Amelia Island

On the east coast of Florida, just south of the Florida/Georgia border lies a quaint island– Amelia Island, to be exact. It’s much unlike the touristy destinations many other Floridian island towns having, making for a delightful trip. Once you leave the beach road, the rest of the island is filled with greenery and big, beautiful trees.

In early May, a good friend and I visited for a girls’ trip. We were looking to relax by the ocean and eat spectacular food, and Amelia Island turned out to be the perfect place. We rented a condo through VRBO and we were delighted with our accommodations at the Amelia Surf and Racquet Club. Not only does it have direct access to the beach, but also pools and tennis courts available.

The unit we rented has a corner balcony that provides an amazing breeze, even if temperatures are in the 90’s. There’s plenty of seating in both the dining and living rooms, two full bathrooms, and the kitchen has everything you could need (including a washer and dryer). The king-size bed in the master bedroom and the two queen-size beds in the second bedroom are extraordinarily comfortable. My friend even considered buying the same bed for her own home!

Fernandina Beach is home to the main shopping area, and it’s filled with adorable shops and fantastic places to eat. We had a delicious lunch at the Amelia Tavern that ended with the best dessert I’ve ever had: sweet potato fries with salt, cinnamon sugar, and caramel sauce topped with cinnamon ice cream.

We had a lovely dinner watching the sun set over the Amelia River at Salty Pelican Bar and Grill. If you decide to go, be sure to arrive early as there can be a significant wait for a table. We especially enjoyed the blackberry margarita, broiled oysters (their specialty), smoked fish dip, and the pretzel and beer cheese.

If you’re in the mood for baked goods, I highly recommend Nana Teresa’s Bake Shop. They have cupcakes, cookies, macaroons, croissants, full cakes, cheesecakes, and so much more! If you’re looking for something not so sweet, then try Akari Sushi. Their spring rolls were the best I’ve ever had, and overall everything there was fresh and delicious. Of course, I can’t leave out the amazing breakfast or lunch option of Aloha Bagel and Deli. The Hawaii Five-O bagel sandwich is delectable, consisting of your choice of bagel with an egg, smoked salmon, tomato, spinach, and a scallion cream cheese.

We had a fantastic girls weekend, and we loved sitting on the balcony with cocktails as we listened to the waves and felt the breeze. After a long day of shopping and eating in town, it was the perfect way to end a day. We would definitely return, especially since there were some restaurants we didn’t get the chance to experience!