Discover Gay Florida - Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Daytona Beach

The history of northeast Florida stretches back 450 years - Spanish admiral Pedro Menendez de Aviles founded what is now St. Augustine in 1565; it is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the United States. There is so much history on the First Coast, as evidenced by the many museums and historical sites. However, northeast Florida is so much more than that.

Jacksonville grew around a large Naval base, one of the largest in the country, to become one of the state's major cities. Daytona Beach became famous as a haven for automobile racing enthusiasts starting at the very beginning of the 20th century. The Daytona International Speedway was built in 1958, turning the beach over to tourists and sunbathers year-round. St. Augustine's historic forts, once used as the front line of defense against invaders, are now national parks. There's so much to see in northeast Florida; let me tell you all about it.

WHERE TO STAY

Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront

Look no further for a gay-friendly downtown-adjacent hotel; the Crowne Plaza is one of only two hotels in Jacksonville to be registered with the International Gay and Lesbian Travel Association. It has also been the host hotel of River City Pride, Jacksonville's gay pride celebrations. This hotel offers luxurious amenities and beautiful views of the St. Johns River. (1201 Riverplace Blvd., Jacksonville, 904-398-8800)

Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront

Right on the Riverwalk, you can take a stroll along the St. Johns River, shop for souvenirs, then you can drop everything off in your room and sun yourself at the rooftop pool. Oversized rooms overlook the river and the Jacksonville skyline. You can breathe easy with special hypo-allergenic rooms for allergy sufferers; be sure to book this kind of room if this is what you desire. (225 E. Coastline Dr., Jacksonville, 904-588-1234)

At Journey's End B&B

This intimate, gay-owned bed and breakfast is situated right in historic downtown. Until the end of September, your booking includes trolley tickets so you can explore downtown at your convenience. Rooms are uniquely designed and named after famous explorers (do you feel like having the Dr. Livingstone room or the Amelia Earhart room?). Most rooms have their own private porch and all look out onto the on-site garden. (89 Cedar St., St. Augustine, 904-829-0076)

The Villa

A remodeled Spanish mansion, The Villa bills itself as offering "out-of-place opulence." Book the King Carlos suite and you'll find out what they mean: there's a four-poster bed, an add-on deck with hot tub, and in the bathroom there's a seven-head shower! The other rooms do not disappoint (black lacquer furniture in one room, a large-sized royal crown hanging over the bed of another room). A tour of the grounds is also offered at no charge. (801 N. Peninsula Dr., Daytona Beach, 386-248-2020)

WHERE TO PLAY

Most of Northeast Florida's gay nightlife is centered around Jacksonville. In Jacksonville, the nightspots include Hamburger Mary's Jacksonville (3333 Beach Blvd.), a place where you can Discover-Jacksonville_Playsee Vegas-style drag shows while enjoying your favorite food and cocktails; include Metro (859 Willow Branch Ave.), a massive entertainment complex with seven bars; Park Place (931 King St.), a friendly neighborhood bar where you can make new friends; InCahoots (711 Edison Ave.), a fun dance bar that has something for everyone; Norm's Alibi (2952 Roosevelt Blvd.), which has a wide range of theme nights such as drag queen bingo and weekly shows; The Boot Rack Saloon, (4751 Lenox Ave.), a country and western bar where boot-scootin' is encouraged; and Bo's Coral Reef (201 5th Ave. N., Jacksonville Beach), the only gay bar on Jacksonville Beach, with live music and drag shows.

In St. Augustine there is one gay-friendly nightlife venue, BT's Grill & Beer Garden (223 W. King St.), which offers two weekly drag shows, on Wednesdays and on Saturdays. In Daytona Beach, there is the newly-opened Hamburger Mary's Daytona Beach (180 N. Beach St.), which covers 8,800 square feet and will host events like charity bingo, multiple drag shows per week, and community functions. The group at Gay Daytona (gaydaytona.com) hosts a monthly mixer at a restaurant of their choosing; visit their website for more information.

WHERE TO GO

Start on the Jacksonville Riverwalk if you want to see downtown Jacksonville close-up. The Riverwalk was opened 30 years ago and transformed downtown into a place that's more leisure than business. The Jacksonville Landing complex, which includes 65 shops and numerous restaurants, is a local favorite. Be sure to take a selfie in front of the iconic Friendship Fountain! You're also within walking distance from the Museum of Science and History and the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts. Definitely take in a live show at the Florida Theatre, converted from a 1920s-era movie house.

If you're taking a trip up to Jacksonville's Northside, make sure you take a trip to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. With over 800,000 people visiting the Zoo in the last year, it has become one of Florida's top zoological attractions. While you're there, take off your shoes and take a walk along Amelia Island, featuring thirteen miles of beaches. If you want sun and fun closer to the city, go to Atlantic Beach.

Less than an hour southeast of Jacksonville is St. Augustine, which is filled to the brim with historic attractions. The Castillo de San Marcos was built by the Spanish in 1672, and today it is the oldest masonry fort still standing in the United States. Fort Matanzas was built in 1742 on a barrier island, also by the Spanish, and it is open to the public today for tours. The Fountain of Youth is Florida's oldest tourist attraction, which welcomed guests as early as 1868. This is the rumored site where Ponce de Leon discovered Florida in 1513. Another old-time Florida tourist attraction is the St. Augustine Alligator Farm, which has been open for tours and live crocodile shows since 1893. No trip to St. Augustine would be complete without visiting the three-story Ripley's Believe It or Not!, which is a three-story "odditorium" boasting over 800 exhibits.

The beach should be the very first thing you see when you take a trip down to Daytona Beach. The beach's boardwalk and pier offer lots of fun for everyone; enjoy the ferris wheel, go-karts, arcade, and more. You'll feel like a kid again! Daytona International Speedway, while open to tourists right now, is going through a multi-million dollar remodel. Stop by during the Daytona 500 next February if you want to see the finished product! The South Beach Street Historic District is Daytona's chic shopping and dining district, offering many cafes, bars, restaurants, boutiques and souvenir shops for the discerning traveler.

October is a great time to visit northeast Florida: there are two gay pride celebrations going on this month. First, Jacksonville hosts River City Pride; their parade will be on Saturday, October 3, with the festival happening the next day, Sunday, October 4. Further south, the Daytona Beach gay community will help celebrate Volusia Pride with a festival on Saturday, October 24 at Old Fort Park in New Smyrna Beach. For more information on both, visit rivercitypride.com and volusiapride.com.

Read more about northeast Florida by visiting the tourism bureaus for each area: visitjacksonville.com for the Jacksonville area, visitstaug.com for St. Augustine, and volusia.org/visitors for Volusia County, including Daytona Beach