Amelia Island

By: Mary Song
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:42:57
Print this article | For publisher |

Rating:

 

Amelia Island is a rare combination of carefully preserved natural beauty, man-made luxury and small town charm with a history that spans more than four centuries. Once a haven for pirates and rumrunners, Fernandina Beach is now one of the most productive shrimping and fishing harbors in the South.

Fifty blocks of downtown Fernandina Beach is listed on the National Register of Historic places and still retains evidence of the town’s greatest period of prosperity — the late 1800s when steamers full of Northern tourists flocked to the area to stay in it’s elegant hotels.

Natural Beauty

Part of Amelia Island’s charm is its live oak trees draped with Spanish moss that languidly drifts with the breeze. Live oaks and water oaks are large, twisted trees between 200 and 400 years old and, although old, they never go bare. Scrub oaks are live oaks usually found in sandy soil on or around the dunes. Looking from the beach, sand live oaks sweep away from the prevailing onshore winds. The massive size of the oaks and their attendant root systems dominate their environment. Saw palmettos with their fan-shaped fronds can survive with the oaks because they have very shallow root systems.

The tallest trees on the island are slash pines that grow to 80 to 100 feet in height, remaining slender with a trunk diameter of only one to two feet. Their needles are long, ranging from five to eight inches and are commonly used as mulch. Other trees include cypress and cedar and the most revered tree in southern plantation life, the magnolia tree.

While you’re busy looking at the trees, you may spot one of the many resident or migratory birds. Some of the birds commonly seen include red shouldered hawk, eastern screech owl, great horned owl, barred owl, red-bellied woodpecker, cormorant, clapper rail, laughing gull, killdeet, wood duck and many others. One of the top 10 spots in all of Florida for birding, Fort Clinch State Park is open daily from 8 a.m. to sunset. Painted buntings are one of the most beautiful birds in the United States and are abundant in the spring and summer. In the marsh, you’ll find wood storks, great egrets and great blue herons. The salt marshes are a beautiful sight, turning to gold with the setting sun.

Guided eco tours offer even beginners the opportunity to explore the tranquil salt marshes. There are a variety of tours available including sunset and full moon trips, nature walks and special focus tours. Kayak tours provide the best opportunity to get very close to egrets, herons and maybe even a dolphin or manatee.

Activities

Golf

On Amelia Island, golf is a refreshing blend of environmentally sensitive terrain dominated by oaks, palmettos, massive sand dunes, crashing surf and large lagoons.

? Ocean Links, in combination with Long Point, provides seven seaside holes — more holes directly on the ocean than any other Florida resort. The innovative design by Pete Dye and Bobby Weed takes full advantage of testy sea breezes, rolling sand dunes and undulating greens to form Florida’s most exciting golf holes. According to Bobby Weed, “with diminishing land resources, it’s very difficult to find such enviable oceanfront settings for golf holes. But don’t let the beauty deceive you. Between the water and the wind, golf at Amelia Island Plantation can be very treacherous.”

? Oak Marsh has tight fairways and smallish greens requiring accuracy and strategy. Pete Dye displays his mastery throughout the course, which has 14 holes with water hazards and numerous bulkhead greens. A variety of bunkers are strategically placed throughout the course to add to the challenge.

? Long Point is meticulously carved from the dunes and marshlands. This Tom Fazio creation takes golfers on an amazing trek through a preserved wilderness area. They are required to hit a wide variety of shots, ranging from over water and marshlands to ones aimed at narrow, tree-lined fairways.

? If you’d like to improve your game or are just getting started, Ron Philo’s School of Golf offers personalized instruction to golfers of every skill level. The three- and four- day programs offer video analysis, one-on-one instruction, group and classroom teaching environments, a learning manual, notebook and personal video lesson to take home.

“We believe that golf is an individual game that must be developed by the individual. We recognize that development is not going to occur in the short span of three or for days, however, we can help people learn the methods for future improvement during that time,” Philo said. “Our goal is to help participants improve their understanding and to give them the ability to begin improving their golf games.”

? The Golf Club of Amelia Island at Summer Beach opened in the fall of 1987. Its natural beauty, combined with the designing talents of Gene Littler and Mark McCumber, create a very playable, yet challenging golf course. In 1988, it was nominated as best new course of the year.

? Fernandina Beach Golf Course has three nine-hole municipal courses that are played in 18-hole combinations. The West Course is long with fairways that are wide open. The South Course is shorter and requires accuracy rather than distance and has an abundance of wildlife and water hazards. The North Course is the shortest with undulating greens.

Shopping

If you travel to shop, Amelia Island will satisfy. Shops range from the eclectic to the elegant, homey to the sublime. There are antique malls, fashionable women’s boutiques and many specialty shops, some feature designer-quality articles. Several shops sell distinctive pieces that reflect Amelia’s history and the influence of the sea. Quite a few artists live on Amelia Island and some of their studios are open to visitors. Local artwork can also be found in shops along Centre Street.

? The Village Shops at Amelia Island Plantation is a lovely "Old Florida" style shopping village. This quaint shopping village offers quality merchandise in a truly lovely setting. Shops include Chicos, Resort to Home, a homemade ice cream shop and several other boutiques. Charming chairs invite weary shoppers to sit and enjoy the view or when you get hungry stop by the March? Burette for outstanding wraps on its covered outdoor porch. There’s a weekly Friday night "Boardwalk Bash" through the summer, with live music and discounted drinks.

? Palmetto Walk Shopping Village?

Fishing

Amelia Island Plantation is a renowned destination for both offshore and backcountry fishing. The Amelia Angler has rod rentals, tackle bait and crabbing gear. They can arrange for local fishing and charters, as well as sailing trips for full or half-day excursions. For freshwater enthusiasts, lagoons are stocked with bream, bass, catfish and striped bass.

? Surf fishing is excellent off Amelia’s pristine beaches. Large schools of redfish, sea trout, whiting, pompano, blues and flounder are plentiful.

? Deep Sea fishing charters offer a variety of big game fishing for wahoo, sailfish, dolphin fish, kingfish and marlin, to name just a few. Giant tarpon weighing in at more than 100 pounds come in close to the beaches and inlets during the summer. Redfish topping 40 pounds are caught throughout the year.

? Six-passenger trolling boats are available for a half-day for $375 to $590, or all day for $650 to $750. There are also two-, three- and four-passenger charters available.

Horseback Riding

Horseback riding on the beach is available on a daily basis, catering to both the experienced and novice rider. Kelly Ranch Stables provides guided rides that last about one hour.

Sightseeing

The only city on Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach, is a lovely Victorian town that you might not expect to find in Florida. This 1880s fishing village has a 50-block historic district of 19th century Victorian buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The focal point of downtown is Centre Street, where you can browse through specialty boutiques and art galleries, watch fudge being made by hand or enjoy lunch at outdoor cafes and waterfront restaurants.

? The Amelia Island Museum of History is housed in the old Nassau County Jail just a few blocks from Center Street. It is Florida’s only oral history museum. Docents narrate as visitors observe museum artifacts that tell the story of the island’s amazing history under eight flags. The museum also offers tours of the historic district.

? Fort Clinch was started in 1847 and was occupied during the Civil War by Confederate forces and also served as a training site for U.S. troops during the Spanish-American war. A re-enactment of the 1864 occupation occurs the first weekend of every month.

? The Afro-American Life Insurance Company established American Beach in 1935 as a place where African Americans could vacation. Abraham Lincoln Lewis was president and chairman of the board and was Florida’s first black millionaire who owned the first home on American Beach. At this time, all beaches in Florida were off limits to African Americans. The beach’s heyday was in the 1930s through the 1950s, when African Americans would come from all over the country to vacation there. Hotels, restaurants, nightclubs and other businesses popped up to serve the tourists. The streets and beaches were jammed with people, cars and buses. Hurricane Dora, in 1964. destroyed many of the homes and businesses. Shortly after the hurricane, America saw an end to the segregation, which made it unnecessary for African Americans to travel to Amelia Island. American Beach is experiencing a renewal as people are realizing the importance of preserving this historic community.

? Kingsley Plantation is the oldest standing plantation in Florida. Built in 1804, the plantation is the former home of Zebediah Kingsley, a southern slave advocate and his African wife. It is one of the few remaining examples of the plantation system of Territorial Florida. Guided tours are available of the home, kitchen house and slave quarters.

? Jacksonville landing is a waterfront festival marketplace located in Jacksonville on the St John’s River. There is an amazing variety of dining, shopping and entertainment. Also in Jacksonville are the Jacksonville Zoo, Cummer Gallery of Art, Museum of Science and History and the Jacksonville Art Museum.

? Cumberland Island Georgia is just north of Amelia Island and is one of the last great wild places on Earth. The protected national seashore is home to herds of wild horses and was at one time the private retreat of the Carnegies — home to Plum Orchard, an 1898 Greek revival mansion and Dungeness, the ruins of the Carnegie home. The ferry to Cumberland Island embarks from St. Mary’s, Ga. Sailing charters will also take you to the island for the day. Daily visitors are limited to 300, so guests can experience the tranquility and solitude that is the hallmark of a Cumberland visit. The limit also ensures peace for the island's population of wild horses, deer, bobcat, sea turtles, boar, armadillos and birds. Spend your days birding (more than 300 species appear during the course of a year), swimming, biking, hiking, and fishing, or simply stroll the pristine, white sand beach and savor unparalleled privacy.

? About an hour and a half by car is the historic city of St. Augustine — the oldest European settlement in the United States. The city was founded by the Spanish in 1565. Attractions include Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth, Castillo San Marcos and the restored Spanish Quarter.

Luxury

Indulgence encouraged says it all. Amelia Island Plantation’s Spa is just footsteps from the sea and, like all buildings on the plantation, was designed to “embrace its site and become one with it.” Step inside and feel the stress melt away with expert pampering and programs designed to relax your body, quiet your mind and soothe your soul. In addition to traditional spa treatments, Amelia Island Plantation offers Ionotherapy and Watsu Massage. Ionotherapy utilizes water charged in negative ions for therapeutic effects. Ionotherapy is believed to relieve fatigue and lethargy and perhaps to slow down the aging process.

Watsu is a unique massage therapy performed in a perfectly synchronized environment — a water temperature of 94 to 98 degrees. You’ll float freely over the arms of your Watsu therapist and receive a stretching, soothing and rehabilitative massage. Your body will gracefully float and move without pain or limitation. Flexibility, relaxation and freedom are reinstated as you enter into a state of emotional, psychological and physical inner and outer peace

Lodging

In addition to luxury hotels and resorts, vacation homes and beach houses are available; many are beach front or with ocean views.

Homeaway.com offers many Amelia Island Vacation Rentals and vacation rentals by owner.

Getting there:

Amelia Island is only 29 miles from Jacksonville International airport. Private and corporate jets can fly into Fernandina Beach Municipal Airport.

Article source: Expert Articles