Must-dos around campus and the surrounding area before you toss the tassel
Graduating seniors, you may think you’re ready to get out of Jax. To move on, rid your hands of this place and find a new city to explore. You may be right; maybe you really have outgrown the biggest city in the U.S. But the Spinnaker is willing to bet there’s still a handful of places worth visiting that you have yet to discover.
Not a senior? Even better. The list is long and the days are getting shorter, so keep this list around and maybe you can get everything done before you walk out those Arena doors for the last time.
Make your mark Campus:
Get drunk on campus.
They didn’t put a bar there for nothing and you’ve earned the right. Right?
Write a letter to the editor.
The Spinnaker would love to hear from you. Make it good and we’ll publish it – instant fame.
Rage at a UNF sporting event.
The basketball teams both have home games this semester, and the UNF Arena is serving beer.
Break it down to music by UNF jazz students.
We have one of the top jazz programs in the nation. Listen to jazz students play every Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Mezza Luna Restaurant in Neptune Beach.
Make the Police Beat.
Or celebrate getting through your UNF career without making Police Beat.
***Graffiti your inner angst on a bathroom stall.
Or go chalk-wild on the sidewalks, stair wells and brick walls of campus.
Sit in on a class you’re interested in, even though you aren’t registered for it.
Who knows, maybe you’ll go for another bachelor’s.
***Take a nap somewhere other than your class.
Like the chairs inside the book cases in the Library, third floor, east side. You’re welcome.
Paint Jacksonville teal:
***Take a stroll along the St. Johns at Riverside’s scenic Riverwalk.
After all, we are the River City, are we not?
Splash around in the 500,000 gallons of water in Friendship Fountain.
It’s a Jacksonville landmark. Don’t forget a camera.
***Visit The Museum of Science and History.
There’s a dinosaur exhibit there until Jan. 9 and the new planetarium opens Nov. 11.
Get high at the Ribault Monument.
The stone structure sits atop a bluff overlooking the St. Johns, the Atlantic Ocean and Mayport Naval Station. Supposedly it’s haunted.
Take a tour of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery.
They offer free tours and tastings of day-fresh Budweiser.
***Hang out at the Jacksonville Beach Pier.
It’s $1 to sight see, $3 to fish.
Go surfing.
Come on, you’re right by the beach. And the colder season offers bigger swells. Check the waves from the live web cam at surfjaxpier.com.
Earn one free beer every day for a year from European Street Cafe.
If you try all the 100 or so beers on their “Beer Passport.”
Polish off a burrito at The Burrito Gallery.
The joint offers fresh food and an ever-changing rotation of funky art. The original is downtown, and a new one just opened in Jacksonville Beach.
Check out a concert at Freebird Live.
This mini house of blues is always a great venue. Upcoming concerts include The Fritz Nov. 18 and Cold War Kids Dec. 8.
***See a show at Jacksonville’s Comedy Zone.
Jim Breuer from Half Baked will perform Nov. 19-21.
Go to yonder Mayport:
Hop on the Mayport Princess.
A 65-foot, glass-bottom charter boat. An experienced crew takes passengers fishing
for the day for $75.
Take your car on a ferry boat ride.
The St. Johns River Ferry transports you and your vehicle from Mayport to Fort George Island for $5. Continue on to the isolated beaches of Little Talbot Island State Park.
Buy fresh seafood at Safe Harbor Seafood Market and Restaurant in Mayport.
Located right on the water, it offers some of the freshest fish and shrimp in town.
Drive down to Saint Augustine via A1A:
Go on an Eco Tour.
Select from a guided boat, kayak or sailing excursion and learn about Florida wildlife. Prices vary. Visit staugustineecotours.com for more details.
Visit Fort Castillo de San Marcos.
It is the oldest masonry fort in the U.S. Entrance is $6.
Eat at The Conch House in St. Augustine.
One of North Florida’s best-kept secrets, this restaurant features a unique Caribbean style, complete with grass huts hung over the water and floating bars.
Take a day trip to Georgia:
Play Edward 40 hands.
Buy two, 40-ounce beers, duct tape them to your hands and start chugging. Rule: Don’t remove them until they are both empty.
Visit Cumberland Island National Seashore.
An hour north of Jacksonville is one of the largest undeveloped barrier islands in the world. Only accessible via ferry, the island features unspoiled beaches, historical sites and wild horses.
