It’s a town time forgot — or maybe it just refused to move forward. Serene and unpretentious, Amelia Island remains in the 1900s — reveling in its long, colorful history, quite aware it no longer has to prove anything to the rest of the world.
Therein lies the charm of this tiny stretch of land, 13 miles long and 2 miles wide, just off the northeastern tip of Florida. And abundant charm it is. Most visitors come for the beautiful beaches, award-winning golf and tennis, luxurious resorts and other accouterments of world-class vacation destinations.
For me, the main attraction is the seaport village of Fernandina Beach, where a sense of Victorian splendor still abounds. Barely touched by T-shirt shops and cellphone stands, the town pays homage daily to its elegant past….