Lodging
The Hampton Inn & Suites in historic downtown Fernandina Beach will be the Eagles 2012 Reunion Hqs. The hotel has set up a web page to facilitate reservations:
· Please note that there is another (standard) Hampton Inn on the Island. It is not the same as the one downtown. With the above, specific registration web page, there should be no confusion.
· There are 29 rooms total reserved for our group, on a first come first served basis, until the end of August. At that time, the uncommitted rooms become available to the general public. Should we require more than this number of rooms, we will have to request them as soon as possible.
If you choose lodging other than the Hampton Inn & Suites, please advise. There are a number of other options on the Amelia Island web site (http://www.ameliaisland.com/area-services/accommodations/) ranging from B&Bs in the downtown area, other chain hotels, and the more expensive Ritz Carlton and Omni Amelia Island Plantation on the south end of the Island—about a 15-minute drive to the downtown historic district.
If you would like to reserve for more than the dates of the reunion (Oct 5-7) the hotel should honor the same rates, but you may want to contact them directly to confirm. I encourage you to stay longer on the Island if possible, as I’m sure you can find plenty of activities to fill additional days. Weather for early October is normally ideal.
For those with RVs, Ft. Clinch State Park is the only option on the Island, other than WalMart’s parking lot. Early booking is highly encouraged as there is limited space and it fills up quickly.(http://www.reserveamerica.com/camping/Fort_Clinch_Sp/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=FL&parkId=281027)
Transportation
Driving: coming from the south take I95 to exit 373 (SR 200, Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach) OR coming from the north, take exit 380 (US 17, Yulee) shortly after crossing into Florida. Each exit is about 15 minutes from the Island. Upon crossing the bridge onto the Island proper, continue for about 5 miles (SR200 becomes 8th Street) and turn left (west) on Ash Street. Go to 2nd Street and turn right (north) at the Hampton Inn & Suites.
For those arriving by air, Jacksonville Int’l Airport has great connections with all the majors, as well as Jet Blue and Southwest, and is very convenient (about 30 minutes from the Island). Rental cars are easily accessible and reasonably priced. Recommend using a rental car (and even sharing one) as parking at the Hotel is free and you’ll likely want to explore some of the surrounding areas. If you prefer taxi/shuttle go tohttp://www.ameliaisland.com/group-events/weddings/resources/?gclid=CJX5qraz6a4CFUmc7Qod0mcNjA.
If you happen to fly private or corporate aircraft, the local general aviation airport (KFHB) is excellent (http://www.airnav.com/airport/KFHB).
Scheduled “Group” Activities
Friday, October 5
The final (free) street concert of the season for “Sounds on Center” (http://www.trumba.com/events-calendar/eastern-time/amelias-calendar) will be held on Center Street, one block from the Hampton Inn & Suites. This will be an excellent event to officially kick off the weekend. Following the concert, we will convene at the hotel’s 2nd floor common area (same as the breakfast room, by the pool) around 7PM for drinks and a catered BBQ dinner. This will be a BYOB bar. If you drink cocktails you will need to mix these drinks in your room (sorry, local alcohol service rules); wine and beer may be brought in bottles to the common area. Wine glasses (plastic) will be provided as well as ice chests to cool your brews. There will be a charge for use of the common area and for the BBQ dinner. I will advise later about this amount as well as other activity costs, which you can pay in one check after arrival.
After the BBQ dinner, the evening schedule is open. I recommend checking out the several local watering holes on Center Street all within walking (stumbling or crawling) distance of the hotel. A number of these venues also offer live music. For those willing/able to drive, there are also some night spots with live music within a few minutes drive of the hotel and still on the Island.
Saturday, October 6
For Saturday evening, we begin with a sunset cruise (http://www.ameliarivercruises.com/oysterbay.html), departing around 5PM from the downtown Fernandina Harbor Marina (across the street from the hotel). The cruise will take approximately 2 hours and is BYOB (plastic cups/ice chests provided). After returning to the Marina, we will walk about four blocks to Café Karibo (http://www.cafekaribo.com/) for dinner in their upstairs dining area. There will be a cash bar and separate bills for dinner. The after-dinner schedule is open, the same as Friday night.
Sunday, October 7
Sunday morning, we will convene in the hotel common area for breakfast and farewells (exact time TBD). For those staying longer, the Amelia Island Jazz Festival (http://www.ameliaislandjazzfestival.com/index.html) will hold its kick off concert at the Town Square in Amelia Park (http://ameliapark.net/), which is where Pam and I live. This concert has become an annual tradition, featuring the US Navy’s Southeast Jazz Band, and normally lasts just over an hour. Simply bring your own chair or blanket. Discrete alcohol consumption is overlooked.
Additional Activities
Friday, Oct 5
CinC Golf, Larry “Puba” Henry, will be in charge of the Eagles Golf Tournament. This will be held at the Amelia River Golf Course (http://www.golfameliariver.com/). Those wishing to participate/play/watch/drive carts/etc. please contact Puba and provide him with your information.
I highly recommend the Amelia Island Museum of History (http://www.ameliamuseum.org/) and their walking tours (both self-guided and docent-guided) if you plan to remain in downtown Fernandina Beach area for at least part of the day, either Friday or Saturday. Thea Seagraves, an Air Force brat and a terrific museum docent, has agreed to provide a museum tour and a walking tour of the historic district as a package for $15/person (normally its $22). This is a great way to learn about the local history. Please let me know if you wish to do this so that I can provide the Museum with the size of the group; if large enough, we can do more than one group.
Many other activities (especially outdoors, kayaking, fishing, sailing, Segway tours, surfing) are available (http://www.ameliaisland.com/area-services/entertainment/). I will attempt to organize specific group functions/rates if there is enough response.
For those who simply want to enjoy the downtown waterfront or the beaches, shopping, spas/massages, or sightseeing there is plenty to do to fill you daytime hours. Also, there are plenty of good restaurants in the downtown area and on the beach for lunch. Any questions, please contact me.
Saturday, Oct 6
Additional golf is available at any of the local courses (http://www.ameliaisland.com/area-services/entertainment/leisure/golf/). Reservations are recommended. If you need additional information, contact Puba.
Many of the same outdoor activities listed for Friday are available on Saturday. Contact me if you have any specific questions.
Sunday, Oct 7
For those of you who wish to participate in religious services there are many denominations represented on Amelia Island (http://www.ameliaisland.com/area-services/entertainment/churches/).
