Jacksonville Florida
View of the Cummer Museum Gardens with the St. Johns River. Photo by Carrie Dow

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Jacksonville, Florida is an underrated vacation destination. I don’t know why. It has beautiful beaches like Ft. Myers, art galleries like St. Petersburg, bustling enclaves like Ft. Lauderdale and multi-cultural restaurants like Miami.

Jacksonville also offers an interesting way to experience the city: a collection of foodie trails. These “trails” help visitors discover delicious food and drink and the city’s eclectic neighborhoods and attractions.

So, follow along as I fill my plate (and my mug) with Jacksonville’s Ale, Shrimp and Coffee & Donut Trails.  

To the Brim

A latte at Le Petit Paris Cafe, a member of Jacksonville's Coffee & Donuts Trail.
A latte at Le Petit Paris Cafe. Photo by Carrie Dow

Did you know Jacksonville was a coffee city long before Seattle? Maxwell House Coffee has had a roasting and manufacturing plant in downtown Jacksonville since 1910. Locals told me that on roasting days, downtown is filled with the comforting aroma of toasty, nutty coffee. 

Because of this, Jacksonville had coffee culture woven into its fabric. To find this culture, I used the Coffee & Donuts Trail where locals and visitors can find 48 cafes, bakeries and coffee shops.

The interior patio at Urban Grind coffee, a hidden spot in downtown Jacksonville on the Coffee & Donuts Trail.
The interior patio at Urban Grind coffee, a hidden spot in downtown Jacksonville on the Coffee & Donuts Trail. Photo by Carrie Dow

People can download an app from Visit Jacksonville’s website to check into locations to earn fun prizes or use the app’s map to find cool places to get a great cup o’ joe and a scone.

While exploring downtown, I got my morning caffeine fix from Urban Grind Coffee. The shop was tiny, but the line of people, mostly office workers waiting for their regular sips, told me it’s worth the congestion.

Next to the shop was an indoor courtyard with tables and sofas where I could enjoy my coffee and cinnamon roll while the locals around me tapped on laptops or shared office gossip.

Sweet on Me

The exterior of Sweet Pete's candy factory and story in downtown Jacksonville
The exterior of Sweet Pete’s candy factory and store in downtown Jacksonville.
Photo by Carrie Dow

A few blocks away I stopped at Sweet Pete’s, a candy shop and café inside a historic building that was previously home to the Seminole Men’s Social Club.

Today, the building’s 23,000 square feet are used to make delicious chocolates and other sugary delights. The factory offers behind-the-scenes tours to show the secrets behind their confections. 

A display case of chocolate confections from Sweet Pete's.
A display case of chocolate confections from Sweet Pete’s. Photo by Carrie Dow

When I took the 45-minute tour, I was given a form at the beginning to create a personalized chocolate bar. I had a choice of dark or milk chocolate; then, I could pick up to three add-ons or go with Maker’s Choice and let the chef surprise me.

With 19 add-ons to choose from, it wasn’t easy, but I settled on cashews and sea salt. At the end of the tour, I was surprised with a full-size chocolate bar that barely fit in my handbag. 

Seeing Stars in Jacksonville, Florida

Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown Jacksonville
Gallery at the Museum of Contemporary Art in downtown Jacksonville. Photo by Carrie Dow

Across James Weldon Johnson Park from Sweet Pete’s is Jacksonville’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). This urban museum has an eclectic collection of works arranged vertically on four floors of the historic five-story building. The first thing that caught my eye inside was a giant metal sculpture of stars in a light-filled atrium. 

MOCA’s Director of Communications Amber Sesnick said the sculpture was called Stacked Stars by Frank Stella. It was a commissioned piece for the museum’s 100th anniversary. The museum was fundraising to keep the work as part of their permanent collection. 

Looking down from above at Stacked Stars, feature sculpture at Jacksonville's Museum of Contemporary Art.
Looking down from above at Stacked Stars, a feature sculpture at Jacksonville’s Museum of Contemporary Art.
Photo by Carrie Dow

While there is an elevator, walking the open steps to the museum’s second and third-floor galleries allowed me to see Stacked Stars from different height advantages. The shiny metal caught the sunlight from above and cast starry shadows on the walls. It was a striking feature. 

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Sesnick says the museum was founded in 1924 by a group of local women artists focused on “art and ideas in our time.” To that end, the museum’s works come from a diversified group of artists from around the country. Many of these artists were self-taught or overcame difficult circumstances to become prominent today.

The gallery displays their struggles and triumphs, from traditional oil paintings to sculptures made of found materials and recycled fabrics to delicate crayon drawings. 

Books and Bites

Also on the Coffee & Donuts Trail, Chamblin's Cafe and Bookstore is in downtown Jacksonville.
Also on the Coffee & Donuts Trail, Chamblin’s Cafe and Bookstore is in downtown Jacksonville. Photo by Carrie Dow

For lunch, I walked one block to Chamblin’s Café and Bookstore where it was easy to get lost in the selection of books filling every nook and cranny of the bookstore. I didn’t get to the second floor because my growling stomach wanted lunch.

As a stop on the Coffee & Donuts Trail, the café features espresso coffees and serves breakfast all day.  I went with a sweet and savory Turkey Croissant sandwich stuffed with brie, baby spinach and cranberry chutney. 

More Beautiful Spaces 

 View of the English Garden from underneath a live oak tree at Cummer Museum & Gardens.
View of the English Garden from underneath a live oak tree at Cummer Museum & Gardens. Photo by Carrie Dow

In the shadow of downtown’s Fuller Warren Bridge over the St. Johns River is the Cummer Museum and Gardens. This location is special because it was once the residence of a prominent Jacksonville couple, Arthur and Ninah Cummer.

When Mrs. Cummer bequeathed her land and artwork to the city to create the museum in the 1950s, the deal included keeping her elaborate backyard gardens intact. 

Before perusing the art inside, I wandered among the two main gardens. The stately English Garden and well-manicured Italian Garden are both overseen by gigantic 100-year-old live oak trees.

Museum Curator Holly Keris said she and her staff often see dolphins and manatees swimming in the river beyond the gardens.

The Wark Porcelain room at Cummer Museum & Gardens
The Wark Porcelain room at Cummer Museum & Gardens. Photo by Carrie Dow

While the gallery rooms were filled with beautiful artwork on the walls, I was mesmerized by the exquisite collection of original German porcelain from the 1700s. It is part of the Wark Collection of Early Meissen Porcelain.

Collected by German expat and Jacksonville resident Ralph Wark who donated it to the museum in 1965, Keris said they only have room to display 300 of the collection’s 700 pieces. Intricately designed and painted, the cups, saucers, platters and other delicate pieces were simply stunning. 

Top Up With Thai

The outdoor patio at Blue Orchid Thai restaurant.
The outdoor patio at Blue Orchid Thai restaurant. Photo by Carrie Dow

After leaving the museum, I walked two blocks to Blue Orchid Thai restaurant. As I approached, I noticed a sidewalk sign that said, “Pad Thai Tuesday,” and instantly knew what my dinner would be. 

While the menu was full of authentic Thai dishes like curries and fried rice, I couldn’t resist ordering the Pad Thai platter that was normally $20 for only $12 on Tuesdays.

I could have added proteins (choices include not only the standard beef, pork, or chicken but also duck, sea bass, shrimp, or lobster), but I kept it vegetarian with fried tofu. 

My server, John, said I could choose my spiciness level from 1 to 4. Wanting a flavorful pad Thai without my eyes watering, he suggested I order the dish at Level 2. Then, he brought a small cup of Thai chili oil that I could add by the spoonful if I wanted more. 

Jax Ale Trail

Barbacoa tacos at Tepeyolot Cervesaria, part of the Jax Ale Trail.
Barbacoa tacos at Tepeyolot Cervesaria, part of the Jax Ale Trail. Photo by Carrie Dow

The Jax Ale Trail featured a listing of 27 Jacksonville breweries with a map for route planning. For die-hard craft beer lovers, there is even a digital beer “passport” on the Visit Jacksonville app where guests can check in their brewery visits to receive prizes. 

My first stop on the Ale Trail was King Maker Brewing in the Riverside Neighborhood, not far from the Cummer Museum. Specializing in German-style beers, I enjoyed a traditional hefeweizen in an Adirondack chair in the brewery’s family-friendly Biergarten as the sun set on my first day in Jacksonville. 

The next day I visited another Ale Trail location, Tepeyolot Cervesaria in the San Marco neighborhood for a lunch of tasty tacos and craft beer. To go with my barbacoa tacos, I selected La Rubia, a low-ABV blonde ale that was refreshing and light. 

Entrance to Jessie Ball DuPont Park, home of the Treaty Oak.
Entrance to Jessie Ball DuPont Park, home of the Treaty Oak. Photo by Carrie Dow

After lunch, I went to see Jacksonville’s famed Treaty Oak at Jessie Ball DuPont Park. Estimated to be over 250 years old, Treaty Oak is said to be the oldest living thing in Jacksonville. Its twisty branches swooped up and down around a wooden deck, creating a shady canopy as I walked around it. 

Home Sweet Hotel in Jacksonville, Florida

Delta Hotels by Marriott in Deerwood just off I-95 was home base during my stay. While more of a business hotel, it was tucked into a residential neighborhood, so I was able to check emails at night and take morning jogs along a tree-lined boulevard. 

On Wednesdays, the hotel had a manager’s reception in the Delta Grill restaurant from 5-6 PM. I enjoyed my complimentary Stella Artois and veggie egg rolls outside at a poolside table. After the reception, I stayed for dinner ordering a Ceasar salad with blackened shrimp skewers drenched in garlic butter. 

Pasties available at Le Petit Paris Cafe
Pastries at Le Petit Paris Cafe. Photo by Carrie Dow

Breakfast was at the nearby Le Petit Paris Café. Le Petit brings a touch of Paris to Jacksonville not only with its menu of espressos and croissants but also with the mini-café tables and live greenery both inside and out. 

The café’s patio is so shaded with plants you can’t see or hear I-95 during morning rush hour. That’s where I enjoyed my vanilla latte with a Nutella and banana croissant, which is more of a dessert than breakfast, but I regretted nothing. 

To the Beach

The counter at Southern Grounds coffee house on the Coffee & Donuts Trail.
The counter at Southern Grounds coffee house on the Coffee & Donuts Trail. Photo by Carrie Dow

My trip to Jacksonville wasn’t complete without a beach day. I started my beach day with another vanilla latte and a bowl of creamy oatmeal topped with berries at Southern Grounds in Neptune Beach, another Coffee & Donuts Trail stop.

Even though it was a weekday, the café was filled with remote workers with earbuds and laptops next to vacationing families with enthusiastic children. After finishing my bowl, I took my coffee to go for a long beach walk.

Surfers waiting for waves at Jacksonville Beach Pier
Surfers waiting for waves at Jacksonville Beach Pier. Photo by Carrie Dow

Approaching Jacksonville Beach Pier, I saw what looked like dark dots lined up in a long row in the water. The dots were surfers bobbing in the waves.

As I took photos an older woman with a board walked by so I asked if she surfed there often. She said she had driven up from St. Augustine because she heard on local radio that the waves in Jacksonville were excellent. 

Beach Arts

The art is wall-to-wall inside Atlantic Beach Arts Market, an artists' co-op.
The art is wall-to-wall inside Atlantic Beach Arts Market, an artists’ co-op. Photo by Carrie Dow

After my beach walk, I drove to Atlantic Beach Arts Market for souvenir shopping. An artists’ co-op, the store’s building had a homey exterior with a fountain, lawn ornaments and benches. Inside was packed to the rafters with artworks and crafts from dozens of local artisans. 

Some artworks were traditional, like watercolor paintings, landscape photography and ceramics. Other crafts were quirky, made from recycled materials and naturally found objects like sea glass and seashells.

Having only a carry-on, I opted for a small ceramic teacup with the imprint of a shell and some sea glass earrings. 

Fresh Seafood

Shrimp tacos at Sliders Oyster Bar, a stop on the Mayport Shrimp Trail in Jacksonville
Shrimp tacos at Sliders Oyster Bar, a stop on the Mayport Shrimp Trail in Jacksonville.
Photo by Carrie Dow

I returned to Neptune’s Beach for a lunch of spicy grilled shrimp tacos at Sliders Oyster Bar. Next door to Southern Grounds, I noticed its colorful outdoor bar with pink bar stools earlier.

Part of the Mayport Shrimp Trail, Sliders and the other 21 restaurants on the list feature locally caught Mayport Shrimp from the mouth of the St. Johns River.

Inside Ink Factory Brewing Jacksonville Florida
Inside Ink Factory Brewing. Photo by Carrie Dow

I finished my afternoon at the Ink Factory a few blocks inland from Jax Beach. The Ink Factory had a coffee shop and brewery, so it was listed on both the Ale Trial and the Coffee & Donuts Trail – the best of both worlds. 

While I sip an IPA, I chat with Abrienne, a barista/bartender who says combining a coffee shop and a brewery makes sense for the Ink Factory because they have a co-working space on the second floor.

In the morning people grabbed a hot drink before going upstairs to work and then stayed to have a craft beer when the workday was done. 

The exterior of Ink Factory Brewing, an establishment on both the Jax Ale Trail and Coffee & Donuts Trail.
The exterior of Ink Factory Brewing is an establishment on both the Jax Ale Trail and Coffee & Donuts Trail. Photo by Carrie Dow

Easy Peasy

Jacksonville has plenty to offer anyone seeking a fun and flavorful Florida vacation and using the three trails as a guide made deciding where to go and what to eat easy. 

Getting to Jacksonville, Florida

Fly – Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) has daily flights from around North America and is only a 15-minute drive to downtown and 35 minutes to the beach. 

Drive – Located at the junction of I-10 and I-95, Jacksonville is easy to get from several Southern cities: 

Columbia, SC, about 4.25 hrs

Miami a little over 5 hrs

Atlanta, GA, and Charlotte, NC, about 5.5 hrs

Birmingham, AL, and Chattanooga, TN, about 7.25 hrs 

Treaty Oak in Jacksonville's San Marco neighborhood, near downtown.
Treaty Oak in Jacksonville’s San Marco neighborhood, near downtown. Photo by Carrie Dow

Parking

Downtown: Daytime parking at the Library Parking Garage on the corner of Duval and Main open is from 6 AM to 7 PM and costs between $5 to $10. I also met a friendly daytime security guard named Valerie who decorates the front entrance with the seasons.

Beaches: Jacksonville Beach has free street parking Monday-Thursday and becomes paid parking Friday-Sunday. It’s $3 for the first hour, then $1 per hour up to $7. Neptune Beach has paid street parking from 11 AM to Midnight using the Flowbird kiosks or smartphone app. The first half hour is free, then $1 each half hour up to $12. 

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Author Bio: Carrie Dow is an award-winning travel writer based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has written for a variety of publications including Interval World, Artisan Spirit, Our State, and 5280. She is also the founder of What’s Pawsitive, a website covering animal welfare organizations and animal-based travel around the world. 

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