Visiting Jacksonville, Florida April 22-23

On the way to Jacksonville, FL, we decided to enjoy the beautiful afternoon at the beach on Amelia Island just north of the city.  Few things make me happier than relaxing on the beach while the sounds of the ocean lull me into an afternoon nap.

The main beach area boasted a park with picnic tables, bathrooms, showers, and a wide stretch of sandy beach.  After a dip in the water, afternoon snacks, and a power nap, we continued on to Jacksonville.

Situated on the waterfront, our hotel overlooked the St. Johns River to the moderately sized downtown area. We respectfully declined the $10 parking - similar to our experience in Savannah - and instead chose free parking only a brief walk away.  We also tried our hand power negotiating by asking if we could upgrade our room to an upper-level room that overlooked the river  Sure enough, it worked! We found our room on the 9th floor, complete with an amazing water view.  You know, it didn't hurt to ask.

I would never have thought of Jacksonville as a sustainable city, but they did offer several restaurants sourcing local ingredients and a few Whole Foods stores to boot.  The front desk staff at the hotel advised against walking to the restaurant a short two miles away.  They did, however, encourage us to walk over the bridge to an area of downtown called "The Landing."  (Think South Street Seaport.)  We normally take advisories against walking with a grain of salt.  When we realized the area was under construction, we gladly drove to the sustainable restaurant - Bistro Aix.

The cool nighttime breeze and outdoor patio only added to the enjoyment our meal.  We noticed other seating under the climbing vines, but we couldn't complain: our seats in the garden patio impressed us nonetheless.

 

My vegetable pasta dish was tasty, but Colin's prosciutto pizza was to die for!

 

Exploring Jacksonville was a priority, so we denied ourselves dessert at the restaurant with hopes of  finding a bakery within walking distance of the hotel.   Yelp unfortunately realized our worst fears: no amazing shop in the area could satisfy our sweet tooth.  We opted instead for banana cream pie from Ruth's Steakhouse, located inside our hotel.  The pie -meh- was forgettable.  The best part was not actually the dessert itself, but eating it on the waterfront while listening to music being played across the river.  Sweet tooth be damned.

Our adventure to get across the river started with a slight detour.  But soon after, we managed to find the boardwalk's entrance to the bridge and walked the mile to the very lively Landing.  The band's metal sounds blasting off the amphitheater-type shopping plaza, were a bit much for us, so we decided to promenade along the promenade away from the music.  The walk provided several historical accounts of the area, allowing us to learn about the St. John's River and people who developed it.

Feeling the long day wear down on us, we made our way back to the hotel, packed our bags for a day at the beach, and went to bed.

Wanting to make the most of every bit of daylight, we awoke early to a beautiful morning and went for a jog on the boardwalk.  The boardwalk thankfully followed the river only about a mile, leaving us enough time to take a dip in the pool.  The pool was amazingly refreshing after the run and felt perfect under the hot sun.  We enjoyed it as long as we could before leaving for our next destination. If you look closely, you can see the pool at the bottom of the image below. 

The best part about a road trip is you see so many things, decide where you want to visit again, and then plan what you'll do there next time.  I will certainly return to Jacksonville to spend a few days at the beach!

Stay tuned for the 3rd and final leg of our road trip. It was definitely the best part!

Have you ever made it back to a destination you only passed through the first time?
Did you get to do and see everything the second time around?