At the very south of the United States lies the brightest and sunniest state you'll ever see. Some call her the Sunshine State and others call her the Citrus State, however she's most commonly known as the state of Florida. Florida is quite famous for her sweet oranges and eccentric theme parks but if you look closely at the top of the state, there lies the underrated city we like to call Jacksonville. Jacksonville in all of its irony is actually the largest state in Florida. Now Jacksonville doesn't have all the swag of places like Orlando and Miami however what Jacksonville does have is true beauty. With it's natural beaches and calm nature Jacksonville is worth more than all the swag of eccentric theme parks and flashy club scenes. Think about it this way; underneath the swag, Orlando and Miami are just chunks of land. With Jacksonville, what you see is what you get. Underneath its plainness, there is beauty and treasure.
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When you're visiting somewhere new, you obviously want to experience something different and exciting in that short amount of time. Places like Orlando and Miami offer this adventure, however I would 100% recommend Jacksonville to any tourist visiting Florida. Now why vacation in Jacksonville when you could visit the theme parks in Orlando or the club scene in Miami? For starters Jacksonville has a peaceful atmosphere which is great for relaxation and recharging your mind and body. Jacksonville also has the best beaches in Florida; there's hardly ever the problem of “overcrowding” and the residents here strive to keep the beaches clean.
Peaceful environment and clean beaches, that's great right? Yeah, but Orlando has over ten theme parks and Miami has an infinite amount of clubs. A few good beaches isn't going to top that! I disagree but I can understand why a few good beaches isn't enough for someone to spend their entire vacation in Jacksonville. I will not however, just sit here and let you assume Jacksonville is not up to par with places like Orlando and Miami. Aside from our beaches, Jacksonville has a lot of delicious restaurants and places with great significance to visit. Metro Diner and Singletons Seafood Shack offer such great dishes that they've been featured on Diners Drive Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri. While Metro Diner offers great home-style comfort foods, Singletons specializes in seafood dishes. Jacksonville is also home to the Jaguars and the Jacksonville Suns. The home stadiums for both teams is definitely worth the visit for all you sports fans!
Once we get past the “main attractions” of Jacksonville, we have “side attractions” that bring everything together. There's the Jacksonville Landing which offers really nice restaurants, and a great view of the St. Johns River. Then we have the Mosh Museum that specializes in Science and local history exhibits. Finally, Jacksonville is just a 45 min drive to St. Augustine (the oldest city in the United States.) It has so much rich history to learn and great shopping to utilize. The outlets offer your favorite shops with great deals, and next to zero competition for the desirable items. Jacksonville on the outside is quite plain but hopefully I've helped you see the deeper beauty of it and maybe even intrigued you enough to come visit. Whatever the verdict is, I would like to think that you've developed an appreciation for Jacksonville's subtle yet natural beauty. Jacksonville is not just a piece of land; it is a variety of nature, community, and hometown pride.
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