Christmas is a quite place in the summer, but bustles with activity prior to the Christmas holidays.  People line up to mail their Christmas cards and letters at the post office, to obtain the unique postmark of ‘Christmas, FL’

The post office is small, but modern and is located on the right, not long after the green ‘Christmas’ sign at the entrance to the town.  Year round, the post office is decorated with a wreath on the outside and a Christmas tree in its entrance.

Originally the town was called Fort Christmas, named when 2000 US Army Soldiers and Alabama Volunteers arrived on December 25th 1837 to construct the fort.  However, when the first post office opened in 1892, ‘fort’ was dropped from the name. 

The town has a small Christmas gift shop, and a Circle K convenience store.  For travellers, there is a choice of the Christmas RV Park, or the primitive camping site at Tosohatchee Reserve State Park.  For more comfortable accommodation, the nearest hotels are in Orlando or Titusville.

Capitalising on the name, there is a large Christmas tree marking one intersection, and on the top of a building in the RV Park is Santa’s reindeer and sleigh.

A replica of the original fort built in 1837 during the Seminole Indian War, is located a few miles north of the main highway, at the Fort Christmas Historical Park. The park also features a traditional Florida ‘Cracker’ house, a sugar cane mill, seven pioneer homes (showing life from the 1870’s through to the 1930’s) and historical farming equipment.  There are also picnic pavilions, themed children’s playground, a baseball diamond, tennis, basketball and volleyball courts.

Opening Hours: (Closed Mondays)

Museum:   10.00am – 5.00pm

Park:

Summer: Tuesday – Sunday          8.00am – 8.00pm

Winter:    Tuesday – Sunday         8.00am – 6.00pm

(Hours change when the clocks change)

Admission Price:   FREE

Further Information:

Christmas Post Office
23580 East Colonial Dr.
Christmas, Florida 32709-9998

Telephone: (800) 275-8777

Fort Christmas Historical Park

1300 Fort Christmas Road (C.R.420)
Christmas, Florida 32709

Telephone: 407-568-4149

Since those early days Celebration has grown in size with several new property phases being added, each with their own individuality and style. Names such as North Village, West Village and Evalyn Lake enrich the community with homes ranging from small condominiums to great mansions. Whether Disney’s original values still hold good is, I guess, a question for today’s residents to answer.

At first glance the Disney influence is very apparent, a hotel very much in the Floridian style, an Art Deco cinema that could easily have been transported from Hollywood Studios and a lake with walking trails reminiscent of Disney’s Boardwalk area. It is hard to come to terms with the fact that this is a working community with its own infrastructure including all emergency services and local amenities including schools, libraries and leisure facilities.

At the far end of Water Street, along a beautiful tree lined avenue is the entrance to Celebration’s very own championship golf course and back in downtown, just a ten-minute stroll away are the chic boutiques and elegant restaurants that can be found dotted around the lake.

Try Sherlock’s, which is a quintessential English teashop that also specialises in fine wines, or sit outside in the evening sunshine and enjoy Spanish tapas at the Colombia restaurant.  A tad cheaper is the Market Street Café, which does ‘the best breakfast’ in Celebration according to many reviewers. The Front Porch is an ice cream parlour with pavement seating, and is an ideal place to rest on a hot summer’s day with your favourite ice cream concoction in hand.

The visitor can be forgiven for thinking they have stumbled upon a perpetual movie set as Celebration is so far removed from the ‘real world’ yet only minutes from hustle and bustle of the US192 corridor. There are no chain stores or recognisable fast food outlets here and Disney has been clever enough to link Celebration Boulevard to World Drive so that residents can reach the theme parks and return home without having to venture on to any other major roads or thoroughfares.

So can the visitors…but don’t tell everyone!!

Finding St.Augustine is quite easy.  Just head East from Orlando toward I95 on the Atlantic coast and go North (toward Jacksonville).  Go for about 40 miles and then turn off onto SR1 and keep going North for about 20 miles.  Then just follow the signs to St.Augustine.

St. Augustine is the USA’s oldest city, founded on August 29 1565 which was also the feast day of St. Augustine.  It is also considered to be one of the most charming and quaint cities in Florida.

St. Augustine has a beautiful historic district with cobblestone streets, cafes, bars, unique shops and bed and breakfast hotels.

Shopping in St. Augustine just could not be easier.  If you have a passion for antiques, hand crafted gifts, blown glass, arts and crafts, fine arts, or handmade chocolates, and if you are shopping for clothes, shoes, or household goods, or perhaps finding unique and unusual gifts from around the world, St. Augustine has it all.

Just relax and enjoy strolling along the historic downtown streets.  Stop whenever you like and have a meal at one of the many fine restaurants or bars.

Try the antique Market – a beautifully restored 1930s feed and general store.  The Antique Market, is a premier importer of antiques from England, Europe and Asia. The Market’s proprietors specialize in antiques from England, Scotland and Wales and lead purchasing tours every year throughout England. It is well known for its fine selection of quality antiques.

Aviles Street – is located in the heart of St. Augustine’s historic pedestrian only district.  It offers a splendid mix of shopping by way of interesting stores, boutiques, art galleries and souvenir shops. In addition, Aviles Street is dotted with pleasant cafes and historic homes.

Cobblestone Village Shopping Mall - presents a fresh clean feel, as it is a recent addition to the St. Augustine shopping scene.  The are 8 anchor stores plus 20 additional retailers furnish shoppers with a varied selection including favourites such as Bed Bath and Beyond, Pier 1 and Bealls.

St. George Street – is one of St. Augustine’s most popular shopping districts.  It wends its way through several brick-lined blocks of the city’s center.  Along this car free thoroughfare you’ll discover independent retailers offering home accents, jewelry, books, pottery, clothing and more. St. George Street affords the perfect environment to soak up the old cities ambiance.

Whetstone Chocolates – you just cannot experience St. Augustine without visiting Whetstone Chocolates, the city’s signature chocolate manufacturer for nearly 40 years.  In fact, Whetstone is Florida’s only chocolate producer and is known throughout the state for its high quality.  Indulge your senses by taking a self-guided tour of the chocolate making facility and stopping by the store to purchase some delectable sweets.

There are also many places to visit and explore as follows:

Castillo de San Marcos - took 23 years to build (from 1672 to 1695). Made from coquina which is a virtually indestructible limestone comprised of broken sea shells and coral, the walls of the fortress remained impenetrable through 300 years of enemy shelling and pounding by violent storms.

Fort Matanzas - was built between 1740-1742 and is a very well preserves masonry watchtower.  It provided a high point to help the Spanish view any enemy vessels approaching from the South.  The fort played a strategic role in warning St. Augustine of potential enemy advancements from the south via the Matanzas River.

Lightner Museum - is housed in the former Alcazar Hotel, built by railroad magnate Henry M. Flagler, and features an intriguing array of items from shrunken heads and mummies to stunning collections of stained glass and crystal.  It was opened in 1889.

Old City Helicopters – a tour of St. Augustine from the best seat in the house, from a helicopter!

St. Augustine Haunted Pub Tour - this tour takes you on a storytelling excursion through downtown.

Hearse Ride Ghost Tour - taking a ride in a hearse is a must BEFORE you die!

Red Train Tours and Discount Attraction Tickets - “The way to see St. Augustine!”

Adventure Landing - is the perfect place for family fun!  Birthday parties, celebrations, or even just a day of fun! Mega Arcade.

Old Jail - built by Henry Flagler in 1891, the jail was placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1987.  The Old Jail served as the county jail until 1953.

Colonial Spanish quarter – is a living history museum depicting the life of Spanish Soldiers and their families in 1740 St. Augustine.

Dow Museum of Historic Houses – on one city block, you will discover over 400 years of history. Hidden among beautiful courtyards are 9 historic houses original to the site.

Father O’Reilly House Museum - built prior to 1763, this Spanish colonial house belonged to Father Miguel O’Reilly, who came to the parish when the Spaniards returned to rule in 1784.

Fiesta Falls Mini Golf - is an 18-hole miniature golf course right next to La Fiesta Inn at the beach.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not - The original Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum features fun interactive galleries, mind boggling facts, and unique oddities and curiosities.

Flagler College - Flagler College is a combination of the past and present. The Ponce de Leon hotel, originally built by Henry Morrison Flagler in 1887, now serves as a residence hall for students.

Marineland – swim with the dolphins and let your dreams come true.

Oldest Wooden Schoolhouse - let your first lesson in history begin at the Oldest Wooden School House! Built prior to 1763, the school remains as it was over two centuries ago.

St. Augustine Lighthouse and Museum - climb 219 steps up the lighthouse to find a breathtaking view of St. Augustine from 165 feet above sea level.

Spanish Military Hospital Museum - see what a hospital looked like 250 years ago. See the tools surgeons used and the medicines people took.

Potters wax museum - America’s first Wax Museum invites you to experience over 160 figures from History to Hollywood! These life-like figures seem to come to life as you study them.

There are many golf courses and tennis resorts located in the area. Ponte Vedra is home of The Players Association (PGA) and Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).  It is a 20 minute drive from the Downtown historic district.

The city also has around 43 miles of beautifully clean beaches. Some allow vehicles, some allow dogs and some just people.  Some of the beaches produce abundant shelling opportunities, while others are covered only in luxurious fine, golden sand.

It was one of those places that we had read about but hadn’t really put at the top of our priority list to visit, but a chance meeting with a couple of Americans while we were waiting for the Illuminations, Reflections of Earth firework display in Epcot  helped us to change our minds.

The two Bradenton residents enthused about Anna Maria Island so vehemently that they persuaded us to take the two hour drive to the south of Tampa Bay the very next day.

This was a world away from the Orlando theme parks and really was a paradise in the sun with just about every conceivable water sport attraction within easy reach. For us, the starting point was a leisurely stroll along the pristine white sands with the occasional paddle in the crystal clear water to cool the feet. The Americans had told us this was once one of Florida’s best kept secrets and it’s not difficult to understand why.

There is a distinctly private feel to the island, almost as if you are invading the space of some of the luxury mansions complete with immaculately manicured lawns that sweep majestically down to the beach.  We were happy to mind our own business and enjoyed a period of quiet solitude amongst the sea turtles and the playful dolphins who, it seemed, were putting on a special performance just for us.

Unfortunately the secret’s well out and although you can still find your own piece of paradise, the island is now a Mecca for day trippers seeking outdoor activities and a popular destination for honeymooners and film crews. 

We certainly found walking to be quite a gentle pursuit and it enabled us to explore not only the shell lined shoreline but also to get close up and personal with a variety of tropical birds and other wildlife, all within the city limits of Anna Maria on the northern most tip of the island.

Of course, there are alternatives. The island runs a free trolley service between the three main towns of Anna Maria, Holmes Beach and Bradenton Beach so it is very easy to get around quickly. More sedate forms of transport include bike rentals which are plentiful, or if you prefer to sightsee from the water, canoes and small charters are readily available.  

We really were impressed with what we had seen and could only thank our American cousins for their recommendation. We will definitely be coming again.

Half way down the street is a collection of small shops and bars. There you will find Craft shops, Art galleries, Antique stores, Eclectic shops, an ice cream parlour, cafes and several bars and restaurants. Its fun to browse and spend a while dipping in and out of the quaint stores – who knows what you’ll find!

There is always something going on. Over Winter/Spring they hold Poker runs on Saturday evenings. The Lemon Bay Playhouse performs comedy/drama several times each week. There are drop-in sessions held in the Master Library where you can come along and talk to local experts on a wide range of subjects from quilting to gardening.

“Cruizin on Dearborn” happens on the first Saturday every month late Spring to early Autumn. Car collectors and enthusiasts come along and set up with their T-Birds, Chevy’s, Oldsmobiles, etc. People come for miles to walk up and down admiring the cars and chatting to the proud owners. Many of the cars are with the original owners or have been restored to former glory. They go to great lengths to make the cars as authentic as possible. One of my favourites had a drive-in-movie snack tray attached to the window!

“Easy Rider Night” happens on the second Saturday every month. It is described as “Hog wild fun with Rock-n-Roll and big bikes” As yet we have not attended but I suspect it is  similar to the car rally – but for bikers.

Halloween Safe Walk is great fun. We were luck enough to be there for Halloween ’08. The whole street is lined with stalls full of candy and treats to give away to the kids (young and old). Buildings are decorated; one car park border was turned into a “Spooky Graveyard” with hands and limbs appearing through the gravel. The Adams Family Band entertained us with jazzy tunes. Cousin It was a big hit on the saxophone. Everyone is in fancy dress and the children are accompanied by parents and grandparents. There was a lovely family feel as hoards of people strolled up and down on a very pleasant evening.

There are musical events such as “Saturday Night Live” and “Bluegrass Jam”. The Bluegrass Jam is held in the park where you can come along and listen to traditional folk, country and bluegrass.

Throughout the year festivals and events are held. There are Art Festivals, Cracker Fairs, Parades, Santa Shopping Events. If you want to know more or to find out what’s on when you are in the area check out the website.  www.oldeenglewood.com

The very first trip we made was on Captain Memo’s Pirate Cruise…. You can not miss this one on the dock as it looks just like a real pirate galleon and from the moment you step on board you are immersed in the folklore of a pirate. There is plenty to keep the kids amused with face-painting,water gun fights and tales of pirate adventures and they get very excited on seeing the dolphins leaping along side the boat. Adults are also entertained with free beer,wine and soft drinks but remember go easy on the drinks if you are driving. This is a great way to spend a couple of hours on a hot day and one which we have done more than once.

Our next trip is on the Sea Screamer…A monster power boat which zooms through the waves with a huge wake which attracts the dolphins .This is one trip where you may need to sit tight as it can get a little bouncy on occasions but you cannot beat the exhilaration of the wind  in your  hair  …breathtaking !

If however you are looking for a slightly  more relaxed atmosphere,then try the Dolphin Encounter Sunset Trip ..this was one of our favourites as we cruised the bay and toasted the sunset with a glass of fizzy stuff !  We took some great photos of the sunset from the upper deck.This trip and the Sea Screamer guarantee you dolphin sightings or you get another trip free.

Finally our latest excursion was on Little Toot a forty foot tugboat.We had an amazing encounter with a mother and baby dolphin and a protective show of dolphin displeasure.Little Toot has a shallow draft and so can go closer in to the shore allowing it to cruise past the beautiful homes of the rich and famous of Clearwater Bay.

All that sailing makes you hungry and just the excuse that you need to round the day off with a delicious meal of fish and chips at Britt’s restaurant……..Great!

However, nearing retirement he followed his childhood dream and ran away to join the circus. His family continued to run the business waiting for him to return.  When he finally returned to Lake Wales he was very ill and later died. The people of Lake Wales wanted something to remember him by and decided to honour him by holding a Jazz concert in the Restaurant. This idea soon gave way to having a marching Band in the main street, which then led to friends wearing outrageous costumes. So Mardi Gras was formed. 

Since the first parade in 1985 Mardi Gras has grown into a two week celebration of costume balls, jam sessions, craft and food stalls. Mardi Grass is celebrated in many countries and Lake Wales has included some of the traditions from many including feathered costumes from Rio, Masks from New Orleans, Dixieland Jazz, Blues and Rock music,  Food vendors travel from near and far to be part of Mardi Gras, selling chicken on a stick, New Orleans-style food and Greek dishes.

Year on year the Mardi has grown into a much loved and respected street entertainment and theatre with over four hundred participants and thousands of spectators each year. It certainly has something for everyone young and old. The atmosphere is warm and friendly, the music loud and exciting.

The Mardi Gras spirit in Lake Wales survived the devastating hurricane season on 2004, when three major hurricanes hit the area. Today, the spirit is alive and well.

This year the Mardi Gras runs from 12 Jan – until the big Street Parade on 21 Feb 09.

Be sure not to miss it!

There are some nice restaurants around the lake and even a cinema and Ice Cream parlour.

At certain times of the year there are some special events for the residents, e.g., Dog Show, Art Festival.

When we visited at Christmas last year they even have snow machines that fire every hour to Christmas music. Great Fun but it does get busy so get there early. I think it is from 6pm onwards.

If you have ever watched Desparate Housewives then some of the houses are much the same as theirs if not better.

Finally, sit by the lake in the Rocking Chairs and wait to see the Alligator!

We arrived early and bought tickets for the first Scenic (Boat) Cruise of the day, aboard Victory III.

We had time for a coffee and pastry at Bistro De Leon, 12 Cathedral Place.  They offer a superb selection of freshly baked pastries etc. and delicious coffees.  Although a little more expensive, it is the most immaculately clean establishment – Hyacinth Bouquet would be  impressed!  The restrooms were also sparkling clean and large enough for a wheelchair and helper.

The Victory III took us out to see dolphins and various seabirds, and there was an on-board  commentary explaining the various landmarks.  It was very interesting and enjoyable.

We then drove to the Old Fort where there is a large car parking area (apparently disabled badge holders can park free) otherwise there are parking meters.  We then walked a little further back to where the Pony and Carriages were lined up and took one of their city tours.  There are also city tours by tram and small trains that go along the streets, but we couldn’t resist the horse and carriage ride – it was the highlight of my day.  The leisurely walking pace of the horse, which could negotiate some of the older narrow streets than the trams and trains were not allowed access to, made the trip even more enjoyable.  The carriage drive stops at various points and explains the history of the surroundings.  Everywhere was pristine – no litter anywhere to be seen, and all the gardens and lawns were beautifully maintained.   I would thoroughly recommend this trip.  It isn’t mentioned at all in the St. Augustine information leaflet we picked up at one of the shopping malls.

We had a late lunch at a pub opposite the Old Fort.  Not as nice as the Bistro which had spoiled us! 

St. Augustine has so many attractions to visit, that ideally I would recommend an overnight stay.  There are lots of hotels & guest house accommodation.

Attractions include various museums – wax museum, lighthouse with museum, Ripley’s Believe it or Not Museum, Old Florida Museum, plus the Colonial Spanish Quarter, Old Jail, Oldest House, Marineland, Oldest Wooden School House, Alligator Farm, San Sebastian Winery,  Spanish Military Hospital, Golf Hall of Fame & Imax Theatre, and candlelit night time ghost tours, and another boat ride – Schooner Freedom Tall Ship which looks fabulous.

Parking is very restricted with double yellow lines on roads and streets and I imagine car parks soon fill up at busy times.

I enjoyed the trip to St. Augustine immensely – in my daydreams I like to imagine myself living there!  I will definitely return again and stay overnight next time.