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Amelia Island Plantation
A natural gem on Florida’s Atlantic coast
By Diana Lambdin MeyerPlaying tooth fairy to a great white shark wouldn’t appear to be the most pleasant of assignments, but it’s one that Christina Nelson approaches each morning with enthusiasm.
As program manager of the Amelia Island Nature Center, Nelson leads regular excursions searching for sharks’ teeth on the sandy beaches of Florida’s Amelia Island. That a great white has almost 3,000 teeth in its mouth makes the job a little more reasonable, and the fact that lost teeth can tumble around in the ocean for thousands of years after falling from the shark’s mouth improves the odds. And it’s not just great white teeth (which are actually a fossilized shade of gray) that can be found on Amelia Island’s beaches. Tiger, hammerhead, goblin, lemon and dusky sharks’ teeth all jingle in Nelson’s pockets as she walks, teaching others what to look for amid the jumble of Mother Nature’s debris on the beach.
The nature center, fabulous beaches and sandy-footed treasure-hunting are what distinguish Amelia Island from hundreds of other Florida beach destinations for Virgil and Sandra VanTrease of St. Louis. After being referred there by a friend and visiting for a couple of years, the VanTreases bought a four-bedroom condo there seven years ago. Ever since, they’ve taken long-weekend trips there about every six weeks, also sharing the apartment with family and friends.
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“The nature center is an absolute jewel,” Virgil says. “It just reinforces the efforts on Amelia Island to conserve and
appreciate nature.”
Located across the intercoastal waterway from Jacksonville, Amelia Island Plantation is 1,350 acres of natural beauty that defines itself in beaches, centuries-old live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss and more than 90 species of birds and other wildlife. Named for the daughter of King George II of England, Amelia Island had developers who recognized the value and necessity of preserving this abundance of nature in the early 1970s, long before going green was considered fashionable or necessary.
Visitors are encouraged to park their cars and travel by foot, bicycle, golf cart or Segway to reduce auto emissions. Waterways used by wildlife in the area as a home and food source are protected from humans by a 40-foot buffer of natural grasses. In many cases, homes have been designed around trees on the lot. In one case, a massive live oak juts through the center of a home, making the tree the focal point of the property and reinforcing that it was there first.
But Amelia Island provides many more activities than just appreciating nature’s abundance. When the VanTreases and their friends visit, they golf on one of the three courses on the property. Ocean Links, where duffers often spot wood storks or bobcats, is prized because of its five holes fronting the ocean. All of the golf courses are certified by the Audubon Society for their efforts in pest management, water conservation and
public education.
Other visitors come for the 23 clay tennis courts, home of the Bausch & Lomb Women’s Tennis Championships each April. If you’re a tennis fan, this is a good time to visit Amelia Island for the otherwise unprecedented access to some of the top players in women’s tennis. If you have children, the resort’s junior program has been ranked in the top five in the U.S.
Another attraction that Amelia Island holds for the VanTreases is its accommodating environment for people of all ages. Although there are certainly a number of retired couples living on the property, families with young children find entertainment as well. One of your first stops should be amelia’s wheels, an outlet that provides bicycles, baby joggers and baby trailers. There are seven miles of paved bicycle trails around the property, along with generously wide roadways shaded by a mature growth of trees and other landscaping.
Amelia’s Wheels is also where you can rent and learn to ride a Segway, the battery-powered personal human transporter that makes no noise and goes no faster than about 12 miles per hour. Children as young as eight years old can operate a Segway with a little instruction. Family safaris with a Segway guide will lead you through some of the most beautiful areas of the property in search of wildlife and interesting sites.
For shopping, Amelia Island offers many of the popular chains found in St. Louis, such as Chico’s. But find local flavor at Colors By the Sea, Resort to Home and Monkey Barrel, an upscale children’s clothing shop. The shops are centered around a fountain-filled pond and encircled by a charming boardwalk and outdoor cafés.
After any of these outings, book a few hours at the spa, for watsu (underwater) massages, Island Marsh body scrubs and beach-feet treatments. Gastronomically speaking, more compelling menu items—such as Key lime tarts, Cumberland crab cakes and lobster veloute—can be found on a visit to any of Amelia Island’s eight restaurants. The VanTreases prefer The Verandah for its view of the tennis courts at Racquet Park.
One more selling point for the VanTreases: American Airlines offers twice-daily direct flights from St. Louis to Jacksonville and Amelia Island. And after seven years of shuttling between River City and their favorite Florida spot, the family is equally comfortable in both places.
“Amelia Island just feels right,” Virgil says. “It’s home, just like St. Louis is home.”
