Jacksonville: modern and historic attractions merge “where Florida begins”
Situated in northeastern Florida on the Atlantic coast, Jacksonville bills itself as “where Florida begins.” The entire world saw this sprawling metropolis on the St. Johns River when the city hosted the Super Bowl last February.
This was the smallest market to ever host a Super Bowl, and despite early naysayers, the event drew huge accolades. Cruise ships played a big role in the celebration–providing plush accommodations for many visitors. The ships actually clinched the deal that brought the Super Bowl to Jacksonville by providing the requisite number of rooms required by the National Football League.
Now that the port is experienced with a number of cruise ships at one time–five were docked here for Super Bowl week–the city is pushing ahead with plans for a new and expanded terminal to accommodate expected increases in passengers as more ships homeport in Jacksonville. Currently, two Carnival Cruise Lines’ ships sail four- and five-day itineraries from the port–the Celebration and the Ecstasy.
The city has much to recommend it–68 miles of Atlantic Ocean coastline, 300 miles of rivers, more than 100 golf courses, the largest urban park system in the U.S., and a growing and vibrant downtown. Spanning more than 840 square miles, Jacksonville, the most populous city in the state, comprises the largest landmass of any city in the continental U.S. It is also the most historic area in all of Florida.
Jacksonville is justifiably proud of its NFL team, the Jaguars. Fittingly, the newest exhibit at the Jacksonville Zoo is the “Range of the Jaguar,” featuring the largest collection of jaguars in North America. The tropical-forest attraction is set in a Spanish-colonial themed village and temple ruin. There is even a restaurant with a glass wall providing a bird’s-eye view of the giant cats prowling through lush vegetation and climbing fallen trees. Animal lovers can view nearly 100 other species, including golden lion tamarins, howler monkeys, sloths, and bird-eating tarantulas. Everyone enjoys watching the monkey business in the Great Apes of the World exhibit. Behind The Scenes Tours offer visitors a chance for a personal one-hour walk with an animal keeper to see how elephants, Cape buffalo, and rhinos are cared for.
Nearby is Kingsley Plantation, the oldest remaining plantation house in Florida and once the home of Zephaniah Kingsley, a successful merchant and planter. The National Park Service operates the house and grounds on the shore of the Fort George River. The house dates to 1798 and was built for comfort. Built in the pre-air-conditioning era, it was designed so that rooms would allow breezes to cross-ventilate. The slave quarters on the grounds housed 60 to 80 men, women, and children. Each slave quarter had a fireplace and kitchen plus a sleeping room. Kingsley was married to a slave from Senegal; he freed her and their children in 1811.
Walk through formal gardens–both English and Italian–on the riverfront at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens. The boutique museum displays 8,000 years of art history arranged chronologically. Visit the Museum of Science & History, in a prime downtown setting, and learn the background of the area from the early days of the Timcuuan Indians to Juan Ponce de Leon and his Spanish explorers. A family favorite for its wealth of hands-on exhibits, the museum also explores astronomy and natural sciences.
Amelia Island, known as Florida’s Golden Isle, is 32 miles northeast of downtown Jacksonville. Its biggest claim to fame is that it is the only U.S. location to have been under eight different flags including Spain, France, Mexico, England, Confederate, and U.S. The 13-mile long island boasts 40-foot sand dunes, 90 holes of golf, and miles of broad white-sand beaches. The streets of historic Fernandina Beach pay tribute to Amelia’s golden era when the wealthy built opulent Victorian dwellings. Walk down to the marina where the modern shrimping industry was born.
South of Amelia Island and Jacksonville is St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States. It is truly a time capsule that showcases nearly 500 years of American history. St. Augustine was founded in 1565-42 years before the English colonized Jamestown and 55 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. Near the end of the 19th century, oil magnate Henry Flagler envisioned St. Augustine as “America’s Riviera” and transformed the slumbering town into one of Florida’s earliest resorts.
During this period, in 1893, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm opened. It remains one of the area’s most popular attractions and is the only facility in the world housing every species of crocodilian. Be sure to visit Maximo, a 1,250-pound monster gator. Across the street is the picturesque black-and-white-striped St. Augustine Lighthouse; visitors are welcome to climb to the top for a panoramic view of the city, bay, and ocean beyond.