, past the fabled Bridge of Lions. Snuggle closer as the setting sun dips below beautiful St. Augustine Bay.
Something New
Shop for souvenirs along St. George Street and the historic district (splurge on sweets from Claude's Chocolates, handmade at the shop on Hypolita Street); then amble over to the galleries lining King Street, west of the Plaza. Afterwards, stop into San Sebastian Winery to sample wines and listen to live jazz music in The Cellar Upstairs (live music on weekends only). Golf lovers can hit the fairways at World Golf Village and play the new(ish) King & Bear or Slammer & Squire courses.
Something Borrowed
Rent a private coach and take a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride though the historic district and along the bayfront, past the fabled Bridge of Lions. Snuggle closer as the setting sun dips below beautiful St. Augustine Bay.
Something Blue
Spend a day celebrating the sparkling blue waters surrounding St. Augustine. Splash in the Atlantic waves off St. Augustine Beach; take in the view of Matanzas Bay from the top of the St. Augustine Lighthouse; join a narrated dolphin-watch cruise in area waterways with St. Augustine Scenic Cruise.
Spas:
Small Indulgences European Day Spa and Salon (St. Augustine): Book an intimate couple's massage and choose from a side-by-side Swedish, aromatherapy, hot stone, deep tissue or reflexology treatment.
The Spa at Sawgrass (Ponte Vedra Beach): He can indulge in a gentlemen's manicure and "The Rough" signature aroma salt glow body scrub; she in a re-mineralizing body wrap and "Zen Facial."
Spa at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club (Ponte Vedra Beach): The upgraded spa re-opened in fall 2006 with pampering services such as tropical coconut scrubs, couple's massages and Lomi Lomi massages.
Restaurants:
Raintree Restaurant: Awarded too many accolades to count, this restaurant is a St. Augustine tradition, serving outstanding contemporary cuisine (at surprisingly affordable prices) in a historic 1879 Victorian home. Don't miss the made-to-order crepes for dessert.
Columbia Restaurant: Sure, it's in the middle of tourist-laden St. George Street, but you'll still feel like you're honeymooning in Spain amidst the colorful, gurgling fountains and the aroma of steaming-hot Spanish delicacies.
Romance Packages:
Casa Monica Hotel: "Love St. Augustine Style" includes luxury accommodations, a gourmet breakfast at 95 Cordova and a romantic carriage ride around the bayfront during which you can toast your love with a bottle of chilled champagne. (Planning a wedding? The Casa Monica does an "Arabian Nights Fantasy Wedding" complete with belly dancers.)
Casa de la Paz Bayfront Bed & Breakfast: Their honeymoon package starts sweetly with champagne and chocolate-dipped strawberries upon arrival, then continues with dinner for two at one of the city's fine restaurants, a couple's massage and private carriage ride through the historic district. As a memento, you get to keep the plush terry robes you've been relaxing in all weekend.
The Lodge & Club at Ponte Vedra Beach (Ponte Vedra Beach): "Stir the Fire" sets you up in an opulent oceanfront room complete with a Roman garden tub (where there's room for two) and fireplace, not to mention his-and-hers bathrobes. Sip the champagne and feed each other sweets from the box of fine chocolates placed in your room.
As I wandered the area under the enormous, moss-draped oak trees, I saw few people walk by any of the tables without stopping to chat with the sellers, get a taste of the honey (from a spoon or a drop right onto their finger) and, finally, make a purchase – usually of more than one jar.
