Fernandina Beach, FL

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Well, the end is in sight! We sailed from Brunswick, GA at 3 am. We crossed the state line sometime around sunrise. We saw the submarine base shortly after we passed it. It was on the starboard side, so we had to be dressed to go outside and it was about 39 F today. We looked for wild horses as advised on our port side as we sailed along Cumberland Island,  but no luck. We had early breakfast successfully this am by changing sides of the dining room. While we were eating, we dropped anchor off Fernandina Beach marina. Their big dock was damaged by hurricanes and they have not repaired it yet. It was fine. Not a long ride and smooth, but cold. The good news was the bright sun and cloudless skies for once. Even though I don't think it got over 60 F, it was warm in the sun. We were on the 8:45 am tender ashore on the Amelia Island Seaport Walking Tour. It was $20 each. After the tour when the visitor's center had opened, we went in and they gave us a booklet titled Historic Fernandina Beach Tour that described every building we'd  stopped to look at from the outside. It was about a 90 minute tour, no entry to anything. The waterfront street is Front St. The main street through the business district is Centre St. We started at Front & Centre and ended about 5 blocks up Centre so we could shop our way back to the tender dock. We stopped first for a hot chocolate to warm up and use the restrooms. Then we zigzagged back and forth to spend time on the sunny side of the street. We had a really good lunch at The Salty Pelican, which Harold recommended. We took the 2:30 pm tender back to the ship. We packed in the afternoon. At 4:30 pm Harold gave a 40-minute or so trip recap. Cocktail hour, dinner and entertainment followed. They finally offered surf & turf for our final dinner. Someone stuck a stuffed lobster in my open suitcase while we were at dinner as part of turndown service. That reminds me, I don''t remember mentioning it but on arrival we had a gift tote bag on our bed. It is a different style bag than the we got on our previous cruise.

Tomorrow breakfast is 6:30 to 8 am. Out of cabins by 8 am. Luggage out after dinner tonight.

We'll check our luggage at the Hyatt where we dock in Jacksonville, spend the day, have dinner, Amtrak sleeper to Raleigh at 11 pm. Arrive Raleigh 8:39am or so.

I probably won't be back posting before next week since I don't have a keyboard for now.

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