Unusual Jacksonville Waterfront Airbnb // St. Johns River Florida // Airbnb Review

When booking an Airbnb, sometimes you just already know you have hit the jackpot of unusual and fab. The photos are quirky, the location is insane, and the description sounds like your favorite crazy aunt is renting out the secret family hideaway. That’s what happened to us this time.

Our waterfront Airbnb in Jacksonville, Florida was situated exactly across the street from the Broward House, where we were taking a NOLS Wilderness Medicine class. There were no other Airbnb’s for miles around. Not only was the location perfect for the class, but also, it was on the water. That’s one of one of my main criteria for Airbnb’s wherever we go.

Our Hostess

In her photo that I saw from the listing, she’s wearing sunglasses and a large hat. Mata Hari, I thought. We’re renting from a recluse, a faded movie star, someone on the lam. A character.

I never saw M’Liss’s host introduction until I started writing this review. It would have answered a few questions – but I’m a good sleuth, and figured out a lot just from being observant.

We arrived at the rental at night. She already had texted a few times – “You’re missing some really great boat traffic.” It sounded like my mother. However, I really think M’Liss is the Jacksonville equivalent of M’Lynn in “Steel Magnolias.”

Private Driveway

The road is narrow, the driveways fairly obscured by bushes. First we pulled into a public dock property, regrouped, and figured out in which direction we were to travel “45 feet” according to Waze. Bingo.

Turning in the driveway, even in the dark, I knew we had arrived. Large boulders were strewn about like a giant’s game of jacks. The driveway curved this way and that, arriving at a first building. Next was a cute cabin – not ours. Then we saw her other listing, a travel trailer, and knew we were in the right place. Finally, we could make out the cabin which matched the photos online.

Huge Screened-In Porch

We parked and headed up the path to the screened-in porch. Don’t you just love the sound of a screen door closing behind you? You know you’re somewhere good when you hear that sound. The porch was a lot larger than it looked on the Airbnb listing. It wrapped around the south and east sides of the cabin.

There was a combination lock on the door, and we let ourselves in. From the riverside, we could hear the slap of waves on the seawall. We hurried to bring in our bags so we could head out to the dock.

On the Bank of the St. Johns River

Immediately in front of the cabin, only steps away, lay the St. Johns River. The cabin is situated near the mouth of the river, the inlet to the ocean. So, you get to watch a steady stream of container ships, tugs, ferries and even cruise ships proceed down the channel very close to the property. It’s the perfect ship watching spot.

One Room

Usually my Airbnb reviews cover the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen and each living space. This cabin is really one room; living room eases into dining space into kitchen, with shower and bathroom to the side.

There’s a sofa that makes into a bed. We tried that the first night with a foam topper on it. It’s still a sofa bed; not the most comfortable option. Books of local interest are there on the side table. The wicker collection around the place includes older and newer pieces.

The second night, we pulled down the inflated mattress and put the foam topper on that. Much more comfortable, plus we didn’t have to fold anything up in the morning.

Kitchen

Into a teeny space is a fully-stocked kitchen; pots, pans, flatware and tons of glasses are provided. I saw several small appliances, and the teeny apartment-sized four-burner stove and oven is adorable.

Some condiments as well as coffee and tea were provided. Also, there is a full-sized refrigerator. The water is sulphur, but Floridians are used to that and know to use bottled water for ice and drinking. A very small inconvenience for sitting almost in shipping channel of the largest city in the United States, watching the vessels glide by the porch.

Bathroom and Shower

The bathroom looks completely new, and is separate from the shower. That’s very convenient for a couple or friends overnighting here.

Private Beach

Although we only got to spend two nights here, we definitely would return. There actually is – and this is unbelievable – a tiny private beach on the property where you can sit and watch the sunrise. Or, you could launch a kayak and explore the river.

St. Johns River Ferry

The river ferry operates on the half hour to carry cars, bikes, and pedestrians across the St. Johns River from one stretch of A1A to the next. On the West side, the Sand Dollar Restaurant and several other smaller options are close by for meals and snacks. Across the river on the East side lie Safety Harbor Seafood and Singleton’s Seafood where some shrimp boats dock.

Riparian Delights

Everywhere you look, the place just oozed character. It would take a couple days’ stay to peel back the layers and explore the property. You could really get into a routine of coffee sunrises and riverside sundowners.

Airbnb – Make Your Trips “Off The Chain!”

Pelican Point on Riverfront is the listing we chose. The other listing, Turtle Time is the camper on the same property.

Ok, so, here are two Airbnb discount codes. Try either one! The offerings from Airbnb change every couple months, so use whichever gives you the best deal. You can only use a code one time, so compare, choose whichever gives you the best deal since they change periodically, and make it count!

As of today, this one, Airbnb says, “Kimberly gave you up to $55 off your first trip.” Friends who sign up for Airbnb with my link will get $40 off their home booking. And they get $15 to use toward an experience worth $50 or more.

Also today, this one, Airbnb says, “Deep gave you up to $415 off your first adventure. I’m ready to book from this one right now! I’m thinking it’s a computer glitch – so jump on it fast!

Once you get somewhere and find parking… Let someone else do the driving! Today, this one from Uber: http://bit.ly/dwhUber This link currently is for $2 off first 3 rides, however, this also can change – sometimes it’s $5 off your first ride.