Choosing a destination for a vacation can be daunting. Many times, we can get overwhelmed with options that somehow seem wonderful and terrible at the same time. Trying a whole new approach to choosing a destination can be helpful.
A great way to think outside the box is traveling for sporting events. My wife and I are avid Cincinnati Bengals fans. We decided to look at their away game schedule, and found a few gems. We noticed a Monday Night Football game in early December 2023 that would take us to Jacksonville, Florida. Perfect! Warmer weather, new location, and getting to experience a new NFL stadium was an easy sell.
We flew from Cincinnati to Jacksonville on a Saturday, which gave us a few days to explore the surrounding area. We chose to stay at the Hyatt along the river walk, which ended up being a great choice. The room was large, clean, and there were options for food close by. A big plus was that we were within walking distance of EverBank Stadium.
On Sunday, we checked out the surrounding area. We found a nice area just south of the city called San Marco. It was a pleasant little town where we had a nice lunch and even did a little Christmas shopping. We finished off the evening with a nice dinner and a walk along the river by the hotel.
On game night, locals lined up with golf carts to take fans to the stadium. However, they were a very expensive choice! We decided to leave early and walk down to the stadium ourselves. As you would expect, it seemed like the whole population of Jacksonville was walking to the game. All along the river area, people were tailgating and having a great time.
I must give a quick mention to the Jacksonville fans; they were great. Sometimes when you go to an away game, the locals can be terrible, but not in Jacksonville. This was an added bonus when visiting this stadium.
We got to the stadium with time to spare, so we walked around to check it out. Although plans to renovate the stadium were announced in the fall of 2024, I really liked the stadium as it was. There were plenty of concessions and restrooms.
It was overall very clean, with friendly staff; what’s not to like?
Our seats were nosebleed seats, but the view was great and so was the game. It went to overtime, so we definitely got our money’s worth! Once again, we decided to walk back to the hotel even though it was well past midnight. There were several people walking back from the stadium. We never once felt unsafe. This was true despite the time of night we were returning to the hotel.
We flew back the next day with great memories that didn’t break the bank. Remember there are opportunities to have a great trip and it doesn’t have to cost a million dollars. Just think outside the box once in a while!
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