Jacksonville, Florida: A destination featuring natural beauty and beautiful art

The alluring Riverside neighborhood is located in Jacksonville, Florida. However, numerous neighborhoods in this urban core are not only enchanting to walk or bike through, but have fascinating histories as well.

Meet Jacksonville

Jacksonville covers roughly 885 square miles and is the largest city in Florida. The downtown core, neighborhoods and wide beaches (that run for 21 miles) are where visitors will find a good deal of the exciting sites, events, fun, culture and nightlife.

Bike the City

A fun and interesting activity to discover the city's scenic historic neighborhoods, architecture and nature is to take a guided bike tour with eco-sustainable e2ride.

Gregarious and knowledgeable Leigh Burdett, who owns the company, provides the bikes, helmets, baskets and snacks for an eco-tour you won't forget. The bike tours are geared for either beginners or avid cyclists who want a safe, non-traffic bike ride through back roads on level terrain. Glide past exquisite marble mansions and gorgeous gardens to discover why the architecture differs from house to house. And, ride past the house where the bands the Allman Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd lived, as well as the house where Johnny Weissmuller (Tarzan) swam in the pool. Moreover, each e2ride tour provides a unique experience and routes through areas that will catch your breath and yet, will make you feel like a kid soaring through the neighborhoods on a warm summer's day!

Meet MOSH

The downtown district of Jacksonville has a relatively low density of tall buildings and imparts the feeling of a smaller metro riverside community. This impression heightens when visiting The Jacksonville Landing riverfront, to stroll among the outdoor produce stands, peruse the indoor shopping (such as the Nine West Outlet), or simply relax and enjoy a meal at one of the numerous water-view restaurants. Directly across the river, resides the one of city's popular attractions, the Museum of Science & History or MOSH.

Families will find the science museum particularly interesting with their small live animal section, planetarium, Atlantic Tales and the cool Prehistoric Predators animatronics dinosaur exhibit. These prehistoric replicas seem real and cover the vast majority of an entire floor. Get up close and personal with the scary T-Rex that looks you in the eye, or watch the Maiasaura watching over her hatching brood. Make sure to bring your camera.

To get to the museum from the Landing, take a convenient and inexpensive water taxi across the river; it's a great way to see cityscape views and the Maxwell Coffee Factory.

Cummer for Art

If fine arts and breath-taking gardens are on your agenda, then prepare for a fantastic day at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, located on Riverside Ave., adjacent to the St. John's River. The museum boasts over 5,000 masterworks of European and American paintings, residing all on one level. The museum's fascinating Art Connections education center caters to youth and adults with captivating interactive art displays, concerts, lectures and creative Young Artist's Center, as well as a video presentation of the Cummer family and the museum.

In addition, the Haskell Gallery presents beautiful 13th and 14th century religious-themed art and sculpture and the Semmes Gallery highlights the museum's fine Baroque art, such as Rubens. Additional famous works include, Degas, Bouguereau, Norman Rockwell, John Singer Sargent and sculptures by Renoir and Remington.

After a perusal of the museum's art paintings, visit their Meissen Porcelain collection that is the second largest in the world. The collection begins with the rather simple brown coloration porcelain pieces and then progresses with more intricate details and color variation. The Meissen collection is astonishing and a must-see.

Now that your fine art tastes are sated, stroll outside the museum's glorious art gardens. The lovely and peaceful two-acre gardens are themed and possess water fountains amidst an abundance of floral motifs and sculptured hedges and alcoves. The gardens are a marvel of intricate design and many artists are found sitting in the gardens with easels to capture their magical beauty set against the shimmering river.

Riverside Arts Market - Saturdays

If you happen to be in Jacksonville on a Saturday, visit the Riverside Arts Market, located under the Fuller Warren Bridge on Riverside Ave. just a few blocks down from the Cummer Museum. The market is a lively and fun way to spend the day listening to live music or watching a dance performance. The arts booths feature everything from local hand-made jewelry, artworks to stylish apparel and detailed wooden puzzle boxes. The produce booths offer an array of fresh farm veggies and fruits and are particularly appealing during the summer and fall seasons. And, the delicious fare ranges from British meat pies to mouth-watering crab cakes, deep-fried treats, such as snickers bars and wood-fired pizzas.

Dr. Wayne Wood who visited Portland, Oregon's Saturday Market in the 90s was suitably impressed by the market and decided Jacksonville needed a similar venue. Our hats are off to Dr. Wood for creating a stellar arts market. To get to the market, either take a trolley (only one dollar) from downtown or walk along the Riverwalk that starts at the Landing and runs adjacent to the St. John's River all the way to the arts market.

Evening Concerts

An evening out wouldn't be complete without a concert by the renowned Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra at the city's Times-Union Center for the performing arts, located on Water St., across from the fabulous Omni Hotel. Maestro Fabio Mechetti conducts the JSO to achieve brilliant performances of classical masterworks and contemporary pops series; Mechetti stands as music director and Haskell Endowed Chair as well.

The JSO performs with purity and exacting intensity to mesmerize the audience for an evening of divine musical inspiration. Often during the season, famous guest artists, such as violinist Rachel Barton Pine, perform with JSO for a spectacular collaborative and soloist concert.

Make sure to check the symphony schedule for the Questions and Answer sessions for audience members presented by Conductor Fabio Mechetti and the current attending guest artist before the evening's performance.

Dolphins at Marineland

Jacksonville is a remarkable arts and culture city, yet it also has beautiful beaches and lies about an hour north of St. Augustine and the thrilling Marineland. The Dolphin Conservation Center at Marineland opened its doors in 1938 and was originally intended as underwater filming for various sea life in the ocean. Instead, the facility would play an integral part in the first studies of dolphins and their behavior as scientists learned about these incredible and smart mammals. In addition, several films were shot at Marineland, such as Benji Takes A Dive and the television series with Lloyd Bridges, Seahunt.

Today Marineland is a premier dolphin facility that continues to foster education and introduce the public to these magnificent mammals through safe, interactive programs that are led by Marineland's highly skilled dolphin trainers. Imagine, being able to swim with a dolphin, or touch its back and look into their intelligent and friendly eyes, as they vocalize through their blowholes. Moreover, did you know dolphins can paint?

There are many interactive programs available at Marineland that will enrich your experience and understanding of Dolphins and all are set in an impeccably clean and modern marine facility that is juxtaposed against the natural ocean setting. The dolphins in human care live in the equivalent of a Ritz Carlton habitat and all their interactions with the public and trainers are voluntary. This is no stage setting with bleachers, this is your chance to interact with one of nature's most amazing and intelligent mammals and to take home an exciting memory and photos you will never forget.

Visit the Beach

Jacksonville's awesome Beaches run over 21 miles and each beach is unique and caters to different groups. Micker's Beach is a small beach but great for families and it even has outdoor showers. Up the road at Jacksonville Beach, you'll find all sort of crowds and it's where the young crowd likes to surf and sun. JAX beach is also home of the ultimate guy's sports bar Sneakers and Judy Van Zant's music venue Freebird Live.

Continue north and you will find Atlantic Beach and Neptune Beach that proffers a 60s style ambience and caters to singles and couples. With the famous Lemon Bar, Seahorse Inn and chic One Ocean Resort Hotel. The beaches are actually divided by a street but this area shares the same kind of vibe. Whatever your preference, a perfect Jacksonville Beach experience awaits you. For additional information, visit www.visitjacksonville.com.

With such a vast array of activities and sites, Jacksonville is a fantastic destination to explore. If you have limited vacation or business time, you may want to consider a tour company that is not only flexible but is geared towards showing you what the city and its beaches has to offer. Try AdLib Luxury Tours & Transportation.

Food and Lodging

For accommodations and restaurants in Jacksonville, here are our top picks: The Omni Hotel, located on Water St. is centrally located and offers sumptuous beds with chic decor in an environment dedicated to the comfort and aesthetics guests desire. The staff is efficient, friendly and seems to anticipate a guest's needs. The hotel's river views are outstanding; it is just a one-block walk to the Landing and across the street to the Union-Times performing arts center. Prices are very reasonable.

While at the Omni, pamper yourself with a fabulous massage and spa experience with Body Tech. The massage therapist comes to you and provides numerous massage and spa treatments in your room. The service is outstanding and you will drift away into relaxation.

The Wine Cellar Restaurant, located on Prudential Drive offers award-winning cuisine and a superb wine cellar and spirits selection. The ambience is French country and the cuisine is of artistic European-French flare. For a bit simpler fare, try the Riverside Brewing Company, located on Museum Circle. The restaurant features upscale menu items and has lovely views inside and outdoor of the St. John's River and small marina. Try their famous Red Rooster brewed on the premises.

Learn more about Visiting Jacksonville