Fort Clinch/Fernandina Beach, Florida – October 14 – October 28, 2020
We arrived at Fort Clinch State Park on Amelia Island on October 14. We made reservations for two weeks right on the beach – well – on the other side of the dunes, but close enough. We walked out to the beach for fabulous sunrises and to sit and enjoy the sound of the surf. The park was not busy, so at times we had the beach all to ourselves.
The park included a fort (hence the name “Fort Clinch”), trails for biking and hiking, and the beach. We hiked most days on the paths. Since we were back in Florida, all of the hiking was flat and pretty easy. The fort was a well-preserved Civil War era fort and we spent half a day touring and catching up on the history of the fort.
Amelia Island is part of the Sea Islands chain of barrier islands. From Fort Clinch, on the northern side of the island, you can see Georgia. We walked through Fernandina Beach and enjoyed lunch at an outdoor café. The island had a bike trail that extended from the north end to the south end. It was a pretty nice trail, but crossed the road frequently so required numerous stops and starts.
We enjoyed the mild weather that we had for our stay, however we suffered through several very windy days, that made it impossible to sit on the beach without getting blown across the state.
“Amelia” by Joni Mitchell