City: Amelia Island, FL

Category: Accommodations

Telephone: (904) 261-6161, (888) 261-6161

Address: 6800 First Coast Hwy.

Description: All Florida developers should be required to visit this resort before they’re allowed to build anything in this state. Note the thick tree canopy that’s been left largely intact despite large-scale resort development. Because the early developers decided to leave the trees several decades ago, they now have a world-class resort nestled beneath a dense canopy of live oak, cypress, and palm trees. The Plantation is located on the southern half of Amelia Island about 45 minutes from Jacksonville and 25 minutes from Downtown Fernandina Beach. Amelia Island Plantation is a sprawling resort made intimate by the densely wooded terrain. This is the resort to come to if you want to rent a one-, two-, or three-bedroom villa for a week. There are over 400 to choose from. Many sit oceanfront, and all are owned by out-of-towners who allow the Plantation to rent their digs out in their absence. If you don’t want a villa, the 249-room Amelia Inn and Beach Club will do nicely. All the rooms at the inn are oceanfront with balconies, and if you stay on an upper floor, you’ll be able to enjoy an additional great view to the west over the tree canopy to the marsh. Amelia Island Plantation offers 72 holes of golf and a golf school that’s the envy of other resorts. Tennis enthusiasts will stagger at the 23 tennis courts and the bounty of tennis clinics that as much as guarantee they’ll go home a better tennis player than when they arrived. Make a date to visit the Nature Center, located behind the reception center in the village shops, where visitors of all ages can learn about the indigenous plants and wildlife. The Nature Center also offers a plethora of tours and activities, from birding to kayaking. If a ramble isn’t your thing, head for the Spa at Amelia Island Plantation, which offers Watsu, an in-water massage treatment that followers swear by for relaxation and muscle loosening. Afterward, sign up for a Segway tour around the marshes and nature areas. The Plantation provides a stunning variety of activities for all ages and interests, as well as some half-dozen restaurants for guests.

City: Amelia Island, FL

Category: Accommodations

Address: 4750 Amelia Island Parkway

Description: It’s hard to figure out just why this resort has such a good aura. Maybe it’s the complimentary chocolate chip and oatmeal-raisin cookies waiting for guests at check in. Or maybe it’s the wood-paneled lobby lounge overlooking the ocean, where guests naturally gravitate to chat, sip coffee, read the newspaper, or have a drink. Whatever the reason, this 444-room property is pure AAA Five Diamond magic. The grounds have played host to presidents, vice presidents, and first ladies. It’s the spot Jacksonville’s elite choose for the occasional weekend getaway. The Ritz is located about 30 minutes from Jacksonville International Airport and about 20 minutes from the quaint fishing village of Fernandina Beach. All rooms have ocean or coastal views, meaning that your room faces the ocean either directly or from an angle. (The coastal views are fine, and the rooms a bit less costly.) All rooms have private balconies. The large bathrooms are done in gray marble. Room amenities include luxurious 400-thread count, Egyptian cotton linens, iPod docking stations, plush robes, coffee and tea chests, European bath essentials, 37-inch flat screen TVs, Guest-Tek wireless service, twice-daily maid service, and, of course, 24-hour in-room dining. Play golf and tennis, bob around in either the heated outdoor pool or the heated atrium pool, work out in the health and fitness center with a personal trainer, or indulge in a spa service. Kiddies need not be bored (or a buzz-kill), the children’s pool and playground, nanny service, and the Ritz Kids day camp provide plenty of diversions to keep them occupied. The resort staff also has lots of fun putting together themed weekends and holiday activities. For instance, during the winter holidays the pastry chef creates a huge gingerbread house, big enough to walk into, for the hotel lobby, and the resort offers sleigh rides on Florida snow (a.k.a. the white sandy beach) complete with a bonfire and hot chocolate at the end of your sleigh ride. Don’t miss the weekly Sunday brunch, which has been named “Best Brunch on the First Coast” by Water’s Edge magazine.