HotelTonight – Downtown Jacksonville Hotels in Seconds
I had only been to Jacksonville, Florida once prior to my most recent trip, but I spent enough time there to know that this was a city that I wanted to get to know better. When I become interested in a city, I don't just gloss over it by seeing all of the tourist attractions and then think that I know what a place is all about. I dig into the neighborhoods to see what there is to see, to talk to people and to try to get an idea of what it's like to actually live there. I recently had to go back to Jacksonville for work, and instead of flying back on Friday morning as I was scheduled to do, I extended my stay by 24 hours. I was going to use that time to explore downtown Jacksonville as much as I could. I wasn't worried about lodging, as I use the HotelTonight app, which is specifically designed to help people find last-minute hotel deals. I'd book my downtown Jacksonville hotel when I was ready to relax.
The Bustle
I'm used to downtown areas being busy, but it seems that Jacksonville is as busy as any place as I have visited, and I mean this in a good way. Yes, business professionals by the thousands are hustling from one meeting to another, but there are also shopkeepers preparing their stores for patrons, restaurants busily preparing for lunch and dinner crowds and nightclubs cleaning up from the previous evening. It's a very wide mix of activity, but there is definitely a positive vibe here that's impossible to miss. I enjoyed experiencing that feeling, even as an observer.
The Museums
Amidst all of this hustle, you'll still find several examples of how the people here work to protect and preserve the past in several different ways. I was very surprised at all of the different museums that were in the area, and I spent quite a bit of time at the Jacksonville Fire Museum. It's an old fire station and it has exhibits that show people how firefighters used to help protect the people. I walked through a couple more after this visit, totally amazed at how historical this city is in terms of its attitude.
The Food
If you want seafood, Jacksonville is your place, and downtown Jacksonville offers varieties that include dishes from fresh and saltwater. I went with the fired catfish for dinner, and it was delicious. I was impressed because catfish is difficult to prepare, but this dinner was sweet, tasty, tender and juicy. It came with a salad that I was sure included produce that had been picked that day. I couldn't get enough of it.
HotelTonight – Downtown Jacksonville Hotels Instantly
After that big dinner and all of that walking around, I was ready to call it a day. I grabbed my phone, opened HotelTonight and booked a downtown Jacksonville hotel room instantly. I looked forward to sleeping with the satisfaction that I had spent a day getting to know this beautiful place better.
