Fernandina Beach

Fernandina Beach sits at the north end of Amelia Island and keeps its own character entirely — a fifty-block Victorian historic district, a working shrimp harbour, and a main street that has resisted becoming a strip.

Centre Street is where the evening happens, and like every genuinely old main street it was never designed for the volume of cars now pointed at it. We drop at the top of the street and collect from the marina end, which turns a parking problem into a pleasant walk. Beyond dinner, this is wedding and anniversary territory — the historic district photographs beautifully, and couples book vehicles that suit the setting rather than whatever happens to be available.