Sat., March 28 — A Day in Historic Fernandina Beach

A bright, beautiful, blue-sky morning greeted us this morning accompanied by a brisk wind off the water. We started our morning with a healthy serving of carbohydrates from a Fernandina bakery — cinnamon rolls, berry muffins, chocolate muffins and zucchini muffins (I told you it was healthy!) Cleaning was the first order of the day. The boat needed a wash to get rid of a salty rime and the spotted windows and Roger and Will took care of straightening and vacuuming the inside. Spent more time on Fernandina Beach’s main shopping streets and also wandered down many side streets to look at historic homes. Nearly 50 blocks of the downtown are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The variety of homes is astounding ranging from cute cottages to magnificent mansions and everything in between. Queen Anne gems sit side by side with compact Craftsman homes with Italianate-styled mansions tucked in here and there. And, of course, there are a handful that are in dire need of attention. We were invited in to an open house by a real estate agent even after we told him we were definitely NOT in the market. It was listed for $365,000 and probably needed another $500,000 worth of updating. We could tell the renovation rules here are not as strict as Charleston — the kitchen in this home featured an awkward diagonal cooking island and the closets looks as though they had been carved out of other rooms. Tonight we are dining at David’s, supposedly the nicest place within walking distance. Last night’s dinner is worth a mention: Ciao for Italian. Food and service was spectacular. They should just warn you that every serving feeds a family of four! We brought leftovers back to the boat and will dine in style aboard on another night.

Roger poses in front of a cozy cottage in Fernandina's historic district.  Love the lime green and pink paint!
Roger poses in front of a cozy cottage in Fernandina’s historic district. Love the lime green and pink paint!
One of many historic homes in Fernandina that have been converted into elegant Bed and Breakfasts.
One of many historic homes in Fernandina that have been converted into elegant Bed and Breakfasts.
Definitely not a cozy cottage, this Queen Anne style home remains a single family dwelling.
Definitely not a cozy cottage, this Queen Anne style home remains a single family dwelling.
Example of Italianate style which was also used for Fernandina's court building built in the late 1800s.  It is still in use today.
Example of Italianate style which was also used for Fernandina’s court building built in the late 1800s. It is still in use today.
Great porch!
Great porch!
Alas, not all of the homes in the historic district are nice.  The owners of this one obviously require a lot of privacy or maybe they are hiding from the neighbors.
Alas, not all of the homes in the historic district are nice. The owners of this one obviously require a lot of privacy or maybe they are hiding from the neighbors.
Dinner was at a surprisingly upscale restaurant in the historic district called David's.  Quite posh and very busy.
Dinner was at a surprisingly upscale restaurant in the historic district called David’s. Quite posh and very busy.

P.S. ADDED SOME PHOTOS TO YESTERDAY’S BLOG AS WELL.

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