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Day One - St. John's River Cruise and Jacksonville Beach

Home » » Jacksonville, Florida - A Three Day Itinerary » Day One - St. John's River Cruise and Jacksonville Beach

Jacksonville Beach is the perfect place for you to stay, since you will be staying in Jacksonville for a quick trip. Jacksonville Beach offers miles of beautiful, white sand beaches. Here you will find oceanfront accommodations, great dining, an 18 hole municipal gold course and many nearby opportunities for family fun, nightlife, dining and shopping. The good news is that you can find oceanfront hotels in a wide price range. There are hotel rates available in a range of $65-200 per night. The average price for an oceanfront hotel in Jacksonville Beach is $100-150 per night. A great resource for locating the hotel that is right for you in Jacksonville Beach is the website of http://hotel-guides.us/florida/jacksonville-beach-fl-hotels.html. Here you will find names, prices and customer reviews of possible hotels.

Start the day with a river cruise of St. John’s River. The St. John’s River is one of the best kept secrets of the area. It is 310 miles long, Florida’s longest river; and runs from Melbourne to Jacksonville and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. The St. John’s River is one of the few rivers in the United States that flows north. A very special distinction that the river holds is that it is a winter haven for the West Indian manatee, one of America’s most endangered mammals. “Manatee season” is November to March. If you cruise the St. John’s during this time, you just might see one of the gentle giants. They are likely to be nibbling on their favorite food, water hyacinths.

You will enjoy the scenic tour and also learn the history of downtown Jacksonville. These tours are normally 2 hours in length and depart from Jacksonville. Most of the tours which are nature and wildlife tours begin at the Blue Spring State Park. The St. John’s River Cruises Company offers daily tours at 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. Or you can choose to embark on one of their sunset cruises.

If you feel that you would like to spend more time enjoying the wildlife, fauna and flora of the St. John’s River, you should explore the possibility of taking a dinner and dancing cruise down the river. The Rivership Romance cruise offers four hour luncheon cruises, three hour Sunday brunch cruises and dinner cruises.

After your relaxing river cruise, it is time to hit the beach! Enjoy a day of sun and water activities. Jacksonville has become known as Florida's First Coast because of its relatively unspoiled and unfenced coastline. The beaches at Jacksonville Beach and also at nearby Atlantic and Neptune beaches are know for their sport fishing, boating and water sports. Because Jacksonville has so much preserved wildlife and land, you have the real chance to see a porpoise or even a northern right whale!

The Jacksonville Beach boardwalk is a place that is bustling with activity and fun. Recently renovated by the city of Jacksonville, shops, watering holes and restaurants have sprung up all along the boardwalk. After catching some rays or playing on the beach, you will find plenty of places to quench your thirst and satisfy your hunger. A fun place to stop on the boardwalk is the SeaWalk Pavilion, which is Jacksonville Beach’s oceanfront public park and stage. The SeaWalk Pavilion regularly holds festivals, concerts and art and crafts shows here.

If you are a fisherman, you might enjoy the Jacksonville Beach Pier, which is 1,200 feet long. Anglers enjoy using the pier and can also visit the bait and tackle shop and rustic restaurant, for any fishing needs that you may have.

Next Page: Day Two - Kathryn Abby Hanna Park

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