Fernandina Beach

Past Amelia Island, one of the state’s most exclusive resort destinations, lies the town of Fernandina Beach, with Victorian homes festooned in gingerbread trim. The Palace Saloon is one of the state’s oldest extant bars and still serves food and drink. The Annual Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival in early May jams the streets with artists, craftsmen, and celebrants.

The visitor’s center is housed in an old railroad depot that marked the northern terminus of Florida’s first cross-state railway to Cedar Key. Just a mile or so from downtown is Fort Clinch, built in 1847 and perched at the mouth of the St. Mary’s River. From here, you’ll sometimes see the massive black Trident nuclear submarines silently gliding in the St. Mary’s to and from their base at Kings Bay Naval Station. The annual Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance in March is one of only a handful of gatherings of some of North America’s most historically significant automobiles.