Jacksonville, FL

The scoop on the tickets

Tickets for the Jacksonville Jaguars preseason game August 18 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers go on sale Sat. July 28 at 9 a.m. Fans may purchase tickets online at the official Jaguars site, or by calling 904-633-2000 (extension 3). By going to the stadium ticket office, located in the North End of the stadium, on Saturday, July 28, from nine a.m. until noon. This will coincide with the Jaguars’ first day of training camp.

The Jacksonville Municipal Stadium ticket office, located next to the West Crown Royal Touchdown Club, is open Monday-Friday from nine a.m. until five p.m.

Single-game ticket prices for the 2007 season are as follows: $42, $52, $57, $70 and $95. Crown Royal Touchdown Club seats are also available upon request. Single-game tickets for regular-season games will go on sale on Saturday, Aug. 18, at nine a.m., based on availability.

Season ticket and group tickets for parties of 10 or more are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling 904-633-2000 or 1-877-4-JAGS-TIX. (Photo of Coach Jack Del Rio is from official Jaguars press room.)

Tips for fans

The first preseason game I attended in Jacksonville taught me a few things. Here are some tips to maximize your fun:
~Dress for the heat.
~Leave early. Traffic is heavy.
~Avoid alcohol (I know it’s breaking your heart, but it’s all about the heat.)
~If you tailgate, prepare light foods that have a low spoilage index.
~Hydrate before, during and after the game (water not alcohol).

Michael Austin Davis of Jacksonville, Fla., has been missing since June 25. I promised to keep this story in the public eye in hopes someone will come forward with information. To learn more, visit these links:

Our About Jacksonville FL column July 11.

Michael Austin Davis pages at MySpace.

Web site about Michael Austin Davis at iticomputers.com.

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Yellowcard was formed in Jacksonville. The band has sold more than 3 million albums.

Van’s Warped Tour 2007 comes to Jacksonville today, with dozens of bands playing at Reynolds Park Yacht Center, 1063 Bulkhead Road, in Green Cove Springs. Fans are itching to hear the music crank up; there are many comments at the official Web site.

The band Yellowcard, formed in Jacksonville, will be there; Bayside, K-OS, and Pepper are among many others performing.

According to the Web site at the time we’re posting this column (11 a.m.), tickets are not available online. There is a map available, and a stage grid you can print out.

A fan’s post at the Web site message board provides some sound advice–here’s a verbatim:

Have fun everyone today, also please if this is your first concert stay in the back please, if you go to the front more than likely your going to be pushed alot and hit by alot of crowd surfers and youll be miserable and hate it so stay back and have fun.

My daughter has gone to this concert, and she had a lot of fun. She also says the place was packed. “I got stepped on, hit on and everybody had water guns.”

It gets very hot, so hydrate yourself before, during and after. Temperatures will rise to the upper 90s, which means a heat index topping 100 degrees. There’s a 30 percent chance of rain.

Another fan gives some great advice, “Don’t be a poser. Make it back alive.”

~~~~Recommended links:

For full details, visit the official Van’s Warped Tour Web site:
http://www.warpedtour.com/warpedtour/concert5.asp?id=28237&tour=52

Visit Yellowcard’s fan site:
http://www.yellowcardrock.com/bio.aspx

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Mandarin Park is a favorite place for my family; we like to go in the late afternoon. We take a cup of coffee and watch the boats come in. You can also have a lot of fun watching for Manatees here.

The Florida Times-Union features a write-up about a new report on the status of the St. Johns River. The report was furnished by the St. Johns Riverkeeper and the Public Trust Environmental Law Institute of Florida.

A total of 298 violations occurred during a 20-month study period. Sanitary Sewer Overflows totaled almost 266,000 gallons of material, with the majority relating to sewage.

Increasing development in Northeast Florida may make this problem even worse in the future. The river is our greatest asset, says the Riverkeeper Web site, with “billions of dollars realized in commerce, tourism and industry.” The site notes the unique character of the river:

The St. Johns River is the longest river in Florida at 310 miles and one of the few rivers in the United States that flows north, dropping less than 30 feet from its source to its mouth, or about 1 inch per mile.

The river is home to 183 species of fish and is designated as an American Heritage River, one of only 14 rivers in the entire United States to receive this prestigious national recognition, the site says.

Privately funded, the St. Johns Riverkeeper is an objective voice for our river. The organization depends on private donations, and different levels of membership that begin at modest rates are available. Visit the Web site to join and to learn more about the river. The full report is also posted there.

Above all the features I’ve found after moving to Jacksonville, the St. Johns is the most magnificent. We’ve been entrusted with an incredible resource. It’s up to us to see it stays healthy. (photo and text by Kay B. Day)

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I’ve written about Barbara Jean’s Restaurant for another site, but it’s worth repeating here.

Once a month or so, my husband and I set aside a Saturday for a beach date. We head to Mickler’s Landing for a long walk. This is our favorite beach in the area because it’s not very commercialized. Unless of course you count the mansions fronting the ocean. We usually go around 2 p.m. because chances are better for a parking space in the paved lot. There are outdoor showers for washing the sand off your feet. There’s also a lifeguard on duty now, for those who like to swim. It’s fun to watch the surfers who love to hit the water regardless of the weather.

I always get great photos at Mickler’s. One of my favorites is an elaborate sand sculpture—the creation looks like an alien. You can find pretty shells, and there are supposed to be shark’s teeth, but I haven’t found any of those yet.

After our walk, we head to Barbara Jean’s, a restaurant located at the old Ward’s Landing site on the intercoastal waterway. Southern Living says the crabcakes here are the best, and I’d have to agree. The she-crab soup is superb; great quality crab meat in a concoction seasoned to perfection. The menu offers a variety of seafood dishes. You could just about make a meal of the homemade bread—pumpkin bread, jalapeno corn bread and wheat rolls. You can pick sides from a large selection of homemade vegetable dishes; the squash casserole is my personal favorite. Dress is casual; prices are reasonable. Directions are available at the Web site.

Weather permitting, we sit on the deck and watch the boats cruise the waterway. Birds entertain us with their antics. The view from the deck offers a panoramic natural scene–there’s nothing developed on the shoreline across from the restaurant. We’ve often wondered why bugs aren’t bothersome when we eat out here–after all, this is Florida. I suppose the birds eat them all. After a glass of Chardonnay, we head back home and listen to music. I’ve made several CDs from selections at iTunes just for our beach days.

Nothing breaks the tedium like a beach date. It does a body–and the spirit–good.
(photos and text by Kay B. Day)

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Rip current warnings remain in effect for the Northeast Florida area as of Tuesday, with high risks expected for beaches in Duval, St. John’s and Flagler counties.

Beachgoers on Memorial Day seemed to be observing red flag warnings posted at beaches on the southern end of the area coasts, but some still ventured beyond posted swimming areas where there was no lifeguard. Over the holiday weekend, hundreds of swimmers at Florida beaches required help from lifeguards and others. There’s never a good reason to take a risk associated with swimming, no matter where you are.

As we walked on the beach Saturday, I realized the risks lifeguards face themselves when undertaking a rescue. Beachgoers should be sure they understand the flag system Florida uses, and they should also follow safety recommendations from the U.S. Lifesaving Association.

Recommendations like not swimming alone and never swimming in an unguarded area are common sense, but people often ignore them. Swimming only while sober is also common sense, but people ignore that one too.

As we took our beach stroll, letting the water rush around our legs, I realized how strong the surf was. At times, it was hard to stand. I was glad to see parents keeping a watchful eye on their children. Rip currents can get even the strongest swimmer in trouble.

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Photo of Ponte Vedra Beach by Kay B. Day

On Saturday, we toured the family-owned San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine. As you walk into the historic building, once home to the East Coast Railway, you’re greeted warmly. A gentleman in the entry hall pointed us to the tour, the gift shop and the bathrooms. He seemed to know exactly what we wanted.

We began the tour at the first tasting station by sampling the Reserva, a white wine made primarily with a mix of Florida’s Hybrid Bunch grapes. This wine is really smooth, with echoes of a sauvignon blanc grape. We moved on to the Castillo Red, a dry burgundy-colored wine. We also tasted some of the sweet wines, the port and the sherry.

San Sebastian wines have won many awards on the state, regional, national and international levels. As you move through the different tasting stations in various rooms, you almost feel like you’re in a monastery. The large oak barrels and natural wood décor create a sensation in perfect accord with the Old World charm of St. Augustine. The winery is the production facility, so you’re indoors rather than in the vineyards themselves. The grapes are grown in Clermont and other areas.

We topped off our visit with appetizers and wine in the Cellar Upstairs, a rooftop wine and jazz bar. We sat there in the Florida sun and enjoyed music by McKenna and Baker. We listened to some fine acoustic music—many of the songs included the mandolin—under the blue sky that was so perfect an artist would grab brushes to capture it.

We had a bottle of the Reserva—by now we were big fans of this wine—before strolling back downstairs to the gift shop to pick up a few items, including a case of the Reserva and some other singles, including a bottle of the Castillo Red. We also took home a bottle of the Vinter’s White. It’s just the right amount of sweet—we bought it for a friend who doesn’t like dry wine.

A visit to this winery is one of those magical experiences that stays with you even after you’ve departed. It’s like stepping into another dimension. We’ll go back, I’m sure, again and again. It’s the perfect side trip, a scant 31 miles from Jacksonville.

(Photos by Kay B. Day)

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