Such a wonderful idea to visit. Just driving through was…read morevisually pleasing. Main street crawl was such a wonderful experience stopping at all the small shops and having an ice cream cone at the fudge shop! We did not do the fort so have to come back;)

What a beautiful island! I was visiting family in Fernandina Beach when I discovered this gem…read more Amelia Island is located in northeastern Florida and is 13 miles long and 2 miles wide. It has beautiful beaches and lots of great restaurants. Both Rayonier Advanced Materials and WestRock have large factories on the island and employ tons of people. Amelia Island is named for Princess Amelia, daughter of George II of Great Britain. I spent a whole day exploring the island. There are cool little shops up and down the historic district. I visited a local coffee shop and a couple breweries. The Salty Pelican is a great place to grab a bite and a fun place to mix and mingle (the people are very friendly). The Palace Saloon is Florida's oldest bar. There is a full-service marina on the west side of the island and beaches on the east side. If you are into lighthouses like me, they have one near Central Park. Amelia Island is a great place to eat, shop, and relax while taking in its natural beauty.

Two stars for the extremely limited access Amelia Island Lighthouse. The property is only open for…read moreTHREE hours, one day a week. That's just crazy! I understand that it's federal property but would it be that hard to leave the property open so that we can at least get close enough to look up at the lighthouse? It is in the back of a residential neighborhood and up a short roadway where there's a secured fence and I did not try to walk around it though it really wouldn't be that hard. [Review 19329 overall - 1674 in Florida - 299 of 2023.]

I'm a big lover of lighthouses. When I was visiting Fernandina Beach recently, I discovered that…read morenearby Amelia Island had a lighthouse in the middle of the island. It's the oldest lighthouse in Florida and was built in the mid 1800's before Florida became a state. The Coast Guard transferred ownership of the lighthouse to the City of Fernandina Beach 20 years ago. You can visit the lighthouse, but only on Saturdays because it is located in a residential area. I made a brief stop at the lighthouse when I was driving around the island. The parking lot is pretty small and was almost full when I arrived. There was a guide on hand that shared with me a little bit about its history.

After sitting derelict for years, this house has been saved. Immediate 4 stars for that alone. Went…read moreto the grand opening event, not much to see since its been turned into offices for the NPS but it's preserved from destruction and that in itself is worth a Bravo!

I never imagined before that a residence of Napoleon Bonaparte Broward would still exists. But I…read morefound out about it online, and here it is, still standing after almost 140 years. This is a great place to learn about Napoleon Broward and his family and you will greatly appreciate the architecture style of that age. The private owners that currently own the house are very nice and this place is open to visitors. You have to check this place out, it's pure history that you will be breathing in. Beautiful house too.

Castle Ottis Coastal Hwy,…read moreSt. Augustine, FL 32084 Did you know we have a hidden castle in St Augustine? Castle Otttis is a unique, privately-owned landscape sculpture in Vilano Beach, Florida, built by Rusty Ickes and Ottis Sadler. They wanted to build something unique and different that would go well with the landscape of St Augustine. Since both were religious, they also wanted to built something that would show their appreciation to Jesus. The Castle features rustic stone walls and an interior with elaborate cypress woodwork, serving as a venue for religious weddings and events. Its not open to the Public. It offers tours available only by appointment. So you would have to go to their website and request an tour appointment via email. The story behind it is interesting. Just 2 men who wanted to be in peace with nature.

Just about 10 minutes north outside of historic St. Augustine is a unique castle that sits back…read morefrom the main road among trees and hedges. Sadly, the owner and creator of Castle Otttis, Kendle Icke, passed away in July 2023. However, his son, who lives on the property does conduct tours for small groups of people who have reservations. His tours are very interesting with information on how the castle came to be. Apparently, Mr. Icke had a couple of dreams about a castle in great detail, which he shared with a builder friend of his. The friend encouraged him to build it and agreed to help him. They were able to get donated building materials to work with. Mr. Icke built the castle in the image of old castles in Ireland and dedicated it to his wife. Castle Ottis was built between 1984-1988. The Ickes also had a home on the property to the left of the castle. We took the tour with a small group of people, which worked out very well. There are 3 levels if you count the rooftop, where you will see gorgeous panoramic views of the ocean. This is a castle based on 1000 year old Irish castles. The tour is free but donations will be greatly appreciated. A must see if you are in St. Augustine. It is a magical experience. There are special events held at the castle, like weddings or anniversaries. It is also great for photography opportunities. This is a one of a kind opportunity. Please note that Castle Otttis does not have handicapped accessibility. Parking is available on the property for the guests. You are allowed to take pictures inside the castle.

What a great experience! Entering the park and touring the plantation and its grounds is all free…read more(!!!!) to the public and absolutely lovely. The one worker that is stationed at the house, was friendly and very knowledgeable. I just wish that there were more furnishings in the home, but there is a plaque that actually addresses this. Be sure to bring your phone with you so that you can follow the audio tour (again, free!), and you might even get a chance to see some bald eagles in the front of the house. You will definitely need your camera! TIP - there isn't a ton of parking, so be sure to go earlier in the day.

To help celebrate his birthday, Tony Vanoy and I went to Kingsley Plantation & Slave Ruins on Fort…read moreGeorge Island near St John River in Florida! Located near the Georgia Border & Amelia Island State Park. Also near Little Talbott State Park! It was Free to enjoy and explore! There are buildings to go into and Tabby Ruins of the Slave Quarters Village. We spent about an hour walking around the plantation grounds! A lot of history here!Today Friday 15th Tony Vanoy and I explored the McIntosh Sugar Mill Tabby Ruins near St Mary's GA . It's free to enjoy and explore. There is a private parking lot and picnic tables BUT BE WARNED we experienced a ton of mosquitos! So BUGGIE SPRAY the Heck out of your exposed body parts! I got ate up and so did Tony! It's much larger than it looks from the parking lot! There's a Historical marker available to read about the previous owner dates and Plantation name! Definitely recommend & hope you enjoy!

Great beaches, restaurants, marshes, fishing etc.read more

Beautiful bridge connecting Yulee to Amelia Island at Fernandina Beach. From this bridge you can…read moreview the gorgeous marshes, coves, and resort roof tops. Whether it's an early morning sunrise, midday afternoon, or evening sunset the view is stunning. At night often the airport will be lit up for incoming flights which is also very pretty. If it's a foggy evening it's just as amazing. You just can't lose for an amazing view. If you are especially lucky you will see kyackers or canoes throughthe cove. The only complaint would be that the experience crossing over is too short!

Small but worth it…read more Learned all the footnotes about St Mary's. Whole trail is visible to its self. Would take less than 10 minutes to walk non stop. 20 when reading all the signs. Word of caution. Gravel is not friendly to disabilities or flip flops. No bathrooms here. 5 minute walk down the road to another park and bathrooms.

I discovered this while walking toward the pier. It's right next to the cemetery. To be honest-the…read morecemetery was the best part of this little side trip. The history walk was very small and it's rained the past few days so it was kinda swampy and wet. There were a few places I didn't want to go because of that. The cemetery, however, was really cool. Lots of old graves some with overgrown vegetation and tombstones from the lat 1800's.

I never knew any of the history that we stumbled upon here!…read more First of all, the building is nicely done with great museum like displays and a cute gift shop. There was also an extremely knowledgeable person inside who gave us a ton of info about the history and the fort. We then ventured outside (bug spray may be a good idea here!) and looked at the various spots with info and the history of the butcher, baker, candlestick maker as well as the other jobs around the fort. The actual building ruins are interesting and picturesque by the water. You could easily spend a while here meandering and learning. 100% worth a visit if you are nearby!

Great place to visit. All free. Beautiful grounds. The deer were not scared of us. The information…read moreshared was very informative and educational.