I love running in new places.  It’s such a great, organic way to get to know a city or neighborhood.  Whether it’s South Beach or New York City, the first thing I do if I’m able is tie up my shoes and hit the pavement.

This weekend, we’re in Amelia Island at a condo resort with the family. We arrived Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, I woke up early to see what’s around us.  I’d originally planned to run on the beach, but the slope was too steep and the sand too soft, so I opted for the tree-canopied street in front of the property.

It was absolutely gorgeous.  Canopies of live oaks, huge palmettos, and a wide, flat, paved path set at least 20 feet off the quiet road.  It wound in and out of the trees, with a few off-shoots toward the dunes and beach that I decided to explore.

Of course, I wasn’t actually running at this point.  This boardwalk out to the dunes was all stairs up and down and up and down.  But it was worth it, and I was just exploring, not trying to pack in the miles.

I’m thoroughly impressed that every street, every path on the southern end of Fernandina Beach (Amelia Island) is covered with gorgeous trees arched over them.  Even parking lots are built around the trees rather than just clearing them out of the way.  It’s beautiful and serene – and exploring it by foot is the best way I know how.