February 19th-23rd, 2023

We had a few days in between helping to care for our granddaughter in Virginia so we booked a condo through VRBO that was located oceanfront on Amelia Island. It was great to have warm weather and the sun shining in February! There was snow at home so we enjoyed the temperature in the 70s!

Our first full day we drove to the north end to visit Fort Clinch. The drive to the fort took us along the historic Canopy Road that was covered with oak trees and Spanish moss.

After the serene drive along the canopy road we arrived at Fort Clinch, 1847-1945. The fort was never completely finished. When the Civil War began the fort was under control by the Confederates. Then as the Union started to gain control of the coast of Georgia, General Robert E. Lee ordered the evacuation of the fort and Union troops arrived in March, 1862. It is now a Florida state park and is open to visitors. We enjoyed wandering around the fort.

After visiting the fort we drove over to see the Amelia Island Lighthouse. It is the oldest existing lighthouse in Florida. In 2001 the Coast Guard turned over the lighthouse to the City of Fernandina Beach. It is the westernmost lighthouse located along the east coast of the US and about a mile from the Atlantic Ocean. It is located within a residential neighborhood and sits on the highest point on the island.

After our morning exploration we spent the afternoon by the ocean at our condo.

Our second full day at Fernandina Beach was gorgeous weather so we spent most of the day enjoying the warmth of the sun and catching up on our reading!

Day 3 was another warm and sunny day. The sunrise was beautiful! We read by the ocean in the morning and spent the afternoon walking around the historic downtown of Fernandina.

Fernandina Beach historic waterfront city is considered downtown which encompasses over 50 blocks that are on the register of historic places. It was fun to walk around the area.

Today we left the warmth of Florida and headed back to Virginia!