...if you all don’t mind I will put together a small travel guide for those who are coming to Woodstock next year and maybe looking for something outside of caching or a way to combine a family vacation at the same time. A good caching friend of mine recently reminded me that even though Woodstock is a celebration of numbers, we shouldn’t forget all those that aren’t number ho’s. As I thought about that email I was struck by the realization that we (NEFGA) sometimes take for granted the valuable resources that makes caching so readily available to us; the good weather, the sun, and all the other things that makes Jacksonville a great place to visit. I guess sometimes we see these things everyday and we tend to forget that others may not be as aware of what we have to offer.

So if you all don’t mind I will put together a small travel guide for those who are coming to Woodstock next year and maybe looking for something outside of caching or a way to combine a family vacation at the same time.

Everyone is aware of Disney World and the Orlando attractions, and that may be a fine way to finish off a trip to Geowoodstock next year. We believe that Jacksonville and the surrounding areas have as much or more to offer as the “over-priced, inflated Mouse House.”

For example lets begin with what makes the cache density of Jacksonville possible. Jacksonville has 57,373 acres of parks and lands, which makes Jacksonville No. 1 among U.S. cities in gross acreage for parks. I have often heard it said by visiting cachers that if Jacksonville can find 100 sq. ft. of unoccupied land they would place a park there.

From the quiet dignity of an oak forest, to the vastness of the salt marsh, Jacksonville's nature parks have an abundance of flora and fauna to satisfy the tastes of the casual observer or the dedicated nature hound.

Jacksonville has a little something for everybody. Downtown Jacksonville is where the old south meets urban chic, and you can experience everything this thriving metropolis has to offer. Jacksonville has many historical sites that most tourists will never discover; most go overlooked except for the caches placed by geocaches. From the Civil War ruins of Yellow Bluff, to the historic Ft. Caroline, Jacksonville has a park for everyone. One of the great advantages for cachers coming to visit is that Jacksonville is located near the ocean and Hanna Park, the site of Geowoodstock. Close by is Westside Regional Park across from Jacksonville Naval Air Station, the home of the Blue Angles. Big Talbot Island State Park is also in the area. Jacksonville parks have something to offer everyone. Bring your swim fins, scuba gear, fishing rods, or mountain bikes. It’s all here.

Consider a trip to the Jacksonville zoo. North of downtown, the zoo is a natural wonderland growing and changing daily, with more than 1,000 rare and exotic creatures. Covering about 70 acres along the St. Johns River, it has the only walking safari in northeast Florida.

Jacksonville is the home of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars; the zoo boasts The Range of the Jaguar, an exhibit that will cover approx 4 acres. It will focus on a neo-tropical rain forest setting that can be found in Central or South America. It includes animals and plants that are indigenous to the rain forest of that region.

If you don’t have time to get out away from town to visit Florida’s wildlife you can stop by the Wet Land Experience and see a slice of Florida wildlife up close and personal with the protection of glass and fences. A true family adventure, the Jacksonville Zoo offers an entertaining and educational experience for those who want to pass a day away from caching.

Jacksonville has seven museums. They are widely varied and styled. Located along the banks of the beautiful St Johns River is the Museum of Science & History. Exhibits allow a visitor to delve into the prehistoric time of dinosaurs, the evolution of man and the rest of Earth's flora and fauna and the ends of the universe stretching to the beginning of time. Among other exhibits are artifacts from a sunken Civil War steamship and an interactive display of the history and memorabilia of the Jacksonville Jaguars football team. The Alexander Brest Planetarium, added to the museum in the early 1980s, offers late-night Cosmis Concerts as well as more traditional skyshows explaining the cosmos.

For the art lovers Cummer Museum of Art is the largest museum in Northeast Florida, with a permanent collection of more than 4,000 objects. Also the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art is located in the heart of downtown Jacksonville.

If art isn’t your thing perhaps we could interest you in the Jacksonville Maritime Museum. Here you can sail back through time, viewing the history of Jacksonville.

The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum is one of seven in the United States that exists to display the manuscript collection of David and Marsha Karpeles. Also located at the Karpeles Museum is the Sprinkles' When I Grow Up Museum for kids. It offers interactive play for children up to age 7 in career-related theme areas, such as medical professions, performing arts and athletics.

As you can see Jacksonville has a little something for everybody. Downtown Jacksonville is where the old south meets urban chic, and you can experience everything this thriving metropolis has to offer. Jacksonville Landing is a cool place to dine and shop on the St. Johns River.

Along with the many tourist attractions, follow the caches to some of the more obscure things you wont find on the tourists maps. St. Augustine is affectionately known as the "Nation's Oldest City." It was founded forty-two years before the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia, and fifty-five years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts. The founder of St. Augustine, Pedro Menendez de Aviles and his Spanish fleet arrived off the coast of Florida on August 28, 1565, the Feast Day of St. Augustine. Eleven days later, he and his 600 soldiers and settlers came ashore at the site of the Timucuan Indian village of Seloy with banners flying and trumpets sounding. He hastily fortified the fledgling village and named it St. Augustine. St. Augustine has been destroyed many times by fire and pirates but its residents never gave up on this pristine location, making it the oldest permanent European settlement on the North American continent.

For a few historic sights to see you might start with The St Augustine Lighthouse. This is Florida’s first lighthouse and was built in 1824. The Mission of Nombre de Dios traces its origins to St. Augustine. It was at this sacred spot that the Spanish settlers would begin the devotion to Our Lady of la Leche that continues into the present. Visit the Castillo De San Marcos, built in 1740-1742 to guard the Matanzas Inlet and to warn St. Augustine of British or other enemies approaching from the south.

For a walk on the wild side, visit Ripley’s Believe It or Not. History buffs should tour the Museum of Weapons and Early American History Both of these and many more can be found in Historic St Augustine. Or you may want to visit the St. Augustine Alligator Farm housing a wading bird rookery, albino alligators, and many other exotic birds and mammals.

Perhaps you could even slow down and do it the way the tourists do and take one of the sightseeing trains or go on a romantic night tour on one of St Augustine’s horse drawn carriages. Don’t forget the Haunted Ghosts Train tour of town.

Along with the many tourist attractions, follow the caches to some of the more obscure things you wont find on the tourists maps. Here you will find where Chief Osceola of the Seminole Indians was Captured, or you might even find old Ft. Mose, one of the only Forts Built for the freed slave population. St Augustine has many more secrets waiting to reveal.

We are looking forward to seeing you in Jacksonville next year for GW3. It is our sincere wish and hope that we are able to make this the most enjoyable caching experience of the year for you. If you need any assistance in planning your trip, please don’t hesitate to contact us through the GW3 web page or email me.