That is why The Husband and I headed for Amelia Island, a snappy 30-minute drive from the Jacksonville International Airport, itself a quick hop from South Florida.
Amelia is historic but modern, natural but convenient. This means options enough to please both partners, but few enough to forestall arguments. The major dilemmas: Where to stay (B&B, upscale resort, motel or cottage rental.) Where to dine: White tablecloth scene or a beachside burger. What to do: Kayaking, cycling, boat tour, horse riding on the beach, bird watching, a spa treatment - or heaven forbid, simply sitting on a porch swing with a glass of wine and a book, and letting the world go on around you.
We went for the combo approach. Each day we would do one active thing, to keep ourselves from becoming fat and bored. But we'd also set aside time for strolling, reading, cocktails and an afternoon snooze. Mostly, we'd turn off our cell phones and soak up the ambience.
The commercial hub of Amelia's 18 square miles is Fernandina Beach, a cozy Victorian town of moss-draped oaks and red brick churches. The town's history is one of location: On the protected waters of the Intracoastal, Fernandina lies just a few miles from both the Atlantic and rich farming lands - a prime base for explorers, traders and pirates since the mid-1500s. Over the centuries, the town has served under eight flags.
VILLAGE LIFE Old ways still prevail here: Locals rock on the wide porch at dusk, a horse carriage carries visitors past red brick courthouse and churches, and a young father burns off his toddler's evening energy climbing steps of the old post office. Most everyone takes a moment to nod hello, and from the pedicurist at Magna's Salon to the ticket taker at the 19th century Fort Clinch, people are unfailingly helpful.
Slipping into the village mindset was easy enough: We bypassed beachfront resorts in favor of Hoyt House, one of several historic homes-turned-B&B where the cookies are homemade and the staff happy to call around to see if anyone rents a sailboat uncaptained. (Unfortunately, not.) We dropped our urban attitudes and wandered past century-old storefronts to the waterfront to drown our city stress in a sunset cocktail.
Fernandina Beach is considered the birthplace of the modern shrimping industry, and though the numbers of boats is dwindling - foreign shrimp imports have pushed out local fishermen - the marina is still the centerpiece of this town of 11,000. Sunset on the Intracoastal, at the end of Centre Street, is a visitor-preferred way to end the day. The entertainment is quiet - a few sighs provoked by nature - though it's easy enough to snag a chaser at a waterfront cafe.
We had failed to make dinner reservations at one of Fernandina's many gourmet restaurants, and on a busy weekend, we discovered, we should have booked well in advance. It didn't much matter; funky local seafood joints more suited our mood, and we passed the evening gorging on shrimp and sipping beer at Marina, a historic trading house-turned-seafood restaurant.
The next morning, we headed off early to snag a kayak, before the weekend crowds rolled in. If regaining a sense of romance is about candlelight and hand-holding, it's also about team work - and there's no better place to get in sync than in a kayak built for two.
We set off on a waterway lined with tall marsh grasses, home to birds and the simple beauty of woodlands beyond. The channel eventually let to an island beach, pristine but fast filling with boaters this hot Saturday. When the iPod speakers of our neighbors cranked up, we got back in our kayak and fought the current back to the rental dock, lest we be late for another romantic weekend ritual: Massage at a local spa.
Another cocktail, another sunset, another day at rest.
And so we kept with our plan: Mornings of action (kayaking, cycling, a Segway tour) followed by afternoons of leisure (the spa, a bar, a nap) and just noodling around.
GROWING, BUT SLOWLY We'd been to Amelia once before, perhaps a dozen years ago, and were glad to find that in the most important ways, Fernandina Beach hasn't much changed. The main street remains intimate, without a high-rise in sight. Historic homes are in demand, and eyesores of the modern ilk remain invisible from Centre Street (though a Hampton Inn of regrettable architecture is located a block away.) On the plus side, options for dining and activities have increased, and a few spas have opened.
But like most of Florida, Amelia Island as a whole is busier, denser, and growing more vanilla by the minute. Where long stretches of beach were once visible on AIA from the south, the road is now dock-to-dock with beach houses, with grand statements dwarfing the comfy older cottages. Farther south, expensive retirement and second home communities have commandeered the waterfront. The Surf - a longtime open air beer-and-burger joint with live music - has been sold to developers, and ale will stop flowing in early September.
Thank the foresight of our predecessors for the several state parks that flank much of the beach and wetlands, a Maginot Line dividing past from future.
We spend our last morning in one of them, St. George Island. Maren and Greg Arnett of Ecomotion Tours are living out their post-corporate dream here, giving tours via Segway through the woods of St. George and adjacent Kingsley Plantation, a former slave-holding cotton plantation.
Segway tours are offered in many urban environments, but rolling along wooded paths on these self-balancing scooters is a rare treat - even for many disabled guests, the Arnetts discovered unexpectedly. The two-hour tour eases through a forest of scrub pines, wildflowers and native plants, with Greg stopping occasionally for updates on natural and human history. The battery-powered Segways are so quiet that birds and wildlife are undisturbed.
It's a sympathetic marriage of old ways and new - and a reminder that evolution will have its way. Nothing stays the same: Not land or towns or people, or even our romance. But with careful tending and occasional restoration, the harmonies remain in tune.
VISITING AMELIA ISLAND *Getting there: Fly to Jacksonville, then rent a car and drive 30 minutes to Amelia Island. (Larger resorts will arrange transportation, but you'll probably want a car anyway.)
WHERE TO STAY * Amelia Island Plantation: Sheltering oaks draped with Spanish moss and natural areas help disguise the fact that The Plantation, as it's called, is a 600-unit resort (villas, houses and a luxury inn) plus four golf courses. It's a top choice for families and friends traveling together, with kids programs, seven restaurants, tennis, biking paths, excursions, gym, the area's best spa and game room. The villa units recently have been refurbished and though not cheap (from $334 for a two-bedroom), they offer good value. 888-261-6161 or 904-261- 6161; www.ameliaislandplantation.com. Many packages available. Rooms from $191. * Ritz-Carlton: The luxury style for which Ritz-Carlton is famed, with a spectacular beachfront location. Spa, golf and children's programs offered. 904-277-1100 or 800-241-3333; www.ritzcarlton.com. End of Summer rates, from $199. * Elizabeth Pointe Lodge: This beachfront lodge recalls old-style resorts on Cape Cod, with wide porches, a nautical-themed sitting room and fireplace. Rooms from $175; includes breakfast. 904-277-4851 or 800-772-3359; www.elizabethpointelodge.com. * Hoyt House: Gracious 10-room inn in a 1905 home; traditional decor with real antiques. Unlike many B&Bs., Hoyt House has a pool and hot tub, plus bicycles. Staff is cheery and helpful. In Fernandina Beach historic district. Rooms from $129; breakfast included. 904-277-4300 or 800-432-2085; www.hoythouse.com. * Addison on Amelia: Luxury inn mixing contemporary and traditional touches surrounding a courtyard; a spa will soon be added. In Fernandina historic district. Rates from $125. 800-943-1604 or 904-277-1604; www.addisononamelia.com. * Hampton Inn & Suites: This new, well-located inn near the Fernandina Beach waterfront makes an effort to fit in with local ambience, though the architecture misses the mark. 904-491-4911 or 800-HAMPTON; www.hamptoninnandsuites.net. From $119.
DINING * The Verandah: Fine dining venue at Amelia Island Plantation. 904-277-5958 or 888-261-6161; www.ameliaislandplantation.com. Dinner entrees, $17.95-$35. * Embers at the Addison: Top gourmet choice, at the Addison inn in Fernandina Beach. Reserve in advance. 904-321-2121; www.embersattheaddison.com. Entrees, $22-$38. * Marina Restaurant: Local fish joint with good, traditional seafood and atmosphere near Fernandina docks. 904-261-5310. Entrees, $13.95-$26.95. * Joe's 2nd Street Bistro, Fernandina Beach: Gourmet cuisine in New Orleans' style setting; entrees $13.95-$31. 904-321-2558; www.joesbistro.com. * Down Under: Top choice for casual local seafood overlooking the Intracoastal; a 10-minute drive from Fernandina Beach. 904-261-1001. Entrees, $14.95-$24.95.
WHAT TO DO * Jacksonville: 30 minutes south of the airport, Jacksonville may be best known for its growth in corporate offices. But the town also boasts charming historic districts such as Avondale (nip into The Fox for fried green tomatoes and pork chops and eggs) and several worthy museums, including the Cummer Museum of Art (excellent kids area plus soothing gardens), Jackson Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Science and History. 800-733-2668 or 904-798-9100; www.visitjacksonville.com. * Fernandina Beach: The town dates from the 1500s, and though most buildings are only a century or so old, visitors find plenty of historic ambience as they stroll the streets, catch a carriage ride, join the Friday night ghost tour or visit Fort Clinch State Park. The town itself is seafood lover's feast, though many of the gourmet eateries offer minimal seafood. Shopping is limited to things you probably don't need. Don't miss sunset at the docks; there's no hoopla except that provided by nature. * Shrimp Festival: The first weekend in May, next year May 4-6. 904-261-3248; www.shrimpfestival.com. * American Beach: Founded in 1935 as the first black-owned beach resort, American Beach struggles to retain its identity, and a long-planned museum has yet to materialize. Today there's not much to see except an unremarkable collection of houses. * Cumberland Island: The 34,000 acres of this Georgia coastal island is a national nature preserve reached only by boat. A ferry goes daily from St. Mary's, Ga., about 30 minutes from Amelia Island. 877-860-6787 or 912-882-4336; www.nps.gov/cuis. * Fort Clinch: Built at Amelia's north end in the mid-1800s, Fort Clinch has never been used in battle. Since 1935 it has been a state park, with campgrounds, beaches and nature areas. The fort itself is often used for period reenactments. 904-277-7274; www.floridastateparks.org/fortclinch. * Beaches and parks: Long stretches of northeast Florida are preserved as state parks - a much-needed antidote to the onslaught of luxury housing developments. Along with Fort Clinch, above, are Big Talbot Island, a nature preserve with an unusual coast bluff; Little Talbot State Park to the south offers a long beach, campsites, boardwalks and ranger activities. Fort George Island Cultural State Park is adjacent to the Kingsley Plantation, below. 850-245-2157; www.floridastateparks.org. * Boat tours: Fishing and sailing charters are offered through the Amelia Island Charter Boat Association, 800-229-1682. Voyager Ventures offers sailing cruises on a schooner, www.voyagerventures.com, 904-753-2388. Amelia River Cruises offers scenic water tours, www.ameliarivercruises.com; 904-261-9972. * Spa: Top choice is the spa at Amelia Island Plantation, a soothing enclave with wooded views; signature treatment is Watsu, an in-water massage. 877-624-1854; www.spaamelia.com. In Fernandina Beach, Magna's offers day-spa services; 904-321- 0404; www.magnasalon.com. The Ritz-Carlton also has a spa; 904-277-1100; www.ritzcarlton.com. Most B&Bs can arrange in-room massage. * Horseback riding: Ride the Beaches of Amelia Island, www.ameliahorsebackriding.com, 904-277-7047, offers freestyle riding. Kelly Seahouse Ranch, in Amelia Island State Park; 904-491-5166; www.kellyranchinc.com. * Kayaking: From Kayak Amelia's base near Big and Little Talbot parks, you can easily paddle through marshes and onto pristine beaches - though on a busy weekend, you'll have plenty of motorized company. Rentals and guided tours; 888-30-KAYAK; www.kayakamelia.com. * Segway tours: Ecomotion Tours offers guided tours by Segway on Fort George Island, about a half-hour south of Fernandina Beach. 904-251-9477; www.ecomotiontours.com. * Kingsley Plantation: This 19th Century cotton plantation was owned by Zephaniah Kingsley, who held more than 200 slaves but advocated less restrictive laws for blacks and eventually moved to Haiti. Today many plantation buildings, including slave cottages, have been preserved and are part of historic exhibits. 904-641-7155 or 904-221-5568; www.nps.gov/timu. INFORMATION * www.ameliaisland.org; 866-4-AMELIA.
