Amelia Island: Visiting This Much Coveted Part of Florida

Eight flags have been raised over Amelia Island, quite a claim for such a pint-sized place. Like real estate anywhere, the quest for ownership has to do with three words, location, location, location. All manner of individuals have trod upon the Amelia Island strip of land just over 13 miles long, sitting off the northeastern coast of Florida. As the seagull flies, Georgia is close, only a half-mile away. Standing amid moss-draped oaks, the Amelia Island landscape feels a great deal like Georgia.

The earliest residents of Amelia Island were Timucuan Indians, numbering about 30,000. By the early 1800s it a raucous place, bustling with cutthroats, pirates and smugglers. Ner-do-well traders in slaves and potent rum prospered. Apparently not one to mince words, President James Monroe called the island a "festering fleshpot." In the late 1880s Amelia Island reached a different and more respectable sort of pinnacle. Her nickname says it all-she was then known as the Newport of the South.

However, the arrival of the Iron Horse on Amelia Island changed everything. Yet instead of boosting the economy, this new mode of transportation hurt Amelia Island. The train diverted passengers further south to the glamour of Palm Beach and Miami. The sun-seekers chugged past her with hardly a notice and the island was soon forgotten. Amelia was left to develop at her own leisurely, relaxed pace. Over the decades, buildings were repaired rather than remodeled or modernized, thus preserving many of the islands historic structures.

Located on the north end of the island, Fernandina Beach is Amelia's only city. This 1880s fishing village is a showplace of elegant Victorian homes, shops, galleries and museums. Homes here make would-be Bed & Breakfast owners swoon and run for their bankbooks. The 50-block downtown area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In an effort to maintain the feel of the era, homes are preserved right down to the smallest details, often including the original colors.

Those who fancy shrimp should travel to Amelia Island on the first weekend in May. A tradition since 1964, the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival will surely satisfy your appetite for this delicacy. The event features a boat parade, a rousing pirate invasion, music, crafts, the blessing of the fleet and more. These folks really know shrimp and creative ways to prepare them. If it can be made with shrimp, you'll find it at this festival. Your tastebuds may never recover! The festival is the biggest event on the island, so make your plans early.

Fernandina Beach is a fitting location for the festival since the area is considered the birthplace of the modern shrimping industry. Roughly two million pounds of shrimp are delivered to Fernandina docks each year. Imagine how many gallons of cocktail sauce would that require!

At Burbank Trawl Makers or the Net house as it's often called, they still make shrimp nets the old fashioned way, by hand. Their high quality nets are sent around the globe. If you'd care to learn more, tours can be arranged.

Make a point to visit Fort Clinch State Park, where history walks and talks. The Park is named for General Duncan Lamont Clinch, an important figure in Florida's Seminole War of the 1830s. The federal government started the fortification in 1847 and building continued sporadically for years. Confederate troops occupied the fort when the war began in 1861 and construction continued even through the Civil War.

The garrison operation was reduced following the Civil War and eventually ceased altogether. The state of Florida stepped in and purchased the neglected fort in 1935. Today she's no longer desolate and abandoned, but filled with life. Park rangers fully clad in Union or Confederate uniforms are on hand to answer questions. Several times per year volunteers join the rangers in re-enacting life in 1864. The soldiers carry out their duties in the infirmary, mess hall, barracks and the brig. Some claim this fort is haunted by a foursome of headless soldiers who have been seen patrolling the grounds, so keep an eye out.

Within the park grounds you'll find a fishing pier and a lovely stretch of beach perfect for swimming or beach combing for shark's teeth. There are miles of hiking and bicycle trails, as well.

Intriguing though it may be, Amelia has more to offer than history. Golf and tennis are both major attractions. Some of the world's top golf architects (Dye, Palmer, Fazio) have incorporated the island's natural features to create memorable holes. Careful blending of marshland, the Atlantic Ocean, dense vegetation and rolling contours produce challenging links for even the most experienced golfer.

The 1350-acre Amelia Island Plantation has twice been the recipient of Golf Magazine's prestigious Gold Medal award and has been recognized as one of the "12 Best Golf Resorts in America."

Good weather lures tennis-lovers to Amelia, with an annual average of 69 degrees. Top tennis players compete in the Bausch & Lomb Championships, a women's tour event played each April also at Amelia Island Plantation. The event is scheduled for April 4-10 in 2005. If you want to play, rather than just observe, the public can play free of charge at the Atlantic Avenue Recreation Center and there are courts at the Ritz-Carlton. Reservations are recommended.

What else can you do while on the island? For starters: dig your toes in the warm sand. The beach is an excellent reason to visit. Unlike other parts of Florida, the shores of Amelia Island are partially lined with sand dunes. Thanks to easterly breezes, seeds and plant life blow inland and take root around the coast. Eventually the vegetation becomes dense enough to hold the soil and form a line of sand dunes.

Most of the beach is easily accessed from Fletcher Avenue which runs about two-thirds of the way down Amelia's shoreline. The primary access points are Fort Clinch State Park, Main Beach, Peters Point, American Beach and Amelia Island State Park.

Other popular outdoor activities are kayaking around Amelia and exploring by bike. It's best to take a guided kayak trip, since the waters can vary by one foot each hour.

Why not slow the pace and use pedal power for sightseeing? You can rent a bike in downtown Fernandina Beach. It's an easy ride down Atlantic Avenue to Fort Clinch State Park.

Fishing is another option, not limited to the summer months. There are several marinas where you can hire a fishing boat and an expert captain who can find the best spots. Winter fishing can net red snapper and black sea bass. The Spring fishing season usually gets underway with a big run of black drum, but you'll need the proper equipment, as Black drum often weigh over 80 pounds!

If it's always been your dream to go horseback riding on the beach, check out Kelly Seahorse Ranch, one of the very few places on the entire coast that offers beachfront riding. All experience levels are welcome and rides go out four times daily.

Now you know about the island, but who was Amelia? She was Princess Amelia of England, born in 1710 or 1711, depending on your source. She was the beloved daughter of King George II. Said to be especially beautiful, Amelia never married. Upon her death in 1786, she was found wearing a locket close to her heart. Inside was a photo of her cousin Fredrick. She had promised her love to him, but alas he married another.