The Weekend: Sample history in Jacksonville. Base yourself in the charming historic neighborhood of Riverside and get a glimpse of this modern city as it used to be. 

Start Here: The downtown Riverside neighborhood used to have more than 50 Victorian homes, but only two are still standing today. Stay at the Riverdale Inn, an original Victorian charmer that dates back to 1901. Of the 10 guest rooms, we love the one named St. John’s, with its deep-red tones, century-old headboard and view of the city’s skyline. Make time for a nightcap at the inn's Gum Bunch Pub; the bar itself is handcrafted from the home's original doors. 

Weekend To-Dos: 

1. Just three blocks from the inn, the lovely Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens contains works by the likes of Norman Rockwell and Thomas Moran. But it's the garden that really shines, blooming with azaleas, jasmine, sweet peas, pansies and camellias, and showing the design of prominent landscape architects from an earlier age. 

2. Riverside is also home to the Five Points shopping center, a vibrant district that dates back to the 1920s and is now home to eclectic boutiques, pubs, restaurants and tea shops. The center point of the district is the independent Five Points Theatre; opening its doors in 1927, the historic movie venue was the first theatre in Florida to show talking picture shows. But that's not the only theatre with some history: the art deco-inspired San Marco Theatre, just two miles from the Riverdale Inn, was built in 1938. Bonus: For a small corking fee, you can bring your own wine to the show. 

3.  For dinner, head to Black Sheep in the Five Points shopping center and claim a spot at the rooftop bar for a view of the St. John’s river. Don’t miss the poutine: fries with cheese curds and short rib, spiced up with the Cajun flavors of tasso ham and drizzled with gravy.