The community of Mandarin, south of downtown Jacksonville, was the winter home of noted author Harriet Beecher Stowe from 1868 to 1884. Her widely read "Palmetto Leaves" (1873) celebrated the beauty of the St. Johns River and attracted hundreds of travelers to the area. Mandarin is also home to the Walter Jones Historical Park (11964 Mandarin Rd.; 904-260-9983) including a restored 1875 farm-house and an 1876 barn. Down the road is the Mandarin Store and Post Office (12471 Mandarin Rd.; 904-260-9983), which once served as the community's hub. It's a tiny place filled with relics of the past, including some of its original furnishings, pharmaceuticals and old postcards.

On the east coast in Jacksonville Beach, the Pablo Historical Park (425 Pablo Ave.; 904- 246-0093) features three historic buildings with exhibits explaining the history of beach resorts served by Flagler's East Coast Railroad. The Beaches Area Historical Society (380 Pablo Ave.; 904-241-5657) archives include one of the most extensive photo collections in the area.

A few miles east of downtown Jacksonville, an unspoiled land of salt marshes and wooded islands holds stories from every phase of Florida's human history. Here you'll find the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve (visitor's center, 12713 Fort Caroline Rd.; 904-641-7155), a sprawling 46,000 acres created by Congress in 1988 through the efforts of Florida Congressman Charles Bennett. The preserve's three main attractions, the Fort Caroline National Monument, Kingsley Plantation -- with 23 slave cabins and the Theodore Roosevelt Area can all be visited in a day. Begin at the preserve's Visitor's Center (12713 Fort Caroline Rd.; 904-641-7155), then continue on to Fort Caroline, the site of France's first attempt at a planned settlement in North America. Nearby is the Theodore Roosevelt Area, 600 acres of native forests laced by miles of hiking trails.

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