Jacksonville Beach | US
Jacksonville Beach (and neighboring Neptune and Atlantic Beaches) have long stretches of white packed sand and deep blue waves. The sea oats sway in the breeze. Families, surfers, and sunbathers ride salt rusted bikes along the boardwalk, passing by old 1960s two-story hotels and small beach bungalows a few steps from the shore.
I’ve visited Jacksonville Beach several times: in the 90s when my older sister lived there for a minute, back in 2012 when my brother and sister-in-law were married in one of its historic hotels, and recently, when a close friend let us stay at her home to escape the cold and darkness of the Northeast winter. It was one of the happiest weeks of my life. The long, white beaches and bright blue sky filled our day while we watched our little one, almost 18 months, figure out how to walk in sand and chase the incoming waves.
We made a little routine during our wide-open week in Jacksonville Beach. Each day we’d wake up and sip coffee in the sun on the back patio till our little one woke up. Then we’d make breakfast together and head to the beach. On the way, we would stop at Inguz, a local boutique and coffee shop, where we would sip an Americano and chat with the owner about the local community and our shared love of cycling.
After an hour of chasing the waves and seagulls, we’d head back to the house for a simple lunch, put our baby to sleep, and read in the shade. In the afternoons, we’d explore inland, browsing books at BookMark in Neptune Beach or eating fried fish and hushpuppies over the Intercoastal river at Safe Harbor.
Before dinner, we’d head back to the beach, watching the light dim and sandpipers hunt for dinner. Our little one ran with her hands raised in the air, full of joy and wonder at the magic of the beach. Every night, dinner was cooked on the grill. We end our days looking up at the brilliant fire of sunset and fell asleep in silence, tired from the heat and adventure of the day.
