Jacksonville, fl. Katherine Abbey park

Yes - bring your bikes. Great trails from easy to technical or just riding around this huge park. Ask for a map at the gate. Agree about St. Augustine if you have never been there. I may talk my wife into going there over Thanksgiving.

Take a side trip to St. Augustine for some of the best seafood in the area. Jacksonville Beach has several good seafood restaurants...ie..Metro Diner for breakfast, The Fish Company, or Safe Harbor Seafood at Mayport..and don't forget Singleton's...old but still good seafood, it's about 3 miles from Hanna Park next to the ferry....hope the shut down is over by the time you come because some of the suggested places are closed at this time. I taught school for 35 years right across from the entrance to Hanna Park and we walked there for many field trips. The nature trails and the bike trails are good.

Since you will be at Hanna Park, be sure to take the St. John's River Ferry when you go to Ft. Clinch and Kingsley Plantation. If you enjoy seafood, then Safe Harbor and Singleton's Seafood Shack, at the ferry landing and very close to Hanna Park are both good places to grab a lunch. Clark's Fish Camp, while a little bit of a drive from Hanna Park, is a destination in of itself. With stuffed animals from all over the world, alligators in the water around the building, and exotic food to sample, it is a place like no other.

We actually stayed at fort clich this summer for 2 nights on the way back from myrtle beach, that is a great fort! so we can check that one off. I will definitely look into the others you mentioned.

modern family wrote:
Thanks all.. We already booked our site last month. Looks great, a couple of sites from the lake. I have bypassed through Jacksonville for 21 years in all my travels from tampa to the rest of the east coast and my hometown visits to NJ., but never stopped. So, I look forward to it.

The fall in Jacksonville is generally a good time to visit. Do visit Ft Clinch SP (Fernandina Bch), Kingsley Plantation NHS, Ft Caroline NHS and the St Augustine historical section when you are in the area. All offer much in the rich cultural history of the "First Coast". You can skip downtown and you won't miss much, just saying.

Thanks all.. We already booked our site last month. Looks great, a couple of sites from the lake. I have bypassed through Jacksonville for 21 years in all my travels from tampa to the rest of the east coast and my hometown visits to NJ., but never stopped. So, I look forward to it.

Retired JSO wrote:

I am still wayne_tw wrote:


Kathryn Abbey is a city park that is very nice.

Hanna Park could be a real Gem if properly maintained. We live in Jacksonville and for the life of me, I can't get them to trim the local road canopy so we can exit our neighborhood without going around the long way, oh, another story.

We have a friend that loves Hanna and is always trying to get us to come. We always refuse because of the encroaching vegetation and low canopy trees. The other night, she told us of her use of loping shears just to get into her favorite spot at Hanna without damaging her new motor home.

There is lots of things to do within a short driving distance. Please use I-295 as your approach Jacksonville to lessen the traffic/headache effect, the Mathews Bridge linking I-95 to Arlington and the beaches was struck last week by a ship and is closed until further notice. I hope its fixed long before Thanksgiving.

I hope your visit is pleasant.

X2

I am still wayne_tw wrote:


Kathryn Abbey is a city park that is very nice.

Hanna Park could be a real Gem if properly maintained. We live in Jacksonville and for the life of me, I can't get them to trim the local road canopy so we can exit our neighborhood without going around the long way, oh, another story.

We have a friend that loves Hanna and is always trying to get us to come. We always refuse because of the encroaching vegetation and low canopy trees. The other night, she told us of her use of loping shears just to get into her favorite spot at Hanna without damaging her new motor home.

There is lots of things to do within a short driving distance. Please use I-295 as your approach Jacksonville to lessen the traffic/headache effect, the Mathews Bridge linking I-95 to Arlington and the beaches was struck last week by a ship and is closed until further notice. I hope its fixed long before Thanksgiving.

I hope your visit is pleasant.

The kids might enjoy the Jax Zoo on the north side

Some things to do in Jacksonville. I will let you google and decise what interests you.
Fort Clinch State Park
Kingsley Plantation
Fort Caroline National Memorial
Museum of Science and History
Cummer Museum

Kathryn Abbey is a city park that is very nice.