Jaxplorations

Today's Jaxploration is about the artisanal donut shop Good Dough. Good Dough opened earlier this year serving homemade donuts and local coffee. Their donuts are made fresh in small batches throughout the day, so you can know that the donut you eat was made fresh and hasn't been sitting in a display case all day. They also utilize local ingredients, something they take pride in. Their coffee comes from Vagabond Coffee Company, a local coffee maker.  Good Dough has a variety of flavors of donuts, and some of them are pretty unique. This is because of the local ingredients they utilize. They also change their menu monthly, so it's a good idea to check their website to see what's available before you go. They usually have a few staples- like the Molly Ringwald, a raspberry glazed donut with sprinkles, and a Cardamom sugar donut. If you prefer a savory choice, they offer a few breakfast sandwiches, and yes, the bread is a donut. Their signature is the fried chi...

Today's Jaxploration is about Freedom Boat Club and their new location in Palm Valley. Earlier in the week they held their official ribbon cutting ceremony. The official opening date is November 1st. To promote the opening of the new location, Director of Dock Operations Kloe Thompson was on site giving free boat rides to people who were interested in the club. The Palm Valley location joins the Julington Creek and St. Augustine locations under the ownership of Kevin Seelig and Lisa Almeida.  Freedom Boat Club is a membership based club, but when they do events like this they are open to the public. The Freedom Boat Club is a stand out choice because they keep a small ratio of boats to members, meaning that every time ten new members join, they add another boat to their fleet. Freedom currently has 65 boats in Northeast Florida. As a member, you have unlimited access to the fleet of boats, which is a large variety. Freedom has pontoon boats, deck boats, bow riders...

Today's Jaxploration is about a brewery with a unique story. The Veterans United Craft Brewery opened its doors here in Jacksonville in August 2014 as an open taproom. The owner got into brewing beer when his wife bought a home brewing kit for him. He then took some classes about brewing to improve upon his newfound skills and interest. He had spent 12 years in the navy prior to opening up the brewery and his wife had served as well. Many of the investors who teamed up to open the brewery had also served as well. In addition, the majority of the employees at the brewery are veterans as well. Old war posters, propaganda, and military artifacts line the walls of the bar area. You will find a few very long high-top tables with bar stools to sit at, making for a very communal and inviting atmosphere. Adding to this atmosphere is a large shelf full of board games that customers can bring over to a table and play with their friends. On Saturdays you can take a tour at 1:30pm...

Velocity Air Sports is the largest indoor trampoline park in Jacksonville, which makes it an awesome place for this week's Jaxploration. Located conveniently off of JTB on AC Skinner between Belfort and Southside, Velocity is easily accessible from the main highway. I went with my best friend for her little brother's 10th birthday party and it was a fun time for all ages. You definitely will not be bored at Velocity, activities fill every ounce of the space. From trampolines, to foam pits, an arcade, basketball hoops, and a ninja warrior course. Here's how the process works: show up to Velocity ready for fun, fill out a quick waiver(you can do this beforehand if you grab the waiver from their website), grab your 1 hour pass - this seems like a quick amount of time, but rest assured you will be winded after 3 minutes of jumping, and have a fun time. Take a 360 degree tour below: Velocity offers special programs, such as homeschooler discounts, a fr...

This Jaxploration only happens once a year and it is one of my favorite experiences. River City Pride is Jacksonville's LGBTQ+ festival that happens in the Five Points district of Riverside. Pride is a two day celebration that usually takes place on a Saturday and Sunday. This year, the weather was less than ideal, however - no spirits were low during the festivities even though rain was pouring down at some points. On Saturday part of Park Street was shut down for vendors and people to walk the streets. There was a DJ playing live music, drinks, dancing, food, and good company.  At 4pm on Saturday, the pride parade began. During the parade, different businesses that support the community march along with different organizations. It's an awesome way of seeing the community come together. This year there was a surprising number of churches marching as well. Everyone marching was definitely a trooper, considering the route took roughly an hour from start to finish...