Amelia Island

 

 

My husband and I spent the first 2 weeks of February on Amelia Island, Florida. We rented a 3 bedroom townhouse thru Home Away. We had hoped some family members would join us, but the two of us enjoyed pursuing our interests in a leisurely manner when they were unable to come. The rental was beautifully decorated and spacious and well-equipped, especially the kitchen. It was less than a 1/4 mile to Peter’s Point beach and a few blocks to many bike paths. The Preserve neighborhood was a pseudo-Mediterranean design. Though the units near us were unoccupied second homes, many had year-round residents. This wasn’t primarily a rental neighborhood.

   

  

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The duplex units had walled courtyards with some screened in. Ours was a quadplex.

 

What is now Amelia Island was claimed by Spain in 1513, but French Huguenots landed and settled 1562-1565. The Spanish massacred these settlers in 1565 to regain control. They called the island Isla de Santa Maria. They lost possession in 1763 to the British in the Treaty of Paris. Georgia’s governor James Oglethorpe in 1735 started calling the island Amelia after a daughter of George II even though Georgia did not have possession. The British formally called it Egmont when they took over in 1763. In 1783, as the Revolutionary War ended, the British were forced to return the island to Spain. British settlers had to pledge allegiance to Spain or leave. On March 17th, 1812 “Patriots of Amelia Island” an independent group of Americans seized control and raised their own flag. The next day they  ceded the island to the United States. However, under protest from Spain, the island returned to Spain. Then in 1817 a Scotsman Sir Gregor MacGregor ran the Spanish off and raised the “Green Cross of Florida”. He was assisted by a man who fought in the Mexican War and who, once MacGregor left, raised the Mexican flag at the fort. The United States stepped in to hold the island in trust for Spain; it became a U.S. territory on July 10, 1821. Subsequently, the Confederate flag flew for awhile. Thus, Amelia Island is known as the Isle of Eight Flags.

Fernandina Beach is the only town on Amelia Island. It takes up the northern and central part. The southern portion has many large resorts including Ritz Carlton and Omni Plantation which are beachside. American Beach near the southern tip was originally a community of cottages owned and rented by black Americans who were segregated out of the predominantly white areas. The town’s golden age was 1870 to 1910 when wealthy Northerners built Victorian homes to get away from harsh winters. When Henry Flagler built a rail line to St. Augustine and other Florida coastal towns, Amelia was bypassed. It had a revival with wood pulp factories which still make containers, particle board, etc. and was a leading shrimping area for many years, but imported shrimp has decimated that industry. With a causeway to the mainland, residents can easily work off the island though. Tourism is now a main draw.

The oldest continuously operated bar in Florida.

 

This house was used in  the Pippi Longstocking movie.

 

U.S. Post Office

 

 

 

At the northside marina.

We walked a greenway trail in Fernandina Beach one morning.

 

I was disappointed when the farmers market at Omni Plantation that advertised shrimp from nearby Mayport would be available cancelled because of forecasted rain. We did go to a different farmers market in town where we bought some local zucchini and artisan bread. We had stopped at the Atlantic Seafood Company at the dock on the Amelia River earlier in our trip and knew they had shrimp. An advantage to buying there was that for a small fee they removed the veins and shells. I also bought a spice packet there to use in cooking the shrimp.

It tasted delicious.

We had a good laugh, too. The spices had turned the cooking water red and cloudy. My husband used tongs to retrieve the shrimp. But he twice decided to check while eating dinner to see if there were some he had missed because they were so good he wanted more. Yep. It was like miraculous shrimp that kept appearing each time he dipped into the pot.

We would highly recommend the Amelia River Cruise. It takes you around to see Fort Clinch, then cruises near Cumberland Island. We saw some dolphins. Cumberland Island is part of Georgia, yet it is a few miles from Amelia Island. On this cruise you see the ruins of Dungeness, a large mansion built by Lucy Carnegie. The Carnegies owned most of the island at one time. She had thorough blood horses brought there which now have multiplied and roam wild. We could see some of them in the distance from the boat, but you don’t really get very close. The day of the cruise was our warmest during our stay with 79 degrees.

 

Fort Clinch

I had thought about going to Saint Augustine, about an hour south, but we had already taken the carriage tour there several years ago, and the rest of the town requires a lot of walking which I was reluctant to do while still recovering from foot surgery. We did, however, go northwest to Okefenokee swamp. We took a 90-minute boat tour. My hubby claims we saw 15 alligators; I didn’t keep count, but often all you saw was a pair of eyes above water level. I was surprised that the large expanses of swamp are called prairies. There are clumps of vegetation throughout, some large enough to support a man, some growing into islands. Okefenokee means trembling earth. All of these clumps are rooted and do tremble in the water. The black water mirrors the vegetation. Lots of birds such as ibis flying overhead.

 

 

My husband spent time biking on Amelia Island while I did several beachcombing outings. I was pleased to find some shells quite different from what we gathered on Hilton Head. My favorite shell from last year was a rosy-lined cockle, the only one of its kind. On Amelia, these cockles were one of the most common shells and 4 or 5 times larger than the Hilton Head specimen. I ended up with some terrific whelk pieces, a whole whelk found by my husband, augers, barnacles, angel wings, and sea pens, most of which I had not seen on Hilton Head. The townhouse we rented had a very nice book about Florida beachcombing which helped me identify my finds. I also found two pieces of sea glass, but no fossilized shark’s teeth which people do hunt. The online picture index I used last year also was helpful.

 

On February 13th, the full moon reflected on the Atlantic ocean was gorgeous. Not to be outdone, the sun gave us a spectacular sunset on February 14th. We ate at Brett’s next to the docks for our Valentine’s lunch (mahi mahi with shrimp) and decided to return to the docks around sunset when the waitress confirmed that there were often lovely sunsets over the Amelia River. We were not disappointed. This was our last evening on Amelia Island and it ended delightfully.

Brett’s where we lunched.

 

About 30 minutes prior to sunset.

Getting lower in the west.

The northside of the docks bathed in the evening light.

 

The perfect ending to our Amelia Island stay.

 

 

 

 

Hilton Head Island

My husband and I spent most of the month of February on Hilton Head Island. We wanted to get away from the Midwest winter snow and cold. We rented a “villa” at Palmetto Dunes Resort. The winter is the slow time on the island, and one can get accommodations for a month for the price of 2 weeks. It didn’t seem “slow” re traffic. The main highway corridor onto and off the island, William Hilton Parkway, was always busy.



The many gated communities on Hilton Head are called plantations. Most of them have a variety of housing (highrise condos and hotels along the beach, smaller villas that are one-story multiplexes, individual houses including large two and three story ones for rent as well as many very nice large houses that have permanent residents), a golf course or two, restaurants and shops, beaches, tennis courts, swimming pools, and other amenities. One must have a gate pass (comes with the rental) or pay for a day pass for entry. We stayed in a Queen’s Grant villa with 2 bedrooms and 1 bath, though there are ones with 2 baths and 3 bedrooms. Our rental came with a bicycle which was ideal as there are biking/walking paths throughout the development plus people walk or ride bikes on the smooth compacted sand at low tide. I collected shells (mostly pieces of shell) for a glass container to display in my home. The beach was about an eight-minute walk from our villa.This beach combing guide was helpful.

  

This was our first time in the Low Country of South Carolina. We did spend a few days at St. Simon’s Island, Georgia last winter. With Hilton Head as our base, we drove to Charleston and Savannah a few times as well as to Bluffton, Beaufort, and Parris Island. If you have the good fortune to visit this area, here are some tips. Be sure to look in the local tourist booklets for a tide table. There is very little beach on which to walk during high tide; the tides differ each day in two low and high tide cycles. Seek out some of the thrift shops on the island. There are at least half a dozen of them. You will see a side of Hilton Head that defies the stereotype and might find some bargains. The Coastal Discovery Museum is a good introduction to the flora and fauna. I hadn’t realized  there were alligators; however, they are semi-dormant in the winter. Toward the end of our stay, we saw 2 from a distance. If you are going to pay the $5 day pass fee for Sea Pines Plantation, hike the preserve and visit Harbour Town early in the day, then return again around sunset. It is one of the few places to see the sun go down as it is oriented West.

Lots of restaurants have early bird specials, but splurge some to taste finer food. Palmetto Dunes has a marina on Broad Creek. It is called Shelter Cove and is outside of the gated area so free access to the public. Ela’s Blue Water Grill facing the marina was delightful. We ate a light lunch of crab fritters and fried green tomatoes followed by key lime pie while sitting on their balcony. The Cottage in Bluffton also has excellent food. We each had a dish that included shrimp. They were the plumpest freshest shrimp I have ever eaten. Don’t miss the Sunday buffet brunch on the marine base on Parris Island. You will need a picture ID, registration and insurance documents for your car to enter the base. Traditions restaurant is waterside and at $12 for unlimited brunch with mimosas a great deal.

Hilton Head and Savannah being further south than Charleston tend to be warmer. The rental prices on Hilton Head seem to be less than Charleston area also. The state of Georgia has a Super Museum Sunday every February with free admission to a vast number of participants on the designated Sunday. If you will be there in February, search the internet for the list. This can save you quite a bit of money (we saved over $30). We allowed ourselves to be talked into hearing a time share presentation because we wanted the free Savannah trolley tour tickets and dolphin cruise tickets. It wasn’t too bad, took about 90 minutes. You will see these kiosks or carts all over Hilton Head on the weekends as there are several time shares on the island.

If you have the stamina, take a walking tour of Charleston. You will see things that a tourist overlooks, such as how houses were protected pre-alarm era. You will learn that if a family is sitting on the piazza, but the street door is shut, you should not try to talk to them or visit as that would be seen as rude.
        



Though March and April are the time of beautiful blooms and house and garden tours, we did see some flowering trees the second half of February. The Hilton Head resorts also have pansies and other blooms to enjoy.
    
   
We came home a few days early because of a spell of rainy days and to avoid driving in ice/snow as we approached home. It is good to be home again, but I do miss the palms, birds, flowers, and feeling that spring is starting. Oh, well, our spring will arrive before too long. Have you been to Hilton Head and area? What did you enjoy?