Holidays at the seaside are a delight at The Amelia Island Ritz-Carlton

17-foot-long Gingerbread Pirate Ship at Amelia Island Ritz-Carlton Hotel (photo from previous season)

Spice, sparkle, and the seaside setting make The Amelia Island Ritz-Carlton hotel a top island venue to experience every year from Thanksgiving through Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Like casting a spell, the busy elves at the Ritz create a magical ambiance that puts one in the spirit of the season — an atmosphere that’s hard to beat in northeast Florida. The hotel puts forth great effort to ensure guests go home with suitcases packed, bursting at the seams with a treasure of wonderful holiday memories, not soon to be forgotten. The grand Christmas tree lighting ceremony for guests (and free to the local community) will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2011 at 5:30 pm (but get there early, see more details about the festivities and where to park further below).

Visitors are dazzled as they step inside the lobby doors to see the magnificent gingerbread creation, painstakingly baked and decorated by a team of Ritz pastry chefs. The culinary feat is a 17-foot long gingerbread pirate ship, the S.S. Amelia, adorned with gingerbread pirates, gingerbread cannon, and chocolate cannon balls. Of course, there’s a treasure chest filled with candied bounty. Even Martha Stewart would have to be impressed! It’s worth a visit to the Ritz just to see this gingerbread masterpiece each year and smell the lobby’s aroma of spice that emanates from this eye candy. This year the gingerbread pirate ship will be on display from November 23, 2011 until December 28, 2011.

The seaside centerpiece of the hotel’s rear courtyard is a towering Christmas tree, 40 feet tall. Majestic and sparkling, it’s just steps from the beach, aglow with thousands of lights twinkling against the backdrop of the ocean. The palm trees around the property also twinkle with lights — in sum, over 200,000 lights glitter by the seashore.

Seaside Holidays at Amelia Island Ritz-Carlton (photo from previous holiday season).

As noted above, the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island will be held on “Thanksgiving Eve,” as is tradition at the resort (Nov. 23, 2011 at 5:30 pm, but get there early). The evening features music, refreshments, tree lighting, Santa’s arrival and a spectacular fireworks display by the sea. A wonderful community event, the public is invited to enjoy the festivities, all complimentary. The public is invited to park at the large parking area at Peter’s Point Beach park off South Fletcher Avenue near the hotel, and catch a free shuttle to the Ritz (get there at 5 pm at the latest to catch the shuttle). Immediately following the tree lighting, folks can enjoy a special dinner Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm that includes a photo souvenir with Santa and Mrs. Claus (reservations required) in the Talbot Ballroom, $49 per adult, $25 per child.For further information, call the Ritz-Carlton at 904-277-1100.

Of course, the Ritz offers a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast (see more further below). Folks can even order a Thanksgiving dinner to go! Local residents may like to avoid a day in the kitchen and instead pick-up a feast this year. Just pre-order and pick it up on Thursday, November 24, 2011 from 11 am until 3 pm. Cost for a chef-prepared Thanksgiving dinner to go, serving six, is $185.

For the chefs out there (and those who know the trials and tribulations of making a homemade gingerbread house), check out the Ritz recipe. The gingerbread ship’s ingredient list boggles the mind! The recipe calls for 3,000 eggs, 435 egg whites, 1,200 pounds of flour, 900 pounds of sugar, 300 pounds of shortening, 15 gallons of milk and 14 pounds of special holiday spices. But it’s the elbow grease that makes this come to life to delight the young and old alike. It takes over 300 hours of labor, and we’d call it a labor of love!

Why a gingerbread pirate ship? Well, there were plenty of pirates in Amelia Island’s past, and this ship is a tribute to the legends and lore of historic Amelia Island (ruled briefly by the privateer Luis Aury in the early 19th century). The 17-foot wide, 12-foot high gingerbread ship was inspired by Aury’s vessel, the Mexican Congress. It features a mast with sails and a crow’s nest as well.

Besides the tree lighting ceremony, the Amelia Island Ritz has a holiday event calendar packed with delights, from a sumptuous Thanksgiving feast, Santa “tuck-ins” for the kids, beach bonfires, wagon rides on beach path bordered by sand dunes, and much more.

An outdoor fire pit burns on the Ritz’s rear patio overlooking the courtyard and tree, an ideal spot to sit by the cozy fire and take in the holiday scene. Not to worry — if the evening sea breeze is chilly, you can be sure flames will be glowing in other indoor fireplaces. Sip hot chocolate or a chocolate martini, choose from a menu of other tasty holiday cocktails in the Ritz lobby, and toast the season with the special people in your life. See the attached Ritz-Carlton Thanksgiving activity flyer for more details, or call 904-277-1100. Visit the Amelia Island Ritz-Carlton website.
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(Also see scrolling event news feed for what’s happening in the next 30 days around Amelia Island – more upcoming activities to experience.)

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