Weekend in Northeastern Florida
 

Hello,

I am working on a project for my employer that has taken me away from home for several months. I am currently in JAX and would prefer to get out of the city for a weekend.

My wife and I would like to have a weekend getaway somewhere in the northeastern portion of the state during late March. She can fly into either JAX, Orlando, or Daytona.

We are just looking for a nice resort to relax at for a weekend. We are searching for a place that's clean, safe, and easily accessible from one those 3 airports. I like the beach, but a nice pool is more important. We would prefer a destination with some good dining options either at the resort or nearby.

Thanks!

We liked Fernandina Beach a lot. Most local people wouldn't think of going into the ocean at that time of year, but a pool would be fine. The historic downtown is attractive.

Fernadina/ Amelia Island would be the closest. The Ritz at Amelia would probably have the nicest pool in the area, but it's too cold for the pool right now.

If you want to splurge, take the ferry over to Cumberland Island and stay at the Greyfield.

You could drive up into Georgia and stay at Jekyll Island and/or St Simons. Again, too cool for pool time but walking on the beach would be good.

Another historic destination would be St. Augustine.

We love Amelia Island! We prefer to rent a villa on the beach, but the Ritz is very nice. Lots of pretty places to hike/walk around and lots of good food there.

Search OrlandoVic's posts. He frequently provides detail on destinations in St. Augustine.

I've deliberately held back on this topic because I "think" the OP wants a luxurious resort, preferably with a magnificent pool. St. Augustine has been our second home for 19 years...so those kind or resorts are not familiar to me. We have a condo on the beach and that is where we spend our time. St. Augustine does have lots of nice B&Bs though. All I could do for Yanni is to suggest some basic research on Tripadvisor. If I am wrong, please tell me. Frankly, Orlando might have more of those. However, don't ask "Adults who <u>have</u> to go there" for advice as they are a somewhat disgruntled bunch now.

On the other hand, St. Augustine is 45 minutes away by car from JAX and a super place to spend a weekend. Crescent Beach, just south of the city is a wonderful, quiet, clean beach and (dare I say) an undiscovered beach. It is off the radar for most tourists (but not for such personalities as Michael Jordan, Jane Fonda and Sean Connery who have or still do own property there and who also keep a <u>very</u> low profile).

One final word: skip Daytona Beach. It is highly overrated IMO.
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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

I couldn't tell if the OP wanted a resort in the sense of a luxury hotel behind a big gate or a resort in the sense of a place that offers considerable amusement.

For the former, the Ritz at Amelia Island has a lot going for it.

I am interested in OrlandoVic's recommendation of Crescent Beach because I for one had never discovered it!

I think the OP is looking for something he's not going to find in NEn FL. The Ritz is the closest he's going to find in that corner of the state.

It's going to be even harder to get pool weather in late March that far north.

Ackislander,
Crescent Beach (with public access) is located near the intersection of A1a and State Road 206. It extends approximately 1-2 miles south to the bridge into Flagler County. It's maybe 7-8 miles(?) south of the historic district of St. Augustine.

http://www.city-data.com/w8/bgm3497.gif

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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie

Well, there's nothing anyone can do about the fact that it won't be warm enough to enjoy a nice pool at that time of year! Yanni, I hope you realize that it might be best to re-prioritize the pool, unless you're very hardy. (Check weather.com: today's high in Jax is 53).

Sorry, hit Reply too soon.
The nice thing about a pretty beach over a pool is that it can be enjoyed in almost any weather; at least IMO, a walk on the beach is nearly always nice.

Darn it. Now I just re-read the OP and realized Yanni IS in Jax, and therefore knows how cool it is. Sorry!

If you want the resort experience, have her fly into Orlando, drive for a couple of hours to pick her up, continue on west for a couple of hours and stay at the Don Cesar -

http://www.loewshotels.com/en/Hotels.../Overview.aspx

Still no guarantee that you'll have good weather for the pool, but it may be more along the lines of the resort you are imagining.


For a real treat, I'd take the ferry to Cumberland Island at the Greyfield -
http://www.greyfieldinn.com/

Food is included in the price

Here is an idea that I just saw. It's a 5-diamond resort that is very close by and is on sale through April 4th.

http://hotels.travelzoo.com/florida-...um=email_top20


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Vic's travels: http://my.flightmemory.com/vogilvie