There’s something special about celebrating America’s birthday in St. Augustine, FL. Not only is it the first city of our great nation, but it is full of history and exciting things to do during the 4th of July weekend.
Many of our guests that come to Crescent Beach can’t wait to get their toes in the sand and enjoy the view, but during the 4th of July weekend I am often asked, “How do you celebrate America’s birthday?”
If I were a guest and wanted to truly experience the area like a local, my 4th of July weekend would be planned like something like this:
First day, I would check-in to Beacher’s Lodge and hit the grocery store for fruit, burgers, hot dogs, lots of bottled water and maybe a few adult drinks, like Fresca. We all know that America loves to celebrate her birthday with burgers and dogs on the grill and lucky for us, we have charcoal grills here on the property for our guests to use.
After I have stocked my fridge for the weekend, I would kick off my shoes and enjoy the view of the ocean and just relax before whipping up a quick meal.
Second day of my 4th of July weekend has arrived and I would be up early as I want to watch the sunrise on the beach. Nothing beats a nice beach stroll first thing in the morning. Have you ever noticed how cool the sand feels between your toes in the morning?
After eating breakfast I would grab my bathing suit, flip flops, sunscreen, floppy hat, beach chair and head for the beach. Naturally the rest of my day will be perfectly well spent in paradise as the ocean sings to me and I get a nice tan!
That evening I would travel down the road to the historic district of beautiful St. Augustine. Strolling along the cobblestone roads is kind of like being in Europe as the architecture still shows signs of years long ago. In the historic district I would do a little shopping and try various foods along the way. To end my night I would walk along the bayfront and take in the view of the Bridge of Lions and all the boats in the river. Nothing beats this view as the wind blows through your hair and the lights dance off the water.
The 4th of July has arrived and it’s all about relaxing and having fun! To celebrate the 4th, I would build sandcastles and rent a bike from Big Bill’s Beach Stuff, and enjoy a little bit of kayaking to make it a perfect day. After all, we all come to Florida to work on our tan, so being outdoors is a must. After a day of fun in the sun I’m ready to fire up the grill and enjoy a good ole fashioned 4th of July cookout, Beacher’s style! After enjoying a little dinner with friends and family we would head to St. Augustine to watch the Fireworks over the Matanzas. You can watch the fireworks from either the downtown historic district or you can watch from the southside of the Bridge of Lions. I personally prefer the area by the Bridge of Lions as it is not as crowded and yes, you can hear the music play.
For those that love marathons, St. Johns Golf and Country Club hosts the Stars and Stripes 5K every fourth of July at 8 a.m., but I am like most of our guests which means I will start the 4th of July celebration with my toes in the sand.