Day 6 - Get on a boat!

Whether you hop on a short river foray via the SS Marine Taxi or you get on the Annabelle Lee for an evening of dancing and dining, take the time to enjoy downtown's skyline the best way you can -- on the water!

The Annabelle Lee was a great night of fun. There are two levels. The bottom level is the dining area and bar. The top level is the dance floor, and you can get married up there too, right on the river!

From my previous Yelp review for the SS Marine Taxi:
On the S.S. Marine Taxi, you get a great view of the river and buildings that you don't see as easily by car. They take you underneath the Main Street Bridge and it seems so much bigger by boat.

During regular hours, it's $3 for adults and $2 for kids for each ride. But for special events, the price is $2 more. Most locals don't really use the marine taxi, but it's such a great and affordable way to see the town and river in a different light.

View the stops and map.


Enjoy some pics I took from the SS Marine Taxi.

Day 5 - Watch a Movie that was filmed in Jacksonville

So many movies were filmed in Jacksonville. Take the time to watch some and see if you can recognize some of the local landmarks. I posted what places I did recognize. Otherwise, I wasn't sure so I left it blank. Comment if you recognized other places.

* Basic (film)
* Blood Waters of Dr. Z
* Brenda Starr (film)
* Cocaine Angel - the beach
* Cool Hand Luke
* Creature from the Black Lagoon
* Devil's Advocate
* Forces of Nature - Dames Point Bridge
* G.I. Jane - NAS Jax
* The Gulf Between (1917 film)
* Like Dandelion Dust - Main Street (Downtown), beach house in Ponte Vedra Beach
* Lonely Hearts (2006 film)
* Love Trap - Jacksonville Pier, school in Downtown
* The Manchurian Candidate (2004 film)
* Monster House (film)
* Moving McAllister
* The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking - Centre Street (Amelia Island)
* The Ramen Girl
* Recount (film)
* Revenge of the Creature
* Ride (film)
* Slacker Uprising
* Sunshine State (film) - Centre Street (Amelia Island), Ft. Clinch (Amelia Island), Regency Square Mall, The Shiek (Atlantic Blvd)
* The Year of Getting to Know Us
* Things That Hang from Trees
* Tigerland
* Who's Your Monkey - Dames Point Bridge, Main Street Bridge
* Why Do Fools Fall in Love (film)
* Zaat


From Wiki:

Notable television series or made-for-television films that have been partially or completely shot in Jacksonville include:

Intimate Strangers (1986)
Inherit the Wind (1988)
Roxanne: The Prize Pulitzer (1989)
A Girl of the Limberlost (1990)
Orpheus Descending (1990)
Pointman (1995)
Saved by the Light (1995)
The Babysitter's Seduction (1996)
Sudden Terror: The Hijacking of School Bus #17 (1996)
First Time Felon (1997)
Gold Coast (1997)
Safe Harbor (film) (2009)
The Conquest of America (2005)
Super Bowl XXXIX (2005)
Recount (film) (2008)
and American Idol (2009)

Watch some trailers.

Day 4 - Get lost in a corn maze!

It's October, and so many corn mazes have been sprouting lately. I only knew of one, Conner's A-maize-ing Acres, but I discovered a few more today. Take the kids out and enjoy the crisp cool fall air while getting lost in a corn maze!



Conners A-maize-ing Acres
19856 County Road 121
Hilliard, FL 32046
(northwest of Jacksonville)
Sunday & Monday - Closed, Tuesday-Friday 10am to 2pm for Field Trips /Groups, Saturdays - 10am to 6pm
Corn maze, a ride on the Hayride Express to visit and feed the cows, unlimited cow train, barn yard, Kiddie Korral, monster dirt hill, horse shoes, volley ball, slides, pedal carts, rubber duckie races, corn box and much more......
23 months or Younger: Free; Age 2-4 yrs : $10.00 Farm Only - Combo Farm and Maze: $11; Age 5-64 yrs : $12.00 Farm Only - Combo Farm and Maze: $13; Age 65 yrs and up : $10.00 Farm Only - Combo Farm and Maze: $11
(904) 879-5453 or http://connerscornfieldmaze.com

Roger's Farm Corn Maze
3831 NW 156th Ave
Gainesville, FL32609
(southwest of Jacksonville)
Mon-Fri 9am-1pm field trips only; Friday 5pm - midnight public; saturday 10am - midnight public; sunday 1pm - 7pm public
We are beginning our third year with the Corn Maze and other activities. We have a tractor pulled hay ride that travels around 110 acres of farm land! At the end of the hay ride everyone 12 and under gets a free pumpkin to take home! We have a petting zoo that features goats, donkeys, pigs, sheep, chickens, guinnies, quail, phesants, cows, ponies, rabbits and more. Our activities include rubber duckie races, corn launcher, play place, mini maze, pony rides, spooky trail, tractor pulled hay ride, tractor pulled cow train, jumping pillow, roping and more!
$8 for all activities including hayride. $12 for all activities including 10 acre corn maze.
(386) 462-4086 or http://www.rogers-farm.com/

More:

Tommy's Pumpkin Patch and Fun Zone
(St. Johns County)
Tommy's Pumpkin Patch and Fun Zone, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Fridays-Sundays, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursdays, 159 S. Hampton Club Way, St. Johns. Includes a slide, a Corn Maze, pumpkin launcher, bounce house zone, petting zoo and hay ride. $7 day pass, all inclusive. (904) 377-7492 or 687-4747.

Sykes and Cooper Farms
(Southwest of St Augustine)
Halloween Corn Maze, 5-10 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturdays, 1-5 p.m. Sundays, Sykes and Cooper Farms, off Florida 207, Elkton. $8, children younger than two get in free. (904) 692-1084 or http://sycofarms.com.

Read more at http://jacksonville.com/news/florida/2011-10-17/story/halloween-events-and-festivals-oct-20-23


Here are some images and a link to my Yelp review for Conner's Amaizeing Acres.








Yes, it looks like there is just one cow in the pic, but there were a lot more than that!

Day 3 - Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

It may not be San Diego zoo, but there are some pretty interesting animals at the zoo. Some of my favorites are the giant aardvark, the penguins, and the stingrays. They periodically have cool events at the zoo, such as the recent DinoAlive exhibit with life-like animatronic dinosaurs.

My favorite part of the zoo is the somewhat new Asian Gardens section (the closest thing Jacksonville has to a Japanese garden). A cool thing about the Asian Gardens are the spritzing water machines if you head into the bamboo forest. Perfect to cool off during a hot day.

Check out their website: www.jacksonvillezoo.org

From my previous Yelp review:

There were so many cool animals. Of course you have the regulars -- giraffes, elephants, lions, tigers, and bears (oh my). But then they have some really odd creatures here, such as the Giant Aardvark, Pygmy Marmoset, and Poison Dart Frogs. Not to mention the scary Boa Constrictor snake and the big flat pancake looking frog (I don't remember its name).

Of course being the home of the Jaguars, they have the jaguar exhibit and the similar cheetahs as well.

There are also cool activities they have for kids throughout the year. I hear there is the Spooktakular event in which kids come in costume and carve out pumpkins.

Also, if the kids get tired of exhibits and want to run freely, they have a water play area, so make sure you bring some extra clothes they can slosh around in.

Read More >

Day 2 - Riverside Arts Market

After your trip to Downtown ArtWalk on the first Wednesday of the month, head to Riverside under the Fuller Warren bridge near Cummer Art Museum and Gardens. Riverside Arts Market is every Saturday.

Check out their website: www.riversideartsmarket.com

From my previous Yelp review:

This is such a great event to get the community together in a centralized location. It doesn't require an entrance fee, and there's plenty of FREE entertainment and activities, as well as food and crafts and stuff everywhere. Think of it as an even more barebones flea market where the vendors all bring in their own tables and canopies for their displays.

Among the entertainers, there was a band on the main stage area, as well as several street performers. We saw a 16-year-old juggler who played with fire, performing to DJ Earworm (haha I thought that was amusing in itself!), a duo guitarist and keyboardist, and a saxophone player, who noticed my son and started playing Happy Birthday. There was also a clown who made a giraffe for my son.

Yes, the entertainment is free, but the food and products are not. Heed Lyndsay's warning, and get some cash from the bank across the street.

As for food, there were vendors selling fresh fruits and veggies, but you could also get ready-made stuff, like Italian ices, Jamaican beef patties, freshly made brick-oven pizzas, funnel cake, and other fair-type eats.

People were showcasing their paintings and other artwork, selling their products (we bought a toy from one of the vendors), and raising awareness for some local charities and organizations.

Before we left, we ran into a booth for kids where they could make fossil rubbings or artwork. All for FREE of course.

There is plenty of parking within walking distance. We parked two blocks away.

My son and I both enjoyed Riverside Arts Market and hope to visit more often. A great way to enjoy a beautiful Saturday in the Florida weather.

Day 1 - Downtown Artwalk

I love Downtown Artwalk. It's every first Wednesday. It's well worth the trek to the city's urban core. Lots of art to see. Plenty of musicians to listen to, people to watch, places to eat, and things to do. This event is FREE and kid friendly for the most part. Just watch out for the artwork in the old library. It gets a bit edgy for young kids unless you're ok with them seeing nude artwork.

Check out their website: http://www.downtownjacksonville.org/Marketing/First_Wednesday_Artwalk.aspx

From my previous Yelp review:

There is so much to do during ArtWalk. A lot of restaurants that are usually open only for lunch extend their hours and MOCA keeps its doors open and visitors get in for FREE. Also, businesses in the area become temporary galleries for the night, displaying works from local artists.

The type of art usually featured in ArtWalk can range from realistic traditional styles to more modern and whimsical stuff. There are different types of art displayed from sculptures, paintings, photography, jewelry, etc.

The ArtWalk spans several blocks, [which includes the Landing], but most of the action happens around Hemming Plaza and Burrito Gallery areas. I don't know why.

Hemming Plaza becomes a hub buzzing with vendors and artists selling their goods and sometimes the drum circle is out there with the bellydancers or someone may be performing.

One spot to note is the old main library. It turns into a huge multi-floor gallery where people display their paintings, photography, and other artworks. Another impromptu gallery is an old fire station right across the street.

Next door to the fire station is Burrito Gallery, which is the unofficial gathering for hungry art enthusiasts looking for a quick cheap eat (they really LOAD their burritos here!). Bars are also doing special things during this event.

They used to allow people to walk around with open containers of alcohol, but I think that was changed. And there used to be free wine and snacks everywhere, but now some places charge for the wine. Crappy economy I guess.

If you miss this one, there are several other art walks around the area, such as the First Fridays in St. Augustine and another in Five Points and 3rd Thursdays at the North Beaches Art Walk in Atlantic Beach.