Since it is the New Year and everyone’s been making (or already breaking…shame!) New Year’s resolutions, I thought I would put together a 2011 Jacksonville Bucket List.  This list is the top nine things I want to try before 2012 comes our way.

1.       Friday night feeding at Catty Shack Ranch – No, not the golf movie with Bill Murray.  This wildlife sanctuary on the Northside is home to a number of lions, tigers, cougars and leopards among other big cats that need a safe environment due to habitat threats.  On Friday nights, visitors can watch the staff feed lots of meat to these magnificent creatures.  I’m guessing I should eat dinner first or I might lose my appetite!

2.       Skydiving – Now, I admit it…I’m a chicken when it comes to falling to my death from 10,000 feet above the ground.  Am I wrong?  Well, from everything I’ve heard, I need to get over it, because this terrifying experience is apparently exhilarating.  Luckily, Jacksonville has two locations to skydive from: Herlong Recreational Airport and Skydive Amelia Island.  And, you can even get a DVD of your jump.  I’m sure that will be pretty….

3.       Jaguars’ playoff game in Jacksonville – ‘Nuff said.

4.       Walk the Riverwalk –Trying this would also help with my annual New Year’s resolution of working out more.  The North- and Southbank Riverwalk is a 4.3 mile stretch of walkways and bridges surrounding the river in Downtown.  Notice I also said walk, rather than run…I boycott running, unless, of course, I am being chased.

5.       Jacksonville Giants – Yes, Jacksonville has an American Basketball Association team and they are undefeated.  In fact, these Giants (who are ironically also pretty tall…very reminiscent of actual giants) scored like 200 points in a game earlier this month.  Seriously?  These guys are good!  Their season runs through early March and all games are played at Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.

6.       Squash some grapes – Remember the scene from I Love Lucy where Lucy makes wine by squashing grapes in a big tub? Jacksonville Beach’s The Wine Bar offers “Lucy Tuesdays” in which patrons can try their hand at stomping some grapes a la Lucille Ball.  Sure to be messy and fun, but I doubt I’d want to try that wine afterward.  Gross!

7.       Play like THE PLAYERS – Arguably one of the most identifiable holes in all of golf, the 17^th green of the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass has been the nemesis of many professional and non-professional golfers over the years.  Now, I’m not a golfer, but I think it would be fun to try my hand at this crazy par-3 and see what I can do.  Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll see me playing in THE PLAYERS Championship someday!

8.       Cruise among fireflies – Each year, hundreds of fireflies descend on the marshes and forest floor of Fort George Island in late April.  Kayak Amelia offers a Firefly Paddle Tour for four weeks in which participants will paddle through the lighted insects and be led on a walking tour with a firefly expert.  Thoughts of The Notebook come to mind….

9.       Get Booted into Shape – I really want to try this one, but getting up early at the crack of dawn on a weekend, might be tough.  At any rate, Jacksonville Beach offers plenty of fitness boot camps guaranteed to kick my booty into shape.  How can getting fit and watching the sun rise over the ocean be anything but spectacular? (Famous last words…)

There are plenty of others to add to this list.  What would you add?