Jul. 13, 2008 - 2008 Freedom Trail Pictures

Oct. 29, 2007 - Touring Saint Augustine, Florida

Saint Augustine is a magnificent city. There is something here for everyone and attendees of the Downtowns & Small Towns Forum had some busy days. Hours were spent in conferences and break out sessions learning about how Florida's Historic Preservations and tourism go hand in hand and how to best promote it. The number of attendees was so large we were divided into groups to facilitate the attendance of the various programs.

The welcoming event began at the Lightner Museum housed in the former Henry Flagler's Alcazar Hotel (circa 1888). The museum features three floors of spectacular collections of arts, furniture, costumes mechanical and musical instruments. After introductions what better way to close the evening but to join previous Saint Augustine residents by visiting them on the ghost tours. Participation was made available to three nights of ghostly stories.

Forum participants toured Historic Lincolnville learning about key figures and the important role Saint Augustine played during the civil rights movement of the early 60's. Dr. R. B. Hayling, a dentist and Air Force veteran, who became a leader of the civil rights movement in St. Augustine, invited Dr. Martin Luther King to St. Augustine. As a result of this invitation, several events occurred that brought St. Augustine before the eyes of the nation.

The tour also included a visit to the newly remodeled visitor center. Guest Speaker, CEO of St. Augustine John Reagan, provided a presentation of innovative ways to ensure the city remains a major center of tourism in the State of Florida.

Highlighting the history of St. Augustine was a tour of the famous lighthouse. Amazing the transformations it has gone under and how purposeful it has been over the years. The views from the top are absolutely breathtaking! A great time was had by all.

Oct. 27, 2007 - A Visit to Fort Mose

Oct. 24, 2007 - Introduction to Downtowns & Small Towns Forum

The third annual Downtowns & Small Towns Forum just took place! For two and a half days (mid October), in the historic City of St. Augustine and Palatka, individuals from different parts of the state came to learn about promoting and preserving Florida. VISIT FLORIDA is the official government agency for the purpose of promoting tourism in Florida. To showcase outstanding community efforts, VISIT FLORIDA partnered with the Florida Department of State for this wonderful event. he Downtowns & Small Towns Forum greatly emphasized Florida's Main Street Programs. Main Street Programs were founded by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Over the past quarter century this program has been helping to revitalize historic downtowns. There are currently 50 Main Street Communities in the State of Florida and 2,000 more in 41 states. We currently have a Main Street Program in St. Johns County (Vilano Beach).

The Main Street Program focuses on four key elements: 1) Design; 2) Organization and consensus building; 3) Promotion and marketing of the Main Street; and 4) Economic restructuring. The forum examined how preservation and use of historic structures allows communities to promote an authentic "sense of place".

Unlike cities, one of which looks very much like another, towns have uniqueness. They tend to better maintain traditions associated with an area and its structures. The perpetuations of arts and crafts that reflect a way of life in an area, along with festivals celebrating its history, bring character to communities. This broad concept of historic preservation creates the component parts of heritage tourism. Many Florida visitors cite the primary purpose of their visit was to visit historic sites and museums and another significant number come for cultural events and festivals.

In summary, the Downtown & Small Town Forum provided participants the opportunity to examine first-hand how community planning, preservation, transportation, signage, safety and public green spaces impact both visitors and residents. It was a wonderful forum!