Everyone knows Florida as the sunshine state, but not everyone knows Florida as home. Here are 10 memories of Fernandina Beach only those who truly grew up here will understand.
1. During the summer/hurricane seasons (June – November,) most days, unless there’s an extreme drought, rain/storm clouds form at 2:00 in the afternoon.
2. Open parking spots at the beach accesses fill up QUICKLY.
3. If the weather is too inclement to go swimming/to the beach, going to local movie theaters is a fun past-time.
4. The Palace Saloon is the oldest bar/saloon in the area. If you’re into bar-hopping or drinking, it’s always nice and fun to have drinks with friends/family there!
5. It’s really cool seeing dolphins, sea turtles, large fish, herons, ospreys, and other beach wildlife in their natural habitats here.
6. I think it is really cool during hurricane season when Nassau County (Fernandina Beach’s county,) has issued hurricane evacuation warnings to see the local beaches I go
to on the Weather Channel hurricane watch coverage.
7. I have heard it snowed here in the winter of 1989. It gets cold in the winter and maybe we will have snow flurries, but the ground is usually too warm for snow to stick. I think most people who chose to move to Florida want to avoid snow/freezing weather.
8. On the first weekend in the month of May, Fernandina Beach celebrates Shrimp Fest. (We’re big on shrimp boats/local shrimping.)
9. Downtown Fernandina Beach is similar to “boardwalk.” Most beaches in the United States have boardwalks that have tourist shops, bars, and restaurants. Fernandina “Beach” does not have boardwalks. Downtown Fernandina Beach is like boardwalks.
10. Fernandina Beach is on Amelia Island. The state of Florida is a peninsula. So Fernandina Beach is mostly on an island on a peninsula.
Let us know what memories you have of growing up in Fernandina Beach in the comments below!
Featured image source: weheartit.com
