Scenic Drives? (Jacksonville, Key West, St. Augustine: homes, neighborhood, shop)

[floridabirdlover]

My husband and I like to get in the car or on the motorcycle and take scenic drives, the more curvy the roads the better! Any recommendations for scenic driving around Jacksonville or in the outlying areas?

[mawipafl]

A1A is nice - many parts of it. Just one example: take the ferry at Mayport and drive north through Little Talbot State Park, Amelia Island, to Fernandina Beach.

This site lists a few scenic byways in FL -- perhaps you'll find something not too far away from the First Coast.
Scenic Roadways Florida

[Joe 4520832257]

You're out of luck if you are looking for curvy. Most of the roads around here are very straight. My suggestions:

- A1A from Ponte Vedra to St Augustine
- Heckscher drive to A1A to Amelia Island
- Phillips Highway from Jax to St Augustine is very popular with bikers for cruising although I don't find it very scenic at all.
- I'd also give Mandarin Road a shot. It has a couple curves, and lots of old oak trees overhanging the road, although it's not a very long drive at all. You could keep going down SR 13 to the Shands bridge and Green Cove.

[dspenc8888]

State Road 13 South along the river is nice (a little curvy) and I think a common ride taken by motorcyclists

[floridabirdlover]

Thank you so much for these suggestions! I'm excited to check them out. :-)

[jsimms3]

Something I posted on another recent thread:

2 local drives you MUST take:

Drive down Riverside Avenue:: (Take 95 from the southside of the River to Park Street exit (1st exit off the bridge) through 5 Points (pictured above), make a left towards the river and the highrises to get to Riverside Avenue, and then make a right. The Cummer Museum is on Riverside Avenue, btw, but towards downtown. Anyway, take Riverside Avenue all the way to King Street by the hospital, then make a left for a block to get to St. Johns Avenue, and make a right. Follow this through Avondale. You will pass beautiful old homes, the Shoppes (pictured above), through some curvy areas past another commercial district and 2 lights until you come to San Juan. Make a left and follow it to the river. There is a great park here with a great view of the St. Johns, the skyline, the Ortega River, boats, and people. You can hang out here or continue across the bridge into a neighborhood called Ortega. Follow the same road all the way through until you come to a "highway" with lights (after 4 or so miles). You will really enjoy the drive (Really) and then Roosevelt can take you back to where ever no matter which direction you take (south will take you to 295 across the river and north will take you to 10 to 95 back across the river).

Drive down A1A:: This is the road that runs right along the beach all the way down the coast of Florida from Amelia Island to Key West. From Jax Beach, you can take 3rd St, the main commercial drag 3 blocks from the physical beach, or you can drive down 1st street until you have to get on 3rd. There comes a light towards the south end of Jax Beach after the highrises and signs will say to Ponte Vedra Inn and Club. Take a left here and follow the road (but go the speed limit of 25, no more than 30). Just follow the road til it comes diagonally to the beach and to a stop sign, and go straight. You can literally follow this road forever it seems like, but you will pass a very pristine and very wealthy, but beautiful area called Ponte Vedra. The you will emerge on Highway 1 (after like 10 miles), take a left at the light and follow this all the way down to St. Augustine. Once at St. Augustine, I suggest crossing the Bridge of Lions (the road along the harbor takes you there, you must take a left after the big Vilano Beach causeway), and stay on that road. Drive all the way down Anastasia Island for a tropical drive. You can follow your own way back to the highway, or take it back up to St. Augustine to spend the day.

[luvingme23]

i cosign all of the above suggestions. i would also like to suggest that if you wanted to go plain old bikeriding this will open up a number of options through our various parks, beaches and a nature preserve at UNF.

[HollyinJAX]

Definitely check out the scenic route along the river from Jax to Palatka....I think it is Hwy 13.