Amelia Island/Fernandina Beach/Yulee, FL: Best known to visitors around the world as “The Island of 8 Flags”, Amelia Island is an area rich in history and abundant in natural beauty. The earliest inhabitants of the three communities were the Timucuan Indians (as designated by early French settlers) which are believed to have inhabited the area for thousands of years descending from the St. Johns River Valley and Savannah River Groups. Following the Indians, Amelia Island fell under the reigns of several different countries and over the year was called “The Island of Eight Flags”. Respectively the flags are 1st – France (1562), 2nd – Spain (1565), 3rd – England (1763), 4th – Patriots (1812), 5th – The Green Cross of Florida (1817), 6th – Mexican Revolutionaries (1817), 7th – United States of America (1821), and the 8th – Confederacy (1861). The island and Fernandina Beach remained a hidden gem until the 1970s when Amelia Island Plantation was built and travelers from all over the world began to admire the beauty and diversity the area has to offer. With many Four and Five Diamond Hotels, Bed and Breakfasts and Condos to choose from it is the perfect spot for a unique vacation. Shells, sharks teeth and an occasional Indian artifact can be found along the beaches and preservation areas/parks such as Fort Clinch and Egans Greenway. Yulee, which is located between the island and I-95 and named for David Levy Yulee, a great Florida statesman, has become a hub for shopping, dining and recreational living.
St. Marys/Kingsland, GA: A community steeped in true Americana history and a key sea-trading location, St. Marys derived its name from its original designation as St. Marys Parish. Kingsland, known as “The City of Royal Treatment”, began as a major hub for trade and manufacturing in the eighteen and nineteen-hundreds, providing a large gateway into Florida and the rest of South Georgia. Both cities, along with their sister city of Woodbine, proudly boast well over a hundred locations listed on the National Historic Register. Plantation homes, historic railways and trains, and cemeteries dating before the American Revolution provide visitors with a unique view into local history. Kingsland provides a gateway to such ecological beauties as the Okefenokee Swamp and Wildlife Refuge which is a safe-haven for thousands of American Alligators, a plethora of Southeastern Birds, deer and other native fauna and flora. It is host to every major hotel and hotel and suites and provides many options for short and long-term stays. St. Marys is located at the mouth of the peaceful St. Marys River, spilling into the Atlantic Ocean and a short ferry ride away from Cumberland Island National Seashore. With an abundance of large-suite hotels and cozy B&Bs, you may never want to leave! Cumberland Island is a world-renowned, pristine barrier island that was once home to the Carnegie family and now hosts the one-of-a-kind Greyfield Inn experience and wild horses along its unadulterated shoreline.
Communities United: Throughout the history of the two communities joined so intimately by the St. Marys River and Intracoastal Waterway, various ferry services allowed visitors from around the world to enjoy the splendor and majesty of the natural wonders and historic significance. However, in the early 1900s, the services ceased and this wonderful opportunity was no more. In mid-2008, the Cumberland Sound Ferry Service proudly rejoined the these areas and tourists may once again travel just as others did hundreds of years before them. The ferry service also has significance as it becomes one more link along the East Coast Greenway® extending from Calais, Maine to Key West, FL. The aim of the Alliance is to provide a continuous, traffic-free path for 3000 miles along the East Coast. For bicyclists, the Greenway extends a path along Highway 17. Restaurants, shopping and entertainment are in no shortage here.
