Funky Fernandina

Stayed warm beneath the covers looking out my window at the river just to our left. The oaks above us let their moss hang low to obscure our view out towards the point. We spent some time online booking a campsite for two weeks while PJ flies back to Rhode Island. All of the state parks are reserved but we found a city campground in Jacksonville Beach that gets me up until the day she returns, so we put our name down.

There was an AA meeting at 11:00 in Fernandina Beach so even though we were running a little late, we jumped in the car and drove into the cute little town. They have a nice meeting hall and quite a few people showed up. We slipped in and found seats along the wall and relaxed into the rest of the meeting.

After the meeting, we drove into the old town center and did a walking tour. PJ poked her nose into a couple of shops then we walked down to the waterfront and checked that out. A cordial lady in the visitor center gave us a map and pointed out a few of the popular tourists spots. We browsed the bookstore then took a side street down to the museum and learned some of the history of Amelia Island. We were the only customers silly enough to pay the overpriced entry fee so we had the place to ourselves. It was fun for a while but my stomach was telling me it was past time for lunch.

We thanked the friendly docents then moved our feet back towards the main street. I googled ‘best lunch in Fernandina Beach’ and Timoti’s Seafood Shack popped up. A few blocks later we were seated in the sun eating a fresh fish lunch in the fashionable historic downtown area. The food was excellent and we took our time taking in the fresh air and watching other tourists passing by.

On our way back to Fort Clinch, we drove over to the Atlantic Ocean and walked out to put our toes in the sand. A quiet day that belonged to the throngs of gulls and terns that ruled the beach. PJ took a few side streets and we looked at beach houses backing up onto the dunes. We didn’t loiter for long since Cali was due for early release based on her good behavior. We drove the moss covered tree gauntlet back out to the RV and took her for a walk.

In the late afternoon, we did another walk down the beach. Today was much different with bright sunshine compared to yesterday’s threatening clouds. A magical spot and a wonderful way to spend our time. A few people fishing and a French Canadian couple who stopped to talk for a few minutes, but sparsely populated and peaceful. We returned to the small patio with park benches by the campsites and sat and watched the sun go down. A colorful end to a pleasant day.