Our spotlight on St. Augustine, Florida continues this week with golf and restaurant reviews by our members. Take a look at last week’s Vacation Exchange Network Blog for posts about sights to see and things to do in St. Augustine and vacation homes available for swap in St. Augustine.

Golf and Restaurant Reviews by The Vacation Exchange Network Members

Our members’ St. Augustine golf course picks:

St. Johns Golf & Country Club is located between St. Augustine and Jacksonville, Florida and offers extraordinary golf. The 18-hole Clyde Johnston-designed course has the right challenges for novice and avid golfers alike. A great place to hone your skills, St. Johns is known for its consistent quality of service and conditions, being nationally ranked for customer satisfaction and loyalty by the National Golf Foundation, and host to the PGA TOUR Qualifying School in 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008.

Cimarrone Golf in Jacksonville should not be missed. Cimarrone’s manicured course conditions and challenging design provides a fun, player-friendly experience for golfers of all abilities.

King & Bear Golf Course in World Golf Village is named for its co-designers, World Golf Hall of Fame members Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Wide fairways, top-notch conditioning. Not to be missed!

These restaurants have gotten rave reviews by our members:

O.C. White’s Restaurant: If sightseeing downtown, O.C. Whites is a good choice for lunch or dinner. Offering fresh local seafood, it is located in a historic building. Music in the patio area in the evening creates a fun atmosphere to spend part of an evening.

Pusser’s Bar and Grill in Ponte Vedra Beach (a short drive north of St. Augustine) is a great spot. Try the fish and chips. You won’t be sorry.

Ocean 60 (in Atlantic Beach) is a trendy spot with great food. You’d think you were in SOHO in New York City. Be sure and make a reservation because it’s a very popular spot. Located in a very cute little area that’s perfect for taking a walk after dinner.

Benito’s: There were so many good restaurants in the area, but for wonderful Italian food, don’t miss Benito’s. Located in Vilano Beach (a section of St. Augustine), the food at this very unassuming spot is terrific. On top of wonderful food, the prices are very reasonable. Over a two week period, we ate here four times.

Columbia Restaurant: This Spanish restaurant on St. George Street serves wonderful food with atmosphere. Indoor patio is stunning. Don’t miss the Scallops Casimiro.

Aunt Kate’s is a casual spot with great food and reasonable prices. The fried shrimp is terrific.

Salt Water Cowboy’s is not fancy but has a pleasant atmosphere; good food with a southern flair and good value. For those with a daring streak, try the fried alligator. Of course, be sure and try the fried chicken.

The Vacation Exchange Network is always looking for restaurant, golf, attraction, and destination reviews. Please share yours in the comments section below, or if you are a member, please email us with your reviews.

The Vacation Exchange Network

Unmatched in the home exchange industry, The Vacation Exchange Network is the vacation home owner’s first stop in vacation planning. Swap a stay in your vacation home for a stay anywhere in the United States or around the world, without the necessity of having to find someone who wants to use your home. Please visit The Vacation Exchange Network’s main site for more information about how home swaps work or to become a member and start planning your next home exchange vacation!

Vacation Home Swap Opportunities in St. Augustine with The Vacation Exchange Network

In yesterday’s blog post about St. Augustine, we highlighted the variety of sights to see and activities the oldest city in the United States offers to its visitors.

What better way to visit St. Augustine than with a home exchange?  The Vacation Exchange Network has many beautiful homes available for swap in St. Augustine and the surrounding area.  Here are just a few:

This modern oceanfront St. Augustine, Florida vacation home is steps away from beach and may be the perfect property for your next home exchange.  Stunning wrap-around deck has private hot tub.  The kitchen is modern with granite counters and upgraded Viking appliances.  Vacationers can collect sharks teeth, surf, fish, charter a deep sea fishing boat, rent jet skis, para-sail, scuba dive, and rent ocean kayaks.   The restaurants and culture of St. Augustine are less then 5 minutes away.

This ocean-side 2 Bedroom, 2 Bath condo in St. Augustine is 50 yards from the beach.  Available are 2 pools and tennis courts, property is located across the street from the intracoastal waterway.  Come to sail, tour, windsurf, surf, play golf, or just relax.

This ocean view condo has private beach access.  The 2 bedroom, 2 bath home is newly remodeled and sleeps 7.  The complex is gated, has 2 pools, tennis, a hot tub, and shuffle board.   The property is just minutes away from Historic Old St. Augustine, Sawgrass, (home of Tournament Players Club), and the World Golf Village.

Home Exchange with The Vacation Exchange Network

Remember that with The Vacation Exchange Network, you always have the choice of mutual (direct) home swaps or non-mutual (indirect) home swaps.  Browse our vacation home listings, or contact one of our Exchange Coordinators to find your next vacation!

Come back to our blog tomorrow for members’ reviews of St. Augustine golf and restaurants!

This St. Augustine Florida Vacation Home Available for Home Swap with The Vacation Exchange Network

St. Augustine, Florida Has Something to Offer Everyone

Founded in 1565 by Spanish settlers, St. Augustine is the oldest continually occupied European settlement in the United States.  It was born as a military outpost and, at various times, was home to Spanish colonists, Catholic missionaries, escaped slaves, and Minorcan settlers.  The city was a winter resort for wealthy Americans in the late 1800s and played a role in the civil rights struggle with a campaign led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

St. Augustine’s long and rich history is reflected in its unique architecture and city plan.  Visitors can learn more by visiting the Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum where several structures have been restored and re-enactors  bring visitors back to the 1740s.  Simply strolling the city’s narrow, old world streets and being amongst the Spanish-style homes and various other notable sights will also bring history to life.

For visitors looking beyond the city’s history, this unique vacation destination will not disappoint.  For golfers, St. Augustine boasts the World Golf Hall of Fame and championship golf courses to match.  For those looking for a distinctive adventure, you won’t believe The St. Augustine Alligator Farm and its zoological park.  For vacationers longing to relax and perhaps find some seashells, the beaches of St. Augustine and the surrounding towns are among the best in Florida.   And the St. Augustine Lighthouse surely won’t disappoint.

Thursday evenings are a night out for adults and kids alike, as tourists and locals gather at the St. Augustine Plaza for outdoor Concerts in the Plaza.  Concerts are every Thursday from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

For even more information on all St. Augustine has to offer, take a look at a great blog tailor-made for St. Augustine visitors at The St. Augustine Travel Guide.

What better way to visit St. Augustine than with a home exchange?

The Vacation Exchange Network has many beautiful homes available for swap in St. Augustine and the surrounding area.    Visit The Vacation Exchange Network’s blog tomorrow, or visit The Vacation Exchange Network’s main site to explore all of our home exchange opportunities across the United States and around the world.

To learn more about how home swaps work or to join The Vacation Exchange Network, please visit us at www.thevacationexchange.com.

We’d love to hear about your favorite spots in St. Augustine.  Please comment below.

Ski conditions.  These are in the eye of the beholder.  I learned this on a ride up a chair lift on a recent February ski trip.

It was snowing – a lot – and there was gorgeous powdery snow covering the entire mountain.  The evergreen trees were caked in what looked like confectioner’s sugar.  My family and I couldn’t get over the still, quiet beauty of the mountain.  Every run had several inches of fresh powder.  Any skier would have been in heaven, right?  Well, not my family.  Having skied on the over-skied mountains of the East Coast for our whole lives, this powder was more than we could handle.  Our skis seemed to feel every bump in the snow, twisting and turning our skis in unexpected and not always controllable ways.  We wondered when they’d groom some of those intermediate and easier expert runs so that we could enjoy this blissful day without any broken ankles.

We were on our way up to the top of the mountain to give it another try.  A snowboarder sat with us on the lift.  Upon overhearing us talk about how much powder there was on our last run, he added, “Yeah, it’s perfect today, isn’t it?  I’m sure by tomorrow they’ll have groomed the whole mountain, and you can forget about these great conditions.”  As we’re lamenting the fact that the powder is giving us too bumpy a ride, this guy can’t get enough of it.  All we could do was laugh.  Ski conditions – in the eye of the beholder.

Spring skiing conditions are variable, of course, depending a great deal on temperature and the freeze-melt cycle.  Sometimes spring skiing mimics the well-groomed runs that I seek, sometimes it can be powdery, and most often the snow in spring takes on a great character all its own.  You certainly can’t beat the warm sunshine and skiing in sunglasses and a fleece.  Many mountains also have fun family events and music at the base, and lift tickets are often cheaper.  You can take nice long lunches on the deck of the lodge and ski for several hours after lunch, thanks to those longer spring days.

We have many vacation homes available for home exchange in spring skiing areas during the months of March, April, and May.  I have highlighted few below, but this list is by no means complete.  To browse through the vacation homes listed in our home exchange network, please visit us at www.thevacationexchange.com.

Custom waterfront home in South Lake Tahoe, CA available for home swap

Lake Tahoe, California boasts 7 ski mountains, and we have lots of vacation homes in both North Lake Tahoe and in South Lake Tahoe.

This home in South Lake Tahoe, CA has 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths and sleeps 10.  It has a large boat dock, a hot tub, and a panoramic view of Heavenly Ski Resort.  Skiing is only 3 miles away.  For information about how to become a member of The Vacation Exchange Network and vacation in homes like this by traveling the home swap way, check out our discussion of how to arrange a home exchange.

Ski home in South Lake Tahoe, CA available for home swap March 21st – May 26th

This California ski home, also in South Lake Tahoe, CA has 3 bedrooms, a circular fireplace, redwood decks, and a hot tub.  It is located 11 miles from skiing.  It is available for home swap March 21st – May 26th.

We have a number of homes available for vacation exchange in Colorado, including homes close to Breckenridge, Crested Butte, Vail, Keystone, Steamboat, and Copper Mountain. Here’s just a sampling:

Ski-in/ski-out condo on Steamboat Mountain in Colorado available for home swap March – May

This ski-in/ski-out condo on Steamboat Mountain sleeps 8 and offers maid service.  It is available March through May for home exchange.

Mountain home in Crested Butte, CO available for home exchange in April.

This 3 bedroom, 3 bath home in Crested Butte, CO is on the mountain and boasts gorgeous panoramic views.  5 minutes from skiing, this vacation home is available for home exchange during the month of April.  Check out our many vacation homes in Crested Butte, CO at www.thevacationexchange.com.

Rustic yet elegant log home near Utah ski resorts available for home swap in April & May

This log home in Midway, Utah is secluded among the pines and aspens and yet is close to both Park City and Deer Valley ski resorts.  This stunning home boasts 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths.  It has all amenities, including both a gas fireplace inside and a log fireplace outside on the deck.  Read a great Utah ski blog at www.skiutah.com/winter/blog.

I’ve highlighted a few opportunities for spring skiing here.  Be sure to check out all of our vacation homes available for swap.  To learn more about what makes The Vacation Exchange Network a unique home exchange program or to join our network, please visit  www.thevacationexchange.com.

For great discussions of skiing in Colorado, Utah, and California, check out these blogs:  cosnow.com, www.skiutah.com/winter/blog, and skiing-blog.com.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on spring skiing and hear about your experiences.  Please add your comments below.