The House on Cherry Street was a perfect base for getting to know historic Jacksonville and all that it offers: beautiful tree-lined streets with historic houses full of character, a river as wide as the eye can see, bountiful bird life, and easy access to wilderness areas in the north and St. Augustine to the south. Victoria and Robert were excellent hosts - never intrusive, but always there to recommend places to go and to make sure the stay was comfortable. They were very easy to talk to and made us feel like family friends visiting them in their home. Victoria related many interesting stories about the houses in the neighborhood, and it was astonishing to learn how casually various Jacksonville residents over the years have moved massive homes around to save them from destruction or just to get a better water view. The many historic homes of Riverside and Avondale are within walking distance, as well as the Cummer Art Museum and, if you have good walking shoes, the downtown waterfront district. The breakfasts were inventive, varied, and always tasty, with fresh ingredients incorporated from the extensive organic garden behind the house. The garden backs directly onto the St John's River and offered incredible views of downtown, especially at sunset when a huge full moon rose over the city and it was hard to believe we were not looking at a painting. There are little paths all around the grounds that invite wandering and quiet contemplation while listening to bird songs and watching for the playful cat chasing fallen leaves around in the grass. The bed was comfortable in a large room with windows overlooking the garden and river. A computer with internet access and wifi is available in a common room upstairs. The light-drenched living room downstairs has a superb collection of books about the area and the screened-in porch was a relaxing place to unwind and prop up feet at the end of the day. Hidden gems around the area: Cool Moose for lunch and Grassroots grocery for picnic/light supper foods. Jacksonville Arboretum manages to fit several different natural habitats into a relatively small space with an incredible variety of native flora and fauna - we were lucky to see two large pileated woodpeckers gliding between the trees. E2Ride bike tours (see review under Attractions) gives great introductions to various parts of Jacksonville. To the northeast, Big Talbot Park provides a glance of how Florida must have looked hundreds of years ago. The trails are very hard to spot, so make sure you check a guidebook and keep your eyes peeled to locate them. Jacksonville has a lot to offer when you start with delightful accommodations at the House on Cherry Street and take the time to explore the charm of the city and its surrounding areas.