Are you fed up with summer simmer and showers? Ready to break out of the house?
Well, buckle up. Have I got a super road trip just for you.
Fernandina Beach, 23 miles north of Jacksonville, combines the gracefulness of yesterday hand in hand with today’s amenities – upscale shopping, awesome seafood and other culinary delights (including fantastic fudge), great places to stay and a slew of things to do both outdoors and indoors.
Fernandina Beach takes up the north end of Amelia Island
Tucked on the north end of Amelia Island, this town is all about water. Fernandina Beach touches the Atlantic Ocean on its east side. The Amelia River laps at its north point (you look across the water and see Georgia) and the place to watch sunsets is along the Intracoastal Waterway on its west side. With water on three sides it is no wonder many start their day inhaling salty air by going fishing or taking a walk.
Fernandina Beach
Start your morning walking the Atlantic side beach at low tide. Bend over and do the shoreline shuffle, a slow walk with eyes pealed for shark’s teeth and whole shells.
Look up once in a while. Perhaps a line of pelicans will swoop by low to the water, alert to any fish below. Or you might see a submarine coming out of Kings Bay and headed into the Atlantic. Shrimp boats may be headed out too.
Ah, shrimp. Here in Fernandina Beach, the little crustacean is the stuff of legends. The modern shrimping industry started right here in the early 20th century, and there is no need to remember that because the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival, a huge weekend blowout always held the first weekend in May, will do it for you.
Fernandina Beach pirate statue
Pirates roam the streets and so do visitors. Eight blocks of downtown are closed to traffic so pedestrians have the right of way to view arts and crafts booths, vendors selling, what else? Shrimp, live music, happenings all day long and late into the night.
By comparison, the rest of the year in Fernandina Beach seems positively quiet, but not really. There is always a festival or a happening of some kind going on – a writers festival, music festival, food festival, antique car festival – you get the idea. This is a town that likes to party.
A good place to gather information is the Fernandina Beach Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center inside the old Railroad Depot at 1102 Center Street. Lots of free brochures for the taking and we found a friendly face at the desk to answer questions.
If walking in historic districts is your thing, be sure to pick up the free Fernandina Historic District Tour guide. Fifty blocks are on the National Register of Historic Places. The guide has color pictures.
Fernandina Beach courthouse
For a guided tour check with the Amelia Island Museum of History.
If you take one of their private tours of historic homes, it is a chance to see the inside of some historic homes. They also offer museum tours at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. each day, Ghost Tours every Friday starting at 6 p.m. and a Pub Crawl (one ticket takes you to four pubs) every Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Reservations required.
Just across the railroad tracks from the Train Depot is a stop for the Amelia Island Trolley, a different way to see the sights.
Fernandina Beach – Amelia Island Trolley
Personally I try to plan my visit so that a Saturday is in the equation. Every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. is the Fernandina Farmers Market located on 7th Street and Centre Street. Small but full of local farmers, organic produce, outstanding plant vendors, fresh foods including a bakery. Yummy.
Here’s a plan for a Saturday. Throw off the shoes, get sand between the toes, and go for a beach walk. That will work up an appetite. Head downtown, have breakfast at Bright Morning Cafe a great breakfast spot with indoor and outdoor seating. They have something called Southern Comfort – a bowl of grits with poached eggs and cheese on top. Over the top but so truly southern comfort.
Be advised to always check hours and days of operation for any place you want to visit. Bright Morning opens early, 8 a.m. on Saturdays, but most of downtown Fernandina does not rise and shine until 11 a.m. It is not unusual to see tourists wandering around downtown early, looking for places that are open.
Fernandina Beach has farmers market, art galleries, great restaurants and lots of antiques
After breakfast, take a walk uptown and visit the Farmers Market, it is open all morning. Right across the street is Eileen’s Art & Antique Centre full of fun stuff including artwork by the owner, Eileen Shannon Moore.
Fernandina Beach – antique store
If art is calling you do visit the Island Art Association at 18 N. Second Street, downtown. In addition to the co-op gallery a new art education building next door offers all kinds of classes, including walk in adult art classes.
Notice the mosaics on the outside wall. It is a work in progress and future sessions include mosaic “parties” where you can get involved. Ask about the Mosaic Project.
Fernandina Beach – Island Art Association
Whew! By now I’d be ready for a good latte at Amelia Island Coffee on Centre Street. If you are feeling electronically deprived, there is free wi fi here.
Fortified by caffeine, I never miss a chance to visit Barnabas New to You at 930 S. 14th Street. It is a car trip from downtown, but not far. It should be on everyone’s trip list. This amazing place is loaded with great high end brands of everything from clothes to furniture to household goods all at prices that will knock your socks off they are so low. And you are helping to fund their charitable work. I easily walk out with a bag full of great finds for under $20 and had fun doing the deed.
Well, you get the drift of how my Saturday in Fernandina is going. I’d like to head to Fort Clinch State Park next, maybe walk or ride a bike. It may be a weekend when they have Civil War reenactments, a real bonus. If so, do take the evening candlelight tour of Fort Clinch.
On our last visit we went to dinner at the Crab Trap downtown at 31 N. Second Street, and had shrimp caught that day! Of course the day is not complete without walking a few blocks over to the waterfront and watching the sunset. You will have lots of company. This is an evening ritual.
What are we waiting for? Start the engines. Fernandina Beach is calling.
Oh, and about that fudge. Fantastic Fudge at the corner of Centre Street and 3rd Street has been making their own fudge for 20 years. And, yes, it is fantastic.
©2011 Lucy Beebe Tobias. All rights reserved.
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