Clay and Sand: A weekend at Amelia Island Plantation and Fernandina Beach

After several of months of working on making some serious improvements to my game, the moment of truth had arrived.  This past Saturday morning, Ky once again indulged me my submitting to an early wake-up call.  We headed out the door at 6:45 in order to arrive at Amelia Island Plantation (about an hour's drive from Jax) for a warm-up hit and a 9am match.  Having not played a tournament in about 7 years, the first match was actually ok.  I was very nervous in the first set, and there were a few aspects of my game that weren't cooperating.  Nonetheless, it was fun, and I played pretty well.  I ended up losing to the eventual winner of the tournament 2 and 2.

The next day, we went back for my final match.  My first round in the consolation bracket was cancelled due to a default, so I played in the finals on Sunday morning.  The heat was brutal and my 15 year-old opponent answered many of my more penetrating shots with an arsenal of moonballs.  Nonetheless, I managed to prevail and pull out a 2 and 2 win.

Following the tournament, Ky and I decided to put on our tourist caps and head up to Fernandina Beach.  We found a cute little bar (Green Turtle Tavern) in downtown Fernandina where we enjoyed a couple of Newcastles as well as some average sliders (mini hamburgers) and a very tasty bbq pulled pork wrap.  We rewarded our active weekend with some Rocky Road and Cookies and Cream ice cream at the corner fudge shop.

Finally, we headed over to the beach.  It was perfect!  As long as your car was equipped with 4-wheel drive, you could park on the sand just above the high tide mark.  The beach was wide and flat, perfect for a run or a bike ride if one were so inclined.  In addition, you could choose to set up camp in a busier area (right near the entrance), or you could walk down a little bit further for a little more seclusion.    Below, I have included pics of our petite promenade sur la plage.