If someone asked you if you wanted to visit the
country’s largest city by land area, you would probably
start packing your bags for Los
Angeles or New
York City, or even Chicago,
Houston or Atlanta.
The only problem would be that those cities would not
be where you are going. Instead, you would be on
your way to Jacksonville Florida. You might also
be surprised to know that after New York City and Philadelphia,
Jacksonville is the most populated city on America’s
east coast. The city is also the financial and insurance
hub of Florida and home to several U.S. Navy bases.
Jacksonville travel has blossomed in recent history, and
the city is well served by a number of Interstate Highways
and major U.S. Highways. The newly added cruise
port has joined three other modern seaport facilities
to help establish Jacksonville as a shipping giant.
The city is also well served by the Jacksonville International
Airport, which lies just a 15-minute ride from downtown.
Travelers can find a flight to Jacksonville from most
major American cities, and popular Orlando
is just 45 minutes away by air.
Jacksonville Florida rests just 25 miles south of the
Georgia border and
enjoys positioning along the St. Johns River. It
was founded in the year 1791 as a settlement, originally
carrying the name of Cowford, due to the fact that cattle
were previously driven along the area. In 1822,
the city changed its name to honor seventh President Andrew
Jackson, who had served as the Florida Territory’s
first military governor. Due to its prime location,
however, Jacksonville had already had a long history before
then. In the early 1560's, the area of present day
Jacksonville was settled by French explorers who established
Fort Caroline there. However, this settlement attempt
would be short-lived. Spanish forces would go on
to obliterate the French fort, effectively ending French
colonization attempts along the New World’s east
coast.
Jacksonville Florida earned a reference as the “Winter
Film Capital of the World” in the 1910's, as over
30 silent film studios made their bases there. Jacksonville’s
film heyday may have passed when film makers made their
eventual moves to Hollywood,
California, but film fans will still enjoy the Jacksonville
Film Festival, which takes place in May. The city
also hosts the nation’s second largest jazz festival
every year in April. Jacksonville travel is ideal
year round, with temperate weather in the winter, pleasant
spring and fall temperatures and hot summer days that
are ideally spent at the wide and sandy Jacksonville area
beaches. The city is surrounded with natural beauty,
offering nature trails for walking and wildlife watching
and plenty of water to explore whether fishing or simply
pleasure-cruising. Visitors to this great southern
city will find ample choices among Jacksonville
hotels ranging from upscale area resorts to charming
Florida bed & breakfasts. Jacksonville Florida
dining certainly features fresh seafood from the nearby
Atlantic, but you’ll also find plenty in the way
of savory steaks and southern-fried chicken.
Jacksonville travel is growing in popularity and the
addition of the city’s JAXPORT Cruise Terminal has
added a list of Jacksonville cruises that service Key
West and the Bahamas.
Visitors to northeast Florida will find plenty of options
for things to do in Jacksonville, including various cruises
within the city, an array of museum options, fine Florida
beaches, the country’s largest urban park system
and so much more. In nearby Ponte Vedra, golf enthusiasts
will find the most recognizable of all Florida
golf courses, TPC at Sawgrass. This famous course
joins an array of other quality golf courses in the area
to make a golfing vacation here ideal. In fact,
the PGA tour makes its headquarters in nearby Ponte Vedra,
and golf fans can find the World Golf Village and the
World Golf Hall of Fame in nearby St. Augustine.
St. Augustine is just a half-hour’s drive away,
and other exciting day trips from Jacksonville could include
Daytona Beach, the Kennedy
Space Center, Savannah,
Georgia and Florida’s beautiful Amelia Island.
Jacksonville travel further rewards visitors with other attractions, such as the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, the Jacksonville Landing shopping center, the Riverwalk and Jacksonville Beach. The Jacksonville Zoo houses the second largest collection of animals in Florida and shopping, dining and strolling at the Landing, the Riverwalk and Jacksonville Beach are great ways to have fun in Jacksonville. For those who enjoy seeing shows or taking in concerts, they will be happy to know that Jacksonville offers a variety of options for the performing arts. The Florida Theatre, the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts and the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena provide the city with a full schedule of entertainment options from the Jacksonville Symphony to a list of national acts. For exciting nightlife and some of Jacksonville’s best beaches, Jacksonville Beach is sure to deliver. In Jacksonville Beach, visitors will find a nice array of oceanfront Jacksonville hotels that compliment this upcoming and trendy district.
