1. Suncruz Casino
City: Mayport, FL
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (904) 249-9300
Address: 4378 Ocean St.
Description: Jacksonville’s casino ships are popular with gamblers and non-gamblers alike. The gamblers are drawn to the ship for obvious reasons: high stakes and big fun. Non-gamblers enjoy having the opportunity to get out on the water for a few hours. SunCruz, located in the historic fishing village of Mayport, offers four daily cruises, food, drink, big-screen TVs, and ocean gambling once the ship gets a mile off the Florida coast and into international waters. SunCruz offers Blackjack, Texas Hold ‘em, Let It Ride, and 3-Card Poker as well as 300 Vegas-Style slots, Roulette, Craps (5x Odds), mini-Baccarat, and free drinks while you’re playing. Ships sail twice daily from Wednesday through Sunday, once at 11 a.m. and again at 7 p.m. Cruises run between four and five-and-a-half hours, depending on the day and time. Check SunCruz’s Web site for the cruising schedule.
2. Morningstar Marinas
City: Mayport, FL
Category: Parks & Recreation
Telephone: (904) 758-1092
Address: 4852 North Ocean St.
Description: Currently managed by the Morningstar Marinas group, this marina is located in the working fishing village of Mayport. The marina sits just 2.5 miles from the open ocean, making it Jacksonville’s closest marina to the Atlantic. The marina has just 15 slips for transient and overnighters, but its dock can handle vessels measuring up to 150 feet. The marina also has 200 dry-storage slips for smaller boats.Diesel and gas are available, and there’s a live bait shop. A full-service marine shop can do all repairs, including engine rebuilds. The deli sells sandwiches, snacks, beer, and ice. The per-day cost is $1.95 per foot. Services are available Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
3. Singleton’S Seafood Shack
City: Mayport, FL
Category: Restaurants
Telephone: (904) 246-4442
Address: 4728 Ocean St.
Description: Located just a block before the ferry, this restaurant has been serving seafood since the 1960s. Local favorites include the fried shrimp dinner and the blackened or grilled fish. Order from daily lunch and dinner specials or the fresh catch of the day. Dine inside or on the enclosed porch overlooking the St. Johns River. Adjacent to the dining room, Captain Ray’s Model Boat Museum features more than 200 models. Open for lunch and dinner daily.
4. The Navy Lodge At Naval Station Mayport
City: Mayport, FL
Category: The Military
Telephone: (904) 247-3964
Address: 1980 Baltimore St.
Description: This Navy Lodge is a wonderful (and still somewhat secret) 52-room, oceanfront hotel located on the base. If you are active duty, a reservist, a retiree, or a Department of Defense employee on orders, you can make reservations to stay at the Navy Lodge. If you are a civilian sponsored by an active-duty member, a reservist, or a retiree, you can stay there, too. Make reservations early, because even though the hotel is something of a secret, enough people know about it to fill the place up almost every night. Request a room on the second or third floor for a view of the ocean. The first floor has a lovely view of the sand dunes. Best of all, you can get a room here for around $61 to $72 a night.