SUMMER 2014 THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO GO® First Coast ® wheretraveler.com 12 TOP BEACHES Amelia Island, Jacksonville & St. Augustine Plus: HANDS-ON, HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS SHOPPING, GOLF & DINING GUIDES JAXWM_1406SU_Cover.indd 1 5/30/14 2:17:15 PM JAXWM_1406SU_FullPages.indd 2 5/19/14 3:01:04 PM JAXWM_1406SU_FullPages.indd 1 5/19/14 2:59:15 PM First Coast Summer 2014 CONTENTS SEE MORE OF THE FIRST COAST AT WHERETRAVELER.COM The Plan The Guide Let’s get started The best of the First Coast SHOPPING 4 Editor’s Itinerary 28 From the scenic St. Johns River to the beautiful Atlantic Your guide to great, beaches, we share our tips local shopping, from for getting out on the water. Jacksonville’s St. Johns Avenue and San Marco Square to King Street in St. Augustine and Centre Street in Amelia Island. 6 Hot Dates Summer is a season of cel- ebrations, from fireworks to farmers markets and 32 MUSEUMS & concerts on the beach. ATTRACTIONS Tour Old Town St. 48 My First Coast Augustine in grand Cindy Stavely 10 style in your very own Meet the person behind horse-drawn carriage. St. Augustine’s Pirate Museum, Colonial Quarter 14 DINING & and First Colony. Where Now NIGHTLIFE 46..&3 5)&$0.1-&5&(6*%&50(0 First Coast ® Fresh shrimp just tastes like summer. Find out wheretraveler.com 9 Amelia Island 12 TO P BEACHES where to dig in and Amelia Island, Jacksonville & St. Augustine From the natural and the historic to the posh and get your hands dirty. luxurious, Amelia Island’s beaches off er something for every traveler. N Plus: HANDS-ON, HISTORIC ATTRACTIONS City Hall SHOPPING, GOLF & DINING GUIDES Duvall Co E BAY 11 St. Augustine America’s oldest city isn’t WATER ST Courthouse ST ON THE COVER COASTLINE DR just home to historic sites but to some amazing Northbank First Coast beaches mean Riverwalk MAPS plenty of family fun. beaches as well. ©GlobalStock/ISTOCK Jacksonville Explore the city Historical Ctr from north to CONNECT WITH US 12 Jacksonville south and A to Z This Southern city off ers the best of both worlds: Museum of Science & History pageSouthbank 44 ERPLACE BLVD Riverwalk F F L L Riverplace A A A A A G G G G G G G South L an urban center with nightlife and culture and L FSIDE W E E AR Y R R Dupont R W H A A A A A A Riverplace V V V Park V E E Station beautiful beaches for R&R. BY SHELLEY PRESTON GONZALEZ ©AMELIA ISLAND TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL ©VISIT JACKSONVILLE CLOCKWISE ©ROBERTO 2 WHERE FIRST COAST I SUMMER 2014 JAXWM_1406SU_TOC.indd 2 6/2/14 11:04:56 AM JAXWM_1406SU_FullPages.indd 3 5/19/14 2:59:23 PM Editor’s itinErary LAURA ANDERS LEE First Coast From the St. Johns River to the Atlantic Ocean, there is water, water everywhere. Whether you’re a beach bum or an adven- ture seeker, the First Coast is the first choice for water lovers.S ee my ideas below for enjoying the Florida sunshine. For more travel tips, visit wheretraveler.com. TRIP PLANNER >> MORNING Get active along the St. Johns River. Take a hike, rent a kayak or explore one of the many scenic state parks. >> AFTERNOON Head out to the beach. On pages 8-13, we’ve listed some of our favor- ite spots from Amelia Island to Jax Beach down to St. Augustine. >> EVENING Nothing says vacation like dinner and cocktails on the water. There are plenty of casual seafood shacks or for something special, try Marker 32, the Reef or the Ritz’s Café 4750. where® in the world Where is an inter national network of magazines first published in 1936 and distributed in over 4,000 leading hotels in more than 50 places around the world. Look for us when you visit any of the following cities, or plan ahead for your next trip by visiting us online at wheretraveler.com. UNITED STATES Alaska, Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Indianapolis, Jacksonville/St. Augustine/ Amelia Island, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Maui, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New Orleans, New York, Northern Virginia, Oahu, Orange County (CA), Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix/Scottsdale, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, St. Louis, Tucson, Washington, D.C. 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Morris IV MVP | FloriDA REGional OFFicE 801 N Magnolia Ave., Ste. 201 Orlando, FL 32803 407.852.4010, 407.852.4060 (fax) WhereTraveler.com Where® magazine is produced by Morris Visitor Publications (MVP), a division of Morris Communications Co., LLC. 725 Broad St., Augusta, GA 30901. Where magazine and the where® logo are registered trademarks of Morris Visitor Publications. Where makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. All rights reserved. MVP is a proud sponsor of Les Clefs d’Or USA 5 JAXWM_1406SU_ItineraryMast.indd 5 6/2/14 11:24:03 AM WHERE CALENDAR SUMMER 2014 Search the full calendar at wheretraveler.com There's a lot more going on this month. Visit us online: wheretraveler.com HOT DATES EVERY SATURDAY From Farm to (Picnic) Table Buy and eat organic and local produce and other specialty foods at The Old City Farmers Market from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Live music and local crafts vendors contribute to the festive atmosphere. Held at the St. Augustine Amphitheater off South Bite into some fresh A1A in downtown St. Augustine. goodness at one of the First Coast’s many www.staugustinefm.com farmers markets. ©GORILLAIMAGES/SHUTTERSTOCK ©GORILLAIMAGES/SHUTTERSTOCK 6 WHERE FIRST COAST I SUMMER 2014 JAXWM_1406SU_HotDates.indd 6 6/2/14 11:48:44 AM TOP STOPS Great Things Summer is the time for hot concerts on the First Coast. 6 Not to Miss JUNE 22 1 MUSIC BY THE SEA PAUL MCCARTNEY CONCERT SERIES > The former Beatle takes his WEDNESDAYS, JUNE solo act on the road, but 4-SEPT 24 we bet there will be a few Different bands playing live Beatle reprises on his “Out rock, R&B, jazz and blues There” tour. 8 pm. Tickets at the St. Augustine Beach $40–$300. Jacksonville Pier Pavilion beginning at Veterans Memorial Arena, 7 pm. Don’t forget to bring a 5 pm. Open to the tournament on Saturday 300 A. Philip Randolph Blvd., your beach chair. Free. 350 public. Bring blankets and Sunday. St. Augustine Jacksonville, A1A Beach Blvd., St. Augustine and beach chairs. www. City Marina, 111 E Avenida jaxevents.com Beach. 950.347.8007. www. jacksonvillebeach.org Menendez St. 904.824.8324. thecivicassociation.org www.acgfa.com JULY 15 3 FOURTH OF JULY DAVE MATTHEWS BAND 2 SUMMER JAZZ > FIREWORK SHOWS> The king of the jam puts on JUNE 10 AND JULY 13 JULY 4 Downtown Jack- a special show for this tour Now in its 13th year, sonville: Catch sight of In- outing with two separate K C O Jacksonville Beach hosts dependence Day fireworks sets from his song book, T two free jazz concerts from either the North or one acoustic and the other ERS TT right on its sandy shores. South bank downtown on electric. 7 pm. Tickets $45– Smooth jazz trio The the St. Johns River. 9:45 pm. $100. Jacksonville Veterans Sax Pack headlines June Jacksonville Beach: Head to Memorial Arena, 300 A. Philip 10. Held at the Sea Walk the main pier for The Lib- Randolph Blvd., Jacksonville, Pavilion, music starts erty Celebration. Fireworks 5 THE 39 STEPS > jaxevents.com BARNWELL/SHU L start at 9 pm. Amelia Island: AUG. 6-SEPT. 7 © caption here IL, Bring your blanket and This play based on Alfred AUGUST 10 C SPOTLIGHT chairs to watch fireworks at Hitchcock’s thriller has a CROSBY, STILLS & NASH the Hilliard Airpark (37776 Relive the 60s with greatest COUN whodunit plot, slapstick T Eastwood Road). Launches comedy and 150 charac- hits from one of America’s OURIS begin between 9-9:30 ters played by four actors. most iconic bands. Tickets, T pm. St. Augustine: The $35-$55. Shows 8 pm. 1:15 $39-$99 through www. city blasts fireworks over pm weekends. Alhambra findmytix.com. 7 pm. St. SLAND I the iconic Castillo de San Theatre, 12000 Beach Blvd., Augustine Amphitheatre, Marcos, reflecting on the Jacksonville, 904.641.1212.