Happy Wednesday! Hope everyone is having a great week. I am still soaking in the bliss of a weekend away…and for once it was near enough that we got back early on Sunday and got the house in order and errands run in record time! Confession: We were both in bed by 8:00 on Sunday night (7:30 for Robert) and it was blissful. Normally if we are out of town for the weekend I am up until midnight trying to get everything unpacked and ready for the week. Amelia Island was the perfect distance (2 hours) from home. Far enough to feel like we are on vacation but close enough that we truly could enjoy the whole weekend without dreading the car ride. Robert and I both agreed that we would definitely be back!
I’m sure you are dying to hear all about it and check out my iphone pictures since we forgot the camera at home…whoops. Or maybe you could really care less but you’re bored at work and would like to see my pictures anyway? Either way, I’ll get right to it 🙂
We arrived around 5 o’clock on Friday and I liked the look of Amelia Island immediately. The marshes were beautiful and the weather was perfect. It reminded me a lot of Hilton Head except less developed and a lot less crowded. Robert decided to be extra splurgy for my 28th and had booked a room at the Ritz Carlton! Neither of us had ever stayed at a Ritz (and based on the price we probably won’t ever again!) BUT I could sure get used to it! They definitely take service to another level. Both of us remarked several times that we felt like we were back on our honeymoon in Riviera Maya. Everyone calls you by name and is so eager to help with anything you may need.
As soon as we checked in I noticed how much the hotel really went out of their way to accommodate children. This surprised me since you don’t normally think of expensive hotels being overly family friendly. We were greeted by a pirate in the lobby (already surrounded by his own pint-sized fan club) and his treasure chests full of candy! So cute!
And lest you fear the kids were going to have all the fun, we were quickly offered a pina colada shot by a sweet waitress (who also had Shirley temple shots for the pirate fan club). Our room had a nice view of the ocean and overlooked a seating area outside the lobby.
After situating our bags in the room we decided to explore the hotel. The hotel itself is beautiful with woodwork every where you look. They also had a nice gym (and I actually went!), an indoor and an outdoor pool and sweet little nooks with swinging benches.
We grabbed a drink at the pool side bar and walked down the beach access to enjoy them on the sand.
When Robert and I were completing our pre-marriage counseling, our pastor stressed the importance of “date night” repeatedly. Now that we have been married for a year, I see just how right he was. Life gets busy and its crucial to make time to reconnect with your spouse. Dinner is an important time for me to spend with Robert each day, not only because I love preparing our meals, but also because that’s sometimes the only time during the week that we truly get to sit down and talk. Every few weeks, it’s nice to have a date night and make that dinner time together extra special. Robert and I both enjoy treating ourselves to a meal out, but sometimes I’ll splurge at the grocery store so we can enjoy a date night at home. Crab Legs are not only one of my favorite date night splurges but they also scream SUMMER.
Atastytrip 