Northern Florida's Amelia Island couples the charm of thirteen miles of oceanfront surf and a tiny Victorian getaway forty-five minutes outside Jacksonville. A host to several world-class tennis facilities and some of the swankest digs in the Citrus State, Amelia Island has been named on the Top Twelve Vacation Destinations in the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Amelia Island, an outdoor lover's paradise, is an ideal spot for checking out leaping whales, sea turtles, and flora like the Sea Lavender, Sea Oat, and Live Oak. Ninety percent of sea turtles in the United States nest under the blazing sun of Florida beaches. May to October is Loggerhead and Green Turtle nesting season on Amelia Island; the creatures crawl along the shores of the of the island each night to lay their eggs. Bird-watching is a popular pasttime on this Jacksonville-area island, particularly in the balmy months of Winter. Quietly humming boats, canoes, and kayaks cruise the waters off Amelia Island in search of popular resident birds like Great Blue Heron, Osprey, King Fisher, Purple Sandpipers, Great Horned Owl, and Wood Duck.
Touring islanders never miss an opportunity to snag an official Amelia Island seashells. Prehistoric shark's teeth are another popular beach treasure. The resort island is perhaps best known for it's a vast collection of towering oak trees and the bayside community of Fernandina Beach.
Oak trees are a large presence on Amelia Island, but it is the one firmly planted in the middle of Ash Street for several decades that nearly sparked a crime of passion. Single Southern lady Kate Bailey adored her Ash Street Oak. Amelia Island city workers discovered just how much when they tried to axe it down-and were greeted with the socialite's shotgun.
Fernandina Beach spans fifty blocks of late nineteenth century Victorian-style mansions and cottages. Fernandina Beach, which dates back to the American Reconstruction era, a traditional beach community of affordable motels, cottages, condominiums, and a seaside inn that has experienced a recent growth in bed & breakfast establishments. Fernandina Beach's Centre Street neighborhood sports a cluster of diverse shops, glitzy galleries, and packed restaurants.
