Jour 1

• A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway

• 9:00 - 26.3 miles / 52 minutes - 9:52

  Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church

  Another legacy of the Flagler Era (circa 1887-1913) of St. Augustine history, the Flagler Memorial Presbyterian Church offers a classic example of the Venetian Renaissance style. The building, designed by nationally renowned architects Thomas Hastings and John M. Carrere, was built by hotel entrepreneur Henry Flagler in memory of his daughter, Jennie Louise, who died at sea en route to St. Augustine in 1889.
  The remains of Flagler and his first wife, Mary, lie beside those of his daughter in a mausoleum within the church. The copper dome of the building, modeled after St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice, reaches some 150 feet into the air. Elaborate capitols of old gold and white terra cotta decorate the base of the dome.

• 9:52 - 0.2 miles / - 9:53

  Castillo de San Marcos

  Castillo de San Marcos was for many years the northern most outpost of the Spanish New World Empire. In 1672 construction of the Castillo de San Marcos, the immense and impressive fortress that guards Matanzas Bay, began. Faced by the growing English presence to the north the Spanish needed to strengthen the City's defenses; therefore, Spanish soldiers and Native Americans were pressed into service to build a giant structure of coquina blocks quarried from nearby Anastasia Island.
  Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort and the best-preserved example of Spanish colonial fortification built in the continental United States. Designed by Spanish Engineer Ignacio Daza, it was built in the form of a hollow star with a diamond shape bastion at each corner. Construction of this fort was finally completed in 1695. The physical integrity and the structural splendor of this massive fortress remains largely intact more than three centuries after its completion.

• 10:53 - 0.3 miles / - 10:53

  Fort Matanzas National Monument

  Since its founding in 1565, the military outpost town of St. Augustine had been the heart of Spain's coastal defenses in Florida. After the completion of the Castillo de San Marcos in 1695, the town had only one weakness: fourteen miles to the south Matanzas Inlet allowed access to the Matanzas River, by which enemy vessels could attack the town from the rear - out of range of the Castillo's cannons. The presence of Ft. Matanzas physically demonstrates the determination of the Spanish colonial authorities to improve their defensive posture in northeast Florida.
  Completed in 1742, the fortification was erected on the West Bank of the Matanzas River, immediately north of an inlet from the ocean, in order to prohibit enemy ships from proceeding northward along the river in an attack against the settlement at St. Augustine. Cannons mounted on the gun deck of the fort could easily menace any ship proceeding along the waterway.

• 10:53 - 1.1 miles / 2 minutes - 10:55

  St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park

  For over 100 years, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm has delighted visitors of all ages with displays of alligators, crocodiles, exotic birds, and reptiles. Plan your visit around one of the provocative presentations or just browse on your own. Stroll the boardwalk in the natural bird rookery for views of brightly feathered birds. The St. Augustine Alligator Farm offers entertainment for all!
  Displays include one of the largest snakes in the world, a female python measuring nearly 22 feet in length. Nearby, a Komodo dragon, the largest lizard in the world, and a crocodile monitor, the world's longest lizard, will bring added excitement to visitors of all ages. Other new additions to the exhibit include deadly king cobras and a Cassoway, a large and colorful flightless bird found in Australia and New Guinea.

• 10:55 - 12.5 miles / 25 minutes - 11:20

  Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach

  A1A passes through Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area,
  which provides the visitor with a unique "river to sea experience."
  The park provides visitors with the opportunity to observe nature
  within the various biological communities. The east side of the
  park offers an oceanfront camping area (34 campsites), bathhouse,
  and dune walkovers, as well as parking, picnic shelters, and
  restrooms for the beach swimming area. The west side of the park
  has a boat basin and launch area, picnic pavilions, and a nature
  trail.

• 11:20 - 19.3 miles / 38 minutes - 11:59

  A1A Scenic & Historic Coastal Byway - end