40 spring break surprises

Southern Living, Mar 2001 by Thompson, Annette

You could spend days roaming the Riverwalk, but save time for a little sun and surf. Less than a half-hour's drive from the city, the seaside towns of Jacksonville Beach, Mayport, Atlantic Beach, and Neptune Beach sit at the edge of 20 miles of wave-washed sands.

Winter-weary travelers have been warming up at Jacksonville Beach since the 1880s, and a recent multimillion-- dollar redevelopment project has made the coastal community more popular than ever. Part of the project created the Jacksonville Beach Boardwalk, a waterside walkway lined with restaurants, shops, and arcades.

At one end of the Boardwalk, the SeaWalk Pavilion serves as the setting for a variety of events, such as the Springing in the Blues music festival the first weekend of April. And you know there's nothing like a little music to soothe a sizzling beach.

Flying L Guest Ranch, Bandera, Texas: 1-800-292-5134 or www flyingl. com. Rates: $98-$118 per adult per night, $68-$83 ages 12-17, and $49-- $59 ages 3-11. Rates include two meals daily and all activities. Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina: (828) 733-2013, 1-800-468-7325, or www. grandfather.com. Hours: 8 a.m.-1 hour before sunset daily. Admission: $10 adults, $5 ages 4-12. Jacksonville and the Beaches Convention and Visitors Bureau, Florida: 1-800-733-2668 or www.jax cvb.com. Museum of Science & History, Jacksonville, Florida: (904) 396-6674. Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 1-6 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $6 adults, $4.50 seniors and active military, $4 ages 3-12.

We Break for Spring

You don't have to travel far to enjoy spring break fun. Here are some of our favorite family getaways and activities.

Alabama: Stay at Scottsboro's Goose Pond Colony, and rent a pontoon boat for puttering on the Tennessee River; (205) 259-2884. Watch an IMAX film at The Gulf Coast Exploreum in Mobile; (334) 208-6873.

Arkansas: Tour Hot Springs by land and water in an Amphibious Duck vehicle; (501) 321-2911. Dig for precious stones at Crater of Diamonds State Park in Murfreesboro; (870) 285-3113.

Delaware: Search for seashells at Fenwick Island State Park; (302) 539-- 9060. Check out the Brandywine Zoo, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, in Wilmington; (302) 571-7747.

Washington, D.C.: Explore The Smithsonian's 16 museums and galleries; nine are located on the National Mall; (202) 357-2700. Take a hike on Theodore Roosevelt Island to the statue of our 26th President; (703) 289-2530.

Florida: Jump into a flowing artesian spring at Ichetucknee Springs State Park, north of Gainesville; (904) 497-- 4690. Take a guided Swamp Tromp tour through the Everglades' river of grass; (305) 242-7700.

Georgia: Live, laugh, and learn at the Atlanta Botanical Garden Children's Garden; (404) 876-5859. Climb to the top of the St. Simons Island Lighthouse for a bird's-eye view of the Atlantic; (912) 638-4666.

Kentucky: See a moonbow, ride a whitewater raft, or saddle up a horse at Cumberland Falls State Resort Park near Corbin; (606) 528-4121. For a look at the past, visit Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill; (859) 734-5411.