Amelia Island is like every other small town that I have come to love. And there have been a few of them with a small-town atmosphere.
As time goes by the small-town feeling starts to change with new growth like everywhere else.
Fernandina as most call it was quite the fishing village that had an atmosphere that just made you feel at home.
With the shrimping industry at its peak, the docks were loaded with boats that set out to catch the fresh shrimp that the town was known for.
The shrimp festival all started by seeing who had the fastest boat and the captain of the race would carry that title with honours until the next year.
It was the town that no one really knew about at the time unless you were from Fernandina Beach as the locals like to call it.
The small town started growing slowly in the beginning until the word got out about this quiet little town on the last outer banks of the east coast.
There is some really good fishing in the area if you love to fish which I don’t think I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like to fish.
If you do not like to fish I feel sorry for you.
There are many spots to fish being that you are surrounded by water which I think is great.
When a lot of people found out about the island, the people with money of course the island seemed like it just exploded and the growth began.
The boats began to disappear slowly and the waterfront just didn’t seem the same.
It seemed like all the fishermen just started to disappear slowly one by one.
There are just a few of them left with the market getting over-saturated with farm-raised shrimp.
It appears to be a bit more cost-efficient than wild-caught shrimp, but you sure can taste the difference between the two.
Then of course the land value just took off and rose sky-high so not many could afford to purchase land or even a home.
This is the second town I have watched go through change for the worst in my eyes because I just love the laid-back hometown feeling!
Let’s all hope the small-town atmosphere will always be there on the island!!!