Honeymoon Memories

Forty-five years ago on September 7th, 1980, MFI and I were married on the grounds of the Rainbow Lodge along the Buffalo Bayou in Houston, TX. Several days later we flew to Jacksonville, rented a car, and drove to our honeymoon condo at The Amelia Island Plantation, where we enjoyed nearly a week of golfing…among other things.

Fast forwarding to August 15th, 2025, we were camped at Country Oaks RV Park in Kingsland, GA, when we decided to drive 26 miles to Amelia Island, FL and check out how much the area had changed. While it would have been romantic to see where we had stayed, the resort had changed so dramatically, it was all but unrecognizable to what we remembered. Our $1,000 week long stay, had been replaced by an estimated $1,000/day expense (based on their website). By our rough calculations, the resort had tripled in size and was owned and operated by Omni. All the accommodation areas were gated with restricted access, and as a result, we couldn’t visit our honeymoon condo, or even locate on a resort map where it had been. This part of the island remained a beautiful setting but was no longer a place we’d consider staying, for example, to celebrate our 45th anniversary with a return visit.

Somewhat disappointed, we drove north on the island to check out historic Fernandina Beach, the northern most city on Florida’s Atlantic Coast. Originally inhabited by the Timucuan, the largest indigenous tribes in the region at that time, the area became known as the “Isle of the 8 Flags,” because at one time or another, the flags of Spain, France, Great Britain, the Republic of East Florida, the Republic of the Floridas, Mexico, the Confederatre States of America, and the United States were flown there. Fernandina was established by the Spanish, named after King Ferdinand VII, and became the last Spanish city platted in the western hemisphere (1811). The city’s history was dotted with stories of pirate activities, criminal hideouts, the origins of the shrimping industry, and Civil War actions involving nearby Fort Clinch (now a State Park). Today, the city of just over 13,000 people was known for its 50-block historic district, Victorian architecture (plus other styles), busy beaches, bustling downtown businesses, and fine dining.

We learned all of the downtown parking was free, so we found a lot inside the district and struck out on foot. I took pictures of the downtown to share with Sarah and Michael. They toy with starting a business in Hollywood’s downtown in the future. Fernandina Beach’s downtown was very similar to theirs, so we hoped to give them ideas..

We stoppped for an afternoon drink at Amelia Island Coffee, and washed down one of their decadent Oreo Muffins with our Americanos before heading to the marina/harbor. We strolled along the docks, me taking pictures while MFI chatted up the Captains of several moored boats.

We hadn’t eaten any lunch, and by 5 pm we were hungry. Our renaissance friend Richard Gray; retired GM executive, Rolls Royce owner and for-hire driver, pilot, and band member of the “Shredder Pigs,” lived in the area and was kind enough to provide us with his recommendations of restaurants at which to dine and those to definitely avoid. His favorite was a quaint place on 4th Street called España. They’re known for their tapas; however, we were in the mood for steak and ordered their Solomillo con Cabrales and two glasses of red wine. The meal was a blue-cheese-covered beef tenderloin grilled rare, with a side of saffron rice and a saute of julienne vegetables. All was cooked perfectly and absolutely delicious! Our server was a delightful young woman originally from Italy, who was working her way through college and spoke a few languages, including Deutsch. This made for some fun tableside conversations. MFI gave her our “Ms Fix It & The Pool Man” card, and we regaled her with travel stories in answer to her questions and curiosity about our life on the road. We ended the meal with Tiramisu; our go-to, dining-out dessert, and called it our annversary celebration.