Situated in the great double loop of the St Johns River and with long established lumber and coffee industries, JACKSONVILLE , the largest city in the US - 841 square miles - is suspicious of anything that might upset its hard-working tradition. Pleasure seekers are expected to stick to the beaches. Even the film industry, which came here seeking a base in the 1910s, was scared off by the religious zeal of the locals and settled in California instead. The growing size of the white-collar sector has eased the visual blight of years of heavy industry, and efforts have been made to enhance Jacksonville's appeal by creating parks and riverside boardwalks. However, the sheer size of the city dilutes its character and makes it impossible to walk around and get a real feel for the city.
To get an overview of downtown Jacksonville, take the Skyway monorail (daily 6.30am-7.30pm; 35¢) from the Convention Center to Hemming Park, a ten-minute journey at eye level with the high-rise offices. One noteworthy building on the north bank of the St John's River is the Florida Theater , 128 Forsyth St. Elvis Presley arrived in 1957 for his first appearance on an indoor stage, an event noted by Life magazine because a juvenile court judge sat through the whole performance to ensure it wasn't too suggestive. Crossing over to the south bank - try taking the River taxi ($2 one-way; $3 round-trip) - you'll find the Museum of Science and History , 1025 Museum Circle (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 1-6pm; $6), with its hands-on exhibits and planetarium. Or, for a break from the commerce and industry of the city, visit the Jacksonville Museum of Modern Art , 333 N Laura St (Tues-Fri 11am-2pm; $5), which has a permanent collection of modern art and hosts traveling exhibitions.
Just south of the Fuller Warren River bridge (I-95), the Cummer Museum of Art and gardens , 829 Riverside Drive (Tues & Thurs 10am-9pm, Wed, Fri & Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 2-5pm; $6; free Tues after 4pm), stands on the former Cummer family estate. The spacious rooms and sculpture-lined corridors contain works by prominent European masters.
From all over Jacksonville you can see the floodlights of the 73,000-seat Jacksonville Jaguar Stadium , 1 Altel Stadium Place, home to the National Football League franchise, and also the scene of the Florida-Georgia college football clash each autumn - an excuse for 48 hours of citywide drinking and partying.
