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A family with two teenagers discovers an unspoiled barrier island on Florida's Northeast coast and a luxuriates at a resort whose staff is phenomenal.

When planning our trip, we chose the 444-room, AAA Five Diamond Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, as the hotel appealed to us for many reasons. I needed a resort where my two teenagers could have fun independently, but where the four of us could also enjoy activities and quality time together. Maddy, 14 and Alec, 16, are still amenable to traveling as a family, but have made it clear that they do not want to spend 24 hours a day with their un-cool parents. The Ritz-Carlton provided just the right balance that a family traveling with teens needed and much more.

We arrived feeling surprisingly refreshed, after our just over two-hour, non-stop flight from New York City. As we drove from Jacksonville International Airport in our rental car, we felt a million miles away from the still-blustery early April weather that we had left behind. Amelia Island feels remote, but is only a 35 minute drive from the airport, so getting there is a breeze. As we approached, we drove under a lush canopy of thick vegetation that was typical of the deep south, but with a sprinkling of palm trees reminding us that we were in Florida.

Settling Into a Distinctive Property

The hotel lobby was as elegant and refined as one would expect of a Ritz-Carlton property, but what immediately impressed me was that we were clearly not at any Ritz-Carlton. The hotel has a magnificent location on the beach, and the lobby shows this off. There is a wonderful indoor-outdoor feel to the public spaces, with glass-paneled doors that lead out to a relaxed patio. Comfy sofas and plush over-sized chairs abound, some grouped around a large fire pit that is lit each night. The patio overlooks the beautiful, unspoiled dunes that this barrier island is famous for.

A series of wooden boardwalks cross over the dunes and lead to the ocean. Before we checked into our room, we relaxed on the patio, bathing in the warm sun. After a long winter, we all wanted to see the ocean, and the sound of the waves beckoned us. As we crossed over the dunes, we were thrilled to see turtles craning their heads under the boardwalk. The soft, sugary sand felt summery on our bare feet, and the nearly empty beach was an oasis of calm.

Our room felt like a guest room in a friend's beautiful home, as it did not have the cookie cutter décor that even high-end hotels often do. I loved that the two double beds featured wood carved headboards with palm trees on each side, and the desk echoed this theme. All of the hotel's guest rooms have balconies, so we could see and hear the crash of the waves from our 5th floor room.