The Place: Amelia Island, Florida
The Drink: Gin and tonics
For years we spent all our beach holidays on St. Simon’s Island on the coast of Georgia where my husband and his four brothers and sisters owned an adorable 3-bedroom home. We ate crab cakes at Barbara Jean’s, barbecue at Southern Soul, rode our bikes along East Beach and shopped at Harris Teeter.
Then after a family meeting when a lengthy discussion about replacing a rug in the den turned into a mutual decision just to sell the house, we’ve been beach hopping. And having a blast.
This fall we revisited Amelia Island in Florida, one of our favorite beaches, and found a perfect place to stay. Located on the southern part of Amelia, Summer Beach is secluded without being isolated and luxurious without being uncomfortably stuffy.
The property includes villas, condos and townhouses in separate developments. We stayed in the newest one, Ocean Place, which has two- and three-bedroom condos. Our three-bedroom condo had plenty of room, a magnificent balcony overlooking the ocean, easy access to pools and a huge master bedroom. The kitchen was fully equipped and the unit had a nice washer-dryer as well.
We were there in the fall and didn’t use these facilities, but rental guests also have access to The Golf Club of Amelia Island’s Beach Club Pool and Snack Bar as well as two tennis courts.
Even though we didn’t spend much time on the beautiful beach, there are so many things to do on Amelia: we kayaked, visited the charming shops in the Victorian town of Fernandina and spent the afternoon in the Spa at the neighboring Ritz-Carlton.
My husband’s only regret is we couldn’t squeeze in a visit to his favorite Italian restaurant, Ciao Bistro, which we discovered on our last visit. Now we’ve added Lulu’s at the Thompson House and Espana Restaurant as well. Next time we gotta go for a week.
Summer Beach Resort
5456 First Coast Hwy.
Amelia Island, FL 32034
904 277-0905
www.summerbeach.com
