Let’s face it…the holidays are stressful. Life with four kids is stressful. Life in general is stressful. So when my friends at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island invited my family to visit and check out their resort I jumped at the chance. (Literally…I jumped.) The fact that we could go a few weeks before Christmas to experience their festive atmosphere and get a break from the stress that seems to be compounding this time of year made it even better.
The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island is about 350 miles from Atlanta (under 6 hours in the car) close to Jacksonville. It has a relaxed, seaside resort feel. It is refined but yet welcoming and children are definitely embraced. It definitely is my kind of place! The giant gingerbread tree in the lobby was amazing and the delicious smell smacked me in the face as soon as I walked in the door. What a great sight (and smell) after 6 hours in a kid-filled minivan!
While we were “in residence” (love that) we were able to partake in the Santa tea, which included a buffet of all my favorite treats, and a special, personalized and private visit with Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Awesome!
We also had a “Pirate Tuck in” for the kids which included a bedtime story read by a pirate, a princess, and the resort’s mascot, Amelia. They even gave the kids a slew of pirate paraphernalia and ended the night with milk and the best chocolate chip cookies in the world. I may or may not have commandeered those cookies. What…it was late.
Visiting Amelia Island, and all of northern Florida, in December meant we weren’t going to take a dip in the ocean, however we still were able to hang out at the beach. The resort has a daily “shark’s tooth hunt” each day for the kids and my guys loved it. They have not taken off their shark’s tooth necklaces. (And yes…we found real shark’s teeth. How cool is that?!?)
All in all, I really enjoyed our weekend stay. I was able to make some great holiday memories with my family in a luxurious setting. I came home refreshed and ready to make it through the next few weeks of Christmas madness cheer.
Disclosure: The Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island provided my family with accommodations and activities in order for me to review the resort. As always, opinions are my own.
the holidays are stressful. Life with four kids is stressful. Life in general is stressful. So when my friends at the Ritz-Carlton Amelia Island invited my family to visit and check out their resort I jumped at the chance. activity holidays