Any additions to my general plan for 2 night stay in Jacksonville (no car)?
 

Hello,

So I'm going to Saint Augustine around New Years and decided to tag on a full day in Jacksonville, since I've never been to Jacksonville before and also I'll be leaving from Jacksonville's train station heading north to New York City. I'll be limited in my options not having a car, but based on my research I came up with a plan that appeals to me. My goal is to get a small sense of what Jacksonville is all about, whatever that happens to be.

I'll arrive late afternoon on January 2nd; I'm staying at the Wyndham Riverfront which is right across the river from downtown. I thought that evening I'd just cross the bridge by Skyway or foot and check out the downtown, maybe having supper at the Landing?

January 3rd: Full day: 1. Visit the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens. 2. Explore the homes of nearby Riverside/Avondale as well as Memorial Park and Riverside Park 3. See what Five Points is all about, the purported counter-culture (?) center of Jacksonville, stopping at a cafe or dining establishment. I've researched and it seems there is a trolley and city bus that goes to this area.

January 4th: Go to Jacksonville Beach in the morning by city bus, to enjoy walking (or biking if I find a rental place) alongside the beach before heading back to the frigid north. Have lunch, then head back to hotel to pick up luggage and move along.

Is there anything you think I should try to see in central Jacksonville that I've not included?

Best wishes, Daniel

You DO take some interesting trips without a car! I took a look at your St. Augustine and Jacksonville posts from January, and see that you've done quite a bit of research.

BTW - I love St. Augustine. It's a popular school field day trip (about 3 hours from here), and so I've gone with schools as well as just family. Be sure to spend a day in old town St. Augustine - the part where you have to purchase admission. It is the real deal as to old buildings, yes. There are also some actors a la Colonial Williamsburg, and it is very informative. And Castillo de San Marcos, of course. Very walkable area.

Jacksonville I've only been to for business - it's a very spread out city with a loop around it and a lot of traffic on the roads. I did stay once on the river downtown, and went over to the Riverwalk at night. Looks like you've worked out some public transportation options.

Guessing your plan is to store your luggage at the hotel while you go to the beach? Just keep in mind that it's really not IN Jacksonville but about a half hour away. And then factor in the trip to the airport ... you might consider 1 night in Jacksonville Beach and 1 night downtown?

Enjoy your visit!

Thank you for your kind response, sludick. Yes, I've done some interesting trips without a car. I recognize that certain spots are off-limits or challenging as a result, but there really is a tremendous amount that one CAN do.

Thanks also for telling me you love St. Augustine; your words and the words of others are making me look forward to Saint Augustine more each day. I didn't realize I had to purchase admission to go into a part of St. Augustine! I'm going to have to investigate what this means exactly; hopefully I won't have to pay admission to get to the area where the Penny Farthing Inn is where I'm staying. :)

Since I got the Wyndham Riverfront on Priceline non-refundable, I unfortunately can't switch to staying at the beach. I hope that if I get an early enough start out to Jacksonville Beach on January 4th, that this would get me back to my hotel by 2:30 pm, giving me plenty of time to make my 5pm train.

Best wishes, Daniel

No, you'll be fine for the Penny Farthing Inn. The area I am thinking of is the Colonial Quarter - it's more of an outdoor museum. I believe the tickets are $12.99. When you will be there, you can get in free (I think) from 6p-9p. Although you will probably miss out on a lot of the demonstrations and activities at that time, there will be an entirely different candlelit appearance. If you can, do both. http://colonialquarter.com/


The Penny Farthing Inn looks really nice.

St. Augustine, Make sure you go to Flagler college and look at the architecture. You can pop inside for free and look at the courtyard and main lobby. Henry flagler also built a church for there with poured concrete. It is beautiful. The Catholic church on Cathedral is amazing. The tile is beautiful and light a candle by St Patrick. Put in a dollar, where they come up with the five dollar donation for a candle is horrible. The fort is a small fee I think but worth it. Meehan's is a good Irish pub there.

Sludick-- Thanks for the clarification about the Colonial Quarter. I lived within walking distance of Colonial Williamsburg for 5 years and enjoyed that, so I'm looking forward to seeing the Colonial Quarter; I'll probably pay once during the day to see it and go perhaps several times at night.

flpab-- Thanks for the Saint Augustine suggestions. Flagler College is definitely on my list of things to explore; my B&B is right around the corner. I love historic sites and beautiful churches, so the Catholic church and the fort will be things I see, fee or not!

I'm looking forward to hearing from you upon your return. Have always wanted to visit St. Augustine around the holidays, and it's been a couple of years since I've spent any time in St. Augustine.

By the way, and as you might imagine - there is quite a bloody history of this settlement. If you get a chance (and I do not know about transportation), nearby Ft. Matanzas is instructive. "Matanzas" meaning "slaughter," as in the Spanish massacre of the French forces in 1565. This is a federal monument - http://www.nps.gov/foma/historyculture/the_massacre.htm

sludick-- If I'm lucky enough to get a nice day, I had the idea of renting a bike on Saint Augustine Beach and biking on the path to Fort Matanzas. In my trip report, I'll let you know if that works out as well as thoughts on being in Saint Augustine during the holiday season. I didn't know that Matanza meant slaughter but it should have come to me that it had such a meaning given the Spanish verb "matar". Interesting.