Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Week of Valor in Jacksonville, Florida

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Week of Valor is held November 4-12, 2009 in Jacksonville, Florida. The week begins with the arrival of the Blue Angels on Wednesday, November 4, and ends with the Veterans Day Parade on Wednesday, November 11.

The Week of Valor will highlight the Sea and Sky Spectacular and Veterans Day Parade as well as ship tours aboard Navy and U.S. Coast Guard vessels, speakers bureau, featured assets from military branches, military movies, and more.

The community is encouraged to wear patriotic colors, raise your American Flag high and show the nation how Jacksonville honors and celebrates our military community!

Week of Valor Nov 4-12, 2009


WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 4
Sound of Freedom Navy Band during the First Wednesday Artwalk downtown.

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THURSDAY NOVEMBER 5
Make A Scene Downtown Movie
A military-themed movie will be shown on the side of the CSX building.
Northbank Riverfront Park, 7:30 p.m. Men of Honor
Bring your picnic baskets, folding chairs and blankets and enjoy a free movie.
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FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6
Search and Rescue Demonstration

Noon in front of The Jacksonville Landing on the St. Johns River.
Fri Nov 6 – HSL-48 at noon

Jacksonville Sea and Sky Spectacular Pre-Flight Party
Seawalk Pavilion, 6-10 p.m.
Meet and Greet: get an autograph from your favorite performers

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SATURDAY NOVEMBER 7
Sea & Sky Spectacular 9 am – 3.30 pm

USS Klakring
(This vessel is not ADA compliant)
Northbank Riverfront
U.S. Navy frigate available for free guided ship tours.
Tour Hours: 1-5 p.m.Visit the website for more details.

Search and Rescue Demonstration
in front of The Jacksonville Landing on the St. Johns River.
Sat Nov 7 – HSL-60 at 3 pm

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SUNDAY NOVEMBER 8
Sea & Sky Spectacular

USS Klakring
(This vessel is not ADA compliant)
Northbank Riverfront
U.S. Navy frigate available for free guided ship tours.
Tour Hours: 9 am – 1 p.m.Visit the website for more details.
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MONDAY NOVEMBER 9

USS Klakring
(This vessel is not ADA compliant)
Northbank Riverfront
U.S. Navy frigate available for free guided ship tours.
Tour Hours: 1-5 p.m.Visit the website for more details.

Vietnam Veteran Recognition Ceremony
10 a.m. at NAS Jacksonville, Hanger 117
Ceremony to recognize Vietnam Veterans hosted by Congressman Ander Crenshaw.

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TUESDAY NOVEMBER 10
USS Klakring
(This vessel is not ADA compliant)
Northbank Riverfront
U.S. Navy frigate available for free guided ship tours.
Tour Hours: 1-5 p.m.Visit the website for more details.

USCGC Maria Bray
(This vessel is not ADA compliant)
Northbank Riverfront
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter available for free guided ship tours.
Tour hours: 11 a.m. – noon; 1-5 p.m.

USCGC Shrike
Northbank Riverfront
11 am – noon and 1-5 pm

Jacksonville Regional Chamber of Commerce 7th Annual Military Appreciation Luncheon
Prime Osborn Convention Center. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m.; Luncheon is from noon-1:30 p.m.
Tickets: Civilians – $30 Active Duty/Reservists/Veteran Units – $25. corporate Tables available.

Mayor’s Older Buddies Meeting
Metropolitan Park – 10:30 a.m.

Make A Scene Downtown Movie
Northbank Riverfront Park, 7:30 p.m.
Free and open to the public. Bring your picnic baskets, folding chairs and blankets and sit back and relax while you enjoy the feature presentation of Night at the Museum 2.

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WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 11
Veterans Day Parade
11:01 a.m. Downtown Jacksonville
This year’s parade honors our veterans with military units, marching bands, decorative floats, giant balloons, JROTC units, and more!
Live entertainment in front of the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts
-  Orange Blossom Performers – 9:45 a.m.
-  Jacksonville Harmony Show Chorus – 10:30 a.m.
-  Rebecca Hewitt – 10:45 a.m.
The parade will begin at the Prime Osborn Convention Cneter, continue down Water St., left on Newnan Street to Bay Street and will end at the Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

Make A Scene Downtown Documentaries
Military-themed documentaries shown in the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts – Terry Theater
Movies begin at 1 p.m. and will show throughout the day.
-  Fly Girls
-  The Tuskegee Airmen
-  Aircraft Carrier!

USS Klakring
(This vessel is not ADA compliant)
Northbank Riverfront
U.S. Navy frigate available for free guided ship tours.
Tour Hours: 1-5 p.m.Visit the website for more details.

USCGC Maria Bray
(This vessel is not ADA compliant)
Northbank Riverfront
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter available for free guided ship tours.
Tour hours: 9 a.m. – noon; 1-5 p.m.

USCGC Shrike
Northbank Riverfront
9 am – noon and 1-5 pm

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THURSDAY NOVEMBER 12
USS Klakring
(This vessel is not ADA compliant)
Northbank Riverfront
U.S. Navy frigate available for free guided ship tours.
Tour Hours: 1-5 p.m.Visit the website for more details.

Check the official website for Valor Week Event updates

Week-of-Valor

Hugh Dancy added to list of honorees at the Savannah Film Festival

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Surprise Director’s Choice screening returns to lineup

Hugh Dancy will be honored Tuesday, Nov. 3 with a “Spotlight Award” for his performance in this year’s Fox Searchlight release “Adam” at the 12th annual Savannah Film Festival, which runs Oct. 31- Nov. 7. Dancy most recently starred in “Confessions of a Shopaholic” and “Evening.” He will next star in the MCC Theater’s Joe Mantello-directed Off-Broadway production of “The Pride,” which previews at the Lucille Lortel Theater Jan. 27, 2010. On television, Dancy received an Emmy nomination for his role in Tom Hooper’s Golden Globe nominated series “Elizabeth I” opposite Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons.

Dancy joins a lineup of special guests including Patricia Clarkson, Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, Emmy Rossum and Jeremy Renner. Clarkson is slated to receive an Achievement in Cinema Award at a screening of her new film, Woody Allen’s “Whatever Works.” Harrelson and Foster, who star in opening-night film “The Messenger,” also will receive Achievement in Cinema Awards. Rossum will be honored with the Young Hollywood Award prior to a showing of her film “Dare,” and Renner will receive a Spotlight Award for his performance in “The Hurt Locker,” which will also screen at the festival.

In addition, the festival has reinstated the surprise Director’s Choice screening after a one-year absence. The screening on Thursday, Nov. 5, will feature a major studio release that will be kept secret until the opening credits roll.

Adam and Miguel Arteta’s “Youth in Revolt” also has been added to the festival as a special screening. Also showing are Jean-Marc Vallée’s “The Young Victoria,” Grant Heslov’s “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” Pedro Almodovar’s “Broken Embraces,” Lone Sherfig’s “An Education,” James Ivory’s “The City of Your Final Destination,” the United States premiere of Nick Moran’s “Telstar” with Moran in attendance, Jodie Markell’s “The Loss of a Teardrop Diamond” (from a screenplay by Tennessee Williams), Bette Gordon’s “Handsome Harry,” Cannes Palme d’Or winner Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon,” and Lee Daniels’ “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance and the Audience Award at the Toronto Film Festival. Daniels and star Gabourey Sidibe will be in attendance.

In addition to the special screenings, 22 professional films (features, documentaries, shorts and animation) and 12 student films in competition will show at various times throughout the festival. The jurors for this year’s competition are actress Patti D’Arbanville (“Rescue Me”), actress/producer Rita Gam, writer/director Ingrid Rockefeller, writer/director Michael Sucsy (Emmy Award-winning “Grey Gardens”) and writer/director David Twohy (“Pitch Black”).

For more information on the festival and a complete schedule of events, visit www.scad.edu/filmfest.
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Charleston, SC – No. 2 Top American Destination

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For the seventeenth consecutive year, readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine designated Charleston a “Top 10” travel destination in the U.S. Charleston was honored with the No. 2 slot – topped only by San Francisco. This ranking maintains Charleston’s spot as the No. 1 east coast destination.

“It’s an honor to continue ranking so highly among the most notable destinations in the U.S.,” said Frank Fredericks, Marketing Chairman of the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. “This designation shows that our visitors continue to be extremely pleased with their experience in Charleston. Whether their primary interest is culinary, heritage, culture, or recreation, the Charleston area offers a multitude of reasons to visit – and to keep coming back.”

In other local rankings, Kiawah Island was lauded as the No. 1 island in North America, while The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort took home top honors as No. 1 resort in the mainland U.S.

A number of the top 100 hotels in the U.S. are located in the Charleston area. Properties honored include: Charleston Place Hotel, The Sanctuary at Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Market Pavilion Hotel, John Rutledge House Inn, French Quarter Inn and Planters Inn.

Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. stated, “Charleston is a distinctive destination, offering history, architecture, the arts, incomparable food, beautiful hotels and inns and unique recreation opportunities. I consistently hear from visitors that Charleston is their favorite place to visit and repeat visits seem to be the norm. Our human scale architecture combined with the natural environment of rivers, marsh and ocean offer a level of comfort and ease which we love to share. We are honored to have been at the top of the travel list for so many years.”

Condé Nast Traveler, whose credo is “Truth in Travel,” is a monthly publication that caters to the experienced, discerning and frequent traveler. Condé Nast Traveler’s correspondents, as far as possible, travel anonymously. The magazine has an audience of 3.1 million. For more information and details on this year’s Readers Choice Awards visit http://www.concierge.com/cntraveler/.

Charleston Pineapple

Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens Beaufort, SC

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The Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens takes place in Beaufort, South Carolina on October 23 – 25, 2009.

Founded in 1711, Beaufort, South Carolina, located between Charleston and Savannah, GA, is South Carolina’s largest National Historic Landmark District. During the Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens, visitors get to explore a variety of private homes, churches, gardens and plantations rarely open to the public. The sites represent three centuries of architecture for which the city is justly famous. These are self-paced walking tours.

Candlelight Walking Tour
Friday, Oct. 23, 2009
5:00pm to 8:00pm or 5:30pm to 8:30pm

The Candlelight Walking tour is a self paced tour highlighting seven historic houses, dating from the 1820s through the 20th century. Explore the rich architecture in the National Historic Landmark District of Beaufort. In addition, the colonial revival First Presbyterian Church (1929) will be open.
Tickets are $40.00 each

Ramble Around Beaufort
Saturday, October 24, 2009
10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. or 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

This tour gives you a chance to ramble through historic antebellum, Victorian and early 20th century homes and buildings in Beaufort’s National Historic Landmark District. This tour will also includes one of Beaufort’s most distinctive gardens, (the Henry Farmer House Garden) and the charming Gothic Revival Beth Israel Synagogue. Continue on to the grounds of historic Pick Pocket Plantation by car (approximately five miles from downtown).
Boxed lunches on the Green in the old Point Neighborhood are available for an additional $16.00.

Tickets are $40.00 each
Lunch tickets are $16.00 each

Kitchens & Cuisine Tour
Sunday, October 26, 2008
12:00 to 3:00 p.m. or 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.

Experience culinary Beaufort! Local chefs create regional specialties in six private kitchens in downtown historic Beaufort. Enjoy them with a glass of wine and tour six houses which are a mix of antebellum and contemporary houses in the historic district. (All but one are walkable, the sixth site requires automobile transportation).

For more information and tickets visit the website

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The Disney Train Comes to the Coast!

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Disney embarked on an interactive 40-city train tour for the upcoming movie “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” back in May, and now the train is reaching us here on the coast. The train will be in Savannah, Georgia on Oct. 13, Jacksonville, Florida on Oct. 20,  and Charleston, South Carolina on Oct. 23 – 25, 2009.

(Watch the video from The Disney Train in Jacksonville now!)

The Disney train features four custom-designed vintage rail cars with interactive entertainment. At each train stop along the way, a 3D Theatre will be set up, where visitors can get a sneak peek of the movie and see other exclusive behind-the-scenes materials from the movie. There are authentic artifacts on loan from the Charles Dickens Museum of London, artwork, costumes and props from the film. The capture technology used for the movie will also be demonstrated, and you will even get the opportunity to have your face morph into one of the film’s characters. This family event is for guests of all ages and is free to the public.

Pulling Out All the Stops
The train will make 40 stops in 36 states, as it travels its way across more than 16,000 miles of track. Amtrak locomotives and engineers will lead the four-car Train Tour (plus a private car), across the US, with stops ranging from 1-3 days along the way. Each train station will be themed with holiday decorations, and feature artwork from the film, Christmas Carolers, fun activities for the entire family, and snow!

jimcarreyThe grand finale of the train tour takes place at New York’s Grand Central Terminal over the weekend of October 30th through November 1st.
At every tour stop, Radio Disney will invite kids to enter for a chance to become a Movie Surfer representing their hometown. Each Hometown Movie Surfer will get a chance to appear on Disney Channel by filming their very own Movie Surfer’s segment, and receive a prize package of exclusive Movie Surfer and “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” gear. ABC television stations across the country will run local promotions. At each stop, visitors will have the chance to win an HP TouchSmart PC and an HP Photosmart wireless printer.

Starring Jim Carrey and directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Robert Zemeckis, “Disney’s A Christmas Carol” opens in theatres November 6 in Disney Digital 3D™ and in IMAX 3D®.

Coastal Train Tour
The first stop on the coast is at the Amtrak Station in Savannah on Tuesday October 13, 2009. Then the train continues to Miami and comes back up to its next stop in our area, Jacksonville. It will be at the Amtrak Station in Jacksonville on Tuesday October 20, 2009. Then the Disney train heads north to Charleston, SC, where it will make a stop at Ansonborough Field, Friday October 23rd – Sunday October 25th, 2009.

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Below is the schedule:

SAVANNAH
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13
9 AM – 7 PM
Savannah Amtrak Station
2611 Seaboard Coastline Dr
Savannah GA 31415

JACKSONVILLE
OCTOBER 20, 2009
Jacksonville Amtrak Station
3570 Clifford Lane
Jacksonville FL 32209

CHARLESTON
Saturday, October 24, 9 AM – 7 PM
Sunday, October 25, 9 AM – 4 PM
Ansonborough Field
Between Concord & Washington Streets Charleston SC 29401

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