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Situated in the great double loop of the St Johns River and with
long established lumber and coffee industries, JACKSONVILLE , the
largest city in the US - 841 square miles - is suspicious of anything
that might upset its hard-working tradition. Pleasure seekers are
expected to stick to the beaches. Even the film industry, which
came here seeking a base in the 1910s, was scared off by the religious
zeal of the locals and settled in California instead. The growing
size of the white-collar sector has eased the visual blight of years
of heavy industry, and efforts have been made to enhance Jacksonville's
appeal by creating parks and riverside boardwalks. However, the
sheer size of the city dilutes its character and makes it impossible
to walk around and get a real feel for the city.
To get an overview of downtown Jacksonville, take the Skyway monorail
(daily 6.30am-7.30pm; 35¢) from the Convention Center to Hemming
Park, a ten-minute journey at eye level with the high-rise offices.
One noteworthy building on the north bank of the St John's River
is the Florida Theater , 128 Forsyth St. Elvis Presley arrived in
1957 for his first appearance on an indoor stage, an event noted
by Life magazine because a juvenile court judge sat through the
whole performance to ensure it wasn't too suggestive. Crossing over
to the south bank - try taking the River taxi ($2 one-way; $3 round-trip)
- you'll find the Museum of Science and History , 1025 Museum Circle
(Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 1-6pm; $6), with its hands-on
exhibits and planetarium. Or, for a break from the commerce and
industry of the city, visit the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art
, 333 N Laura St (Tues-Fri 11am-2pm; $5), which has a permanent
collection of modern art and hosts traveling exhibitions.
Just south of the Fuller Warren River bridge (I-95), the Cummer
Museum of Art and gardens , 829 Riverside Drive (Tues & Thurs
10am-9pm, Wed, Fri & Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 2-5pm; $6; free Tues
after 4pm), stands on the former Cummer family estate. The spacious
rooms and sculpture-lined corridors contain works by prominent European
masters.
From all over Jacksonville you can see the floodlights of the 73,000-seat
Jacksonville Jaguar Stadium , 1 Altel Stadium Place, home to the
National Football League franchise, and also the scene of the Florida-Georgia
college football clash each autumn - an excuse for 48 hours of citywide
drinking and partying.
See what Jacksonville car rentals has to offer today. Choose a link
above to view today's special Jacksonville rental car rates from different
agencies! Click here to get started with a car
rental quote now!
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