Travels to St. Augustine, Florida

The most interesting place I ever visited was St. Augustine, Florida.

For our honeymoon, my husband, Spencer, and I traveled to St. Augustine and spent a week of bliss together. St. Augustine is such a special place because it's the oldest city in all of the nation. In the downtown historic part of St. Augustine there are so many wonderful little shops offering a wide variety of trinkets, gifts and souvenirs. I love strolling down the old brick streets, while popping in and out of all the shops.

Anytime we visit, we always have to stop into our favorite pizza place, Pizza Time, which offers large slices of New York style pizza that never disappoints! The pizza shop is U shaped inside, so after grabbing a hot slice accompanied by a glass of wine or ice-cold beer, you can loop around to the other side of the restaurant which has the most delicious gelato in so many flavors. Spencer and I like to get a cup of gelato to share and continue our way down the quaint streets.

In addition to the shops there are many great restaurants, bars, museums and sights to see along the narrow roads in the historic downtown area of St. Augustine. Most people visit the historic downtown area for the day and meander down the old brick roads, stopping at all of those unique shops and the many great restaurants they have to offer, including our favorite, The Columbia.

The Columbia is a two-floor restaurant that serves Spanish-Cuban cuisine and has been doing so for more than 117 years! The restaurant itself is a visual feast, between the architecture of the building and the perfectly manicured garden, that is rich with plants and the most beautiful flowers.

I love that St. Augustine also has a breathtaking beach that is very clean and offers the most gorgeous coastal sunrises. The last time we traveled to St. Augustine, I booked a room that was right on the sandy St. Augustine beach just to be able to take in the views, while still being close to downtown. The beach access was so wonderful and private, with not a soul in sight. The privacy the beach offered made for the perfect romantic getaway.

I wanted to surprise Spencer for our fifth-year wedding anniversary, so we packed up the car and took a road trip. The hotel is one we had never stayed at before but was ground level with direct access to the beach, which was exactly what I wanted for what I had in mind.

The very next day we had our vow renewal with the sand ceremony on the beach, and it was beautiful, so filled with love. I found an officiant online to renew our vows at the ceremony. She was able to capture the love we have for each other in the photographs taken both during the sand ceremony and afterwards. We ran on the beach, where the waves met the sand and played like kids, splashing at each other in the water. It's a wonderful thing when you can just let go of all of your worries, everyday stresses, and allow yourself to play with a childlike giddiness. I've never felt so free.

I have so many amazing memories of the times we have spent in St. Augustine. It will always hold a special place in my heart. From the Ripley's believe it or not museum, the historic downtown, the old fort, and to the beach they are all fantastic areas of St. Augustine to visit. If you are ever given the opportunity to travel to St. Augustine, I highly recommend it!