We headed North for some Southern Hospitality (Orlando, Holiday: houses, school)

[Lawstudent]

We have wanted to see the Fernandina beach, Amelia Island area since we have arrived here. So we decided to finally do it while we had family in town visiting. I plotted a very vague route for us to take. I decided to go out to Mayport and take the ferry across the river and trickle up A1a into Fernandina beach and then back over to 95 then up to St. Mary’s to enjoy the AYCE crab legs someone on the forum recc’d. So we headed out around 11 am and eased out into the day. When we arrived at the ferry parking area there was a vehicle already parked so we pulled in behind them and shut the engine down. A minute or two later another vehicle pulled up in a completely different area. We laughed a little and wondered if it was them or us who needed to move. Finally a barrage of cars showed up and pulled behind the other vehicle. We decided that maybe we should move so I pulled forward and asked the people in front of us if they were in line. No they were just sitting there. So red faced we pulled over and got into the correct line. I was very excited to be crossing the river on a ferry we have done this before in other areas of Florida and the ride has always been very nice. This ride lasted 5 minutes at best, but was fun, the captain didn’t so much drive us as let the river slam us into the guide rails. (I personally enjoyed it but the girls not so much). The homes along the area from here on up during the trip were very interesting, eclectic, and many on beautiful marshes. So we headed North up A1a with peaks at the Atlantic and marshes every so often. There were many state parks and each had a fee for entering and we weren’t staying long enough to merit the fee. We finally observed many fishermen with their vehicles out on the beach and around a point that faced the ocean. We went for it and my manly instincts kicked in. I loved driving on the beach. We rounded the point and the view of the Atlantic was awesome, not a soul in sight just the way I like it. We returned to the roadway and headed northward again there was not much to see the houses and buildings you could see were very nice and the vibe of the few little shopping areas was quaint. When we hit Fernandina Beach the access to the beach was plentiful, about every 100 yards or so there was public access and parking area, which is very nice. The many boardwalks going from the homes to the beach hurt the beauty of this stretch of beach. (Seems like they all could share a few). So from what I could see we had to head back to I-95 to head north to St. Mary’s. We were excited because we were getting hungry and were excited to see St. Mary’s Ga. One of the things we found out about St. Mary’s is it was the site of the 2004 HGTV home. You can tour this home online and the virtual tour will let you walk through the house. We love looking at homes and getting ideas for when we build our home and this house was awesome. Anyway we finally got into St. Mary’s (did I mention it was the Saturday of the Georgia – Florida game) and the streets were red with Georgia fans. BTW I love college football and am a graduate of FSU and the Georgia fans have always been some of the nicest fans we have ever met. On to St. Mary’s. What a sweet little town. The downtown area was decorated to the rooftops with Halloween décor. There were locals milling about enjoying a cocktail here and there. The girls found some little shops to look at and waterfront park was so nice. We found our way to Lang’s seafood restaurant and were promptly seated. AYCE crab all the way around ($30/pp) we enjoyed some good ole sweet tea and watched as the sun went down. The restaurant itself is not about ambience but its nice in its simplicity. The people were worth the trip. Since we have been in Jax manners are a hit and miss commodity so it was nice to hear a “thank you” or “excuse me” and our favorite when someone adds Miss to a woman’s first name, such as Bobby go tell “miss Karla” her pizza is ready. I have been bumped into in the store by people who will just look at me and walk on. So it was nice to encounter manners. I have some pictures here give them a look. If you get a chance St. Mary’s is a wonderful little town to visit and the charm is as sweet as molasses.

PS if you are there around dusk bring insect repellant I was ate alive

Trying to figure out how to post a few pics I will try again later.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYBODY

[Sunnydee]

Happy Thanksgiving!

I loved your description of the trip.

[mawipafl]

Thanks for the travelogue! Makes me want to trace your route myself!

PS Everything said about St Marys is true -- my aunt and uncle live there, so I've visited many times and can say from personal experience that you are not exaggerating.

[Magnolia Bloom]

Sounds like a great trip. Thanks for sharing!

[Samierra]

Welcome back Lawstudent!
Thanks for the great narrative - I look forward to exploring St. Mary's also. But, I must say, I do find a little of that Southern Hospitality in Jax...
Hope to hear more about this great city from you again soon.

[FLPL75]

thanks lawstudent
we love your posts.
please don't stay away so long next time

ooo and where is "miss karla's pizza" as mentioned

[riveree]

Sounds like you found Hugenot (the point you spoke of) - a gorgeous spot !

[CBB]

Sounds like a lot of fun. We make a day trip to Fernandina Beach every time we visit. It's so cute, and we enjoy taking the Mayport ferry. Next time we'll have to see St. Marys, I guess.

Thanks for sharing!

[fastninja500]

yes, very cool! I will follow Lawstudents travels. Thank you.

[Lawstudent]

I think I have figured it out have a looky. Thank you everyone for the responses. Even though I am busy I always check in to see what everyone is talking about. Pizza patrol talking about pizza. The Orlandoites talking about Orlando. Everyone trying to find the perfect school. Happy Holidays all We hope you and yours are safe and sound.