Farsighted Fly Girl

I've seen a lot of things during my travels but I've never seen a fountain like this.  It stands in a sunny corner of historic Fernandina Beach and it looks like a creative art installation. I stared at it for a long time, trying to discover exactly what its for. Washing dishes?  Splash ing nearby plants?  Look closely.  There's a tiny fountain at the bottom, a huge fountain at the right and a normal sized fountain on the left.  What in the world do you do with all of them?  Turns out that this is the  Duryee Fo untain , built in  the 1870s, by the wife of an army officer.  She loved animals, perhaps a little bit more than humans so she commissioned this fountain to give water to horses, cats and dogs and humans! Now what did you think it was for?

Amelia Island is a magical place. Not just because of the sun-drenched cobble stone streets, the Victorian architecture or its long stretch of pristine beaches.  Its the people, as warm as the Florida weather that makes it irresistible.    Apparently, I'm not the only one attracted to this little island.  Pirates loved to hide out on Amelia Island during the 17th and 18th centuries. Throughout the Fernandina Beach historic district, you'll find homages to these characters like the waterfront statue above. And this life-like specimen that guards a local shop. Palm trees also line every street and strip of land, just so you remember you're on an island.  These are my favorite, called pineapple palms because of the texture of the bark. Palm trees often supply the only shade  on a sunny street, making them practical as well as pretty. Apparently, Amelia Island beaches are studded with millions-year-old sharks teeth. I only found pretty shells but...

Amelia Island's main town of Fernandina Beach is lined with sprawling Victorian houses, palm trees, cobblestone streets and, shrimp.  That's right.  Amelia Island is famous for creating the modern shrimping industry in 1900 and its annual Shrimp Festival attracts thousands to the tiny isle.  So yes, shrimp makes up a significant part of Amelia Island's identity.  Throughout Fernandina, whimsical shrimp sculptures dot the lush landscape.  The structures help raise funds for Mica's Place, a local domestic violence intervention center.  I loved spotting these silly creatures wherever I journeyed on the island, they each display a particular personality.  The mosaic shrimp above is called Cool, Coastal, Captivating Cutie and she lounges in the park in the Fernandina Historic D istrict . This is Rock Shrimp and he's my favorite.  It helps that he hangs out right by the local ice cream and fudge s...