Intimate Bed and Breakfast in St. Augustine's Historic District

In the late 1800s, tourism boomed around the city of St. Augustine. Extravagant hotels soon popped up along the railroad, including the Ponce de León Hotel. It was a sprawling Spanish Revival building bedecked with Tiffany stained-glass windows and elaborate frescoes, and the guest list was exclusive. It was too exclusive for Boston native Conrad Decker, who frequently vacationed in St. Augustine, so he chose to build his own vacation spot in the city. A charming Victorian-style residence, it is now home to At Journey's End Bed and Breakfast, situated steps from Flagler College, where you can also tour the former Ponce de León Hotel.

White rocking chairs are arranged on the sun-drenched front porch of At Journey's End Bed and Breakfast. Inside, guest rooms are outfitted with period furnishings and artwork inspired by exotic destinations—for example, statues of ancient pharaohs decorate the Egypt room, which features a cozy two-person jacuzzi. The Key West suite, meanwhile, has an wood and wrought-iron bed set amid candy-pink accent walls and paintings of palm trees and tropical flowers.

For breakfast, innkeeper Tim Millbern whips up something new every day; he even occasionally uses recipes that have been sent to him by former guests. Among the favorites are raspberry french toast, corn and cheese flan, and dutch babies—fluffy oven-baked pancakes. It's worth it to head to the outdoor deck, where you can eat breakfast or sip complimentary refreshments, including beer and wine, which are available to guests throughout the day.

St. Augustine, FL: Exotic Wildlife and Spanish-Colonial Architecture in City Steeped in History

Settled in 1565 by Spanish conquistadors, St. Augustine is among the oldest cities in the United States, and it's lined with preserved artifacts and old architecture. One of the city's best-known landmarks is the Castillo de San Marcos, a fortress made from coquina limestone that spans over 20 acres. Here you can see centuries-old cannons and historical reenactments.

You can also take a horse-drawn carriage ride through the downtown district to see beautiful examples of Spanish-colonial architecture, including the Cathedral Basilica. The St. Augustine Lighthouse & Museum, meanwhile, displays artifacts that have been retrieved from sunken ships; you can also climb to the top of the tower to watch the sun set over the Atlantic Ocean.

More than 40 miles of beaches line St. Augustine, and they make up much of the landscape. About a 10 minute drive north, Anastasia State Park has more than a thousand acres of hiking trails, sand dunes, and native waterfowl. The creatures are more exotic at St. Augustine Alligator Farm, where you can see albino alligators, komodo dragons, and African vultures in between alligator feedings and zipline tours over live alligator pits.