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Jacksonville in January – Winter 2021
- By Michael Lakus
- Read Time: 5min
Journey into Jacksonville
I would not have imagined Jacksonville to be the weekend trip for January, but here we are. With travel bans and more policies to sift through, sometimes keeping it domestic or even local can turn out to be a pleasant surprise.
January had a few options on the table, but after an over-the-top and ridiculous PowerPoint presentation by Mila, the choice was clear. So with that, we headed to Jacksonville for a weekend to do the things. Enjoy the video thumbnail of my mophead before pressing play 🙂
Travel Logistics
We stayed at the Southbank Hotel which is being converted to a Delta Marriott. Since this was a road trip, costs were low and really only included admissions to the various exhibits. More $ for ice cream.
We kept it pretty central in and around downtown Jacksonville, walking a lot of San Marco and Avondale. The exceptions being some time spent on the coast for a beach trail and the Jacksonville Zoo.
Museums in Jacksonville - Cummer and MOSH
The first day in Jacksonville was all about the museums – MOSH and Cummer Fine Arts.
The Museum of Science and History (MOSH) was first up, and I think we both agreed the planetarium was the best part. The museum dabbled in Florida ecology, Jacksonville history, space and retro-games. It was kind of a mixed bag. The history section was definitely the most in depth with some military background, which I always enjoy. Overall, not a must do, but still fun.
On the other hand, The Cummer Museum is worth a visit. Aside form the beautiful garden, the actual museum offers a permanent and rotating collection of diverse fine arts through the ages. Mila is much more art-savvy than I am, but the etchings and tea ware exhibitions were pretty awesome! We definitely entertained one another talking about the styles and artists walking from room to room.
Beach Day
A little north of Jacksonville is Timucuan Ecological Preserve. It was here we had ourselves a little beach walk on Little Talbot hiking trail. The gusts were coming in and you could tell it happens often by the wind-blown driftwood and trees lining the beach. Very cool sight. ‘Twas a little nippy, but having a wide open trail with no one in sight made us feel like we were on some desolate island.
Heading just a little more north, we stopped at Boneyard beach. I’m not sure why, but I couldn’t stop picturing the elephant graveyard from The Lion King – this place had fallen trees everywhere that gave it this ominous feel. All in all, both spots in Timucuan were very different than the gulf-side beaches in Florida, and made for some good photography.
Dessert Time
With all that trail walking, you bet the hunger set in. We didn't have to put much thought into dinner, but more importantly, ice cream. The day prior was Mayday in San Marco. Today it was Whit's frozen custard in Avondale. Both were excellent spots in more upscale districts.
Jacksonville Zoo
One of the main selling point’s from Mila’s presentation was the Jacksonville Zoo. It’s been a hot minute since going to a zoo, so I was eager to check it out. Without delay, we quickly hopped on the train which went around the entire zoo perimeter.
The zoo was split into different parts based upon geography and region, so places were named like Africa loop, Asia loop and Wild Florida. The grounds felt pretty spacious for the larger animals and there were smaller exhibits for reptiles and amphibious species. Our tickets included feeding stingrays and giraffes, so you can’t pass that up!
After walking the entire park, I’ve come to the conclusion that the otter is the best animal for a zoo. They are non-stop little balls of energy, make cute sounds and are mischievous.
A short, sweet trip
We were ready to call it after a long day at the zoo. The weekend was surprisingly long and we got the chance to see a lot of things in Jacksonville that would normally be looked over when travelling. The best thing about local trips is you can still make dinner plans the same night and not be jet-lagged 🙂
So 2021 has started small, and I’m ready to begin building momentum into this year. Although, I do appreciate the current situation as it has given a chance to go to some places I’d normally pass up due to these worldly eyes. With that said, February has its sights on Park City for some shreddy times.
-ML
Recap of Places
Check out the MAP for links!
- MOSH – Museum of Science and History
- Cummer Museum of Arts
- Jacksonville Zoo
- Timacuan – Little Talbot Trail
- Ice Cream – Whit’s and Payday!
- Cool Districts – Avondale and San Marco
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Michael Lakus
IT professional, athlete, musician, ponderer of many things... Born and raised in Florida, I began traveling internationally after college. I created this site primarily to remind myself of where I've been and to share my experiences on traveling with a quirky, stress-free, travel attitude.
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