Jacksonville Janurary 3 - March 4

City Snapshot 

Jacksonville may be known for its sprawling suburbia, but within this one-county city are charming pockets of history and character. One such place is Avondale, a quaint and vibrant neighborhood within the larger Riverside community. Nestled right off the highway, we found ourselves in a sweet bungalow in this historic district, surrounded by century-old oak trees and classic architecture.

Even though Jacksonville has plenty of rivers running through it, public access to the waterfront is surprisingly limited. But Avondale makes up for it with its cozy vibe, cute local shops, and some really great places to eat. We loved strolling through the little shopping strips, checking out unique boutiques, and trying some delicious food along the way.

It was such a fun spot to explore, and it felt like a little escape within the city. If you ever find yourself in Jacksonville, it’s definitely worth a visit!

Avondale Link 

Weather 
Sadly it was quite cold for us. Starting at lovely 30 degrees in the morning and maybe peaking about 50 degrees. Luckily and of course by end of our stay it did warm up and we were able to bike around for a couple days. 

Visits

Riverside Market
Vintage Shop
Noma 
Yours Truly Antiques 
Hanna Park 
Boone Park 

Favorite Eats

Community loaves 
Southern Grounds 
Casab (Middle Eastern) 
Cool Moose Cafe
European Street Cafe 
Muse Bar 
Le Petit Paris Café

Experiences of Note

Shopping for Mara’s birthday was so much fun! We stumbled upon that cute—but dangerously tempting—vintage shop and found a little gifty for zen space. Then, we made our way to Sweet Pete’s Candy Shop, which was an absolute gem. From the soda bar to the chocolate room and all the nostalgic vintage candies, it was like stepping back into our childhood. With Mara’s sweet tooth, I think we absolutely nailed it!

Mornings at Community Loaves became a favorite—JoJo and I completely fell in love with their egg sandwich. So good, and it even had pickles on it!

We definitely worked a lot during this visit, especially since the weather was on the colder side, but we loved hopping between different cafés to get things done.

One especially memorable day, we ventured over to the beach, where we enjoyed a perfect French croissant by the water—surrounded by birds, of course. Because what’s a beachside breakfast without a few feathered friends?

I was surprised about five points it had really gone down but made the best of it at Birdies and ended up at a taco restaurant that was delicious ! 

Last but certainly not least, we originally thought Jacksonville might be the place for us. But as much as we enjoyed our time there, we found ourselves feeling homesick for family. In the end, we decided to keep on our journey —but not to settle. Instead, we chose to make Kentucky our home, where we can stay close to the people who matter most.