Walk and Vote

Did you vote today?

My voting precinct is located along the same route that I walk every morning. I decided to take care of two things at once. 

Walk and Vote

It only took a few minutes to pop in and vote and I was on my way again. 

I hope you took the time to vote today.

"Everything is within walking distance if you have the time." 

Steven Wright.

George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park

This bridge has been on my walk list for quiet a while. We pass it every time we come to Amelia Island but we're usually going somewhere and don't have the time. 

Today we made the time. After eating two hot dogs and lots of cake at my nephew's birthday party we needed a good long walk!

At one time this bridge was one of the many narrow bridges for cars along A1A between Jacksonville and Fernandina  until several years ago when new bridges were built to replace the outdated ones. When I look at this tiny two lane bridge it's hard to believe it carried all the auto traffic along this busy road. Not only cars but this was a popular fishing bridge so people would be lined up along the edge with their fishing poles in the water. 

When the new bridges were built the old bridges were torn down except for this one. Thanks in part to George Crady who was a Florida State Representative, supporter of State Parks and a bait and tackle shop owner, it was left in tact and turned in to a pedestrian only fishing bridge. I'm not a fisherman but this bridge spans the Nassau Sound and according to the Florida State Parks website it's suppose to be the best fishing in Northeast Florida. 

I can't vouch for the fishing but I can tell you it makes a wonderful place to walk. 

You may have to dodge a few sea gulls and fishing poles but there are NO CARS! Walking is safe and the view is outstanding.

A beautiful day to be alive and walking!

The fishing bridge is actually two bridges connected by a road on a small island of land. You can park at either end of the bridge and walk the entire length. 

(The bridge you see on the right in the picture above is the new bridge.)

Gorgeous white sandy beaches. 

A few things to know if you walk this bridge.

• From one parking lot to the other it was almost 1.5 miles. A nice 3 mile round trip. 
• Wear a hat and sunscreen- there is no shade!
• Bring water
• Entrance to the fishing pier is on the honor system. The fee is $2 per person and that includes entrance to Amelia Island State Park. 
• Restrooms are located at the north end of the bridge.
• The bridge is part of  Amelia Island State Park and is 8 miles south of Fernandina Beach on A1A
• No pets are allowed on the bridge.

Walking at the Zoo

I've bought a zoo pass every year since our children were young. After one or two visits using the pass it would pay for itself. Even now that our kids are grown and our grandchildren are young enough to get in free I still buy a pass each year. For one thing it's a great way to support your local zoo and another is that the zoo is a fun and safe place to walk. 

We visited the zoo Saturday morning. It was a little chilly so most of the animals were out and active. Which made the walk more interesting. 

It takes us about 1 hour to cover the entire zoo as long as we don't stop too long at any exhibit. Our Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens is lovely with lots of gardens and this time of year it's decorated for Halloween. 

There were a few zombies along the paths and lots of pumpkins. 

Parts of the walk are also along the river front which is one of our city's most beautiful sights. 

A walk at the zoo is a fun way to rack up the miles....

Walking With the Club and Lunch at Mossfire Grill in Riverside

Walking alone can be a wonderful time to pray and think and get your creative juices flowing. 

Walking with a partner has its benefits as well. A time to talk and hash out problems or just share dreams and make plans. 

Sometimes a group is good...last year we joined a walking club. We were hoping for a chance to meet a few new friends who shared our love of walking. We also saw it as a way to venture out of our comfort zone and walk places in our town where we've never walked before. 

Last weekend we took a 10k group walk to Riverside,

Jacksonville is a beautiful city to walk and Riverside is one of my favorite neighborhoods. 

Moss draped tree lined streets.

The gorgeous St Johns River

Beautiful old houses. (John, Hint, hint...this one's for sale.)

One benefit of taking a 10k walk

Lunch!

Mossfire Grill 

1537 Margaret Street

Jacksonville, Florida 

This was our first visit and I'm glad we decided to stay for lunch. The menu is mostly Southwestern fare with a nice selection of  tacos, burittos, enchiladas and quesadillas. A few surprises thrown in like crab cakes and meatloaf with mushroom gravy means a little something for every taste. 

I decided on the Chicken and Spinach Quesadilla

A flour tortilla filled with chicken, goat cheese, white cheddar, spinach and roasted garlic. Served with salsa, guacamole and sour cream. 

The tortilla was grilled so it was slightly crisp. I really liked the goat cheese. It added a salty, savory flavor to the mild chicken and spinach. 

John ordered the Stacked Pulled Pork Enchilada. I'll be honest when it came to the table we weren't sure it was an enchilada. That is until the waitress pointed out that it was stacked and not rolled!

Slow roasted carnitas style pork on blue corn tortillas smothered with ranchero sauce, cheese and sour cream. Served with rice and black beans.

We shared so I got to taste the enchilada and it was delicious. I liked my quesadilla but I really enjoyed the enchilada. 

Even though we got to the restaurant around 11am quite a few tables were already filled. The service was friendly and our meals came out quickly. 

Lunch for two with water to drink including the tip was $22. A little pricey for lunch but we made it our main meal for the day. I don't mind paying a little more if the food and service is really good. And it was really good at Mossfire Grill. 

Happy Walking!