[NOTE: I’ve blogged all these “how-to” posts before, but am gonna re-run them on occasion, since folks may have missed them, and many of them have been updated or expanded since they were first posted.] Before you can set off on your cross-country journey, there are some bureaucratic paperwork issues you will need to deal … More Life in the Van: Bureaucracy

A lizard fight. Springtime has begun, and the male Anole Lizards here are all testosterone-poisoned and ready to duke it out for territories.

The Lightner Museum is housed, along with the St Augustine City Hall, in the old Alcazar Hotel building. The Alcazar Hotel in St Augustine was another luxury resort that was created by railroad magnate Henry Flagler to entice northern tourists to winter in Florida. (He had already opened the Hotel Ponce de Leon a few … More Lightner Museum

Florida has a wonderful diversity of wildlife (at least in those places that we haven’t yet paved over for condos and parking lots), and I can pretty much take a walk on any given day and see at least a dozen different species. So, here are some critters and birdies encountered recently. Most of them … More Some Critters and Birdies Seen Lately

According to legend, the Spanish explorer Ponce de Leon went to Florida in search of the fabled Fountain of Youth, which gave immortality to anyone who drank from its waters. In reality, though, de Leon was just looking for gold and glory. Juan Ponce de Leon was born in Spain sometime around the year 1460 … More Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park

This is an open-air museum featuring re-enactors and interpreters who present the history of St Augustine. Some photos.

[NOTE: I ve blogged all these how-to posts before, but am gonna re-run them on occasion, since folks may have missed them, and many of them have been updated or expanded since they were first posted.] Whenever people find out that I live fulltime in my camper van, their first question is always “how do … More Life in the Van: The Bathroom

The Cathedral Basilica of St Augustine serves the oldest Catholic Church parish in North America. The conflict between Spain and France in 16th century Florida was just as much based on religious fervor as it was on imperial and commercial motives. Although Christianity began as a persecuted minority sect within the Roman Empire, by the … More Cathedral Basilica de St Augustine FL

Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest existing stone fort in North America. In 1670, the British established a colony at nearby Charleston, South Carolina, and took a new interest in Florida. As a result, in 1672 the Spanish at St Augustine constructed a new stone fort, Castillo de San Marcos, to defend the town. … More Castillo de San Marcos

The Gonzalez-Alvarez House is the oldest home in St Augustine. The city of St Augustine was founded by the Spanish in 1565, and it continued as a Spanish colony until 1763, when it became a British possession under the treaty which ended the French and Indian War. In 1783, however, Florida once again reverted to … More The Gonzalez-Alvarez House