We spent all day yesterday exploring Fernandina Beach (aka Amelia Island) and looking at local real estate. We were pleased with both…not something you’ll often hear from me if you’ve read this blog over the past couple years.
To say we’re surprised and pleased by what we found is an understatement. I think if we had known about this area when we left Punta Gorda, we might have come straight here. Yep….really.
The town itself is super quaint….block after block of restored Victorian buildings and homes. Since this area is located farther North up the Florida coast, the streets are lined with Spanish Oak trees not palm trees. The city has done a great job with the historical districts, the signage downtown, local parks, beach access, traffic control (there isn’t much compared to the West Coast), zoning, plantings, etc. It reminds me of a small Charleston in many respects, which is a good thing.
You know us…we love to find quaint, old taverns and restaurants. And we did. On our last visit, we were advised to have a drink at “Pajama Daves”. Dave is a real character…and I believe he must be a reincarnated pirate. Full beard, head scarf…you get the drift. Man…what a beer list. I’ve seen a lot of beer lists, but I have to say that Dave’s list of ale’s, Ipa’s, sours, ciders, porters, sessions, stouts, lagers, etc. was perhaps one of the tops I’ve ever seen. It was six pages long…that’s a lot of beer! No food here, but free popcorn for all. Eat salty popcorn and drink more….genius.
We had dinner at Cafe Karibo….a great place with a huge oak tree shrouded deck beside and behind the restaurant. And best of all…dog friendly. We noticed immediately that Fernandina Beach is a very dog-friendly place….many water bowls sit outside the shops and restaurants on the sidewalk. The last town we visited that was this dog friendly was Carmel, CA. It’s hard to quantify, but people who love pets are usually really friendly and the residents of Fernandina Beach certainly fit that description.
The real estate scene here is very good, with an excellent mix of old and new homes both on and off the island. We checked out a few homes on the island yesterday and the good news is that all of them are located near the beach. This is a small town…nothing on the island is very far. Walking and biking is encouraged. Stay tuned for an update. We hope to find something soon.
Before we left town for the day, we headed for the beach. Beautiful. In several places you can drive right onto the beach, unload your stuff and spend the day. The beaches are beautiful and stretch for miles. The area where Tuck swam yesterday was located just down the beach from the Ritz Carlton complex….host of the just completed Concours d’ Elegance auto show, one of the most famous in the world. The event raises millions for local charities. Maybe next year they’ll ask me to show our Isetta? I won’t hold my breath.
Cheers and thanks for reading!
Wayne, Claudia & Tuck