Coastal Companion

Your ultimate guide to the coast

Week of Valor in Jacksonville, Florida

by

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.

stars

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.
stars

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

stars

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

stars

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.
stars

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.

stars

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.

stars

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

stars
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

Disney Train Tour Video from Coastal Companion

by

We just had to catch this train before it left Jacksonville. The Disney Train for the movie “A Christmas Carol” just made a short one-day stop at the Amtrak station in Jacksonville. I and thousand of my closest friends found out and we all gathered at the station to take a sneak peek at the 3D movie with Jim Carrey and all the cool behind-the-scenes stuff.

Read more about the Disney Train tour to the coast

christmas-train2

Fall Festival of Houses and Gardens Beaufort, SC

by

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

sunflowers

CoastFest 2009 – Brunswick, Georgia

by

CoastFest is a family-oriented environmental festival where participants learn about Georgia’s coastal resources and have some fun at the same time. CoastFest 2009 takes place on Saturday October 3, 2009 from 10.00 am – 4.00 pm in Brunswick, GA. Admission is free, so it’s perfect for the family!

Each year more than 7,000 visitors come to the festival to learn about our nature and the coastal environment. This year you’ll find exibits from over 85 area coastal, environmental, educational and resource organizations.

coastfest Brunswick Georgia

Since 1995, Coastal Resources Division in support of the three-week national ‘CoastWeeks’ event held in all 50 states to celebrate the nation’s waters and shorelines has hosted CoastFest on the first Saturday in October.

Art Activities for Kids, Cannon firing demonstrations, Creek Indian encampement, face painting, Living history demonstrations, Touch tanks and much more.

Program Schedule:
10.30 Magician
11.00 Birds of Prey
12.00 Creek Indian Heritage
12.30 Magician
1.00 Creek Indian Heritage
1.45 Magician
2.30 Snakes
3.15 Creek Indian Heritage

Where is CoastFest?
Department of Natural Resources HeadQuarters, Conservation Way at US 17 South, Brunwick
Near Sidney Lanier bridge

For more information call 912-264-7218
www.coastalGaDNR.org

St Vincent’s Tour & Tea in Savannah 2009

by

St. Vincent’s Academy will once again host the popular St Vincent’s Tour & Tea in Savannah on Saturday October 17, 2009. This is a popular self-guided tour of the original 1845 Convent building and eight private homes in the historic district.

This year’s tour of homes promises to be a look inside nine beautiful homes in Savannah’s Historic District. Some of the residences reflect their 19th century origin in architectural style, interiors and furnishings, while others offer an exciting contemporary approach to Savannah downtown living.

The centerpiece of the fall tour of homes is the elegant tea which will be served on the grounds of the Convent. Academy students will serve tea with delicious homemade confections and traditional tea sandwiches.

St. Vincent’s has enjoyed an enduring relationship with St. Joseph’s since 1875, when the Sisters of Mercy established St. Joseph’s Hospital in downtown Savannah. Proceeds from the Tour & Tea benefit the preservation and restoration of the historic Convent.

Discover why native this annual event has been called “the best tour in Savannah.”

Saturday, October 17, 2009 only

Tour Hours: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Tickets on sale now!
Tickets: $40 per person (includes Tea at the Convent) plus handling charge for online and phone orders. Buy your tickets early and save $5.00! Tickets purchased by October 7 are just $35.

1. Purchase tickets online until noon on Friday, October 16.
2. Call (912) 819-7880 until noon on Friday, October 16 to purchase tickets by phone.
3. Purchase tickets at any of the following Savannah businesses. Click here for a link to the list.
4. Purchase tickets on the day of the tour: On October 17, go to the tour ticket office (Walsh Hall at St. Vincent’s, located at the corner of Lincoln and Harris Streets in downtown Savannah) between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Cash, check and credit cards will be accepted.
For more information, visit the website.

ironworks_savannah