Coffee & Conversation

Coming to Central Park, March 6 and 7, 2010!

Come celebrate Nature in full bloom.

The inaugural Amelia Island Garden Show produced by the Fernandina Farmers Market will roll out nature’s brightest colors for two days on March 6 & 7, 2010 at Central Park in Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island, Florida.

With growers and nurseries from around the state, the Amelia Island Garden Show will feature more than 50 vendors with a full assortment of flowers, plants, trees and palms, orchids, bonsai, water pond accessories, native plants, butterfly-friendly plants, shrubs, and garden accessories.

On-site experts will offer advice as to “greening” your home, yard and garden. “Ask the Expert booth” will offer short presentations and demonstrations from sustainable gardening to Orchids 101.

Featured attractions include: The Butterfly Encounter and The Raptor Experience.

The farmers and producers of the Fernandina Farmers Market will also be part of the Show with their just harvested produce, organic products, gourmet baked goods and variety of prepared foods.

Check out the website for more details:
www.ameliagarden.com

Date: Sunday, October 25, 2009. From 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Description: The Friends of Talbot Islands State Parks will host the first annual Fall Festival Fund-Raiser. Come enjoy hayrides, carnival style games, kayak and Segway demos and spooky tours. There will also be a silent auction with great getaway packages and food available with an organic option. The festival will be held at the Ribault Club located on Fort George Island Cultural State Park. All activities have a nominal donation to participate.

The Florida Park Service is dedicated to providing programs that are accessible to all. Persons with special needs which may limit participation or enjoyment of any program should advise the park in advance so assistance with reasonable accommodations can be provided.

Fees: This event is free!
Contact: For more information, call 904-251-2320.

http://www.floridastateparks.org/fortgeorgeisland/default.cfm

Exploring the natural and cultural wonders of Fort George Island is a great escape from the hassles of the work week. Whether it’s hiking along the 4-mile nature trail or strolling through the historic Ribault Club, this is one of the best times of the year to see some of the REAL Florida!

And don’t forget about the Virtual Ranger Tour of the Saturiwa Trail on Fort George Island. All you need is a car CD-player and an interest in ‘old Florida’. The tour follows the narrow road around Fort George Island, a setting rich in natural and cultural significance. Visitors have the option of checking out a CD audio guide, or downloading a written version of the Virtual Ranger Tour from this website. Both the audio and text versions are designed to be self-guiding, where visitors can enjoy the tour at their own pace.

Native Americans feasted here, colonists built a fort, and the Smart Set of the 1920s came for vacations. A site of human occupation for over 5,000 years, Fort George Island was named for a 1736 fort built to defend the southern flank of Georgia when it was a colony. Today´s visitors come for boating, fishing, off-road bicycling, and hiking. A key attraction is the recently restored Ribault Club. Once an exclusive resort, it is now a visitor center with meeting space available for special functions. Behind the club, small boats, canoes, and kayaks can be launched on the tidal waters.

To reserve the Ribault Club for a special event, contact Amelia Occasions at 904-251-1050. Located approximately 16 miles east of downtown Jacksonville on State Road A1A, or three miles south of Little Talbot Island State Park.

For an eco-friendly experience you won’t soon forget, sign up for a guided tour of Fort George Island on a cross terrain Segway with Ecomotion Tours. This 2 hour tour departs from the historic Ribault Club and visits the Kingsley Plantation while traveling along more than 3 miles of maritime forest, abundant with plant and animal life. No experience necessary, but advance reservations are required so please call 904-251-9477 for more information.

We welcome you to visit all seven of the parks which collectively comprise Talbot Islands State Parks: Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park, Amelia Island State Park, George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park, Little Talbot Island State Park, Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park and Big Talbot Island State Park.

Contact the Florida Park Service Information Center for general inquiries.
For Information about Fort George Island Cultural State Park, please call (904) 251-2320.

Hours of Operation

Florida state parks are open from 8 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year.
The Ribault Club is open Wednesday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Ribault Club is closed on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Driving Directions

Fort George Island Cultural State Park lies approximately 16 miles east of downtown Jacksonville on S.R. A1A, or three miles south of Little Talbot Island State Park.

Park Fees

Admission Fee:

No entrance fee is required to enter this park.

Fort George Island Cultural State Park

12157 Heckscher Drive
Jacksonville, Florida 32226
Phone: (904) 251-2320
Fax: Contact Park for Number

Citizen Support Organization

Friends of Talbot Islands State Parks
12157 Heckscher Drive
Jacksonville, FL 32226
info@talbotislands.com

Visitor Service Provider

Ecomotion Tours
Island Explorations on Segways
904-251-9477
Ecomotion Tours

Author:  Jim Zaenglein

I travel a bit and often take pics of Episcopal Churches and chapels that I’d like to share with those that might be interested.  I went to a chapel in Valley Forge, PA a few weeks ago and saw the awesome memorial chapel there.  The woodwork and ironwork throughout was incredible.  It was a little weird how they mixed the military and war theme with religion, but as a former soldier, I was moved by it.