Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Amelia Island in Top 10 North American islands

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AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. (October 17, 2008) – Amelia Island, Florida received three top rankings in the recent Conde Nast Traveler’s 2008 Readers’ Choice Awards. The destination was named among the Top 10 North American islands for the second consecutive year, finishing in the #6 spot ahead of Hilton Head, S.C. and Sanibel, Fla. The Elizabeth Pointe Lodge, a 25-room, oceanfront boutique hotel, held the #2 position in the rankings for Top Hotels in the US. The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, a 444-room beachfront resort, was also named #15 among Top U.S. Mainland Resorts, up from its #21 ranking in 2007.

“We’re thrilled to see Amelia Island so well represented again in the Readers’ Choice Awards,” said Gil Langley, President of the Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau. “This kind of recognition from such discriminating travelers speaks volumes about Amelia Island’s enduring appeal and the commitment of the island’s tourism partners.”

Readers in the survey evaluated their favorite island destinations on activities, atmosphere/ambience, beaches, friendliness, lodging, restaurants, and scenery. Out of a possible 100 points, Amelia Island scored a 71.6, making it the highest ranked island in Florida. The top hotels category rated properties based on food/dining, location, overall design, rooms and service, while the resorts category also focused on activities and facilities as well.

The awards are based on the results of the Readers’ Choice Survey, in which more than 32,000 travelers voted this year. Winners were announced on October 15 in New York and will be published in the November issue, available on newsstands starting October 21.

Photo: Amelia Island Tourist Development Council

Turtleween at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center

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Bring your hatchlings for an afternoon of non-scary, turtle-tastic fun on Sunday, October 26 from 12 – 4 p.m. Costume contests, bobbing for jellyfish, make and take fossils, a sea turtle sea-metery and much more await turtle enthusiasts of all ages. Visit the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and celebrate Halloween! For more information, contact the Georgia Sea Turtle Center at 912-635-4444.

www.georgiaseaturtlecenter.org

NAS Jax Air Show – Jacksonville, Florida

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Read about the Sea & Sky Spectacular Air Show in Jacksonville, Florida

Witness thrills like never before from a variety of military and civilian aerobatic demonstrations. The world-famous Super Shockwave Jet Truck will be racing down the runway at speeds of more than 300 mph. The grand finale will be the Navy’s flight demonstration team: The Blue Angels. While you are at the air show, enjoy static displays; shop at novelty, food and beverage booths; or head to the Kids Zone for games and activities for all ages.
Visit www.airshow.jacksonville.com for more information

Brad Richter Guitar Concert at Jekyll Island

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Brad Richter’s guitar concert at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel promises to be an exciting, memorable concert experience and a first for audiences in this part of the country. Recognized as one of the leading guitarists and guitar composers of the 21st Century, he has brought new life to the guitar repertoire with a freshness and unaffectedness that transcend preconceived genres.

Throughout North America and Europe, Brad has performed as a soloist, with renowned chamber ensembles and in duos with artists such as Grammy winning cellist, David Finckel of the Emerson String Quartet. His performances and compositions are frequently heard on NPR and PBS stations around the United States, and he has also written and performed the score for the Emmy award winning PBS television series, The Desert Speaks. He as appeared at the Guitar Festival of Great Britain, the London International Guitar Festival, and the Aspen Music Festival among others. He currently teaches at the University of Arizona. The rugged beauty of the American Southwest continues to be a source of inspiration for much of his music.

$15.00 per person
October 28, 2008 at 8:00pm, Jekyll Island Club Hotel. Call 912-635-2600
Jekyll Island Club Hotel

MOCA Jacksonville Partners with Jacksonville Film Festival

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Jacksonville, Fla.-(October 20, 2008)- The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville is announcing their partnership with the Jacksonville Film Festival to give Northeast Florida residents the opportunity to see award-winning independent and foreign films from national film festivals. The film series will begin on October 23, 2008 and will run every Thursday night at 8:00 p.m. through December 4th at the Museum of Contemporary Art located at 333 N Laura Street, Jacksonville, FL 32202.

Without the Jacksonville Film Festival’s partnering with MOCA, these films would not otherwise be viewed by Jacksonville residents. The films are selected on the basis of outstanding artistic merit and multi-cultural perspective. Click here for the MOCA Film Series Schedule

The Jacksonville Film Festival is extremely excited about this partnership with MOCA. “It gives both of our organizations the opportunity to offer new and innovative films beyond the festival, and an alternative to what is being offered at the Cineplex’s. We are looking forward to continued opportunities to collaborate to have a more regular presence in the community for this kind of vibrant programming,” said Jesse Rodriguez, Executive Director/Program Director of the Jacksonville Film Festival.

This fall’s film series will also include special guest visits from Directors Andrew Silver and John Putch. Silver will appear at the October 30th viewing of Radio Cape Cod and Putch will appear at the November 6th viewing of Mojave Phone Booth.

Silver directed Radio Cape Cod, completed in 2008, and is a producer and director with extensive experience in nurturing performance and creativity. His education includes Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from MIT and a Doctorate from Harvard Business School. Radio Cape Cod is an energized, award-winning love story set on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

Putch, Director of Mojave Phone Booth, is an accomplished actor and director. Putch began his professional career as an actor at the age of five in a summer theatre run by his father. He has had a respectable television and film career since then and now directs. He has most recently been directing for the hit ABC television show UGLY BETTY. Mojave Phone Booth is a film about an abandoned phone booth that sits in the middle of the Mojave Desert. It is riddled with bullet holes, graffiti and its windows are broken but otherwise works. Its identity was born on the Internet, and for years travelers would make the trek down a lonely dirt road and camp next to the booth, in the hopes it might suddenly ring, and they could connect with a stranger on the other end of the line.

Film, much like photography, has grown into a vital contemporary art form in its own right, reflecting the art of our times, and provoking thoughtful discussion on many issues and subjects in our society. “By merging the expertise of the Jacksonville Film Festival and MOCA in identifying artful films, we are able to bring to Jacksonville the best films not playing in your local theater,” said MOCA Director Debbie Broder.

Check out the full schedule of films taking place every Thursday through December 4th, beginning this Thursday October 23rd at www.mocaJacksonville.org .

The Opening Night Film, THE END, was The Jacksonville Film Festival’s Urban Flat’s Documentary Audience Choice winner. It is a MUST SEE!

Directed by Nicola Collins, it has been winning awards all over the world and has just recently been released theatrically in England. The End is a never-before-told story of a group of men with a common bond. All born into poverty in the east end of London, striving for a better life and all that is found is a life in crime. Unashamed and unapologetic these men live their lives defined by a code of honor. The End, filmed in a cutting-edge style, reveals a bloody history and the confessions of the cockney gangster.

Other films playing during this series include: North Starr directed by Matthew Stanton, Remarkable Power directed by Brandon Beckner, Trail of Tears: Cherokee Legacy directed by Chip Richie and Cracker: The Last Cowboys of Florida directed by Victor Milt.

Café Nola will be open and accepting dinner reservations before each movie, while the MOCA Galleries will remain open until 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $6 for members and $8 for non-members. For more information on Films at MOCA, contact J. Marshall Adams at jmadams@mocajacksonville.org or (904) 366-6911 x204.

The Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville is one of the Southeast?s largest contemporary art institutions, dedicated to presenting innovative exhibitions by the finest international, national and regional artists. For more information about MOCA including programs and hours, please visit on-line at http://www.mocajacksonville.org .