Where to Eat...

Breakfast

Family day is never complete for us without eating at Golden Corral. It's one of our favorite restaurants in Jacksonville and my kids also agree when I say they make the best banana pudding. Yeah, we didn't fail to order some banana puddings the last time we went to Golden Corral. The restaurant opens early on Saturdays and Sundays, at around 8. But during weekdays, Golden Corral opens at 11am. But it is still a nice little restaurant for breakfast. My kids loved the banana nut bread and the bacon and cheese quiche. We ate a lot without spending a lot and that is what you call a quality meal.

Lunch

Another favorite of mine is Three Layers, a Coffee House. This is where you'll find the moistest cakes ever! But it was already lunch time when we arrived. Good thing the restaurant already has a lunch menu available. Among the ones I recommend are the Organic Baby Field Green salad and Jeff's Famous Chicken Salad. Their iced coffee goes great with the meal. And since we're already there, we tried some of their cakes. My children loved their slice of Red Velvet and Strawberry Cream cake. My husband, on the other hand, liked the Orange Slice, an orange cake with vanilla cream mousse and orange butter icing.

Dinner

The first time I and my husband went out for a pizza night, we went to The Loop Pizza Grill. And now that we have lovely kids, we still go to The Loop. It's a great family restaurant, which is open as at 11 am up to 9 pm. We tried their new Rustica gourmet pizza with marinara sauce and beef, sausage, bacon and pepperoni toppings. My husband likes the Goat Cheese, Walnut and Cranberry Salad.

What to Do...

Morning

We brought our children to Jacksonville Zoo. The Savanna Blooms is among my favorite spot in the zoo because it's just so serene and romantic, in a way. I love the 2 acre garden with a South African oasis feel. The Savanna Blooms is just so perfect for me, from the flowering vines to the water lilies and water plant edges. My son liked the Range of the Jaguar animal area where there are jaguar exhibits, a replica of an abandoned Mayan temple and more. The arrangement is just very realistic and very South American. We saw howler monkeys and giant anteaters.

Afternoon

In the afternoon, we joined a 45-minute guided tour at Tree Hill Nature Center. You need to schedule one week in advance before joining the tour and that was what my husband did. The place is recommended for scout tours, school trips and family outing. My kids enjoyed learning about different habitats, animals living in the forest and more. The guided tour is very safe and animal encounters are safe, as well. We stopped by at one of their picnic areas to rest and then checked out the museum later.

Evening

We were able to check out the exhibits and collections at Jacksonville Music and Science History, although for just a short time. We arrived there at 5 in the afternoon and stayed until their closing time at 6 pm. It's a great place to increase kids' knowledge and understanding of nature and Jacksonville history.

Late Night

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