Hi guys!! How was your Easter?

We are back into the swing of things this week after traveling for Blakely’s spring break last week.

The Friday before Easter Casey, Blakely and I made the 6-hour drive from Atlanta to St. Augustine where we met my parents and younger sister Kristin! We spent a wonderful 4 nights and 5 days staying on Anastasia Island where we filled our days with the warm Florida sunshine, visiting with my grandpa and mom’s side of the family, eating fresh delicious seafood, reading books and building sandcastles on the beach, and exploring the historic city together.

Then Casey and I attempted to work from home with Blakely for the rest of her spring break… which was no easy task. Probably a little too much screen time, but hey you gotta do what you gotta do.

St. Augustine is a city that is lively, historic and full of southern charm. Fun fact is it is the oldest city in the mainland US! Whether you’re strolling through the cobblestone streets downtown, admiring the Spanish-inspired architecture, lounging on the the soft white sand overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, or exploring one of the many historical landmarks, you won’t be short of things to do in this city.

On our long weekend getaway, we ate most of our dinner meals out, so I have a full list of recommendations for you all. We also filled our days with some must-see and do activities. Especially if you have little ones, all of the restaurants and activities I’m sharing are kid-friendly!

KID-FRIENDLY SPRING BREAK IN ST. AUGUSTINE FLORIDA

WHERE WE ATE

SALT LIFE FOOD SHACK

If you like live music, a bustling beachy ambiance, and fresh seafood, you will love Salt Life Food Shack. We arrived around 5 p.m. for an early dinner to an already packed restaurant. Though, we didn’t mind because we found a spot at the bar to wait, sip and listen to the guitarist outside performing classic sing-along hits. We got seated in about 20 minutes and started off with the chips + queso which was surprisingly delicious. I then ordered the almond crusted grouper paired with veggies and WOW this might have been my favorite meal of the whole trip!

PARLOR DOUGHNUTS

Saturday morning Casey and I woke up early and headed to grab donuts for the family around 7 a.m. when they first opened. This spot is located on the island as well and is SO CUTE! It checks the boxes for good coffee and freshly made donuts. We were the only ones in there that early and the staff was so friendly and helpful with it being our first time. We opted for the French toast donut (one of their best sellers!), one cinnamon, one honey glazed, one chocolate and two glazed sprinkle. Casey also got an iced latte that he said was delicious!

ST. AUGUSTINE FISH HOUSE

St. Augustine Fish House takes the cake for the best vibes. After church we headed over to this spot for an Easter brunch/lunch. We arrived when they first opened so we were seated right away. It was a BEAUTIFUL sunny day so we sat outside overlooking the marsh. It was so peaceful and reminded me a lot of Charleston, SC. They had live music too which only amplified the good vibes.

This spot is especially kid-friendly too. They had Easter eggs hidden all around the restaurant for kids to find with prizes like little toy dinosaurs inside! They also had a game area for kids outside with bubbles, a giant connect 4, and hula hoops. Blakely had a blast!

Food wise, I got the fresh grilled shrimp, mashed potatoes and green beans. Casey got the oysters (see pic below) and was one happy boy!

ST. AUGUSTINE SEAFOOD COMPANY

If you like casual and easy this is the spot to eat dinner at when visiting Downtown St. Augustine. There is a large courtyard behind the restaurant with a stage and picnic tables to eat at… and lots of room for the kids to run around which was a HUGE plus!

The food is amazing too! They mainly serve seafood (hence the name) so I opted for a shrimp salad. The rest of my family got the fried shrimp basket, oysters (which Casey said was even better than at St. Augustine Fish House), and the fish tacos. Everything tasted great!

CONCH HOUSE

Floating tiki huts, good food + drinks, even a baby alligator exhibit! The Conch House is a must-try restaurant with all the Florida charm. Pro tip to get there early because this place gets crowded!

There was an awesome bar down the boardwalk that sits right over the water to grab a drink at while we waited for our table. After about 30 minutes, we headed to our tiki hut and enjoyed another fresh seafood dinner! The food, service, ambiance and drinks here were all wonderful. It’s our second year in a row going!

WHAT WE DID

VISIT THE LIGHTHOUSE

The iconic St. Augustine lighthouse is a must-visit! It was built in 1871, but the first ever watch tower was built in the late 1500s here. We were surprised to find how much there was to do on the grounds.

My younger sister Kristin and I climbed up over 200 steps to the top of the lighthouse and got the admire the best view of the city. Blakely sadly didn’t meet the height requirement to climb the lighthouse, so my mom took her to the shipyard themed play area.

Along with visiting the lighthouse, there are also nature trails to hike, exhibits to explore with shipwreck artifacts, take a tour inside the keeper’s house, and more! With so much history also comes ghost stories so be sure to ask about the story of the Pittee Girls (see pic below).

SHOP, EAT AND EXPLORE ON ST. GEORGE STREET DOWNTOWN

There is so much to do on the lively and historic St. George Street! Even just strolling, popping in and out of shops and trying a new restaurant with local cuisine makes for the perfect day. But for a little extra, there are trolley tours, museums, ghost tours, and the historic Castillo De San Marcos fort right next door.

We ventured downtown for dinner and popped into St. Augustine Seafood Company for dinner (mentioned above). We then walked around and stopped for strawberry ice cream for Blakely. This is also a fun area to people watch because you see it all!

HAVE A BEACH DAY

Or have two or three! St. Augustine beaches are so beautiful. What’s unique about this beach is you are allowed to drive right onto the beach and park which makes loading and unloading all the beach items a million times easier.

We had two beach days full of building sandcastles, putting our toes in the water (which was still very cold!), Casey attempting to fish (no luck), and me attempting to read with a toddler (also no luck lol). We got so lucky with 4 days of sunshine and no rain though!

CHURCH FOR EASTER

We attended Anastasia Church Easter morning and had a wonderful service! The pastor mentioned a fun fact that the greek meaning of Anastasia is “resurrection” which was so fitting for Easter weekend.

VISIT A LOCAL PARK

If you have vacationed with kids you’ve also probably gotten really good at knowing where all the playgrounds are around you! We took Blakely to Ron Parker Park on Anastasia Island for a few hours one of the mornings and she had a blast. Such a good way to get outside and let the kids play!

EASTER EGG HUNT AND FAMILY TIME

In the spirit of Easter, my grandpa put together an Easter Egg hunt for Blakely in his front yard! She was in full turbo mode finding all of the eggs. Especially the giant golden egg at the end that help a special unicorn prize!

Along with exploring the city, the main reason for our trip was to spend time with my grandpa. We enjoyed a nice dinner over at his house one of the nights where we played corn hole, ring toss, and watched Blakely improve dance to songs playing on his record player. It was such a wonderful trip full of so much fun and family time.

And that concludes our wonderful Easter getaway! I hope this brought you guys some inspiration and things to do if you visit this beautiful city. Hope you guys have a great rest of your week!