Whether you’re jet-setting near JAX airport or simply barreling down the busiest highway artery here in the entire state of Florida (that would be I95) and find yourself at or near this Cracker (Pot) Barrel just down the street from Jacksonville International Airport, Cracker Barrel might, just maybe, have a spot available for your overnight parking needs. To begin with, this low country restaurant joint, while easily my least favorite restaurant in the universe, sits within a fairly massive open parking lot shopping mall with so many retailers calling this 2-square mile home, you won’t easily forget that somehow you have been trapped in a concrete retail jungle.
Now the upside to this otherwise awful blight would be that you should feel quite safe and secure here with all of the mall cops encircling the place along with all of the massive amount of light pollution that the endless freestanding light posts emit. The downside to this, at least if you choose to park at this Cracker Barrel, is that the parking lot itself is quite small, cozy, compact and incredibly intimate, with cars parking so close to one another that you’ll wish you were a sardine, which would have more space in a tin can than this parking lot.
If you do choose to park here, your best option would be to come after the blue bird dining hour when the lot empties up a bit and where you’ll find the best parking to be had on the west side of the lot, as close to I95 (I know, which sounds odd, but there is no escaping the passing-by buzz of ceaseless traffic anywhere you go here), where you will at least have more space as well as less passerby local traffic. Of course, the restrooms here are spartan clean in case you need a quick refresh, but with so many other eating options, I would limit your visit to the commode and, of course, the gift shop.
Should you grow tired from foraging in your onboard mini-fridge, you have hit the drive-by restaurant dining jackpot! Here’s what you’ll find all within a single mile: Olive Garden, Buffalo Wild Wings, Chili’s, Denny’s, Long Horn Steakhouse, Green Papaya Thai Cuisine, Waffle House, Salsas Cocina, Wasabi Japanese, Chick-fil-A, Zaxby’s, Ruby Tuesday, Tijuana Flats, McDonald’s, Hardee’s, 5 Guys, Panera, Newk’s and Carrabba’s Italian Grill. But my favorites? Flying Fish Taphouse, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse as well as Peach Cobbler Factory.
Looking for a slice of nature? I mean, c’mon, you’re in an RV, right? Well, when sitting on pavement makes you contemplate the choice you’ve made for the night, and you really want to embrace the amazing nature that is around you, then I would recommend any of the following: (1) The Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary – located less than 10 minutes due north of where you are parked, you’ll be able to witness some of the most amazing big cats that call northern Florida home; (2) Big Talbot Island State Park – this is what I like to refer to as a pristine ‘surf& turf’ adventure, where on the one hand, for a $5 entrance fee, you’ll have direct access to pristine white powdered sand beaches and on the other, er foot, there will be endless miles of hiking and biking trails that will have you experiencing some of Florida’s finest oceanfront; and (3) For a much shorter jaunt, head due east to William E. Sheffield regional park, where if you have a kayak or canoe, you can take your watercraft for a nice dip in Lake Dumont where there is some decent catch & release fishing and decent oar exercising to be had.
While scoring criteria may vary from one person to the next, here are the 5 most important criteria that informed my rating of this overnight location: convenience (EZ on- and off-access), safety & security, quality (of facilities), peace & quiet and amenities (either on-site or nearby). Here’s how I ranked this particular overnight spot:
Convenience: 3
Safety & Security: 3
Quality: 2
Peace & Quiet: 2
Amenities: 4
Overall, I scored this location a 3.
Happy Overnighting!
Overnight Parking
