Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

The Amelia Island Pirate Run

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The morning was cold, very cold, but as soon as the sun came up, the weather was perfect for running. The Pirate Run 5K and 10K takes place in Fernandina every year and is organized by the Amelia Island Runners.

This year the new race headquarters was located at St. Peter’s Church. This is a very well organized event. There are pirates in customes cheering the runners at almost every street corner. The beautiful course goes through town out on the Greenway at Egans Creek.

This year I ran with my sister, Camilla, who is visiting from Sweden. This was her first 5K ever. First-timers received a special medal and she was lucky enough to win a basket of coffee.

After the race, there was a post-race pancake breakfast. The atmosphere at this event is very friendly, and if you’re looking for a fun and unusual race on the coast for next year, this is one experience you don’t want to miss.

Restaurant Week on Amelia Island

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We recently received this great tip from Amelia Island. If you’ve been thinking about taking out the family or friends for a nice dinner after the holidays, Restaurant Week in Amelia is going to be a great time to try out some new places on the island. And Amelia Island has an excellent selection of good restaurants. During the week, a select number of places offer a special three course meal at a fixed price. Prices range from $19 – $29, which sounds like a good deal for a complete three course meal.

Call ahead to the restaurant to find out more details about the menu and the price.

The list of restaurants is located in the press release below:

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla. (Dec. 31, 2008) – With an irresistible mix of eclectic dining experiences, Northeast Florida’s Amelia Island is pleased to announce its first-ever Restaurant Week. The new program which runs January 25 through February 1, 2009, will offer area residents and visitors a fixed menu, including three courses and a beverage, ranging from $19 to $29. Additionally, diners may enter to win a “Year of Dining,” with 12, $50 gift certificates to be used once a month for an entire year.

“Our barrier island is home to more than 40 distinctive restaurants, offering everything from fresh-from-the-docks seafood to an authentic mix of extraordinary cuisine,” said Gil Langley, President & CEO of the Amelia Island Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Dining is such an important element of our guests’ experience. It’s great to begin 2009 with this exceptional offering.”

Participating Restaurants include:

  • Baxter’s Restaurant – (904) 277-4503 – Steakhouse
  • Beech Street Grill – (904) 277-3662 – Fine Dining
  • Brett’s Waterway Café – (904) 261-2660 – Casual Seafood & Steak Dining
  • Café Karibo – (904) 277-5269 – Eclectic American Cuisine
  • The Crab Trap – (904) 261-4749 – Seafood
  • España Restaurant & Tapas – (904) 261-7700 – Spanish & Portuguese Cuisine
  • The Frisky Mermaid – (904) 261-3300 – Bar & Grill
  • Gennaro’s Italiano – (904) 261-9400 – Italian Cuisine
  • The Golf Club of Amelia – (904) 277-8015 – Three Course Lunch
  • Jack and Diane’s – (904) 321-1444 – Steakhouse
  • Le Clos – (904) 261-8100 – French Cuisine
  • Marina Seafood Restaurant – (904) 261-5310 – Casual Seafood Dining
  • O’Kane’s Irish Pub & Eatery – (904) 261-1000 – Irish Cuisine
  • Thyme Restaurant – (904) 261-3827 – Italian Cuisine
  • The Verandah – (904) 321-5050 – Casual Dining

For more information visit www.ameliaisland.com.

Legendary Race Car to Lead World’s Finest Vintage Motor Cars to Amelia Island

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JACKSONVILLE, Florida (December 10, 2008) – An unprecedented collection of the world’s finest vintage motor cars will roll into Amelia Island, March 14th, 2009 for RM Auctions’ highly anticipated Automobiles of Amelia Island event.

A popular and permanent fixture on the auto events calendar since 1999, the annual multi-million dollar auction will once again be held in conjunction with the famed Amelia Island  to make for an ultimate vintage car weekend for motoring enthusiasts. Held on the grounds of the stunning Ritz-Carlton Hotel – a setting only surpassed in beauty by the magnificent cars on offer – the event weekend is commonly referred to as the ‘Pebble Beach of the East Coast’, attracting fashionable collectors and enthusiasts from around the globe.

“Our Automobiles of Amelia Island auction is an important event on the collector car calendar as it attracts many European and East Coast enthusiasts,” said Ian Kelleher, Managing Director of RM Auctions.

“From speed to style, this year’s event will feature a magnificent roster of collector cars, highlighted by several historic race cars, some of which share Florida’s rich automotive racing history,” he added.

For the car enthusiasts amongst us, some 100 vintage motor cars are set to cross the block during the single-day RM auction. Highlighting the exceptional line-up is the legendary 1911 Oldsmobile Autocrat “Yellow Peril” race car, a historic 1927 Bugatti T51 with an extensive racing history, and an innovative and beautifully restored 1954 Packard Panther Concept car, one of just four built and the only one in roadster form.

1911 Oldsmobile Autocrat “Yellow Peril” race carThe “Yellow Peril” has a fascinating vintage racing history. Regarded as one of the biggest and most powerful vehicles of its era, the original owner, John Greenway Albert, modified the car shortly after purchase in an effort to make “race ready”. Special modifications included constructing a one-off aluminum race body and a unique gas generating system – the latter which saw Albert emerge as a pioneer of fuel injection. Painted bright yellow, Albert name the car “The Yellow Peril” and raced it on various local dirt and board tracks, reportedly often removing the fenders and headlamps to further lighten the load.

Other notable highlights for the event include: a 1941 Chrysler Newport, one of the earliest concept cars built and used as the Official Pace Car for the 1941 Indianapolis 500; a stunning 1939 Bugatti Type 57C Faux Cabriolet “Charmaine”, one of the last Bugattis built before World War II and formerly owned by a remarkable series of famous British personalities; and a magnificent collection of 1932 V8 Fords.
RM’s Automobiles of Amelia Island auction event will be held at the luxurious Ritz-Carlton, 4750 Amelia Island Parkway, Amelia Island on March 14th, 2009. A full day auction preview will be held March 13th from 9am to 6pm followed by the auction from 11am on March 14th. Admission to the auction is by catalog only, which admits both the catalog holder and a guest. The full-color collectable catalog is available for $100 U.S. (plus shipping), by calling (800)-211-4371 or visiting www.rmauctions.com.

About RM Auctions, Inc.
Celebrating nearly 30 years in the collector car industry, RM Auctions Inc. and its associated companies are responsible for acquisitions, restorations and sales of the world’s rarest and most valuable vintage automobiles, including record-breaking sales in Maranello, Italy and London, England. RM’s restoration division achieved unprecedented accolades in 2006, when the Company earned “Best of Show” honors at the world’s top three collector car events in a single year. www.rmauctions.com

Fernandina Harbor Holiday Lighted Boat Parade

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The 1st Annual Fernandina Harbor Holiday Lighted Boat Parade will be held on Saturday evening, December 13, 2008 at the City Marina at the foot of Centre and Ash Streets in downtown Fernandina Beach, Florida at 8:00 p.m., following the Lighted Land Parade. Spectators are invited to bring their chairs and view the lighted parade from along the beautiful waterfront boardwalk.
Sausalito Lighted Boat Parade
Creative Commons License photo credit: jessicafm

Savannah-Northeast Florida Workshop on Wheels

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The beginningThere are plans for an early 2009 bicycle tour that will advance trails in both Georgia and northeast Florida. For five days starting January 14, 25 coastal Georgians will ride the invitational Savannah-Northeast Florida Workshop on Wheels that begins in St. Marys, Georgia, and continues along off-road trails, bicycle lanes, backroads and ferries through Florida’s Amelia Island, Jacksonville, Clay and St. Johns counties.
“The tour will greatly advance regional ecotourism,” says Visit Jacksonville President John G. Reyes.
“Cycling and trail-riding is just one of the many experiences that the Savannah area has to offer,” says
Savannah Convention & Visitor Bureau President Joseph Marinelli. “The Workshop on Wheels will be good
exposure for the sport through coastal Georgia.”
“It will greatly focus trail-building through our six coastal counties,” says Jo Hickson of the Coastal Georgia
Greenway.
“It will put the East Coast Greenway on the map in its two most important southern states,” says Herb Hiller,
Southeast Region Program Consultant to the East Coast Greenway Alliance. Bankers, elected officials, educators, land developers, lawyers, and MDs are among the touring group. They’ll not only ride an average of 25 miles a day. “Evenings,” says host committee chairman David Strickland, Community Bank Vice Chairman of Everbank, Jacksonville, Jacksonville, “they’ll meet with political leaders, parks and transportation planners, tourism leaders, trail advocates and others to learn the best so far accomplished in northeast Florida and about issues affecting how the region further develops trails.”
The touring group is expected to report back to Savannah, Chatham County and regional authorities about
how best to connect trails through Georgia’s six coastal counties. Earlier this year the Coastal Georgia
Greenway and East Coast Greenway Alliance designated their first sections of state trail in Woodbine and in
Richmond Hill.
Also earlier this year, Visit Florida, ECGA and tourism agencies in Nassau, Duval and St. Johns counties
published the first guide to the East Coast Greenway in Florida.
The touring group will overnight in St. Marys B&Bs, at the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, Ponte Vedra
Beach Resorts, and at Amelia Island Plantation.
Additional organizations involved in the event include the Trust for Public Land, St. Johns River Alliance, St.
Marys Tourism, Camden Community Trails, Bike Florida, the North Florida Bicycle Club, Amelia Island Tourist Development Council, and the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council.