Our teens are putting a damper on our vacation plans this year. Both have summer jobs lined up and while I am thrilled by that, it is causing havoc on our schedule. It looks like we will only have 5 nights available in May.

I have looked into flying somewhere but by the time we get there, it seems like we will be turning right around. We generally take 10 - 14 days trips so this will be new for us.

We live on the Space Coast and are trying to find someplace interesting in FL. We have spent time in Naples, Sanibel, St. Pete, Ft. Lauderdale, St. Augustine, Orlando, The Keys, and New Smyrna.

We have been to Miami for a day but have never spent much time there. My fear with Miami is that it will be too hot. Generally we travel in the summer to escape the heat.

I was looking at Jacksonville. They have a bike tour, art museum, ghost tour, zoo, jet ski and kayak rentals, Cumberland Island, historical museums, and golf for hubby and son.

It looks like we could find enough to keep us busy but..........well, it's Jacksonville. It just doesn't seem like a vacation destination! Has anybody spent anytime there and is it worth 4 or 5 nights? Thanks!!

I haven't spent a lot of time in Jacksonville, so can't really comment on your specific question. I have spent 4 or 5 days in Savannah and really enjoyed it. Not sure if you've been there, but it might be worth considering two extra hours on I-95.

Thanks for the idea but we just went to Savannah over the holidays and have been to that area a few other times in the past.

Have you thought about Jekyll Island--only slightly more than an hour north of Jacksonville? We've spent many vacations there with our then-teens and they love it there. There's the beach, bike rentals for the trails which go all around the island, golf, kayaking tours, tours of the historical area, minigolf, Segway tours and the waterpark, Summer Waves, which opens in mid-May. (While I haven't done the Segway tour on JI, I've done two other Segway tours with my young adult children and we all find it a blast! I don't know what the age restrictions on JI are for Segway tours, but if your kids have jobs, I imagine they are old enough to ride Segways.)
I'd plan on stopping on the way up or the way back to do Cumberland Island--we really enjoyed that too.

We live in NY and have traveled to San Francisco, L.A., Phoenix, Memphis, Nashville, Minneapolis, Fort Worth, etc, etc. for 3 or 4 nights and never found the extra couple of hours flying to be a big problem. When you have a short stay you tend to pack alot into the day. Besides, in our opinion, there aren't many cities that warrant more than 3 or 4 nights.

Expand your horizons.

Just N of Jacksonville, FL is Amelia Island, FL which is a great place to visit. Fernadina Beach is a fun town. Good luck.

Thanks for the responses. I like the Jekyll Island idea! I am going to look into that.

Why not do a cruise out of Jacksonville or Port Canaveral (since its closer to you)? plenty of cruise companies offer 4/5 day sailings....