I'm a Californian who visited Jacksonville Beach for the first time. I preferred the Florida spot over Santa Monica for a laid-back vacation.

Molly O’Brien

• I'm a Californian who visited Jacksonville Beach, Florida, for a spring getaway.
• Everything was generally more low-key in Jacksonville, and the beach was less crowded.
• Both cities are family-friendly and walkable, but finding parking in Florida was less stressful.

I've lived in Los Angeles for five years, so I'm about 30 minutes inland from Santa Monica. It's a beautiful, classic Southern California destination with a beach...