Amelia & Cumberland Island Vacation

I mentioned last week how we had just gotten home from a family vacation .  Well, let me explain how we ended up on Amelia Island, first...

We had been planning a vacation with our very good friends for a while.  Since he is also in the Air Force, it was kind of a long shot to get all of our schedules to line up.  Well, it looked like everything was a go! So we were going to all meet in Charleston at his parent's home.  Shortly before the trip, they found out they would be going to England (thanks, Air Force!) So, Bryan and I scrambled to come up with an alternate vacation plan for just the four of us.  In order to save money, I was looking at any military base on the East coast that we could stay.  I found one called King's Bay which is a Naval Submarine Base.  I knew nothing of the area or what was around it but I knew a beach was close and that was really all we needed.  Then, I found a Hampton Inn for $5 more a night which would provide a free hot breakfast.  To us, the logical choice was to "jump ship" with the Naval Base and go to a Hampton.

The day after I booked our hotel room, I decided to see if there was any good food or things to do near the hotel besides the beach (our biggest selling point)!  That's when I realized we were going to an Island!  hah, really?!  And it's called Amelia Island?  Well, that's a cute name!  AND Southern Living Magazine rated it as The Best Small-Town Getaway!?!

Well, after visiting, we can truly agree that it was a perfect place to vacation.

It is very rich in history... It is claimed that 8 flags have flown over Amelia Island: French, Spanish, British, Patriot, Green Cross, Mexican, Confederate, and United States.  A must-see park is Fort Clinch State Park.  No battles were ever fought here, but it was occupied by soldiers during the Spanish-American War as well as the Civil War.  It was a very entertaining piece of history to visit.  The architecture and masonry alone was well worth the visit!

Fort Clinch

Finding Fantastic Food in Florida

Well, we recently got home from a trip to Pompano, Florida for my husband's grandmother's 95th birthday celebration.  She and her husband spend the long winter months down south and are lucky enough to have a beach right across the street from them.  We were lucky enough to visit her & the beach, too!

Our youngest had his first trip on a plane and his first visit to the beach. He enjoyed the plane a lot more than the beach.  We have a theory that babies don't like beach since their skin is just too sensitive still.  Or, maybe our babies just don't like the beach until they're about.... almost 3?  Our oldest was in heaven.  She couldn't get enough of it.

So, instead of going on and on about about the beach, I'd like to share three of our favorite places we visited for grub.  If you find yourself near Pompano and Fort Lauderdale, I'd highly suggest going to these restaurants.