St. Augustine, Ponte Veda and The Beaches.

HALLOWEEN THRILLS AND CHILLS
AWAIT IN NATION’S OLDEST CITY

St. Augustine, Fla. (Sept.27) Halloween is the haunting time in St. Augustine where more than four centuries worth of spooky thrills and eerie encounters are waiting for visitors to discover in every shadowy corner of the oldest city. Intrepid adventurers can choose to walk, ride or sail through Halloween events in a setting that features ancient streets, old cemeteries and the dark waters of a bay that is haunted by the spirits of three hundred murdered Frenchmen. So get ready for Halloween in the most haunted city in America and pick your poison from the following menu of frightening fun: St. Augustine, Ponte Veda and The Beaches.

October 5 – 31
SPOOKY CARRIAGE TOURS
Forget romance and embrace the eerie on a spooky carriage tour. Country Carriages will be providing a spooky tour of St. Augustine throughout the haunting month of October. Tours depart nightly from St. Augustine’s Bayfront on the hour between 7 & 10 p.m. Reservations are required. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for Children 5 -11. For reservations or more information, call 904.669.8361. St. Augustine, Ponte Veda and The Beaches.

October 5, 6, 12, 13, 27, and 31
DARK OF THE MOON TOUR
Venture into the Keepers' House and Tower at night, learn about the history of the St. Augustine Light Station, listen to paranormal tales and experience darkness inside the St. Augustine Lighthouse. The tours begin at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 per adult and $20 per child. Children must be at least 7 years old and 44 inches tall to climb the tower. Space is limited and reservations are required. For more information, please call Faith at 904.829.0745 x207.St. Augustine, Ponte Veda and The Beaches.

October 12, 19 & 26
Ghosts Goblins and Leprechauns Comedy Show
Enjoy this hauntingly funny musical and comedic improvisation at McKnight’s Little Ireland. The fun begins at 8 p.m. at McKnight’s Little Ireland, located at 113 Anastasia Blvd. For more information and information call 904.829.0870.

October 18 – 31
RIPLEY’S HALLOWEEN GHOST TRAIN
Board the Ghost Train for a ride throughout the haunted streets of old St. Augustine. There are stops along the way where tales are told and guests can use Electro-Magnetic-Field Meters to identify the presence of spirits. After hearing stories of the local haunts, passengers enter the historic Castle Warden for a sleuthing experience of actual events. Tours start from Ripley’s Castle Warden, 19 San Marco Avenue at 7 p.m. Tickets are $24 for adults and $12 for children 6 -12. Reservations are required. For more information, call 904.824.1606 or visit www.redtrains.com.

October 19-21 & 25 - 31
Ghosts and Gravestones
TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT! Enjoy a most haunting experience on St. Augustine’s premier "Frightseeing" Tour that explores the darker side of St. Augustine's past. The only tour that takes you inside the three most haunted places in the entire city. Haunts include: The Old Drug Store that rests upon an old Indian burial ground and is a natural gathering place for lost souls and malignant spirits. Enter... and in darkness you will learn the secrets of embalming and why so many people were buried alive; The Spanish Military Hospital where you can visit a death bed and hear of amputations and strange medical practices shared in whispered tones as you re-live the grizzly duties of 17th century medical practitioners; and The Old Jail built in 1891 and housed prisoners for over 60 years -- featured on the Sci-Fi Channel’s Ghost Hunters. Listed on the Florida and National Haunted Places Register, the Old Jail has been the site of countless supernatural occurrences. Tours are scheduled nightly and start at 8 p.m. Tickets are $24 for adults and $12 for children. For more information, call 904.829.3800, or visit www.trolleytours.com.

OCotber 20
Autumn Harvest Celebration
Celebrate autumn with a visit to the Palm Valley Garden for an afternoon filled with music, hot dogs, children’s scarecrow contests and pumpkin decorating! Children are encouraged to drop their named scarecrow entries off by Friday the 19th – the winner receives the “Giant Pumpkin”. Admission and entries to the contest are free. The Autumn Harvest Celebration takes place from noon to 4 p.m. at Palm Valley Gardens, 4975 Palm Valley Road in Ponte Vedra. For more information call 904.543.7777 or visit www.palmvalleygarden.com.

October 25 - 31
GHOSTS OF THE MATANZAS
Join the ghostly pirate that has commandeered the 72' Schooner Freedom and holds passengers captive as they sail the dark waters of Matanzas Bay. Entertaining tales and assistance from the captives are the highlight of this adventure-- not to mention the rations and grog that add to enjoyment. BEWARE--'there be pirates here'. Tours start at 8:15p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and 8:15 and 9:45 on Friday and Saturday, 6:45 and 8:15 on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. Tickets are $35 for adults and kids 2 -12 are $25. For more information, call 904.810.1010. Reservations are required for these tours. St. Augustine, Ponte Veda and The Beaches.

October 26
NIGHT OWL CINEMA DOUBLE FEATURE: LEMONY SNICKET’S: A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS and THE SHINING
Enjoy a double feature featuring scary movies at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, Florida’s newest outdoor arts and cultural venue. Admission to Night Owl Cinema Series is free and open to the public. Shows are at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. The St. Augustine Amphitheatre is located at 1340 A1A South in St. Augustine. For more information, call 904.471.1965 or visit www.staugamphitheatre.com.

October 26, 27 & 31
RIPLEY’S HAUNTED HALLOWEEN TOURS AND ADVENTURES
Have a hauntingly good time on one of Ripley’s Halloween tours or adventures.
Take the Ripley’s Ghost Train Adventure, Haunted Express, Mourning Tour or the Walking Ghost Adventure to experience the spookiest stories or to be a part of the sleuthing for spirits in the Nation’s Oldest City. Bring the kids to Ripley’s Garden for family-friendly stories. The Ghost Train Adventures take place from 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. and tickets are $24 for adults and $12 for children; the Ripley’s Walking Ghost Adventures are at 8 & 9:30 p.m. and tickets are $15 per person; the Ripley’s Mourning Tour--a fun and quirky stroll with Death-- is at 10:30 a.m. And tickets are $15 per person; the Ripley’s Haunted Express Tours are at 8, 9 and 10 p.m. and tickets are $18 for adults, $10 for children, Ripley’s Children’s Story Garden is from 6 to 8 p.m. and admission is free. All tours, except the Walking Ghost Adventure depart from Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum, located at 19 San Marco Avenue in St. Augustine. The Walking Ghost Adventure Departs from 3 Cordova Street. For more information, call 904.824.1606 or visit www.redtrains.com.

GHOST TOURS OF ST AUGUSTINE LUCKY 13 ON HALLOWEEN
Celebrate Halloween with Ghost Tours of Saint Augustine as they celebrate their 13th Anniversary. Join in one of their tours that feature13 ghost stories and ghostly trivia. Every 13th victim will receive a gift and all guests will be treated to a beverage at St. Augustine Coffee Co. Tours start 7 p.m., with a tour departing every 15 minutes till 10 p.m. The tours offered by Ghost Tours of Saint Augustine include: “A Nightmare To Wake Up From” beginning just south of the City Gates by the water wheel. After a ghostly walking experience along the darkened streets you’ll find yourself at Potter’s Wax Museum. Tickets are $18 per person; the “Ghosts and Legends” tour of the town also visits the lighthouse. It presents legends, murders and mysteries in the comfort of an enclosed, air-conditioned trolley. Tickets are $22 per person. For more information about Ghost Tours of St. Augustine Lucky 13 on Halloween call 904.829.1122 or visit www.ghosttoursofstaaugustine.com.

October 26 & 27
Halloween 2007 - A GHOSTLY ENCOUNTER
Enter a haunted hospital… the Doctor is in and he brought some friends to join you on a spooky walk along the dark narrow streets of St. Augustine where you will hear tales of those who came before us and refuse to leave. The Ghostly Encounters special Halloween Tours start at the Spanish Military Hospital, 3 Aviles Street in St. Augustine at 7 and 10 p.m. Tickets are $14 per person. For more information call 904.827.0807 or visit www.ancientcitytours.com.

October 27
REBARKABLE DAY FOR DOGS AND THEIR OWNERS
Bring the dogs to the dog-gone-friendly Colonial Spanish Quarter from 9 a.m. to noon for a barking-good time. Make sure your doggie is dressed in costume for the doggone-est Halloween Costume Contest which takes place at 10:30 a.m. If you don’t have a four-legged friend, Goliath and Bebe’s World will be there with some adorably-adoptable pets. The Colonial Spanish Quarter is located at 53 St. George Street. Admission is $6.89 for adults, children $4.24, and $5.83 for seniors. For more information please call 904-825-6830 or visit http://www.ci.st-augustine.fl.us.

GHOSTS, GOBLINS AND LEPRECHAUNS COMEDY EXTRAVAGANZA
Enjoy this hauntingly funny musical and comedic improve at McKnight’s Little Ireland Pub and McKnight’s Public House. In addition to the show, McKnight’s will also feature ghost story telling, ghostly tricks and treats, witchy potions, and a costume contest with prizes. The fun begins at 8 p.m. at McKnight’s Little Ireland, located at 113 Anastasia Blvd and McKnight’s Public House, located at 16 Cathedral Place. For more information and information call 904.829.0870.

UPTOWN SATURDAY NIGHT
Experience the best of St. Augustine’s San Marco Shopping District during Uptown Saturday Night. From 5 – 9 p.m. on the last Saturday of every month, art galleries, antique stores and unique shops between Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Museum and the Mission of Nombre de Dios remain open. Meet-the-artists, book signings, live music, refreshments and other Halloween themed events that contribute to the party-like atmosphere. The Mission of Nombre de Dios provides FREE PARKING for Uptown Saturday Night. The event is sponsored by the San Marco Avenue Merchants Association. Please call 904.824.3152 for more information.

October 28
HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARADE AND TRICK-OR-TREATING
Bring the little ghosts, goblins and fairies to Ancient City Tour’s Annual Costume Parade and Trick-or-Treating in historic St. Augustine. The fun begins at 2 p.m. with the parade that departs from the clock tower at the St. Augustine Visitors Center and proceeds up St. George Street to the Plaza de la Constitucion, where costume judging will take place. Then from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., the Downtown shops, museums and attraction will offer treats for tricks. The St. Augustine Information Center is located at the corner of Castillo Drive and Avenida Menendez, across for the Fort. The Halloween Costume Parade and Trick-or-Treating are free. For more information call Ancient City Tours at 904.827.0807 or visit www.ancientcitytours.com.

For hotel reservations please call toll free: 1-800-646-6957

Green Lodging

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – Representatives from 60 hotels throughout Florida will be attending an October 2 workshop hosted by the GTM Research Reserve’s Coastal Training Program in Ponte Vedra Beach, to learn how they can become part of the Green Lodging Program. Administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Green Lodging Program sets environmental standards for Florida lodgings and “certifies” qualifying properties for inclusion in the program.

Certified properties not only benefit from lower energy and water costs, they are also recognized for their commitment to the environment – an important factor in today’s competitive tourism industry. In addition, as a result of Governor Crist’s recent executive order, beginning January 1 only certified Green Lodging properties will be eligible to host meetings and conferences conducted by state agencies and departments.

The October 2 workshop will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve located at 505 Guana River Road in Ponte Vedra Beach. Following the workshop, there will be a tour of the Hampton Inn & Suites – a Green Lodging-certified property located in Vilano Beach.
St. Augustine Hotels

Hotel Claret in Paris

Housed in a traditional building that used to serve as a coaching inn, the Hotel Claret is located within three kilometres of the popular Parisian district of Bastille. The hotel's 52 guestrooms each have distinctive wrought- iron balconies with French windows and all rooms provide satellite television and wireless Internet.
The hotel's restaurant offers a wide selection of dishes from a traditional French cuisine, including steaks, fish and poultry. Its Bistro-style design is characterized by wooden tables, stone-tiled floors and hanging lights. The hotel is able to cater for conferences and seminars, with audio-visual facilities available for presentations. Guests also enjoy wines and cocktails at the restaurant's bar. There are many other bars around the vicinity of the hotel including Bercy village itself and the trendy Bastille district (2.5 kilometres from hotel). Visitors may also like to visit the gothic church of Chatelet, complete with gargoyles, set in its own gardens (3.5 kilometres). The Louvre, possibly the world's most famous museum, (5 kilometres) sits on the right bank of the Seine river merits a whole day to visit. Just 100 meters from the hotel is the Omnisport Bercy, a venue for some of the world's biggest music acts. The nearest airport is Orly International, 25 kilometres from the hotel. A shuttle bus is available, Orlybus, that runs every 15 minutes to Denfert-Rocheraeu Metro station. From there, the metro line 6 can be taken to Bercy station nearby the hotel. Other buses are available to various other parts of the city. The RER overland train service is also available from the airport. Hotel Reservations

Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino

Owned By The Seminole Native American Tribe, This Hotel Greets Visitors At The Front Door With A 50-Foot Guitar. Inside, Hundreds Of Flat-screen Televisions Flash Rock Videos, And Authentic Rock Memorabilia Are Showcased Throughout The Resort. Two Headdresses On Display In The Lobby Belong To Rocker Elton John. From 17 Restaurants, 11 Nightclubs And 22 Retail Shops At The 300,000 Square-foot Seminole Paradise Next To The Resort, To The 130,000 Square-foot Casino With More Than 2,100 Machines And 48 Poker Tables, The Hotel Offers An Exciting Experience. The Hotel Also Provides Adventure Experiences With Aqua Sports, Inc. Swimming With Dolphins, Taking A Sunset Cruise And Even Riding Through The Everglades Are All Viable Options.

The Hotel's Four-and-one-half Acre Lagoon-style Pool Features Dramatic Waterfalls, A 182-Foot Waterslide, Spa Tubs And An Elevated Spa. The Resort Also Features A Fitness Center And 20,000 Square-feet Of Meeting Space. The 22,000 Square-foot, Full-service Luxury European-style Contour Spa Offers A Complete Range Of Spa Treatments And Healing Therapies In Spa Rooms, Refreshing Baths, Steam Rooms And Saunas.

Guestrooms.The 500 Guestrooms In A 12-Story Mediterranean Tower Redefine South Florida Chic With Rock-and- Roll Artwork, Bathrobes, Cd Players And Pillow Top Mattresses With Egyptian Cotton Linens And European Duvets. Other Amenities Include Three Telephones, High-speed Internet Access, Fully Stocked Minibars And Personal Safes.

Expert Tip. Furnished Pool Cabanas Replicate Traditional Seminole "Chickee" Huts, Open-air Shelters With Roofs Made Of Woven Palm Fronds.
Coupon Book Promotion:
Guests Traveling Through December 31, 2007, Receive A Complimentary Coupon Book Upon Check-in. Each Book Contains Two-for-one Drinks At The Poolside Beach Club, One Complimentary Bottle Of Wine While Dining At Jazziz Bistro, Complimentary Cover Charge At Dueling Pianos, Buy One, Get One Free Ticket At The Improv Comedy Club And A 10% Discount From The Entire Check At Participating Restaurants. Limit One Per Room. Subject To Restrictions And Availability.
Hotel Reservations

FIRST FRIDAY ART WALK
Join one of St. Augustine’s most popular cultural events on the first Friday of every month from 5 to 9 p.m. Enjoy the latest exhibits, music, entertainment and refreshments at over 20 participating galleries. Tours begin at Rembrandtz Fine Gifts for Fun People, 131 King Street. St. Augustine Sightseeing Trains and Old Town Trolleys offer attendees a complimentary shuttle service to most of the galleries. Shuttles run on a continuous loop every 30 minutes. For more information Flightescape.com
BROWN BAG LUNCH LECTURE
Learn about Florida’s butterflies and the plants they love presented by the Research Reserve’s Environmental Educator, Cat Eastman. Bring your lunches and questions for an enjoyable and informative lecture that begins at noon. The GTM Research Reserve Environmental Education Center located at 505 Guana River Rd, off A1A 17 miles south of JTB or 8 miles north of Vilano Beach. Brown Bag Lectures are free.
SCULPTURE: BRONZE, STEEL, COPPER & IRON
See the incredible metallic creations of designer and creator, David A. Ponsler. The opening reception of this exhibit will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at The Cultural Center at Ponte Vedra Beach located at 50 Executive Way. Center hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. This exhibit will be open through October 13.
Friday, Saturday and Sunday: September 7-9
LIMELIGHT THEATRE: CRIMINAL HEARTS
Enjoy Criminal Hearts written by Jane Martin and directed by Barbara Evans. This adult comedy has a cheating husband, an agoraphobic wife and two con artists. Revenge is sweet! General admission is $20 for adults and $10 for students. Friday features an opening night champagne reception at 7 p.m. followed by the performance at 7:30 p.m. Saturday evening’s performance is at 7:30 -- there are matinees at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Criminal Hearts will be presented through September 23. All performances take place in the new Studio Theatre at The Limelight Theatre, located in the Joukowsky Family Foundation Center for the Performing Arts, 11 Old Mission Avenue, St. Augustine.
Saturday: September 8
Creature Feature at the GTM Research Reserve
Join the GTM Research Reserve’s Visitor Services Specialist Tina Bouse to learn about animal habitats, food chains, and behavior. This exciting, hands-on presentation will allow visitors to get up-close and personal with creatures of all kinds in a fun and educational environment. Live estuary animal interaction sessions will take place at 11 a.m. at the GTM Research Reserve Environmental Education Center located at 505 Guana River Rd, off A1A 17 miles south of JTB or 8 miles north of Vilano Beach. Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for children aged ten to 17 and children under ten are free.
WORLD GOLF HALL OF FAME’S PUTTING CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL
Watch some of Northeast Florida’s best amateur golfers as they display their putting skills in the finals of the World Golf Hall of Fame Putting Championship at World Golf Village. This Championship allows participants the chance to win thousands of dollars in prizes and the ultimate title of 2007 World Golf Hall of Fame Putting Champion.
Saturday and Sunday: September 8 & 9
GTMNERR WEEKEND NATURE MOVIES
Experience a visual journey as you travel through 20 fresh water estuaries that grace the sweeping curve of Wisconsin’s lakes at the GTM Research Reserve Environmental Education Center. “A String of Pearls –Wisconsin’s Estuaries Along Lake Superior” will be shown on the big screen at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays during September in the Center’s auditorium. Admission to the Environmental Education Center is $2 for adults, $1 for children aged ten to 17 and children under ten are free. The GTM Environmental Education Center is located at 505 Guana River Road, off A1A 17 miles south of JTB or 8 miles north of Vilano Beach.

For more information on events and activities in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches, contact the Visitors and Convention Bureau at 904.829.1711 or go to Flightescape.com