AMELIA ISLAND, Florida -- In those fresh and heady days of new romance, a getaway is something of a forbidden pleasure. Almost any place will do. Later, when the ink on the marriage announcement has long dried, romance becomes a matter of absence: Absence of kids, office politics, social commitments, bill-paying, the appointment with the Terminex man. But turning off the worry spigot isn't automatic. A place of ease - of unhurried moments, natural beauty, a graciously preserved past - can help slow the mind.

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.

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