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spring break
one tank trips from Jacksonville
by Erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
While there will always be those who use Spring Break’s week off to saturate themselves with alcohol and
other, less legal avenues of pleasure, the party hard mentality of the ‘80s and ‘90s has been left behind. Lately,
students are using their breaks to be part of nature and go on more educational trips, sometimes organized
by schools and clubs.
Go naTural
If nature’s your thing, there’s just no shortage of parks and nature spots here in florida. Here are a
few destinations that you can drive to on a tank of gas or less:
TalboT Islands sTaTe Parks
All of these parks are just a hop from Jacksonville’s city center. They include: Pumpkin Hill Creek
Preserve State Park, Amelia Island State Park, George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park, Little/Big Talbot
Island State Parks, Fort George Island Cultural State Park, and Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park. Each of
these parks features the water environments that make Northeast Florida unique.
Some of these parks, such as Big Talbot Island State Park, are considered to be part of Jacksonville. Big
Talbot is only about 20 miles from the city’s Downtown center.
Activities like hiking and picnicking are the norm, and the vistas are spectacular, with fallen oaks and
other trees tangled along the windswept beach. You can even tour the salt marshes and estuaries in a kayak
for a guided or non-guided tour (call (904) 251-0016 to reserve). Unusual for Florida are the bluffs that overlook
that beach. Hikers and nature enthusiasts love the strange landscape of Black Rock Trail and the rest of
the park.
Info: (904) 251-2320
Hours: Florida state parks are open from 8 a.m. until sundown 365 days a year. The boat ramp area is open
24 hours a day.
admIssIon fees: $1.00/person to access the George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier; $2.00/vehicle entrance fee
to access the Bluffs picnic area; and $3.00 to use the boat launch. When going to any State Park in Florida,
it’s smart to have about $10-20 dollars in cash per person in case there are small fees and they can’t run a
18 march 8-14, 2007 | entertaining u newspaper
card.
sIlver sPrInGs
Nothing says Florida like the glass-bottom boats of Silver Springs in Ocala, Florida. While it’s still an old
time Florida destination, leftover from the 1950’s, the park has been updated and has been attracting more
crowds in recent years. The nature park showcases Florida wildlife, crystal clear springs, gardens, shows and
even a few rides. Check out their concert series if you get a chance. The Beach Boys play there on the 10 th .
It’s about a two hour trip, just past Ocala into Silver Springs. You can either make the trip there and back
in a day, or you can get a nearby hotel. None of the accommodations in that immediate area are really luxe,
but you can always stay at the Seven Sisters Inn in Ocala if you crave pampering. Also worth visiting if you
enjoy water parks is Wet &Wild.
Info: (352)-236-2121 www.silversprings.com
admIssIon fees: General Admission $33.99 (with a Wet & Wild pass $36.99), Children from ages 3-10
$24.99 (plus $3 for a Wet & Wild pass), Children under 3 are free at both parks, and Seniors pay $30.99
lookInG for THe HIsTorIcal, THe PIcTuresque or THe
sPooky sPrInG break TrIP?
Three destination cities can give you a taste of the spooky, the historical and picturesque: st. augustine,
savannah and cassadaga.
Because St. Augustine is just down the road for Jacksonville, it’s a very popular weekend or day trip
destination. It’s definitely got a great mix of history, the weird and the beautiful. There are the Ghost Tours that
run year round, giving you a taste of the spooky and the historic. You can go to Ripley’s for a little weird and
quasi-historical fun or you can head to the beach to take in some natural beauty. The trip to St. Augustine will
take you from about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic; just take I-95 South.
Savannah has more than its share of Southern charm. While it’s a bit short on beaches, the city more
than makes up for it with antique stories and river views. An excellent shopping district along the River and
some great Southern food at Food Network’s Paula Dean’s restaurant (The Lady and Sons) is ample reason to
take the trip. It’s a little over a two hour drive to Savannah from Jacksonville. Take 1-95 North to I-16 East.
The city of Cassadaga isn’t in vogue for Spring Break at the moment, making it one of the less crowed
and quieter destinations. On a scale of one to weird, this city is most definitely one of the stranger places
you’ll find in Florida. In 1875 the city was founded by a medium George Colby, who followed the advice of an
Indian guide on where to place a Spiritualist Camp. Since that time, it’s become a magnet for healers, mediums
and psychics. You can attend a séance, get a reading or get a picture of your aura. The trip takes a little
less than 2 hours. There are a few hotels in the area, should you want to stay overnight, but make sure you
check in before it gets too late in the day. From Jacksonville you’ll need to take I-95 South, then I-4 west to
the Cassadaga exit.
one Tank or less To THe ParTy!
dayTona: THe beacH THaT sPrInG break forGoT
Daytona used to be the Mecca of Spring Breakers that really wanted to party. They became the Spring
Break Capital after Fort Lauderdale, tired of the damage Spring Breakers did to their city, passed ordinances
to discourage the breakers in the mid-eighties. In mass numbers, the partiers moved on to Daytona, peaking
at 200,000 partiers and the cycle repeated itself. Local government did what it could to discourage the sort of
hard drinking and public girl-on-girl action that made Daytona a destination for partiers.
Daytona did learn a thing or two from Fort Lauderdale’s mistakes. Lauderdale experienced a recession
because they shunned the party-goers, who brought an enormous amount of money to the city’s economy.
Daytona has worked hard to attract event based crowds like NASCAR and their two bike weeks to replace the
income the party-hardy students brought.
As long as you aren’t flashing passing motorists, Daytona is still a great beach destination. Since it has
dropped in popularity with students, it’s far less likely that someone may be puking at your feet as you attempt
to stroll along the boardwalk.
This year’s Bike Week lasts from March 2 nd through the 11 th . If you’re a bike enthusiast or just curious
about bike week, now’s the time to make your way down to Daytona.