Jacksonville

Perhaps too often, urban jewels like Florida's Jacksonville are overlooked for other, more well known Floridian cities, like Orlando and spring break havens like Daytona. If on the prowl for a new and unconventional place to vacation, heck out Jacksonville, as an alternative to other Florida cities like Orlando and Miami, which brimming with tourists lack the integrity of the more quaint Jacksonville. Boasting shops, nightclubs, restaurants museums and beaches, Jacksonville has just as much to offer as the more well known cities but with a lot more down home charm.

Let's take a tour. The St. John's river winds through downtown Jacksonville, lending its banks to the Jacksonville Landing, among other businesses. The Landing is home to shopping, riverside dining, and three upscale night clubs. Sundrez is a popular store at The Landing which sells an eclectic variety of gifts, cards, and balloons. They offer everything from cell phone stands to figurines. Sundrez offers online shopping for those outside of the Jacksonville area. The Cellar Grille is a favored restaurant in the Landing. It's colorful history, which involves a monk who wanted the best wine, is a wonderful conversation piece. The food is varied, with items such as Crispy Fried Calamari, Cajun Shrimp Salad, Lobster and Crab Bisque, Tuscan Grilled Chicken Panini, and Drunken Quail gracing the menu. Twisted Martini is The Landing's most popular exclusive nightclub. A $4.00 daily happy hour seems like reason enough the dress up your best but there's more in form of daily offerings like, Martinis and Manicures on Wednesdays, and Flashback Fridays which features music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s, all in an upscale setting.