A quick drive, down the coast, brings me to Jacksonville, Florida. This spread out city, the most populous city in Florida, with about 1 million people, is one of the largest in the US, geographically speaking. It is centered on the St Johns River, close to the Atlantic Ocean, in the far northeastern part of Florida. After an easy check-in at the Jacksonville River City Downtown Hotel, recently an Omni Hotel, and soon to be a Marriott property, I am in my room to relax and refresh.

Jacksonville’s downtown, like a lot of major cities, is in the process of being re-vitalized. My first impression is it is mostly large office buildings, and a lot of financial institutions, with a lot of parking garages sprinkled in. Close proximity to the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts and the Florida Theatre are a bonus in staying in the downtown area. Jacksonville Landing, a large mall and the Southbank Riverwalk area are nearby.

I was lucky to find IndoChine, a Thai Restaurant, on Yelp, within walking distance of the hotel. Located on the second floor of an older building, almost completely surrounded by parking lots and garages, I was a little skeptical. Once inside I was delighted to find an inviting atmosphere filled with tasteful Asian decor. Although quite small, there were only a few tables occupied when I first got seated. By the time I finished my meal, the restaurant was full with a long line waiting to be seated.

The menu was quite extensive, but I finally decided on Drunken Noodles, Pad Kee Mao, with Scallops, which was highly recommended by my waiter. Having never eaten drunken noodles, I was very pleased with the presentation and taste of this dish. The sauce was amazing, slightly sweet, slightly tangy. I didn’t get the chefs secret recipe, but this sauce is typically made with oyster sauce, and/or fish sauce, peppers, lots of garlic and holy basil.

After dinner I attended a Michael Buble concert at the VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was very impressed by this man’s performance! He is so talented! I enjoyed his rendition of a lot of the great songs of the past including a few sung by Frank Sinatra, Elvis and the BeeGees. The arena itself, not overly large, is comfortable. It was only two thirds filled and easily accessed from the hotel.

The next morning I ventured out on a 3 hour food walking tour with Taste of Jacksonville Food Tours, in the historic San Marco neighborhood. The guide, was friendly and gave good descriptions of the 5 eating establishments which included Hightide Burrito, Good Dough Artisan Doughnuts, The Olive Tree, Seafood Island Bar & Grille and JuiceBox, and the food we were tasting at each including carnitas, fried chicken donut sandwiches, Greek mezes, shrimp & grits and a frozen Açaí and banana bowl as we strolled through this cute neighborhood. The tastings were a good variety of foods and hearty portions. Originally established as South Jacksonville in the early 1900’s, the San Marco area really took off in the 1920’s. This area is full of well maintained homes, a few of the Italian Renaissance style, from that time. The curved streets and well designed square in the downtown area add to its charm.

My afternoon drive took me to Fort Caroline, part of the National Park Service. It sits on the bank of the St Johns River. Originally a safe haven for the French Huguenots in the mid 1500’s it was destroyed by the Spanish, who rebuilt on the site a few years later. The fort no longer exists, and the exact location is still a mystery. A replica of the fort was built in 1964, near the national memorial, thought, by some historians, to be the original site.

I was in the mood for some seafood that evening and found the New Berlin Fish House & Oyster Bar on Yelp. It is north of the city, in a small strip mall on New Berlin Road. It offers a wide variety of fresh local seafood. The raw bar items, oysters, shrimp and crab legs were all tasty. I especially enjoyed the charbroiled oysters and shared a few bites of the grilled grouper, which was delicious. It’s hard to beat local seafood in a casual atmosphere with a good local beer. And I should mention the reasonable prices!

The next day brought me back to the north part of the city to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. I don’t really like the idea of zoos with their caged/contained animals, but this one was described as a walking safari. With more than 2,000 animals and 1,000 plants the zoo sits on 110 acres. Yes, there were some animals in smaller spaces, but a lot of the animals had fairly large and open spaces. The benefit of a zoo is one can see animals up close, in many cases. Having been to East African and Rwanda (in 2019) I was most interested in viewing the African animals: Southern White Rhinos, African Elephants, Reticulated Giraffes, Grevys Zebras, Lions and Warthogs. Many other animals and birds from all over the world are also represented, but I spent most of my time in the African Forest, the Giraffe Overlook and the Land of the Tiger!

Chowder Ted’s is a short drive from the zoo so made it a easy choice for a lunch break. This small, out of the way bar/restaurant serves delicious, affordable food with a beautiful view of the river. The house specialty is, of course, the chowder. Served in small cooking pots, it isn’t your typical clam chowder, as it’s somewhere between a New England chowder and a Manhattan chowder. It has a spicy, tomatoey base with a little bit of heat. The chef/cook doesn’t give out his secret recipe, but he did give me a few clues. Generous nuggets of clams, pieces of shrimp, chunks of potatoes and several other vegetables are all locally sourced. Fresh ruby red tomatoes and a few special spices make this chowder a winner!

Back to the zoo to finish a few of exhibits I missed earlier before returning to the hotel to rest and refresh. Restaurant Orsay was highly recommended for the evening’s dining experience. Described as “French heart, Southern influence” it lives up to it’s reputation! First stop was at the tastefully decorated bar with very friendly bar tenders. It was a good opportunity to try a Rye Old Fashioned! I remembered the Old Fashioned from my short time working at a resort in Northern Wisconsin, but there it is served with Brandy. This southern upgraded version was delicious, especially when served with roasted local oysters.

Having arrived early in the evening I was able to benefit from the early bird (my words) special menu. It has smaller portion sizes and more favorable pricing so I was able to select several different items without feeling guilty. The onion soup was a great start, hot and cheesy. The Haricots Verts salad was refreshing with fresh green beans and a tasty vinaigrette dressing. The Steak Frites, even as a smaller portion was hearty, delicious, especially served with a side of the sautéed spinach. I usually don’t order desert but could not resist the Peaches & Cream Bread Pudding made with “Sauternes poached golden raisins, candied pecans, cheesecake and salted caramel”, an delicious combination of ingredients to finish up my meal and actually my 2 1/2 days, as the next morning I headed home.