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Jacksonville |
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Jacksonville
Jacksonville is part of the stretch of Florida’s Atlantic coastline that calls itself the “First Coast” because of the early Spanish settlements in nearby St. Augustine. Jacksonville has the same wide, bone-colored sands found all over northeast Florida. It also has golf, shopping, and plenty of cultural attractions for those rare rainy days.
Activities and Attractions:
Jacksonville lies along 20 miles of sand where you can indulge just about any water-sport whim you might have. There’s good swimming nine months out of the year (and chilly swimming the other three). Jacksonville Beach has pretty fair surfing. There’s snorkeling, too—the reefs are artificial, but the clouds of fish don’t seem to mind. Further out, you can angle for grouper, snapper, or sea bass. Back on dry land, stables at Ponte Vedra Beach, north of Jacksonville, allow you to explore the dunes on horseback.
Jacksonville’s major dry-land activity is golf. The resort town of Ponte Vedra grew up around PGA-quality links with scenic holes that routinely pop up in coffee table books. Within Jacksonville, there are about two dozen courses to choose from, including links designed by Fuzzy Zoeller and Arnold Palmer.
Be sure to see some of downtown Jacksonville’s attractions while you’re here. Art lovers should see the MOCA and the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, where 3,000 years of art history are represented. History buffs will love the Ritz Theatre, restored to look as it did back in the day when the LaVilla neighborhood was the Harlem of the South. Shoppers can get lost among the San Marco Square boutiques and in the Avondale/Riverside district’s galleries.
Insider Tip:
Consider stopping by the massive Beach Boulevard Flea and Farmers' Market. You probably won’t need to shop for dinner during your stay, but you can pick up everything you might need for a beach picnic.
-Exclusively for Perfect Escapes by Nicole Clausing |
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