We love Forest Ridge for its location and I had marked this property as a favorite since we had just gotten a dog last summer. So when Fernandina Beach started allowing VRBOs again, I reached out to George to find out their COVID Cancellation policy which was very reasonable, and so we booked our stay.
Upon arrival, the home was clean and prepared for renters. There were a few concerns we brought to George’s attention so he could get them taken care of before the next renters but they didn’t affect our stay. The only thing really missing when we checked in was hand soap at any of the sinks.
As advertised there were all the linens, beach towels, a beach cart and other various beach gear (chairs, skim board, etc), along with starter paper towels, toilet paper, dish soap, laundry soap and dishwasher detergent. The townhome came with more than enough dishes, glasses, real coffee mugs (not the tiny 10-oz offerings), silverware and cookware. There was plenty of home knick-knacks too obviously collected from various adventures abroad (if things could only speak to share their origin story). The WiFi was easy to set up and there was even a dvr with plenty of recordings in the Master bedroom and living room, along with the normal cable offerings. Plenty of board games and books too.
We have stayed in multiple buildings in Forest Ridge and this may have been the best location. It’s in the middle of the complex but right across from the pool; and there was a back porch that opened onto the lawn! It’s shared by the immediate neighbor of course, but it feels private.
As a side note, Forest Ridge is located a block off the beach and as such, there are many non-beach critters to see! There is a hawk that has nested near the grills (charcoal on the other side of the complex). The boardwalk leading to the home has lots of curious digging spots and it turned out there are tons of armadillos at night. Also on the second night, I was walking the dog and we almost stepped on a Scarlet snake that slithered under the boardwalk. And finally, we saw a yellow rat snake crawling ON the wall of the building which I did not know could be done. It added to the beach vacay for sure.
We really had a great stay despite COVID limitations and were able to continue to practice social distancing while enjoying the beach. This beach is NEVER crowded and this townhome was exactly what we needed. Looking forward to next year!