Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Winter 2013 - (Page 64)

FA M I LY T R AV E L WAT ER WORKS Clockwise from top left: Family kayaking on Simpson Creek; shrimping boats on the Amelia River at sunset; Amelia, the 6-year-old macaw at The Ritz-Carlton, visits the beach. DIFFERENT STROKES A FAM ILY W I T H VA RIE D I NTER EST S F I N D S COM M O N BL ISS ON AM ELI A I S LA ND, FLO RIDA BY ERICA K I NG 64 W W W. R I T Z C A R LT O N . C O M FROM TOP: ERICA KING; ROBERT HOLMES/CORBIS; MARK WIELAND I I should feel serene. I am standing on a windswept beach on Amelia Island, a paisley-shaped spit of land just off the northeast coast of Florida. The surf is splashing playfully at my ankles; the brine, sun and breeze are warming my skin; the afternoon waves crash hypnotically, seeking to lull me to a Zen-like place. But I am not Zen. I am not lulled. I am gripped with anxiety. My sweet, obedient 11-year-old who seeks nothing but to please me is 15 minutes into a surﬁng lesson she didn’t want to take. “No, Mommy, don’t make me go,” she pleaded just an hour ago. “I’ll fall. I won’t be able to do it. Please!” I, peering up from a book on optimal parenting, was unmoved. “You should try things that make you nervous,” I chirped. “Think positively! What’s to be afraid of? Rosalee did it,” I goaded in a particularly low blow, referring to a girlfriend who surfed in a single lesson. Now, of course, I am paying the price. I watch on edge as my gentle girl is tossed again into the waves. I can see she is upset. “The optimal parent is involved but respects her child’s autonomy,” I tell myself. I am tense, but I stay put. And then, I begin to … relax. The hotel instructor is doing his job. So is my daughter. She is trying what scares her. I am respecting her autonomy. It’s a good vacation day for both of us. When my husband and I started to research where we might go for a four-day summer break, we were not seeking out teachable moments. We just wanted simple, a relaxing beach getaway that was an easy trip from New York; Amelia Island seemed like a good choice. From what we read, the area would be sunny and warm in August, but not oppressively so, like other points farther south. It was accessible — less than a two-hour ﬂ ight, plus a half-hour drive from the airport — and according to The Ritz-Carlton’s website, there would be lots to do: shelling, bike tours, kayaking, tennis, hiking, a quaint old town to visit, spa time or just relaxing by the pool or beach. http://WWW.RITZCARLTON.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Winter 2013

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Winter 2013
Contents
Contributors
Editor’s Letter
President's Letter
Falling in Love With ... Beijing
Design
Technology
On the Boulevards
Shopping
Jewelry
Watches
Family
Local Knowledge
Outdoors
Puerto Rico
Montreal
Culinary
Let Us Stay With You
Heritage

Ritz-Carlton Magazine - Winter 2013