Guest Blogger: Lizzie Fortunato

Guest blogger and jewelry maker extraordinaire, Lizzie Fortunato, explores Amelia Island with her twin sister and friend on a recent island getaway. To learn more about Lizzie, her jewelry, accessories and blog, please visit her website and Instagram.

Lizzie, we can’t wait to see you back on Amelia Island soon!

What is the perfect antidote to post-holiday, 4:45pm sunset, gray, cold NYC in January? 36 hours away with your besties to sunny Florida to relax and recharge! That is just what sis and I did with our BFF Kate (a design + hospitality genius) a few months back. We met up in picturesque Amelia Island for a much-needed girls’ weekend and serious girl-boss-brainstorming sessions.

Getting there:

It’s easy! We hopped a direct (fast) flight to Jacksonville and then drove an easy 45 minutes to the island. We could feel our stress melting away with every mile that passed!

To Stay:

We were lucky enough to be put up at a Destination Amelia condo. The property’s interiors were newly renovated and super comfortable – just what the doctor ordered! The condo faced the ocean, so we woke up to beautiful sunrises and did more than a few morning and early evening beach walks (and IG shoots – we can’t help ourselves!). Their rentals are situated across the island, so if you’re more of an oceanfront, beachside, or marshside type, they’ve got you covered!

To Eat:

We had two great dinners at Bar Zin Bistro and Wine Bar and Burlingame Restaurant. Bar Zin has a casual, neighborhood feel with what looked like plenty of locals catching up over wine and bites – there is an attached wine shop which we also picked up from! Burlingame was delicious with impressive farm-to-table fare, and it’s worth noting that the service at both restaurants was incredibly warm and welcoming – we weren’t in NY anymore!

For lunch, we loved Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls conveniently located on Centre Street where we spent a glorious afternoon strolling and shopping.

To Drink:

Stop by the Ritz Carlton for the perfect margarita and beach views. Even in the windy January climate, we could taste summer.

To Do:

Relax – While we heard that the Ritz and Omni Resorts both have amazing spas (next time!) we opted for Coastal Massage Therapy for a little R+R. Highly recommend this charming spot with great therapists!

Shop – Centre Street is the Main Street and is filled with some fabulous antique shops and cute independent shops. Our bestie, Kate, is a designer, so she had a blast rummaging through flea market finds with us – a lifelong pastime, and went home with a few scores.

A few highlights were Eight Flags Antique Market for hidden treasures and a particularly charming bookstore: The Book Loft.

Explore:

We ran out of time, but we highly recommend renting bikes from Beach Store and More (and just visiting for any beach-side needs!) to explore Fort Clinch State Park, home to one of the most well-preserved 19th-century forts in the country and full of trails with views of some of the biggest sand dunes in Florida. Next time!