ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. — A few months ago, the St. Augustine bayfront was under several feet of water, for the second time this year.
This week, that same stretch of city street is flooded with visitors, who, like the storms, seem to be arriving with increased intensity every year.
Somehow the Old City is absorbing the wave of downtown tourists between Christmas and New Year's Eve.
And when St. Augustine rolls out the welcome mat, it shoots for the moon. Thousands of people heeded the invitation. Most of them are from out of town, but some locals twirl around downtown too.
St. Augustine residents Ali Schmitt and Matt Fiduk just drove around the old town before finally snagging a parking space.
"It’s terrible. It’s a lot," they laughed. Fiduk said, "It’s like this every year."
Schmitt added, "I feel it’s gotten so progressively (worse) over the years too, now that Nights of Lights has become an international site. It’s insane."
It took us minutes to drive a mile downtown Wednesday.
People are willing to cram into trams, parking lots, and pathways for a taste of St. Augustine at the holidays.
Oh, the lure of those three million little lights. They almost make people forget the crush of cars.
"It’s worse at night because everyone wants to drive slow, so they can see all the lights and buildings lit up," Fiduk said.
And yet, Schmitt and Fiduk and all the people filling the city still squeeze into downtown St. Augustine.
Schmitt and Fiduk laughed, "Oh of course! Of course!" Schmitt said, "When you live in the most beautiful city in America, why would you not!? This is home."