(10-11-2022 08:57 AM)Gemofthehills Wrote: Jacksonville has a few things to do but not an overabundance....
This sums it up nicely. If you look only at the town proper, there's not a lot, but Anniston, Oxford, and even Gadsden are only 10-20 minutes away and broaden the list of entertainment and recreational options considerably.
Gem mentioned mountain biking... I have several friends who regularly bike the Coldwater Mountain trail:
https://www.imba.com/project/coldwater-mountain
The Ladiga Trail is excellent if you prefer biking paved roads over rocks and hills. It's also great for rollerblading, jogging, or just walking. From the JSU campus to the trailhead Woodland Park in Anniston is an easy bike ride at just under 7 miles one-way. If you want more of a commitment, going the other direction, it's 12 miles up to Piedmont's Eubanks Welcome Center, and just over 25 miles to the start of the Silver Comet Trail at the Georgia state line.
Other great outdoor options are Cheaha Mountain State Park (35 miles from JSU), Terrapin Creek Outdoor Center (20 miles), Dugger Mountain Wilderness Area (18 miles), and Noccalula Falls Park (25 miles).
It's a bit more of a drive, but Little River Canyon (about 50 miles away) is worth a visit if you're into hiking, spectacular views, and waterfalls (the latter, especially, when the water is up). The same can be said for Noccalula, but the Canyon is FAR more wild. Noccalula is more of a family park.
If you prefer indoor family entertainment (bowling, laser tag, go karts, mini-golf, axe throwing, etc.) then Big Time Entertainment in Oxford (about 17 miles away) is your best bet.
If you want something much quieter, the Anniston Museum of Natural History, the Berman Museum, and Longleaf Botanical Gardens are all located next to each other, about 10 miles south of Jacksonville.
When it's time to eat, I heartily endorse Cooter Brown's for ribs, burgers, and more. Struts and Jefferson's are good as well, if you're into wings and burgers. Each of these also has a fine selection of adult beverages, but someone else will have to tell you how well stocked they are. It's been awhile for me.
The Rocket is also top notch when it comes to barbecue and burgers. If you're a barbecue snob, you'll probably prefer Cooter Brown's, but I can't recommend the barbecue salad at the Rocket highly enough. And their cheeseburgers are on another level.
Gem mentioned a few other places. In addition to his list, there's Mata's Pizza, down in Anniston. Man, I love those pizzas. For Chinese, you can't go wrong with House of Chen in Anniston or China Luck in Oxford, both of which I know are good. In Jacksonville proper, there are a few newer Asian options which opened "after my time". I hear they're good, though: Yamato Steak House, Isshin, and KT Pho.
If you're into more upscale food, there's Garfrerick's in Oxford and Classic on Noble in Anniston. Both are outstanding. Garfrerick's is quieter, but I'll eat the food at Classic any time, regardless of the noise. Try the shrimp and grits!
I did make a cardinal sin and forgot to mention the tallest statue of a person in Texas with general Sam Houston standing off of I-45 Northbound. There is a museum to visit there but I have never been to it so I cannot vouch for whether it is a cool museum. Huntsville has tons of history which is part of why there are so many museums. The prison museum is cool because it has some Bonnie and Clyde stuff in it, ol' sparky (the electric chair used for execution), history of the prison rodeo, and a lot more. The museum also has a solid gift shop with really high-quality wood and leather products made by the prisoners that when purchased the prisoners make a portion of the money that they can either save for when they get out of prison or use at the commissary. If you're not familiar with Huntsville, TX it is a college town like nowhere else in the US and you'll either find it really neat or really weird/ scary that there are 13 major prisons in the Huntsville area which makes for an interesting college/ prison town experience. Executions for the state of Texas are held right next to Sam Houston's campus in the Walls unit about 800 yards away from the entrance to Bowers Stadium. I personally found it really cool and a fun environment to get my education at. The criminal Justice program at Sam Houston is the best in Texas and one of the best in the country. The university has an active courtroom on campus where major trials in the East Texas region are held and CJ students can visit and sit in on. The university also has one of the only body farms on campus where cold cases are sometimes solved. The courtroom is open to the public, but the body farm is off limits to the public and only accessible for Forensic Science students. Hope this adds some more interesting stuff to do for visitors. 
