This past weekend, Chris, Hayden and I, along with our friends Carrie and Joel, headed South for the 15th annual Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance. A weekend of fabulous cars, scenery (it's held at the Ritz-Carlton, on their golf course fairways), and food, it has a little something for everyone, and is by far one of our favorite vacations each year.
This year was the first year Carrie and Joel joined us, so we took a couple extra days and made a real weekend trip out of it. Although it was at times (especially when Hayden was low on sleep and patience) a little cramped with all five of us in the 4-Banger, we really enjoyed the company and the trip. Joel and Chris took the wheel, entertaining themselves with car talk and bluegrass soundtracks. Carrie and I manned the baby station in the back, working on our crochet projects, catching up on our magazine reading, entertaining Hayden, and most of all, trying to keep our focus anywhere but on our husbands' driving. It was a good arrangement, with very few general freak-outs or meltdowns, and most of those are claimed by the munchkin.
Friday night we headed straight for S-town (if not the heart, then definitely the soul of Georgia), aka Savannah. We made tracks out to Uncle Bubba's, a restaurant with a well-deserved reputation for some of the best eats in town (or in Georgia, for that matter).
Without so much as a sign to signify the final turn, somehow the crowds still manage to find its simple presence (perhaps they follow their noses), and after a decent wait, we finally took our seats and our turns sampling their fare. The dish of the night was a hard call. With chargrilled oysters and crab bites to start, the flat-out best darn low country boil I've ever tasted, stuffed shrimp that would make you want to slap your mama, and the freshest boiled shrimp around, it's truly a toss up. I'll probably have to go back again soon for the tie-breaker.
Saturday we bummed around historic Fernandina Beach, antique shopping, noshing on crab burgers, and hitting the beach for some photo ops and a little shell searching.
Sunday of course was the big event. The time change made what was already an early wake up call that much more painful, but with Joel's Starbucks in hand, we were on our way to the Island for the Concours. As with every year, the event did not disappoint.
From new models that blow the term 'sports car' off the flippin' map, like this 1001 hp, 16 cylinder Bugatti,
to true race cars, like those of NASCAR's own #43 - Richard Petty, the show spans the gamut.
One thing all these cars have in common is that they are top of their class, shining examples of the very razor-thin edge of an envelope being pushed to the limits. There are concept cars from every era, with features and details that are as much art as they are automobile.
There are historic cars; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 1904 Cadillac, Rolls Royce Silver Ghosts, Deusenburgs, Mercedes.
And there are admirers of them all, by the thousands, that join us each year for this amazing event.
The weather was, as it nearly always is, perfect. A good breeze, lots of sunshine, cool enough for a sweater in the morning, warm enough for sandals by the afternoon. Always a nice break from the chill of the mountains, and a promise of what is to come.
Hayden loved every minute outside.
Walking around for nearly the first time in her life in the outdoors, she could barely contain her excitement, hopping, squeaking and clapping with every other step. Running for birds, fish and dogs, playing with the other childen we saw, chasing waves and picking grass, she was in heaven the whole weekend.
After our festivities Sunday, we headed back to downtown Fernandina Beach to the Crab Trap for a sample of the best battered fries I've ever gotten at a restaurant, and some amazing crab legs. Then to the hotel for a hard crash.
Monday, we slowly made our way home (with a short detour back to Uncle Bubba's for some more oysters, boil and a sinful strawberry shortcake), and back to the realities of everyday life. Of all the many years we've made this trip, I have to say that this was probably my favorite. To have our friends, great food, cool cars, favorite cities, shopping and antiquing all rolled into one trip ranks this weekend pretty high in my book. The fact that it was my first vacation from work in over a year didn't hurt its score at all, either.
There is a Boston Cream donut, a blueberry with cream cheese frosting (yum!), French Crullers that will make you cry "uncle" (which they didn't have yesterday morning. Boo.), Pomogranate Iced, and even a Maple Butter Bacon, fried with a delicious strip of bacon around it. 
Oh, and of course, their signature doughnut was the "Dutch Monkey" a banana-jam filled doughnut drizzled with chocolate icing.
Hayden loved the bright colors of the place, the kiddie table, especially, watching them make the doughnuts through the Willy-Wonka-ish viewing ports along the kitchn, and most of all, enjoyed her first tastes of a real doughnut!
