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St. Augustine
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St Augustine Distillery
St Augustine Distillery
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Alcazar Hotel, St Augustine
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Alcazar Hotel, St Augustine
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Beach on Hilton Head Island
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Castillo de San Marcos National Monument - St. Augustine, Florida
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Castillo de San Marcos bathed in morning light
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Thomas Jefferson’s mansion in Virginia
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Salem Witch Museum
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Salem Witch Museum
By Jeff Crider
Rather than rushing straight to the white sand beaches, and warm breezes of Florida this year, leave a little earlier and take in some of the east coasts unique events, attractions and activities.
But there are many other interesting things to see and do while making your way south along the Eastern Seaboard this fall — even beyond visiting the major tourist destinations such as Boston, New York City, Washington D.C.Here are a few suggestions that could make for interesting side trips as you head south:
Explore the history of witchcraft in Salem, Mass.:
Salem is widely known for its infamous witch trials, which took place in 1692 and 1693, when more than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft and 20 were executed. Local attractions include the Salem Witch Museum (www.salemwitchmuseum.com) and The Witch House (http://www.salemweb.com/witchhouse/). Built in 1692, The Witch House was the home of Judge Jonathan Corwin and is the only remaining structure in Salem directly connected to the witchcraft trials of 1692. Salem is also the site of some of the oldest architectural landmarks in the U.S. as well as special events that are unique to Salem. These include:
— The House of the Seven Gables: Built in 1668, this is the oldest surviving 17th century wooden mansion in New England. Also known as the Turner-Ingersoll Mansion, The House of the Seven Gables inspired author Nathaniel Hawthorne to write his classic novel of the same name. http://www.7gables.org
— Salem’s Annual Psychic Fair & Witchcraft Expo: Held in Salem’s historic downtown every year from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. throughout October, the expo features the Witch City’s most talented psychics. Activities include Tarot card readings, palm readings and past life readings. www.festivalofthedead.com
Go Whale Watching Off The Coast of Cape Ann
Whale watching off the coast of Cape Ann, roughly 65 km (40 mi) northeast of Boston, is a popular activity through October. There are several whale watching companies from which to choose, including 7 Seven Seas Whale Watch (https://www.7seaswhalewatch.com/) and Captain Bill and Sons Whale Watch (http://www.captbillandsons.com/). It’s also fun to explore the historic fishing towns of Rockport and Gloucester, which are also located on Cape Ann.
Sample some of New England’s best clam chowder
— The 33rd annual Essex Clamfest and Clam Chowder Competition will be held Oct. 24 at Shepard Memorial Park at 24 Martin Street in Essex. http://capeannchamber.com/signature-events/essex-clamfest-and-clam-chowder-competition/
Visit Thomas Jefferson’s mansion at Monticello
Open year round, the historic home of Thomas Jefferson is on top of a beautiful forested hill near Charlottesville, Va. In addition to writing the Declaration of Independence, serving as the U.S. minister to France, and the third president of the United States, Jefferson was intrigued with architecture. He designed and redesigned Monticello several times over four decades, eventually redesigning the home to reflect the neoclassical architectural styles he admired while living in France. Tours and special events are scheduled throughout the year. Visit www.monticello.org.
Wedge Your Toes in the Sand at Hilton Head Island, SC
— The Coastal Discovery Museum isn’t your average musty old museum. The Honey Horn History Walk will lead you on a walk through 200 years of Honey Horns past, or you could join a certified guide to get a closer look at a the salt marsh on the Kayaking Jarvis Creek experience. The stable touring kayak will allow you to explore creeks and inlets to view local denizens like dolphins and wading birds.
— Practice your swing – in a tennis program or on the links at Palmetto Dunes, take in the symphony or just leave your footprints in the sand on one of the beautiful beaches.
Hilton Head offers an eclectic range of experiences in the fall, from a seafood festival to farmers market, polo matches to car club cruises. Visit www.hiltonheadisland.org for a schedule of events and activities.
Explore St. Augustine, Fla., the oldest city in the United States
Established by the Spanish in 1565, St. Augustine is the oldest permanently occupied European settlement in North America, founded 42 years before the establishment of the English colony in Jamestown, Va. and 55 years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. Under Spanish, British and American control during the past 450 years, St. Augustine has a rich architectural history. Local attractions include:
— America’s oldest wooden schoolhouse: Built over 200 years ago, while Florida was under Spanish control, the two-story schoolhouse was made of red cedar and cypress and held together with wooden pegs and handmade nails. www.oldestwoodenschoolhouse.com.
— Some of finest examples of Spanish architecture on the East Coast: These include luxury hotels originally built by Henry M. Flager, a railroad tycoon and co-founder of Standard Oil Company who transformed St. Augustine into a resort community in the 1880s.
These hotels include the Ponce de Leon Hotel. Built in 1888 in the Spanish Renaissance style by New York architects John Carrère and Thomas Hastings, the architectural duo who later designed the New York Public Library and the U.S. Senate Office Building. According to wikipedia.com, “the hotel was wired for electricity at the onset, with the power being supplied by D.C. generators supplied by Flagler's friend, Thomas Edison. When electricity was first put in, Henry M. Flagler hired staff to turn power on and off for his residents, because the people staying at the hotel were too afraid to turn the switches on and off.” The building and grounds of the hotel are today a part of Flagler College, a private liberal arts college. Other Flager hotels in St. Augustine include the Hotel Alcazar, built in 1887, which is used today as the Lightner Museum (www.lightnermuseum.org). The museum features costumes, furnishings, mechanical wooden instruments, Victorian art, stained glasswork and other artifacts from America’s Guilded Age in the late 19th century. Thanks to Flager’s hotel and railroad building efforts, he not only transformed St. Augustine into a resort community, but also helped develop several other Florida communities into resort destinations, including Palm Beach and Miami.
Other attractions in St. Augustine include:
— Castillo de San Marcos: Built in 1672, the Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fortress in the U.S. and a prime example of the “bastion system of fortification” used in the 17th century. The fortress is made of coquina limestone, which proved to be unusually long lasting because it could actually absorb or deflect cannonballs rather than gradually disintegrate under cannonball attack. http://www.nps.gov/casa/index.htm
— St. Augustine Distillery Company: Florida’s first legal distillery since Prohibition, St. Augustine Distillery produces whiskey, rum, gin and vodka. The distillery’s New World Gin was awarded a gold medal in this year’s American Craft Spirits Association competition, which featured over 300 entries from more than 200 distilleries across the U.S. The distillery is housed inside Florida’s oldest ice manufacturing plant, built in 1917. Tours are free and include tastings. www.staugustinedistillery.com
— Whetstone Chocolate Factory: Founded as a family business by Henry and Esther Whetstone in 1966, the factory offers tours that introduce visitors to the history of chocolate making as well as the Whetstone Chocolate Factory’s growth from a small ice cream shop to a wholesale supplier for numerous retailers, including Nestle, Hershey and M&M Mars. The factory’s website says its tours are “decadently delicious” and are “designed for the chocoholic with a discriminating palette searching for the subtleties that that define artisan chocolates.” Henry and Esther Whetstone’s daughter, Virginia, is now deeply involved in the business. “Like wine grapes, cocoa beans vary from year to year according to climatic conditions and their location.” Virginia says on the company’s website. “Because our chocolate is only as good as the raw materials used to make it, I select the best chocolate from more than 200 grades. I choose chocolate based on qualities such as percentage of cocoa butter, granule fineness, flavor, colour and conch time. I have personally visited cocoa plantations around the world to ensure I acquire the best.” www.whetstonechocolates.com