#FlyWashington Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 46

Sunrise over the Jacksonville coast GETTING THERE JACKSONVILLE FLORIDA Sun, fun, beaches and big city excitement. That’s what Jacksonville, Florida, is all about, a lively place where the average age is 35 (not 85!), with plenty going on to satisfy travelers of any age. It’s just a quick two-hour nonstop fl ight from Dulles or Reagan on American, JetBlue or United Airlines. JAX (as the locals call both their airport and their town) is a heady blend of sophisticated dining, hopping night clubs and chill beaches, along with artistic and cultural events, fun annual festivals and historical sights to see. Outdoor sports enthusiasts and nature lovers will love both the unique urban park system the city boasts (the largest in the USA) as well as the massive Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve National Park just outside Jax, where hiking trails, backwater kayaking, sand dunes and bird watching await. Golfers have a cornucopia of classic courses to choose from, including TPC Sawgrass (the permanent home to the PGA THE PLAYERS Championship) to the south and Bent Creek, the top public course, to the east. FLYWASHINGTON.COM 44 SPRING 2018 United