🌼 The Saturday Series - Visit a Summertime Farmers Market With Me!
Hi friends! I hope everyone's summer is off to a happy start! Earlier this week, we celebrated Independence Day by spending the entire day at the beach. It was soul-filling. We hung with friends, grilled some beef dogs, ate some really good food, brought way too much sand home with our belongings, and delighted in some pretty spectacular fireworks to celebrate our nation's birthday. I was even able to sneak in about a half hour of solitude on the beach to read a good book.
By July, the summer heat is stifling around here, but we're trying our best to make some fun summer memories outdoors. This morning, we decided to make our way to a scenic old coastal town named Fernandina Beach to visit their local farmers market. I have wanted to visit this market for over a year now and, with the seaside town only a 45 minute drive away, it made for a nice afternoon adventure. Nature's summer beauty was definitely on full display!
I love learning about the history of places, so I dug up some bits of treasure on the backstory of historic Fernandina Beach. This quaint town was settled in 1685 and the surrounding area (including nearby Amelia Island) was overgrown with 1"peach trees, oranges groves, and deserted fields." The French, Spanish, and British all fought over control of this land at one time or another and, in an epic turn of fate, Fernandina later became 2"a pirate haven and location of buried treasure"(!!) under Luis Aury's rule.
The drive to the island is beautifully-scenic. It is full of marsh and ocean views, beautiful mature Spanish Oak trees, and canopies of greenery at every turn. I grabbed my camera before we left because I wanted to be intentional about documenting these precious family memories. I also wanted to have nice photographs to share with all of you so that you could be immersed into this adventure as well.
We arrived in downtown Fernandina around 10:45 am. The Farmers Market takes place every Saturday from 9:00-1:00 p.m. and is located on North 7th Street which is near the historic town's main street. Our favorite place to park is near the Fairbanks House, 3 "an Italianate Villa built in 1885." Not only is the view stately, but it's a beautiful walk through the neighboring streets to the historic district. Below, you'll find a few photographs of the Fairbanks House decked out in all of its Christmas glory from a trip we took a few Christmases ago.
Our casual stroll to the Farmers Market was filled with the sights of Fernandina's many ornate homes & inns like I captured below...
Upon arriving at the Farmers Market, we realized our poor planning...We left the house without sunscreen or hats. The sun was beating down on our heads and the outside temperature was well into the high 90's. With the location of the market offering little shade in regards to tree coverage, we decided to hurry through the vendor tents as quickly as possible to see what was offered. I was a bit underwhelmed with what the vendors had to offer, to be honest. I had this picture in my head of myself filling the picnic basket I brought with a fresh flower bouquet, local honey, homemade pastries and other baked goodies. Instead, it seemed like a lot of the vendors' prices were a bit inflated. I didn't find any local honey or flowers either. It was still fun to see the vendors' different handcrafted wares which included candles, jewelry, and glass & wood art.
After perusing the market, we headed back towards Centre Street to grab some lunch. We found the most adorable little deli that offered sandwiches and salads.
When we finished our lunch, we took a leisurely stroll towards the waterway. Here are some photographs of downtown Fernandina...
We stopped at the site of the First Coast Railroad that was built here in 1899. Claire has been into trains lately, so she was excited to be so close to "choo choo tracks." After spending a few moments on the dock overlooking the water, we explored a bit more before heading back to our car. It was a fun-filled afternoon of sunshine and activity. I left the island today with my heart full. I always cherish time spent with my family. It's such a blessing from the good Lord!
I would like to make my little Saturday adventures with my family into a blog series so I can document these precious moments. I hope you not only follow along, but also feel inspired to plan some adventures with your sweet family!
Love to you, my friend! 🤍☺️
-Kate
Resources -
Florida's Historic Places: Fernandina and Amelia Island-https://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/fernandina/fernandina.htm#:~:text=Fernandina%20was%20settled%20in%201685,of%20Georgia%2C%20scouted%20the%20area.
Florida's Historic Places: Fernandina and Amelia Island-https://fcit.usf.edu/florida/lessons/fernandina/fernandina.htm#:~:text=Fernandina%20was%20settled%20in%201685,of%20Georgia%2C%20scouted%20the%20area.
The Fairbanks House- https://fairbankshouse.com/the-inn/
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