Great Loop: Fernandina Beach

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Fernandina Beach 


March 27th-29th, 2022 

Fernandina is a vibrant, cute Florida beach town with hints of Carmel.  The main street businesses  are prosperous and designed to lure you in with promises, of food, drink, art, ice cream, t-shirts, and other trappings of towns whose allure beckons people to visit.  It delivers on its promise.


Mike along the waterfront

It is also the last bastion of the quintessential Florida Beach.  Once you travel north a few miles, into Georgia, you will no longer find beaches that stretch on for miles, begging to be walked, while the waves run out around your ankles.  


Mike and Beth Enjoy Florida's Northern Most Beach

We gave in to temptation and beach walked while visiting friends from Santa Rosa that relocated to Amelia Island.  They have a lovely home in an established neighborhood.  They are surrounded by trees draped in Spanish moss and eagles keep watch from the top of coastal fir trees. 

Fernandina Beach from the Marina


Lunch with our friends that relocated to Fernandina Beach

There are wood pulp and paper mills in town in addition to commercial fishing.  Steady jobs and the tourist economy have brought prosperity to town.  It is very apparent as, you tour the island, and in contrast to so many Florida towns that time has passed by.  It was refreshing to see an area with a healthy economic base.

Rails to the Pulp and Paper Mills

To top is off, trains travel along the waterfront to transport the output of the mills to market.  I love the sounds of trains.  The presence of trains is also another signal that something of value is produced here and jobs have been created which support people, families, and grows the infrastructure that makes communities prosperous and healthy.

Homes on Amelia Island

Our stop in Fernandina, concluded our Florida visit.  It took us 3 months to travel its coastline, from the panhandle, down the west coast to the keys and up the east coast.  We found much to love about the state.  Their parks are top notch.  Wonderful bike paths connect communities and provide an alternative form of transportation.  Hopefully Florida will continue to protect their remaining wild areas and allow access to all.  The state also contains staggering contrasts between the wealthy and the rest of us.  I will concede Miami and Fort Lauderdale to the .001% if they agree to not migrate further and take over the best locations with their veneer of conspicuous consumption.  The truly tragic side is that they are not resident in the superyachts or the mansions. These trappings of wealth stand empty and unoccupied.  Go 6-8 blocks inland and you find poverty as if to illustrate the huge transfer of wealth that has occurred over the last 40 years.   


Two Robber Barons

Setting wealth disparity aside, Florida really does have a lot to offer.  It is well worth visiting during prime season to enjoy its sights, sounds and hospitality.  The entire Florida coastline offers the chance to be outdoors during winter months, enjoying the natural beauty of this region.  Pack up and come on down to experience it yourself!


Amy Marie at dock in Fernandina Beach

Berthing Information

  • Where we stayed:  Fernandina Beach Marina
  • Services:  Fuel, Pump Out, Water, Excellent WiFi
  • Electricity:  30 and 50 amp
  • Town is a block away with food and drink
  • Grocery stores are further away
  • The outside dock is not someplace you want to be in a West wind.

Track Log





Location: Fernandina Beach, FL 32034, USA

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