The AAA 4 - Accent on Tampa Bay Magazine

TRAVELOGUE
Amelia Island Plantation
A “Real” Vacation
Al Martino
houses that had to be designed around an existing old tree.
All buildings — including the homes — are painted in different earth tones, and become part of the natural environment. Amelia Island Plantation has a nature center on property, and offers environmental tours and programs for their
guests.
Racquet Park at Amelia Island Plantation is considered
one of the best and most picturesque tennis parks in the
nation. Some of the biggest names in the sport have played
on their Har-Tru courts, including Graf, Navratilova, Evert,
Seles, Sampras, Connors and Agassi. Every spring the Bausch &
Lomb Championships are held there (in 2005, the dates will be
April 4-10), and attract the legends. During the rest of the year,
however, the rest of us can try to improve our game on these same
The magnificent golf course on the Atlantic Ocean
on Tampa Bay
photo courtesy Inn at Mystic
Photo courtesy of Amelia Island Plantation
We’ve all experienced the feeling that we “need
a vacation” after we come back from one because
we tend to overdo the running around and sightseeing — never really getting to relax. We found the
perfect place where you can truly have a relaxing,
and fun, vacation — Amelia Island Plantation. It’s
not far from Jacksonville, yet a world apart.
Amelia Island is the southern most of the
Atlantic barrier islands, and is tranquil and pristine
— one of the environmentally friendliest inhabited
U.S. islands you will find. The Amelia Island
Plantation is situated on 1,350 acres on the southern
end of the island, and includes the resort and a residential community.
The AAA 4Diamond resort is
an amazing complex, with a beautiful spa, and world
renowned tennis
and golf facilities.
There are a variety
of accommodations
to choose from,
including the inn,
villas, and penthouses. We stayed
in a hotel room in
the Amelia Inn,
overlooking the
The comfortable lobby at Amelia Island Plantation.
pool and the
Atlantic Ocean.
The developers of the property were (thankfully) very environmentally conscious, and treated the land with due reverence.
Very little of the island’s natural flora was removed or changed.
In fact, as you ride through the residential area, you will see a few
Photo courtesy of Amelia Island Plantation
By Melissa Wolcott and Al Martino
Photo courtesy of Amelia Island Plantation
is right there at Amelia Island
State Park. The Kelly Seahorse
Ranch has gentle horses and
professional staff to accompany
you while you ride along the
beach and observe dolphin at
play, and many different water
birds.
There is also a mile long bridge
for fishing the sound, or you can
surf fish off the shoreline.
Amelia Island Plantation has
more than seven miles of biking
and nature trails, and three and
one-half miles of beach.
courts with the help of the resort’s certified tennis pros. Amelia Island
Plantation has 23 courts, and a selection
of packages and clinics for any playing
level.
Ah, the spa. Remember the part
about relaxing? This is it. The Amelia
Island Plantation Spa is just superb, and
was designed by nationally known architect, Robert Henry. You start to unwind
Photo courtesy of Kelly Seahorse Ranch
The resort’s fairways have got to be a
golfer’s paradise, with
the picturesque Atlantic
surf and sand dunes
just a few steps away
from the rolling greens.
Three 18-hole courses
should satisfy golfers
of any skill level. The
award-winning links
were designed by the
famous golf architects,
Pete Dye, Tom Fazio
and Bobby Weed, taking into consideration
the eco-friendly island rules. Coquina
shell cart paths are used, except in some
areas where asphalt was used to prevent
erosion. Fortunately, there is no residual
hurricane damage to the courses. PGA
professionals offer programs for all levels,
and the resort has several attractive spagolf packages.
Join us on an island-hopping adventure
through the Caribbean aboard a tall ship.
Explore exotic isles, windsurf, dive and
snorkel with an intimate group of
barefoot shipmates.
the moment you step into the warm inviting spa lobby, with it’s Douglas-fir walls
and indirect lighting. The lobby was
actually designed to be “male friendly”
as men have been traditionally intimidated by spas (although that is rapidly
changing.)
Glass walled hallways that surround
a meditation garden lead you to the treatment rooms. The spa services offered are
many and varied, and all guests are
treated like royalty. They have thought of
everything to make
your visit a memorable experience,
such as massage
beds that are heated
and conform to the
body, and heated
massaging pedicure
chairs.
We both chose to
have a traditional
relaxing massage,
which was just
heavenly, but if we
had more time, we
6 & 13 day cruises from $700
Melissa Wolcott
For some other activities, one of the
few places on the east coast that you can
actually go horseback riding on the beach
Sail the
Caribbean
P.O. Box 190120, Dept. 6172, Miami Beach, FL 33119-0120
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Glass walls line the spa hallway overlooking the meditation garden.
in one shop — Hunt Fossils. We actually
stuck ourselves there, because it was fascinating. Walter Hunt, owner, fossil
hunter and fine artist had us riveted with
his tales of adventure and discovery, and
his amazing artwork. He is a pen and ink
pointillist which is very painstaking work
— much like fossil hunting, so its a good
fit. He has some amazing fossils and some
civil war relics in his shop.
Welcome to the Islands
TROPICAL PARTY CRUISE!
e Music & Dancing
e Island Buffet
e Dolphin Sightings
e Frozen Drinks
e Sunsets at Sea
Al Martino
been under eight different flags (see sidebar for
flag history lesson.) The
museum itself is a little
time capsule, as it was
the town jail, and now
houses archeological and
maritime exhibits.
In truth, we didn’t
get to see too much of
the town due to time
constraints and getting stuck
The Shops at Amelia Island Plantation
are lovely, with jewelry, fashion, shoes,
art, home furnishings, etc. — no tacky
tourist stuff to be found here. The shops
have surrounding
A Hunt Fossil
porches and rockers,
display
and are situated
around a peaceful
lagoon.
Dining at Amelia
Island Plantation is
also a pleasure, with
several choices of
restaurants. The
Amelia Inn Dining
room serves fine
food with a breathtaking ocean view.
Sunday brunch is a must. The Verandah at
Racquet park serves terrific seafood, and
the Marche Burette, located in the Shops
at Amelia Island Plantation, is a charming
old fashioned gourmet deli and food market. Of course, let us not forget Cooper’s
Homemade Ice Cream & desserts — we
made several stops there during our visit.
Melissa Wolcott
There is a town on
the island —
Melissa Wolcott
Al Martino
Melissa Wolcott
would have opted for the very unique Watsu
Massage. The treatment is performed in a pool
filled with mineral-infused water (salt from the
Dead Sea). A therapist gently stretches and pulls the
guest around the pool (almost looks like a water
ballet) then treats them to an aromatherapy wrap.
The whole treatment lasts for 90 minutes. We spoke
to one woman after her experience, and she said she
felt gloriously transported to another plane, and was
the most stress free she
had felt in years. This
treatment is especially
good for people who
have had surgery, or
can’t have a regular
massage. The Amelia
Island Plantation Spa
is the only one on the
east coast that has a
pool dedicated only to
Watsu. The resort
offers several terrific
hotel-spa packages as
well.
Photo courtesy of Amelia Island Plantation
The inviting lobby at Amelia Island Plantation Spa.
Fernandina Beach — and
the resort will shuttle guests
there several times a day.
It’s a charming little 19th
century seaport city with a
long history. We visited the
Amelia Island Museum of
History, and learned that
Fernandina Beach is the
only U.S. location to have
727-461-3113
Clearwater Beach Marina
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The Shops at Amelia
Island Plantation.
The 8 Flags Story
Melissa Wolcott
Amelia Island is the only U.S. location to have
been under eight different flags. The area was
(and still is) considered desirable because of
it’s naturally deep harbor.
The island’s
first European visitor was Jean
Ribaulton. He named the island
“Isle de Mai.”
The
Spanish defeated the French and
founded St. Augustine in 1565.
The Spanish concentrated on
educating and converting the natives, and the
island name of “Santa Maria” was derived from
a mission here. The mission and settlement
were destroyed in 1702 by the English.
Oglethorpe renamed the island “Amelia” after
the daughter of George II.
The island
became known as “Egmont” from
the Earl of Egmont’s large indigo
plantation. Revolutionary forces
invaded in 1777 and 1778.
lots of activities for children (especially
good for brides that don’t want kids at the
wedding — they can go to supervised
activities — everyone wins!) The resort
also goes out of their way to create a wonderful atmosphere at the holidays for
guests.
We will definitely return to Amelia
Island Plantation, and this time we’ll plan
on an extra 90 minutes for that special
Watsu massage.
If You Go...
- 800-874-6878;
www.aipfl.com
Sunday brunch at the Inn.
Amelia Island Plantation is perfect for
couples’ getaways or family vacations. A
lot of weddings are held there as it fits the
bill for the perfect celebration. There are
904-261-7378
- 904-261-8225
- 904-491-5166
800-525-0280
(with 3 interruptions):
After the Revolution, Britain ceded Florida back
to Spain. Jefferson’s Embargo Act of 1807,
made the border town of Fernandina a center of
smuggling and piracy.
With secret U.S.
blessings, the s”Patriots of
Amelia Island” overthrew the
Spanish and hoisted their own
flag on March 17, 1812. They replaced it with
the U.S. flag the next day, but Spain demanded
return of the island. The Spanish completed
Fort San Carlos in 1816.
To liberate Florida from Spanish
control, Sir Gregor MacGregor
seized Fort San Carlos in 1817,
and hoisted his Green Cross standard. After his
withdrawal, the Spanish attempted to regain
control but were repelled by forces led by Jared
Irwin and Ruggles Hubbard.
Irwin
and Hubbard were joined by the
pirate Luis Aury, who gained
control and raised the Mexican
rebel flag. U.S. troops occupied the island in
December, 1817, and held it “in trust for
Spain.”
(with one interruption): Spain
ceded Florida to the United States
in 1821. Work began on Fort Clinch in 1847. In
the 1850s, Fernandina became the terminus for
Florida’s first cross-state railroad.
The
Confederates took over Fort
Clinch in 1861, but federal troops
regained it in 1862, and occupied
it for the duration of the War.
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