Van and Motorcoach tours, Green Cove Springs, Florida Sight-Seeing Tours

Treaty Oak ( 1000 year old Live Oak )

Now we are off to the Riverside/Avondale area. In the Summer of 1920 this ad was placed about this neighborhood : “Avondale, Riverside’s Residential Ideal. Where only the correct and well to do people would live. Avondale is desirable because the right kind of people have recognized its worth and the wrong kind of people can find property more to their liking elsewhere”. Can you imagine reading that today? See the Park Lane Apartments: These were called co-op apartments- the first Florida condos. We will also see the “Bryson Residence” this house is known as the “Marble House” made of marble quarried in Georgia. Two of our favorites: The Leon Cheek residence built in 1928. Mr. Cheek was head of the Cheek and Niel Coffee company. Today we call it Maxwell House coffee. We will drive by 7 historical homes.

Here is some history of Amelia Island:

In 1562 French explorer Jean Ribault named it the Isle of May. In 1736 Gov. James Oglethorpe sailed south beyond the shores of Cumberland island. Here he found this most beautiful island. With the smell of blossoming orange trees and the blue white harbor he thought this had to be Georgia. He named the Island Amelia. All names before this where canceled. Even the Spanish called it Amelia

Amelia Sophia Eleanora was born June 10, 1710, the 3rd daughter of King George II. Like the Legacy of her Island name sake, Princess Amelia’s own life story is one of extremes

Princess Amelia was in love with her cousin Crown Prince of Prussia (a state in Germany) The future Frederick the Great. This was a love that was not meant to be. You’ll hear more about her on the tour.

From 1807 to 1878, Amelia Island was known as the "Spanish Hussy"? Five blocks in Old Town, named Ladies' Promenade, housed 50 saloons and bordellos ( no longer standing).

So it is easy to say that “Amelia Island was founded by the French, named by the English, and tamed by the Americas”.

Homes on this Island date back as far as 1800. We will get to drive by some of the most unusual homes and businesses. The Palace Saloon was the last tavern in the country to close during Prohibition. It took more than two years to deplete its supply of spirits. In contrast, it was the first hard liquor bar in Florida to sell Coca-Cola.

Also Fairbanks Folly. Mayor Fairbank had this house built for his wife in 1885. It is an Italian style house painted green and yellow with rosy red trim. The inside had the same colors. Mrs. Fairbanks would not move in! Come hear about these and more stories of this colorful island.
(Lunch is on your own with free time for shopping).

Meet your escort / guide and motor coach at 8:30 AM then at 9:00 AM we board our coach and head for the oldest continuously occupied city in the United States, St. Augustine. We will take A1A down. Most people don't know that our beaches are on a barrier island. We will ride on the island to St. Augustine with narration & history along the way.

Learn how St. Augustine became the "Oldest Continuously occupied city”.

At 10:00 AM we start our tour of the “Oldest City”.

Drive by with narration & history :

Fountain of Youth, Old Jail, Mission of Nombre de Dios ( Shrine) where first Catholic mass was said, Castillo de San Marcos our nations oldest monument, and much more of the “Oldest City”.

We will also see Magnolia St., listed in the National Geographic as one of the most beautiful streets in America. We will hear about Henry Flagler and his three wives. I must say that if these folks were here today, Ida Alice ( Henry’s 2nd wife ) would surely have had them on ALL the Jerry Springer show!!!

We will also see & go into one of the amazing buildings Henry had built. We will go in the church Henry built to the glory of God and in the memory of his daughter, Jenny Louise.

After Jenny’s daughter died at birth. Jenny was on her way to St. Augustine from New York, to spend some time with her father. Jenny died on the family yacht in 1889.

Henry ordered the church to be built before the anniversary of Jenny’s death.

It took a crew of 1000 men working in two shifts, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to complete the church in 361 days.

Now at about 11:45 AM free time for shopping and lunch on St. George Street.

At 2:30 PM we board our coach and head back to your hotel.