Sunday, July 28, 2013

Princess Place Preserve

Hello everyone!

I just got back from my Florida vacation yesterday.  Now, it's back to reality!  But, it's great to be home.  It was nice to sleep in our own bed and use my own kitchen and bath for a change.  I love going to new places, but always appreciate home when I get back!  

We had a great time.  We traveled to St. Augustine and stayed in a condo on the beach.  We did the usual playing in the ocean and sitting on the beach for hours (under a sun shelter) and swimming in the pool.


This time, we took our dog with us.  Loved doing that!  We'll definitely continue traveling with him.  He is the BEST little traveler!  We were able to let him off the leash around our sun shade and he stayed with us despite all the temptations to run off around us.  We were careful to keep him cool and shaded since  his breed is prone to heat stroke.  


He made himself right at home!




The highlight of our trip (for me) was going to the Princess Place Preserve.  It was breathtaking!  It is a 1500 acre preserve owned by Flagler County, that allows fishing, camping, canoeing, picnicking and even horse back riding.  You can learn more about it by clicking here.  

We took a picnic lunch and walked around to see the beautiful rustic unspoiled nature everywhere.
















 


My husband took a kayak out to fish the waters there.  He saw a manatee and even an alligator.  I didn't get too close to the water after I heard that! 



 
Here is a directory in the park.  



After we toured some of the grounds.  We went for a tour of the old home place of Henry Cutting and Angela Mills that originally owned the property in the late 1800's before the county bought it from them many years later. They were aristocrats and even entertained royalty in their Adirondack style home.  They had servants working for them and owned the first in ground swimming pool in FL!  Angela Mills out lived her husband and went on to eventually marry a Russian prince (she met in Russia during her travels) and they moved back here.  That is how she became a princess, thus the name, Princess Place Preserve.


Here is the pool.  How would you like to swim in THAT?!    
Notice the old wood diving board.  This pool is being fed by Artesian springs.



You can see the picture of a young Angela Mills on the sign.



Look at the view from the porch!  There was a wonderful breeze coming off the ocean.


I loved the porch.  It wrapped around the entire house and provided lots of welcome shade and cool breezes.

  



A peek of the inside.  It was mostly unfurnished though.

Kitchen


Butlers Pantry


Dining Room


Since this post is getting long, I'll stop here.  I'll share some more pics of our trip in my next post.  I'm hoping to be able to upload a video I shot on the beach too.  

Hope you enjoyed the tour as much as I did!  

Thanks for stopping by.

~ Kelly ~

28 comments:

must love junk said...

Kelly, what a wonderful vacation! The beach and the preserve both look heavenly! Welcome back to reality :)
Susan

Dayle ~ A Collection of Days said...

St. Augustine is a beautiful place. I enjoyed taking a tour of your experiences. The puppy dog is adorable.

Cheri said...

Sounds as though you had a nice and relaxing time. Can't wait to hear more.

Ivy, Phyllis and Me! said...

Good Evening Kelly, You sound as if you had a wonderful holiday with your family. Your little dog is gorgeous and looked very relaxed under the shade of the canopy.
My husband would have loved canoeing the river as he is a keen canoeist. Actually that would be his perfect holiday.... not mine I'm afraid as I like to see what is beneath my feet, but I would have enjoyed the walk in the park.
Best Wishes,
Daphne

Penny from Enjoying The Simple Things said...

What a lovely vacation you had! It has been years since I was in St. Augustine.

Pondside said...

It sounds like you had the perfect family holiday - something for everyone! The house tour must have been very interesting - it has quite a history.

Kim @ Savvy Southern Style said...

Looks like fun. That is one fancy set up on the beach. I bet I could get Doug to go back if he had a nice shady spot like that. He hates the sun.

Poppy @ With a Dash of Color said...

Sounds like you had a wonderful time on your vacation! Loved the first in-ground swimming pool...we sure have come a long way since then:) Your puppy seems to be enjoying all the beach fun:)Princess Place Preserve looks like a beautiful place for a family vacation, thanks for sharing the pictures with us!Hugs,Poppy

Junkchiccottage said...

Kelly,
Ohhhhh looks heavenly. I can see you had a great time. Love to see your little Boston he reminds me so much of my grand dog Charlie. They are the best breed ever. Glad you are home safe and sound. Welcome home.
Kris

cynthia lee designs said...

Sounds like you had a great time on your vacation. It's been years since we've been to St. Augustine. Your dog is better behaved then mine...Chloe & Zoey are so rotten and would of ran away.
Welcome back home.
hugs,
Cindy

Linda said...

I loved every single pic and will come back as soon as you post MORE! What a great trip! I NEARLY went to St. Augustine once.....wish I had gone!

chateau chic said...

Beautiful spot for a vacation!! I know what you mean about coming home...it always looks so good again.
Mary Alice

Rosemary@villabarnes said...

Welcome back, Kelly. Looks like you had a great time. What a beautiful setting.

Lisa @ Texas Decor said...

Sounds like y'all had a wonderful vacation! Those are beautiful pictures. You should frame the one with the bridge. I loved seeing pics of Princess Place Preserve. Some of the pics reminded me of the Winchester House we toured in San Jose, Ca. Love that wrap around porch too. Thanks for sharing! :)

SImple and Serene Living said...

What a gorgeous place. I just want to walk down that sandy road. Glad you all had such a wonderful time. xo Laura

Daniela @Frugal Aint Cheap said...

I LOVE the pics of Max! Ryan and I just laughed so hard. I bet the breeze was nice on that wrap around porch. I am a summer/beach lover. Welcome back.

Sharon @ mrshinesclass said...

Playing in the water and spending hours on the beach is my idea of the perfect vacation.

You got some great photos from the Princess Place. They would look great framed.

Glad you had a good vacation!

This N That said...

Thanks for the tour Kelly..What a lovely spot..Great pictures...No,the pool doesn't look too inviting.. Looks like a great trip!

Bliss said...

What a good doggie! Our's wiggled out of his collar at Yellowstone and thankfully he stopped to snack on some crumbs someone dropped or we never would of caught him.

Sandy said...

Hi Kelly,

Your dog is adorable! I love it when we can travel with our dogs. I was in St. Augstine in March for my niece's wedding. Next time we go I want to stay in a condo on the beach. We stayed in the touristy historic district. I know what you mean about appreciating home after a vacation.

Vickie @ Ranger 911 said...

It looks like you had a wonderful vacation, Kelly! We kayak on the lakes and rivers in our area, but thank goodness we don't have to watch for alligators!!!

Gorgeous photos!

Babs said...

The story of Princess Place Preserve is really interesting, but I don't think I'd be interested in swimming in the pool. Great ocean view though. Nice vacation photos.

Shirley@Housepitality Designs said...

Wow..in all the years that I have lived in Florida, I have never been to Princess Place Preserve...my niece lives in St. Augustine and I am sure she knows about it...and my sister goes there very often to stay in a condo and they go boating...St.Augustine is such a very interesting place..! Glad you had a good time..love that uber umbrella!

Cindy @ Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home said...

We were in Florida a few weeks ago and didn't see the sun once! Never needed our sun glasses or sunscreen, so I'm so ready to go back and actually touch the sand! Love the kitchen, so charming!
Blessings,
Cindy
(Your pup is adorable!)

At Rivercrest Cottage said...

what a beautiful place to vacation in. Loved the kitchen and butler's pantry...looks like it would fit right in to a home today.

Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoes said...

Glad you had a great vacation, Kelly! The preserve looks amazing...I'd love to see that. We took our dog on our last vacation...it was great! After all, she is a part of the family! Nice that you could take yours, too. Looking forward to more of your vacation pics!

Christine at Little Brags said...

Kelly I just love that you were able to take your little puppy with you on vacation...the white sand looks heavenly!!! FUN FUN FUN

Darren Demers said...

Since this post is getting long, I'll stop here. I'll share some more pics of our trip in my next post. I'm hoping to be able to upload a video I shot on the beach too. evil eye necklace canada , evil eye necklace australia