Everyone deserves a vacation at least once a year. If you’re tired of the monotony at work and you want to take a break from the stress and unhappiness of the constant routine you have to put up with every day, then you should consider taking a nice short vacation to lift your spirits and re-energize you!
There are many great vacation spots in the United States. One of them is Jacksonville in Florida. There are various reasons why you could consider Jacksonville to be your next vacation spot. Some of these include:
Florida is known for its warm, tropical climate and if you love basking in the warm sun, then Jacksonville is the right vacation spot for you.
The temperature is nice and warm throughout the year with temperatures rising up to approximately 90 degrees Fahrenheit during July, which is the hottest month. Just don’t forget your sunscreen!
Jacksonville is heaven for foodies who love to try a variety of dishes. You can find all kinds of food according to your taste: Seafood, Mexican food, Indian food, Italian food, and Chinese food.
From fine dining in pricey steakhouses to slurping a bowl of warm pho at a humble Vietnamese restaurant, Jacksonville has it all.
There are many restaurants that you can take your kids to. These restaurants have healthy, yummy and creative food options for your kids. If your kid has a sweet tooth take them to Sweet Pete’s Candy Shop. If they like burgers, you can take them to M Shack. The options are endless!
Jacksonville has the nicest locals! They are welcoming which makes the vacation experience comfortable for you.
A reason why the local people are so tolerant is that the city has been a mixture of different cultures and races since 1564. All kinds of people have lived in, built, and contributed to this city.
The cultural community in this city is strong and stands out due to the number of art museums, music festivals, and art exhibitions that take place in the study.
If you are a fan of history and art, you should definitely vacation in Jacksonville!
Jacksonville has a whole list of beautiful places you can go, sight see, and enjoy yourselves at during your vacation. Some of the most famous and most loved places include
Located at Riverside Avenue, the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens is a place you can go to see refined art and beautiful gardens that have been inspired by the European style.
This place is named after the famous art collector Ninah Mae Holden Cummer, who used to live there.
The art in this museum focuses on the beauty that is found within nature and since its gardens are located along the St. John’s River, you are bound to feel serene and powerful as you take a stroll through these gardens.
The Jacksonville Zoo has been supporting the protection of wildlife since 1914. It is a beautiful place you can visit with your whole family. You get to see and in some cases, even meet all kinds of animals.
There are different exhibits that house different kinds of animals, for example, the Wild Florida exhibit which has cute otters swimming around and the Land of the Tiger exhibit which has Lions and Jaguars roaming around. If you love animals, you will love this place!
More than 200 events take place at the Florida Theatre every year. These include ballet, opera, pop, rock, and country musicals.
The diversity of the city is reflected through the range of events that take place here, and this place is one of the reasons why you should vacation in Jacksonville.
If you're a fan of history, you will enjoy this place since it has a deep connection to Florida's history. There are plantation houses and tabby houses that were built by slaves in 1814 which will tell you a lot about the South and its history. You can roam the place by yourself or get a tour guide to show
There are many beaches you can visit in Jacksonville. These include Amelia Island, Atlantic Beach, and Ponte Vedra Beach, etc.
All these beaches are beautiful, clean, and great and stretch for about 20 miles across the Atlantic coast. These beaches also have fishing piers where you can go and have a great time with your family!
If you don’t live in the US and you want to travel to Jacksonville for a vacation, you can apply for an ESTA which is the Electronic System for Travel Authorization which is under the Visa Waiver Program. Through this, you can essentially travel visa-free to the US.
You must submit your application for the ESTA online. For this, you need a passport from a Visa Waiver Country. You also need to submit your contact information and information regarding your employment. You also need to have a valid credit card (i.e., MasterCard, VISA) to pay the application fee.
Furthermore, before you submit the ESTA, you need to make sure that you are a citizen of a country that is eligible for the Visa Waiver Program and that you don’t already have a visitor’s visa.
You also need to make sure that your time in the US will amount to approximately 90 days. After you submit ESTA application, you must wait a certain period for the ESTA approval. The application process is simple, convenient, and rewarding.
Jacksonville is a beautiful city full of amazing sights, food, and culture and you should consider it for your next vacation plan!
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Sara Essop is a travel blogger and writer based in South Africa. She writes about family travel and experiences around the world. Although she has been to 50 countries thus far, she especially loves showcasing her beautiful country and is a certified South Africa Specialist.