Its existence was the stuff of legend and fable going back to Herodotus in 5th century BC.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — Chuck's Big Adventure is traveling to Florida. His adventure will take him to some amazing beaches, beautiful homes and mermaid encounters.
Hope and history at the Fountain of Youth
It is the dream of every person unwillingly facing aging.
It's the hope of everyone who yearns for a redo on life or another chance at living a life with soft skin, abundant hair and unlimited zest and energy.
It's the fabled Fountain of Youth.
Its existence was the stuff of legend and fable going back to Herodotus in 5th century BC. Fountains of Youth were sought all over the world, but in 1513 Juan Ponce de Leon, the governor of Puerto Rico, according to legend, looked for it in North Florida in what is now St. Augustine. It was then called Seloy.
Since then, people have come here to reverse the aging process — or at least hope they could reverse or slow down getting older.
For decades, the Fountain of Youth has been a National Historic Attraction, and even though the family that owns it has been offered millions to sell this legendary spot of land, they keep going...dishing out cups of water and telling stories of not just the fountain but the incredible Native American history here.
"You have to understand where the myth of the Fountain of Youth came from. There was a Native American tribe down in the Caribbean called the Taíno Indians. They lived in Puerto Rico. They lived in Haiti, Dominican Republic, and there was this story about a spring that if you drank of the waters, that would give the eternal youth," said John Frasier, a third-generation owner of the fountain site. "It is believed that Ponce de Leon heard this myth. He was approaching his 50s and, you know, was thinking, 'yeah, you know, I've kind of lived a long life, but it'd be nice to live a full bit longer.' So he contracted with the king to go north and explore new lands, obviously looking for the usual gold."
About 40 years ago, the site took on a whole new meaning with some discoveries that have changed north Florida forever.
"This whole place is more than a drink of water. It's actually 15 acres here and 40 acres of saltwater marsh that we have as part of our compound. It did all start with the spring. And when my grandfather purchased this in 1927, he believed at the time this could be the place that Juan Ponce De Leon landed," Frasier said.
A cross at the site has 15 stones and then 13 stones to indicate the discovery date of 1513.
Universities and even the Smithsonian have held digs at the site over the decades. In some, skeletons were unearthed. Frasier said more recent digs discovered the foundations of the first colony of North America, St. Augustine.
If you want to visit, plan for at least a couple of hours. Listen to the interpreters as they give you a glimpse of life here 500 years ago and the legacy that still survives today.
A trip to the Fountain of Youth is a must if you are in St. Augustine.
Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine, Florida
It's a drink of water...but much more.
It's a reminder that the Spanish occupied this place for hundreds of years, that thousands of Native Americans lived life in the heat and humidity of the marshy territory.
Check it out, enjoy the history, but don't forget to take a drink from the Fountain of Youth. By the way, let me know if it worked...I'm still waiting for the wrinkles to go away!
From the Fountain of Youth to an illuminated kayak tour, there’s definitely something in the water in St. Augustine.
Bioluminescent Guana Lake offers visitors a spectacular underwater show, courtesy of Comb Jellies. Unfortunately, we got rained out the night we were supposed to go, but it is definitely a must-see on any trip to the area.
