Sometimes
it's great fun to take off on a lazy-day day trip. These are
day trips that don't require a lot of travel time and don't
break the bank at the gas pump, either. A while back, Anne
Sponholtz took six
ambitious day trips from Jacksonville, Fla. This time
she returns for some shorter rambles, and discovers a museum,
a fort and a beach.
Great
Day Trips
Jacksonville Revisited: 3 Lazy Day Trips, by
Anne Sponholtz
I am by nature a shunpiker,
preferring road trips along America's back roads. But not
always. Though these three day trips from Jacksonville, Fla.,
require some travel time on the interstates, the payoff is
some interesting sightseeing, fun in the sun, good food and
a sprinkle of history. All three are short trips, perfect
for a lazy day or when gas prices are trending skyward. Don't
be surprised to discover you want to make several visits or
even spend several days at a couple of these spots.
Camp Blanding Museum & Memorial Park
Travel time: 57 minutes
Interstate 10 begins in Jacksonville and travels
west 2,460 miles across the country all the way to Los Angeles.
We hopped on for a 12-mile stretch and exited at Exit 343,
where we picked up one of the country's oldest north/south
highways, U.S. 301, and headed south. I kept an eye on the
speedometer while traveling through Lawtey, a small town along
U.S. 301 known as a speed trap. No one wants to see those
flashing lights in their rearview mirror.
The drive from Jacksonville is pleasant enough,
through small towns, forests and a few neighborhoods. The
73,000-acre Florida National Guard Military Reservation, home
of Camp Blanding, is about eight miles east of U.S. 301 on
State Road 16 outside the town of Starke. The camp played
an important part in World War II and has served as the principal
training ground for the Florida National Guard for many years.
Camp
Blanding Museum and Memorial Park is located just outside
the main gatehouse, allowing visitors to enjoy the museum
and park without having to be cleared at the gate. It is open
Tuesday through Sunday from noon until 4 p.m. Although much
of the museum is dedicated to the role Camp Blanding played
during World War II, visitors can also see medals, weapons,
equipment and historical artifacts from Korea, Vietnam and
Desert Storm. There are special tributes to those who died
for their country. I must say that my stroll through the museum
brought a lump to my throat.
Among the outdoor displays is a 720-pound
borne, a boundary stone or milepost, from one of
the French towns liberated in World War II by troops stationed
at Camp Blanding. Also featured on the grounds are early military
jeeps, cannons, armored trucks, aircraft, guns and other military
memorabilia. Plans call for a major expansion of the museum
and park, with the goal of creating one of the best military
museums in the Southeast.
After spending the afternoon at the museum, it's
time to chow down. Head south on U.S. 301 toward Starke and
you will discover "restaurant row," with almost
every restaurant you can name, including two of our favorite
sit down/takeout restaurants - Cedar
River Seafood, my husband's favorite, and Sonny's
Real Pit Bar-B-Q, my favorite. It's time for a coin toss.
Fort Clinch State Park, Fernandina Beach
Travel time: 55 minutes
Traveling to Fort
Clinch State Park means heading north on I-95. Take Exit
373 and follow the signs to Fernandina Beach, the town in
which the park is located. One of the prettiest parts of the
trip is the view from a large bridge that crosses the Amelia
River. Fernandina Beach is located on Amelia
Island. Known as the Isle of Flags, it is the only place
in the country to have flown the flags of eight nations (France,
Spain, England, the short-lived Republic of Florida, a rogue
Scottish colony, Mexico, the Confederate States and the United
States). The entrance to the fort comes up unexpectedly. Just
as you are admiring a neighborhood lined with lovely homes,
suddenly a cannon appears, marking the state park entrance.
I missed the entrance and had to turn around.
This park is crammed with things to see and do.
You can stand on the shoreline at the northern tip of the
park and look across the river into Georgia. RVers can stay
at the campgrounds on the beach side of the park, or on the
river side, where tent campers can also set up camp beneath
giant oaks. From either the beach or the river, you might
spot a U.S. submarine and its escorts heading out to sea.
We were among the lucky ones to do so, and would have posted
a picture of the event had I not left my camera in the RV.
There is a designated swimming area, where the
waves from the Atlantic Ocean await those wishing to enjoy
a day of sun, white sand, shell collecting and salt water.
You'll want to pack up those fishing poles for this trip,
too; fishing from the beachside pier, in the surf, and from
the river are all popular among anglers. Self-guided nature
trails and hiking trails traverse the park, and there is good
bird-watching on the shore.
But the fort remains the big attraction. Though
it was never finished and no battles were fought here, the
fort is well preserved and serves as an interesting backdrop
to the many re-creations of garrison
life that are held here throughout the year. Follow the
costumed guide around the many buildings, and you'll soon
find yourself back to 1864, when Civil War soldiers were constructing
the fort. I even snapped a picture of my Southern-born husband
with a Union soldier. That was great fun.
If you didn't pack a picnic lunch, drive a few
blocks down the road to historic Fernandina Beach, where a
variety of restaurants await the hungry traveler. We enjoyed
a meal at Marina Restaurant, but there are a lot of great
restaurants, some located on the waterfront and others scattered
around town. Trolley
service is available for tours of the area, and a shrimp
festival draws thousands to Amelia Island each May. After
a good meal, enjoy the rest of the day shopping in the island's
wonderful shops before heading back to Jacksonville.
St. Augustine Beach
Travel time: 55 minutes
There isn't much to say about the drive to St.
Augustine Beach. It's just a straight shot down I-95,
about 26 miles to Exit 311. But cross the bridge over the
Intracoastal Waterway and you'll soon find yourself in a different
world.
St. Augustine Beach, which runs along Historic
& Scenic A1A, is unlike the Florida beach communities
farther south. Yes, there are condos, hotels and motels available
in every price range, as well as cottages and private campgrounds,
but you won't see the wall-to-wall high-rises that you find
in other Florida beach towns; as a consequence, the atmosphere
is more beachy and laid-back. Storms and high winds roaring
in from the Atlantic have played havoc with the beach from
time to time, but a little erosion does little to dampen the
spirits of beachgoers looking for fun at the shore.
Nearby is the wonderful old city of St. Augustine,
which deserves a visit of its own someday, but you'll find
that the beach town has plenty to offer on its own: good restaurants,
a little shopping, some great sightseeing, and easy access
to the beach and river. Anastasia
State Park offers one of the access points to the beach.
It's a great place to camp, too; in fact, Reserve America
[http://www.reserveamerica.com] lists the park campgrounds
among the Top 100 Family Campgrounds for 2009.
Be sure to stop by the St.
Augustine Lighthouse & Museum. I did not venture a
climb up the lighthouse (a trip to the roof of our house leaves
me terrified), but those who did make the climb declared the
view spectacular. The museum has a gift shop, and nearby you'll
find a playground, a restaurant and a small fishing pier.
Access to Fort
Matanzas, a national monument, is just down the road;
take the guide boat to Rattlesnake Island, where the Spanish
built the fort in 1740 to keep the British from advancing
on St, Augustine.
There are plenty of fishing spots in St. Augustine
Beach, both from the pier and in the surf, and there is usually
something biting, though it might be a sting ray or a crab.
Deep sea fishing is also popular off the shores of the beach,
and there are several golf courses nearby.
If it's longer trips around Jacksonville that
you're looking for, check out my
earlier article. But if a lazy-day trip is what you have
in mind, get behind the wheel and head out to one of these
North Florida destinations. Just don't leave your camera in
the RV.
Anne
Sponholtz
8/28/09
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