Jacksonville Parks and Outdoors Travel Guide

Target fish for Jacksonville charter boats include amberjack, cobia, kingfish, mahi-mahi, sea bass, and triggerfish. One of the most experienced local outfits is run by Captain George Strate (no relation to the musician) of the 65-foot Mayport Princess. He's fished the waters off Jacksonville since the Nixon Administration.
Offshore kayak fishing enjoys a growing popularity in Jacksonville. Kayak rentals are available at a number off local outfitters, one of the biggest is the Coastal Outdoor Center down in St. Augustine.
The fishing is first-rate and scenic at the Jacksonville Beach pier. Cost is $4 for up to three rods (spectators pay $1), and you can use a cart to transport your gear.
A great sports & wings bar popular with anglers (and those who humor them) is Fast Boys Pierside, located in Jacksonville Beach. You can eat outdoors for the view, or indoors for the omnipresent sports on 12 plasma TVs and two projection screens. The weekends bring live music; Wednesdays feature an all-you-can-eat oyster buffet.
Rick's Bait, Tackle and Marine is one of the area's top tackle shops, and a great information desk for visiting anglers. You'll find Rick's just east of the Intracoastal Waterway on Beach Blvd in Jacksonville Beach.
Here to camp? Try the City of Jacksonville's Huegnot Park, north of the St. John's River's North Jetty. It offers hookups, a camp store, and great kayak, jetty, and surf fishing.

Jacksonville Travel Guide

Once infamous for its smelly paper mills, the sprawling metropolis of Jacksonville—residents call it "Jax," from its airport abbreviation—is now one of the South's insurance and banking capitals. Development was rampant throughout Duval County during the 1990s, with hotels, restaurants, attractions, and clubs springing up, especially in suburban areas near the interstate highways. Aside from that, there are 20 miles of Atlantic Ocean beaches upon which to sun and swim, championship golf courses, and an abundance of beautiful and historic national and state parks to roam. Read More

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We will be in Jacksonville on Halloween 2009. Are there any scheduled events for a 14yr and 15yr to enjoy?
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My wife and I are considering wintering in Jacksonville and would like to know the areas to avoid getting a apartment in. What areas are the best middle class neighborhoods.
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Planning a trip to Jacksonville in Feb. I would like to visit the beaches and other sites in the Jacksonville area. What do you recommend? Also, how far away is Daytona and where can you get tickets to the Daytona 500 on Feb.15th? Please advise. thanks Dan and Nancy
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Jacksonville Parks and Outdoors Travel Guide