Castillo De San Marcos National Monument

When you're in St. Augustine, do not to miss the Castillo De San Marcos National Monument. According to the U.S. Department of Interior this is a Spanish Fort, established in 1672 at a cost of $30 million by the Spanish King. It stood firm against English attacks and helped Spain hold Florida for many years. During the American Revolution, it was a British stronghold. Later it became a battery in the U.S. coastal defense system.

When standing atop that beautiful relic looking out into the clear blue ocean or over at picturesque St. Augustine, it is hard to imagine that over 300 years ago this fort stood against cannon attack from land and sea. After touring the fort, I understand why the townspeople ran to the fort for protection.

You can meander through the fort on your own, but we took the Ranger Walk. Many of these rangers are great story tellers and make the historical information much easier to remember and absorb. It was also a casual environment, so if we wanted to investigate an area a bit longer it was easy to leave the group. Throughout the fort there are also re-enactors who demonstrate life in the period. There is also a firearms display. These are definite favorites for the kids allowing them to see how things actually happened rather than having to just read about it in a book.

Outside the Fort there is a green area that is a great place for a picnic, or if you aren’t in to picnicking bring whatever take out you prefer.