Amelia Island in May/June
 

My husband has chosen to celebrate his 40th with a family vacation to Amelia Island. We will be there for about four days. He will be spending most of his time golfing. I will be playing with the kids. These are my questions for those of you who have visited or live there:

1. Any ideas of fun things to do with kids?
2. I've looked into The Plantation and The Ritz. I don't think we're interested in a B&B unless the rooms are bigger. What are your experiences and opinions of these options?
3. Which spa is better, Plantation or Ritz?

Anything else you'd like to comment on or suggest is appreciated.

Thanks!

I don't know the ages of our kids, but fun
things to do:
1) check out Fort Clinch.
2) ride horses on the beach
3) rent a bicycle and see the island (and get plenty of exercise)
4) check out Kingsley Plantation

I've never compared the spas, so can't answer that. It sounds like your heart is set on either the Plantation or the Ritz (nothing worng with that), but you should check out the Elizabeth Pointe Lodge.

I second the message regarding Elizabeth Point Lodge. We stayed there last year. It is in my top 5 inns. Great service...the beach is really nice and there is a huge porch with rockers..you can watch the kids on the beach. Fort Clinch is a fantastic place for children to see..Volunteers are dressed in Civil War gear and love to tell children stories about the fort. Watch for deer in park..we saw several on our way in.

Eliabeth Point Lodge is very nice. However, for a trip with kids, I highly recommend the Ritz or the Plantation.

Both places have kids programs. The Plantation program has a focus on nature. The Plantation has more amenities that appeal to kids such as bike rentals and trails.

The Ritz has better food and is slightly more upscale. I haven't been to the spas so can't help you there.

For casual dinner, I suggest the Down Under restaurant (seafood) under the bridge to Amelia. My kids love that place.

Thank you for the replies! My kids are 6 & 8. I will definitely look into Elizabeth Pointe Lodge.

We are all looking forward to this trip as the kiddos have never seen the ocean or played on the beach! (What kind of mom am I, anyway?) I just want one afternoon to myself for a massage, but then the rest will be all about them while DH golfs. That being said, I will have to check into the kid's program at each place.

Anything else I should be aware of? Great restaurants? Not great restaurants? Off the beaten path?

Thanks!

Holy cow! I just looked at Elizabeth Pointe Lodge and I am hooked! It looks absolutely wonderful. Thank for the heads up! I have sent a request to the innkeepers to see if it's available during our dates. Keep your fingers crossed for me!