Weekend in the 904

We’ve all seen that article. You know what I’m talking about. A study was done on 75 of the largest U.S. cities and Jacksonville, Florida ranked #1 in a contest that no city wants to win where we came out on top as America’s most boring city! Check out the article here to see all the factors they looked at. While I do agree our nightlife is seriously lacking, I would have to say, as a born-and-raised Jacksonvillian, our city has absolutely evolved in amazing ways over the past several decades.

I believe there are many to thank for this evolution such as the creators of Riverside Arts Market (RAM) , Downtown Vision , Games, Arts, And, Music (GAAM) and many more. These groups brought culture, events, and opportunities to local business to thrive in Jacksonville. These organizers may consist of appointed counsels or simply volunteers who felt the city deserved something more. Don’t forget to take into consideration that Jacksonville is the largest city in the United States by land area so even though it may take us a while- we are improving. Now let me take you along for a fun, affordable Saturday in Jacksonville to show you what the city has to offer.

We started our Saturday at 9AM for a free yoga class offered by Yoga Den in the San Marco Area . With the iconic lions of Balis Park nearby and the sounds of the bubbling fountain, we threw our mats down and followed the guidance of our experienced instructor for a much needed stretch on a peaceful Saturday morning. One thing about Jacksonville is that we love our four-legged friends and we were blessed that morning with the presence of Miss Petal the pit and were graced with her kisses.

Our next stop was San Marco Books and More, a local staple since 1972. Not only do they offer timeless classics but local flavor as well. We explored the store with its timeless charm and unique finds for bookish fans before we added to my daughter’s summer reading list. Then we stepped back into the sun to find something to fuel our day. This led us to Juice Box, a local business that offers fresh juices, smoothies, and fruit bowls. We were ready to hit up Riverside Arts Market which offers local farmer’s produce, artists’ creations, and food trucks in one local space with ample parking.

One such creator of RAM was Bella the Scientist: The Steam Squad that offers live experiments to inspire young minds to get hands on and learn. These local creators will get your children excited to learn about science with a fun, hands-on experiment that cost less than a bag of chips, and if they inspire them to take science beyond the classroom, they also offer camps and birthday packages for sprouting, young minds.

The Riverside Arts Market is really where it’s at in Jacksonville on Saturday. It’s just a place for niche art to thrive. For example, there was an elderly gentleman making balloon animals with the experience of a pro- something I never considered for balloon-husbandry. As my daughter walked around with a balloon creation on her head, we wandered over to the main stage where we got a chance to hear about local Jacksonville educators prepare and encourage the community to build up our youth during summer break. As we listened, we also devoured some pizza from a literal furnace on the back of a truck. Our whole experience was a work of love from the well manicured stadium seating in front of the local Jacksonville educators on stage to the rows of local artists and creators selling their goods.

Close to RAM are many opportunities for fun including The Cummer Museum and Gardens just next door that offers traveling exhibits, rotating art collection, and family events. Take a walk to the Riverside/5 Points area for antique shopping, restaurants, bars, and music. This is my favorite area of Jacksonville and we as a whole are only getting more exciting!

Honorable Mentions:

Artist Walk Skatepark under the Fuller-Warren bridge, between Park St. and Riverside Ave. This shaded spot under the bridge is a new addition to the area for skaters of all ages. From a former security card, don’t forget “No touching the art!!”

The Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens: Voted one of the best zoo’s in the US, where you can check out over 100 acres of award-winning exhibits and gardens.

Florida Fail: What Not to do When Going to the Springs

I grew up in Florida my whole life and never went to a spring until I was in my late teens. Maybe it’s because my parents weren’t Florida natives and the sound of going to a spring inhabited by gators on the outskirts of your swimming area was really off-putting. That being said, locals know where to go to enjoy the beauty and wonder of these vital ecosystems BUT you better be prepared because entry can feel exclusive.

Many springs offer water activities like kayak and paddle board rentals.

Springs and the Floridian Aquifer

There are over 1,000 natural springs in Florida and each gives a sneak peak into the Floridian Aquifer, a reservoir of water deep below the state that provides over 90% of the our drinking water. The temperatures tend to range between a chilly 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit which balances well with Florida’s scorching summer heat. With so many to choose from, it can be hard to decide where to visit. Start with https://springsinflorida.com/ to explore springs by distance and ammenities. It also provides useful information regarding hours and cost of entry.

Beautiful cypress trees support the Florida ecosystem and are known for their “knees” or root outgrowths.

Story Time – The Early Bird Catches the Admission

The springs have been a source of recreation for families for generations- offering fun and entertainment in the beautiful outdoors for a reasonable price thanks to our state parks. When you compare the alternatives like theme park tickets, you can understand how many parents pack up the kids for an affordable distraction. Social media has taken notice of these natural wonders and influencers have been posting about hidden gems in Florida like Kelly Park, King Springs, and anything that allows them to take a instagram worthy selfie with a eye-catching, crystal-blue water backdrop.

For many reasons, the springs can get crowded fast. We packed up and planned to visit Kelly Springs, known for having a natural lazy-river to enjoy. We went on Juneteenth, a Thursday. We arrived around 9AM with the park opening at 8AM. We were very disappointed to learn the park was not only full, but they already passed out their 50 additional tickets that you can redeem later in the afternoon when some of the park visitors leave. Even a nearby house outside of the entrance to Kelly Springs gave a hit of their popularity because they had comical skeletons dressed in summer attire either lounging on lawn furniture or leaning against a paddle board with a sign facing the road for all spring visitors to see that said “Is this the end of the line yet?”

The Rock Bar and Grill features an outdoor lawn with ping pong table, lawn games, and a concert stage.

Disappointed, we pulled over at Rock Springs Bar & Grill, which was sort of a restaurant, bar, outdoor venue that rents out inner tubes for your floating needs. When you step in, it’s a very small bar with several claw machines that caught our eye and a counter to place orders for breakfast sandwiches. When we walked in, it was obvious we were lost and I’m sure they see it everyday. They gave us homemade sausage (obviously the regulars like to start the day early at the bar with some protein) and gave us some words of wisdom, “You need to be here in line by 8AM to get in and at least 6AM if it’s a weekend”. We nibbled sausage, grabbed a beer, and sat out in the very nice outdoor venue to plan our next move.

Wekiva Falls RV Resort

From there, we headed to Wekiva Falls RV Resort, a recommendation from the wise locals of Rock Springs Bar because it was a bit pricier to enter and not well known so it was unlikely to hit copacity. We arrived to check in at the entrance and then we parked in a side grass lot before walking to our oasis which was a solid 10 minute trek to the water area. Several tiki huts surrounded a large stadium that circled around a spring with concrete edge. Full center was a huge water fountain and floating dock with water slide. Leading away from the spring was a winding river that was shallow enough to walk through and offered some shading while you explore. The drawback was this was a sulfur spring so it did take a little getting used to but we came, we found a spring, and we conquered.

Tips to Not End Up Like Me:

Get Up Early: Plan to be at the springs to be in line by opening time. Also check out the springs website and see if they have a online page where you may be able to pay ahead or sign-up for a late pass if you don’t make the cut. Some sites will send you an email notification if they can squeeze you in later in the day. Be on the lookout for QR codes by park entrances to sign in.

Featured is Poe’s springs that fills up by noon

Pack Smart: Some of these springs include a bit of a walk so don’t treat your body like a pack mule. Foldable carts are amazing and can fit in your trunk to fit everything for your day at the springs without breaking your back.

This spring had a quarter of a mile walk to the entrance

Dress to Impress: I highly recommend water shoes. These springs can have rocks, slippery moss, and just questionable stuff that tickles your toes and messes with your imagination. Good snorkeling googles is also a plus since you’ll be swimming in gorgeously clear water which will allow for some lovely underwater sightseeing. Also, the Florida heat is no joke. Bring wide brimmed hats and consider a long-sleeve, lightweight cover up to prevent a pesky sunburn.

Fun Gadget: If there’s one thing that that can drive me crazy, it’s flies! You just want to enjoy food out in nature but they want you to share. To prevent non-stop swatting, try this adorable Flower Fly Fans that does the work for you without messing with your picnic aesthetic.

Hayesville, NC- A Quiet Mountain Getaway

After our stop in Charleston SC, we finally made it Hayesville for our annual friend-cation. With a population of about 1.1K, Hayesvilla is a quiet town with sprawling farmlands and rolling hills that makes for a picturesque getaway that takes you away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life with a central location to explore waterfalls and local treasures.

Family Time

It has becoming a tradition for me and my childhood friend to stay in a cabin in the mountains with our kids for a week of relaxation and fun. Staying with family and friends has the perks of saving on your cabin and having the support for cooking family meals as well as taking turns watching the kids if you need some quiet time- a rare commodity as a parent. We spent out days exploring the local trails and building forts in the woods and our evenings sipping wine, making s’mores and telling spooky stories by the fire.

Waterfalls and Mining

There are rivers and waterfalls all over this area. You will find locations pop up along your drive as you explore but here are some of our favorites we visited over the past 2 years.

Dry Falls

One of my favorite falls, and one we stumbled upon and decided to explore, is Dry Falls. This 75-foot waterfall in located in Nantahala National Forest and allows you to walk behind the falls to stay dry- thus the name, Dry Falls. The path is well paved and gives gorgeous views from all sides of the falls. It was especially exciting for the kids to run under the falls and explore the open rock areas. I definitely felt this was a fun and short walk to keep kids entertained.

Anna Ruby Falls
We took a short drive to Anna Ruby Falls, a rare double waterfall in the heart of the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest. This is a 0.8 mile walk round trip which was reasonable for our 3 kids ages 5-10 years. They also have a visiting center with bathrooms, gift shop, and picnic areas to address all emergencies from potty breaks to snacks breaks. This walk was a bit steep and it was worth bringing my walking stick. We saw some wild life including a black snack and an American giant millipede despite keeping on a well-kept path. This spot was definitely more populate than the other falls we visited.

Tallulah Falls
On our drive home, we visited Tallulah Gorge State Park in Tallulah Falls which features a 1000 foot chasm with five picturesque waterfalls including L’Eau d’Or, Tempesta, Hurricane, Oceana, and the well-known Bridal Veil pouring into the Tallulah River. Now this walk down is no joke. It’s a steady and steep decline on a staircase that we were able to tackle with a 10 year old but anyone younger would have probably turned into a piggy ride for the trek back up. There is a suspension bridge midway down about 80 feet over the gorge floor that gives some breathtaking views of the falls and cliffs. The base of the falls gets you close up to the glory of the falls and if you really want to explore the gorge floor, get to the park early to snag one of their 100 guest day passes to climb bounders and wade through the waters of the falls.

Mining

Mining is a big attraction in the mountains and you can find them along the winding roads in between towns and on your drive to visit local water falls. We randomly pulled over on our way to Anee Ruby Falls and found a mining business that was shaded making it great for children and parents alike. We purchased a large mining bag while my friend purchased 1 for her two younger children to share. We learned it really is a gamble about what you get. My daughter may have gotten lucky because her bag held more treasures than the 2 bags my friend inevitably bought to make her kids feel happy and balanced with the number of rocks they found. Regardless, it was understandable because the owners explained how they pull dirt from a family owned mountain so they can’t guarantee the quantity of minerals found.

2025 has been an especially crazy year so having this getaway was a much-needed escape away from the noise of life and let us get back to nature. I would highly recommend gathering your family or friend groups together for some personal time bonding in a small town that gives back to some of these charming communities and allows you to visit the public spaces that need our help to stay save and preserved for generations to come. Follow along with more tips and ideas of places you can visit that don’t break the bank and create opportunities to teach your young ones along the way.

That Nerdy Mom

Mom+Nerd+Artist

Month: July 2025