There’s always something new to discover in St. Augustine. Just 25 minutes from my front door, I can journey down on a Friday night for Happy Hour or on Saturday morning for a day excursion. Either way, when I walk through those 300-year-old city gates, I’m instantly on vacation.

I discovered two gems on my last trip—one on St. George Street, the other at the municipal St. Augustine Marina.

Stumbling into (not out of ) the Vino Del Grotto wine shop was an eye-opening experience. I’ve been interested in winemaking, since I vacationed in Napa Valley 10 years ago, but nothing I’ve uncovered in my winemaking research prepared me for the unique offerings in this shop.

Who knew they could make wine from so many different fruits—including local citrus varieties? And, believe it or not, they are not all sweet wines. I’ll be happy to taste any you find interesting and give you a full report. For a list of Vino Del Grotto wines, visit vinodelgrottowinery.com.

In addition to the interesting local wines, the regionally influenced wine gadgets and accessories show Florida’s true character. I will take all of my out-of-town, wine-loving guests to the St. George Street location. It’s a true Florida treasure.

I say the St. George Street location because, while there, I learned there are two other Vino Del Grotto wine shops in the oldest city. I can’t wait to visit those too.

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Docked in St. Augustine Marina for just seven days, I discovered the H.M.S. Bounty by accident. I was strolling on the waterfront walkway by the Castillo de San Marcos and noticed a tall ship rising high above the others in the marina.

Built by MGM studios for the 1962 film Mutiny on the Bounty starring Marlon Brando, the 400-ton vessel now tours the world offering dockside tours, where visitors learn the story of the infamous 1789 mutiny and the history of sailing vessels during this adventurous maritime period.

Since the original movie for which it was built, Bounty has been featured in numerous documentary and feature films including Treasure Island, starring Charlton Heston, and Pirates of the Carribbean – Dead Man’s Chest with Johnny Depp.

Visit http://www.tallshipbounty.org to learn the fascinating story of the Bounty and view the current schedule for the ship’s 2012 East Coast Tour.