Hub and I snuck in a quick long weekend trip to Northeast Florida and experienced so much charm. Lovely weather, the nicest people ever and a few big cats made for the perfect coastal escape.
Our Highlights
Here are a few of the things we crammed in and absolutely loved.
Amelia Island
The moment you cross the bridge into Amelia Island, everything slows down in the best possible way. With quiet beaches, moss-draped oaks, and a walkable historic district, Amelia Island feels like the kind of place where time stretches a little longer.
Fernandina Beach Historic District: Colorful Victorian buildings, boutique shops, and fantastic seafood restaurants (if you like that kind of thing). Really, how much seafood can people ingest?
Since we are not seafood eaters, we had to search a bit for the perfect place to eat breakfast/lunch.
Twisted Table turned out to be just the place for us. Tiny and homey with the NICEST people ever. Homemade crackers with homemade pimento cheese turned out to be a highlight.
Oh, yeah, next to the creation sweet Bella made. An adorable “snow globe” drink.
She froze a small amount of Sprite on the bottom of a large stemless wine glass with a few cranberries and a sprig of rosemary. Then she rimmed the glass with maple syrup and raw sugar which made it look gold. The topping was prosecco and it was so cute and such a fun brunch drink.
I’m now motivated to make this drink when I get home. Hey local girlfriends, save up your drink chits, because the party will be at my house!
Amelia Island has a number of golf communities and big fancy resorts, but the Fernandina Harbor and Historic District are a bit more homey and vibrant. It really means that if you want a relaxing, spread out feeling, you can get that. Or if you want shopping and dining, you can get that too.
Kingsley Plantation
A national park, the Kingsley Plantation is on Fort George Island just a few miles from Amelia Island. We arrived first thing in the morning during a cold snap so we didn’t spend a lot of time roaming the grounds, which I would have loved, but did take a quick gander around the buildings.
The huge, old oak trees dripping with Spanish moss never fails to enchant me. The park rangers and volunteers also have a lovely kitchen garden planted full of aromatic herbs and winter plants.
Catty Shack
When I found out there was a large cat sanctuary on our route, there was no option about a visit!
The Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary is a forever home for large cats rescued from various places that could no longer provide for them.
Oh, and there was a bear too.
You know I could go on all day about lions and tigers and bobcats, but I will not torture you and just recommend if you are in the area, this is a must visit.
This fella posed so nicely for me.
St. Augustine
A short drive down the coast brings you to St. Augustine—the nation’s oldest city and one of the most unique places you can visit in Florida. It’s impossible not to be swept up in the Spanish architecture, cobblestone streets, and lively atmosphere.
St. Augustine is all dressed up for Christmas and attracts approximately one gazillion visitors for their nightly light display.
My old age is not all that conducive to large crowds or screaming, cranky kids. So while, I loved the town and had a wonderful day, we cut the visit short and left by about 2:00, missing the holiday lights.
Walking down the cobblestone streets and peering into the ancient buildings was fantastic. We also purchased a hop on/hop off tour. The drive was in an open-air cart and the 75° weather made it the perfect way to start our visit.
We then followed up walking to the places of interest.
We walked by The Fountain of Youth which is a pretty tourist trap, but I didn’t bother taking a sip. It never helped Ponce de Leon, so what the heck.
Castillo de San Marcos National Monument is really worth a visit. The views from the top are gorgeous.
Buc-ee’s
Okay, I don’t want you to think we would purposely travel 2,500 miles to go to a Buc-ee’s. But we did have to make a stop at a new and beautiful shop on the way to St. Augustine.
Let’s just say I will be sporting a new stainless coffee mug on the cruise!
Wrap Up
Thank you for taking a weekend trip with me. I have been talking about our cruise for a while now, and it is finally happening.
Arriving a few days early and taking in local sites was a great way to see some new sights and avoid last minute travel stress.
We did so much over the weekend, I could not possibly fit it all here, but hopefully this little travel guide will be inspiration if you’re up for an East Coast visit.
As always, may God bless you and yours.