April 22, 2008: Be My Guest

Thank you for your interest in visiting me/Aimee/Graham/Patti here in Jacksonville. As the latest in a recent series of visitors, you should be informed that I execute a fixed itinerary for all my guests.

• You will be taken for dinner to Biscotti's, a nearby bistro restaurant.
• You will probably also go to eat at Primi Piatti , European Street, Al's Pizza, and/or the Mossfire Grill. Oh, and Panera Bread, too.
• You will be taken to Chamblin's Bookmine and, if you are a science fiction fan unafraid of a scary neighborhood, to Jerry's Bookshop.
• You will probably be taken to a Barnes and Noble, mostly because we go several times a week.
• You will be grudgingly taken to St. Augustine if you request it, though you will be escorted immediately to the cemeteries and Flagler College with a quick wince-worthy jog down St. George's Street. You will NOT be taken to the Ripley's Museum or on a "professional" ghost tour. You might be told a few offhand ghost stories or historical anecdotes.
• You will probably be shown nearby Boone Park, including the mysterious sign that says "Urns Only."
• If you are a writer, you might be invited to join Aimee and I for a few hours of writing at the main library or at the University of North Florida library. If the latter, we might offer a quick jaunt along the nature trails.
• If you are a stranger to the sea, you will be shown Anastasia State Park or Amelia Island.
• You will likely be shown a movie or Battlestar Galatica.
• You will likely play Rock Band.

That's pretty much the extent of my hospitality in Jacksonville. I'm not sure if I'm a good host or not, but those are the jewels of my own local experience.

Posted by Will Ludwigsen on April 22, 2008 4:26 PM | Permalink