Day 16 - An Eight Mile Sunday Stroll

We've been waiting on the completion of the boardwalk along the Timucuan multi use pathway and today was the day to check it out. 

For this walk we began at Sawpit boat ramp and took a four mile walk to Big Pine Trailhead. Ate our PB&J sandwiches and backtracked to the car for a total of eight miles. 

The boardwalk portion was only 1/2 miles but it gave us a beautiful view of the water. This is where the Nassau Sound dumps into the Atlantic Ocean. The tide was higher than I've ever seen it probably due to Hurricane Matthew that passed by the coast last week. 

After the boardwalk ended the trail was a nice even paved trail that made walking easy. Most of the trail was shaded by big beautiful Oak trees.

We took a side trip at The Bluffs Trailhead and enjoyed a view of the beach. This area is called the boneyard because of the dead and weathered trees that liter the sand. A beautiful sight but not really pretty because it's caused by erosion.

The view of the ocean was spectacular! You can't really tell in the picture below but it's about an eight foot drop down to the beach. Even though it's fenced off because of the erosion people still slide down the small cliff and walk the beach. 

About a third of the trail is in the open sun and boy was it hot! I mean for Pete's sake it's October and the temp is still in the eighties...Will cool weather ever come to Florida?

The walkway ends at Big Pine Trailhead. After lunch we turned around and headed back to the car. This made for an eight mile round trip walk along some of the most beautiful scenery around. 

Location

The Timucuan Multi Use Pathway is located in Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. The Sawpit boat ramp is on the south end of the George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park on A1A south of Fernandina Beach Florida.

To see my post on the George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park click here.

Analysis of my walk:

Distance      8.0 miles

Duration      2:57:56              

Avg pace     22:15 (min/mile)

Steps           19335

Calories       900

(I burned 900 calories on this walk which I promptly ate at the Mexican restaurant!)

For the month of October I'm going to be writing everyday mostly about walking. I hope I might encourage someone to get outside and take a walk!

Day 8 - Clear Skies!

Hurricane Matthew has left Florida! 

Praying for those who have been effected by this storm. Lots of property damage and loss of power. And of course loss of life especially in Haiti where the island is devastated. I have nothing to complain about as we were hardly impacted by the storm. 

               So glad to see the blue skies peeking through the clouds! 
           And we were able to get outside and take a 2 mile walk after dinner. 

               We just need to make it to the end of November and the 
                                 end of hurricane season for 2016!

For the month of October I'm going to be writing everyday mostly about walking. I hope I might encourage someone to get outside and take a walk!

Day 7 - Don't Appreciate What You Got Till It's Gone

We're sitting at the kitchen table watching the wind and rain blow across the windows. Waiting not too patiently for Hurricane Matthew to pass on by. At the moment it's not so bad but the storm is still about 60 miles south of us coming up the Florida coast. Thankfully so far it hasn't impacted the state as badly as they first predicted. But it's not over yet for Florida and Georgia, North and South Carolina are still in the path.

Even so our local Sheriff's office sent a message at 6:30 am for everyone to stay inside. Don't even stick your head outside to check the weather! So inside we stay. Definitely no walking outside today.

Why is it that when you can't do something that's when you want it the most? I like to walk outside but some times it takes a little persuasion to get me up and out the door. Not today. I want nothing more than to get out and walk. But even if it wasn't for the direct order from the Sheriff the fact the tall pine trees are bending in the wind is enough to keep us inside. 

Until we lose power there's always the treadmill but that seems more like punishment and at this moment I want a nice long walk in the fresh air and sunshine. But no sunshine today so I'll just have to be content to stay inside and watch the wind and rain blow against the windows. 

A nice nap sounds like a good alternative. 

Praying everyone stays safe!

(Unless we lose power I'll check back in tomorrow)

For the month of October I'm going to be writing everyday mostly about walking. I hope I might encourage someone to get outside and take a walk!

Day 6 - Prepping for a Hurricane

Hurricane Matthew is bearing down on Florida. 

Where will it go? 

Having lived in Florida my whole life (with the exception of two years in Texas) I've grown accustomed to hurricanes. I've only been in one that was a direct hit and I was pretty young at the time. I just remember all my family sleeping on the living room floor. We couldn't see out because my dad had boarded up the windows. I still remember the sound of the wind and the rain hitting the house. It was terrifying. The house survived but we didn't have electricity for a couple weeks. The house behind had power and my dad fixed the roof on their garage in exchange for letting us hook up an extenstion cord to run our freezer. It's nice when neighbors help each other.

Hurricane Matthew

As I'm writing this post Matthew is a category 4 hurricane which means it has winds from 131 mph to 155 mph. Enough to cause catastrophic damage to property and people. One to take seriously!

I'm not sure how our area of north east Florida will be effected but we're prepping for the worst and hoping for the best!

Hurricane season runs June through November and residents are advised to have emergency supplies on hand. Supplies should include:

First Aid Kit
Flashlights
Batteries
Cell phone (fully charged)
Battery operated radio (with extra batteries)
Non perishable food (enough for at least 3 days)
Water - one gallon of water per person per day for at least 3 days
Bleach for clean up and disinfecting water
Matches or lighter
Manual can opener
Evacuation plan
Full tank of gas in the car
Cash and important documents
Large trash bags (to protect items from water damage)

So we have our supplies ready and it's just a matter of wait and see. Hopefully the storm will just brush the coast or better yet it will die out. The next few days will tell. 

Praying for everyone already effected and for those in the path of this storm, Stay safe!

For the month of October I'm going to be writing everyday- 

mostly about walking. 

A Walk By Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Downtown Jacksonville

After a meeting in downtown I decided to take the long way back to my car. Temperatures of close to 100 made it a quick walk but I managed to snap a couple photos on my way.

Downtown Jacksonville boosts several beautiful old churches and the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church one of my favorites. I love the tall spires and the red roof.

Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church is one of the oldest Catholic Churches in north Florida. The original church was founded in 1854 and just a few years later in 1863 it became the victim of the Civil War when Union soldiers looted and burned the building. In 1871 a new building was dedicated but disaster stuck once again when in 1901 the building was destroyed in the Great Fire that consumed downtown Jacksonville.

The Gothic style building we see today was constructed in 1910. One hundred and six  years later the church draws hundreds of people each week for daily mass, confessions and weddings.

My photo taken on my cell phone doesn't do the beautiful building justice. You can take a virtual tour of the exterior, interior and the stain glass windows by clicking the link below.

Church Tours - Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

No matter where you are always take the time for a short walk and just see what you find. There are treasures around every corner!

Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

121 E Duval Street

Jacksonville, Florida

Corner of E Duval and Ocean Street




Check out other churches at:

J is for Jacksonville, Florida- My Hometown

This month A-Z Guidebook is featuring the letter J.

Well of course I have to write about my home town of Jacksonville. I was born and raised here, graduated high school, went to college, met and married my husband and had our first child right here in Jacksonville! No wonder this place is dear to my heart.

We've moved around the country quite a bit but we're thankful to find ourselves back home.


Jacksonville is located in north east Florida just a few miles from the Georgia state line. It's the largest city by land area in the United States and boosts one of the largest urban park systems in the county. We have miles of beaches on the Atlantic ocean and rivers galore!  The beautiful St Johns River is one reason Jacksonville is called the 'River City'. You can't go anywhere in this town without crossing a bridge!

We enjoy beautiful weather with bright sunny skies. We even call the rain liquid sunshine because it might rain one minute and be clear skies the next. Winters are mild. Heck I don't even own a coat! And we joke that in the winter we run the heater in the morning and the air conditioner is turned on by noon.

Jacksonville, like most of Florida is flat. You won't find many hills unless you go towards Tallahassee and the Panhandle. We're pretty much at sea level so if you want to practice mountain climbing you'll have to tackle a bridge to get any incline.

In Florida hurricanes are a constant threat from June through November. We haven't had a major storm hit our area since Hurricane Dora blew through in 1964.

I had a hard time picking just one picture to sum up Jacksonville. I could have picked a photo from the beach or one of the many city parks and trails, or even from the fantastic Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. In the end I choose a photo of our beautiful riverfront because it's one of our favorite places to walk.

Friendship Fountain on the River Walk

The St Johns River is the longest river in Florida and one of the few rivers in the United States that flow north. The river begins its lazy travels in the marshes of Brevard County and slowly flows 310 miles north to mix in with the Atlantic Ocean at Mayport in Duval County. 

There is a beautiful river walk on both the north and south banks of the St Johns River in downtown Jacksonville. You can walk across the river on the Main Street bridge (also known as the Blue bridge) or the much more difficult Acosta bridge.

Looking across the St Johns River from Friendship Fountain downtown Jacksonville.

Friendship Fountain is located next to the Museum of Science and History in downtown. The blue bridge in the background is the Main Street bridge and it's an easy walk over to the Landing on the north bank of the river.

This is just a small glimpse of my hometown of Jacksonville were we enjoy mild winters and all the trapping of a big city in a small town atmosphere.

Come and visit us sometime!

You can see another photo of our river front by checking out this post. 

Greenways of Florida - A.J. Alford Greenway in Tallahassee, Florida

Greenways 

According to Merriam Webster dictionary a Greenway is "a corridor of undeveloped land preserved for recreational use or environmental protection".

Florida is fortunate to have many areas designated as greenways. These areas are typically located in urban settings offering a reprieve from the concrete jungle and traffic of the city. 

A few weeks ago we visited our son and his family in Tallahassee our state's capital. We took a nice long walk at the A. J. Alford Greenway. The greenway sports miles and miles of trails through an oak forest and around a beautiful lake suitable for boating and fishing. It's so strange that less than a half mile off a busy, car infested road you'll find yourself in such a quiet peaceful place. 

You can read about another Greenway we've visited by checking out this post Eagan's Creek Greenway. And you can learn more about Greenways and Trails by visiting Florida Greenways and Trails Foundation.

Lace up and take a walk at one of the many Greenways in Florida. You'll find out quickly that there's more to Florida than Disney World!

Check out other 'G' places to visit...

A Walk Through Historic Lloyd, Florida

Located at the intersection of Highway 59 and 158 the town of Lloyd is tiny but full of interesting, historic buildings. There aren't any sidewalks but also no traffic to speak of so walking is pretty easy.

Most of the homes in Lloyd were built between 1855 and 1920. The town was named after Walter Lloyd a blacksmith from New York. In 1857 Walter Lloyd opened a store and took advantage of the railroad boom.

(I'm sharing just a few of my favorite photos.)

The Railroad Depot 

Built in 1858 the depot is the oldest surviving brick station in Florida. The golden era of the railroad in Lloyd lasted until the 1930's. In 1968 the Seaboard Coastline gave the station to the Jefferson County Historical Association. It was later turned over to the Gulfwind Chapter of the National Railroad Historical Society. The depot currently houses the post office.

Laffette Store 

ca. 1912

Currently being renovated.

And a charming house in need of renovation. 

Love the tin roof and porch complete with a swing.

A tiny replica of the Bethel A.M.E, Church

The original Bethel A.M.E. Church was built in 1870 and closed in 2011 after 141 years of service. The church merged with another A.M.E. church in Jefferson County and the original building was demolished. The property owner built this replica to keep the history alive. 

Beautiful, old oak trees are in abundance in this area.

If you're traveling on Interstate 10 near Tallahassee take a short detour and get off on exit 217, Fl 59 S. Travel less than 1 mile and you'll see the sign for Lloyd. Lloyd is a Florida Heritage Historic District. 

Just a short ways off the highway and you can take a walk through history!

Fun Things to Find - Roadside America

We've passed this guy more times than I can count. There he stands rain or shine with his donut, cup of coffee and goofy expression.

Johnny Donutseed

Highway 59

Exit 217 off I-10

Lloyd Florida

It's funny how you can drive by something so many times and never really pay attention. Oh, I'd seen him the many times we took this exit on our way to the gulf. On one of our last trips that way we stopped at the Subway to get a sandwich and take a closer gander at Johnny. 

He's weathered many a storm and the heat of the Florida sun is catching up to him. But all in all he's looking pretty good for an old guy. The roadside oddity is about 10 -12 feet tall, made of fiberglass and looks like the famous Johnny Appleseed if it weren't for the cup of coffee and donut he's holding. 

You'll find Johnny Donutseed at the Big Bend Travel Plaza the longest serving independent travel plaza on I-10 in Florida. Take exit 217 and head towards Lloyd. You'll see Johnny on the right.

Some times you just have to get out of the car, take a walk and check things out. You never know what you might find!

Finding Street Art - Gazebo Mosaic

Yacht Basin Park is a small park located in Riverside on the west bank of Willowbranch Creek. From here you can watch the creek as it empties into the St Johns River.  This park is one of our many favorite stops as we walk this neighborhood. The park is also known as Moms Park. In 2003 the park was dedicated to the memory of Patricia Austin (1934-1996) wife of Mayor Ed Austin. She was a community volunteer and leader and according to the plaque she liked to stroll here. I think I would have like her.

In the center of the park is a gazebo that is covered in a beautiful mosaic. This lovely piece of art was created by local artist Kate Garcia Rouh co-founder of Roux Art, Inc. 

Tired of cleaning up and painting over the graffiti Ms Rouh decided to paint a mural and then later to cover it with mosaic. Now the gazebo offers a quiet place to retreat from the Florida heat and enjoy a cool breeze from the river. 

Unfortunately my photographs don't capture the real beauty of this gazebo. Gives me an excuse to visit this park again...

Yacht Basin Park
2941 St Johns Ave
Jacksonville, FL


I'm sharing this over at Oakland Daily Photo-Monday Mural

Walk and Eat - Tupelo Honey Cafe, Chattanooga, Tennessee

There's nothing like being slightly lost and very hungry in a strange city. As we wandered around trying to get our bearings we found ourselves in Warehouse Row. It looked like an interesting place so when we spotted Tupelo Honey Cafe we thought we'd give it a try. 

We didn't know it when we went in but Tupelo Honey Cafe is a chain with  several restaurants in the Southeast. According to their website the food is described as "New South Flavors" and goes on to say they serve "traditional Southern fare that is creative, inventive and satisfying scrumptious". 

Even though it was the lunch hour and they were pretty busy we were seated quickly. The waitress was friendly and brought our drink out along with warm biscuits and blueberry jam. I'm not overly fond of biscuits but these were good. Brown and crunchy on the outside and not too doughy on the inside. The blueberry jam was perfection! Tasted just like the jam I make every year. 

The menu was full of Southern things like shrimp and grits, Southern buttermilk fried chicken breast, beef and bacon meatloaf, Carolina mountain trout and Charleston Chicken Sandwich. Everything sounded so good it took a while to look over the menu.

 I opted for the Tupelo Farm Fresh Burger. I'm a sucker for a good burger so I just had to try it out. Especially when the menu said the meat was pasture raised, fresh never frozen, Black Angus beef.

The burger was big and juicy and cooked just right. Lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles and even with the Chef's special sauce I had to have my burger with mayo. This is the south y'all.

I opted for the Kale and Carrot Salad as my side which was surprising good. I was hesitant to order this at first because kale can be tough but I was trying to be good and add a little healthy green to my meal. It was actually pretty tender and tasty. 

Nancy ordered the Grateful Dead Black Bean Burger which she said was very good. I didn't get a taste of her burger but I did
sneak a few fries and they were mighty tasty. 

We had a nice experience at the Tupelo Honey Cafe. The food was good, the wait staff friendly and the restaurant was bright and welcoming. Lunch for one with water to drink was right at $13 not including the tip. A little pricey for a burger but I felt it was well worth it.

BTW...

Tupelo Honey

Did you know that Tupelo honey comes from bees that feast on the White Ogeechee Tupelo trees that grow in the swampy areas of Southern Georgia and NW Florida? To be labeled Tupelo the honey only has to have a floral content of 51% but the real stuff can be as high as 95%.

To try the real stuff you have to head to the swamps along the Apalachicola River valley in NW Florida. This area produces the purest Tupelo honey. You can even  attend The Tupelo Honey Festival which is held in Wewahitchka, Florida, (Just call the town Wewa like the locals) The festival is held annually on the 3rd Saturday in May. 

Don Patron Mexican Grille, Yulee, Florida

Saturday we combined walking, errands and eating. It seems like we're always eating so I guess it a good thing we like to walk!

Anyway we stopped at an auto place to buy oil and filters so John could change the oil in our vehicles. After going into the store we hit the parking lot and tried to find a few geocaches. (If you don't know what I'm taking about check out Fun Things to do on a Walk - Geocaching) After circling the lot in our unsuccessful search we decided to walk over to Don Patron Mexican Grille for a little lunch.

A little walking adds up. We'd covered a little over a mile just in the parking lot! Although I'm not sure we walked enough to warrant the lunch we ate...

This was our third time eating at Don Patron and each time was just as good as the first. 

I like the place because it's quiet and even though there's lots of tables they are pretty secluded from one another. I like being able to sit, talk and eat without feeling like we're in the middle of a big crowd. 

The other thing I like about this restaurant is that if you get up you can actually see the kitchen and watch the chefs at work.  Nothing to hide here.

But on to the food. While we looked over the menu the waiter brought out the standard chips and salsa. This time however we also were served a bowl of white sauce. At first it looked like cheese sauce but when my husband tasted it he said it was a little like Ranch dressing but it was good. (He hates doesn't care for Ranch) It was actually creamy  like Ranch but it sweet and had a kick to it. We both pronounced it delicious.

Creamy, Ranch like, sweet and spicy dipping sauce for the chips. A nice addition to the standard salsa. 

We ordered off the lunch menu. John ordered the beef Chimichanga and I decided to try the Popeye. As you might guess the Popeye contained a good bit of spinach,

My photography skills don't do this dish justice! The chicken was tender and the spinach was cooked just right. Not stringy or tough. The whole thing was smothered in white cheese. Oh so good!

The cost wasn't too bad. $17 for two lunch entrees with water to drink plus tip and lunch was right at  $20.  Considering last time we went to Krystal it cost us almost $13. This experience was much nicer!

After lunch we headed down to A-1 to check out a few trails we'd been meaning to walk. Believe me after this lunch we had a lot of walking to do!

Walking Travels - Fernandina Beach, Florida

We don't have to travel far from home to find interesting places to walk. Just a short drive from Jacksonville and we're in Fernandina Beach a historic seaside town. 

Fernandina offers a lot of different places to walk. Of course there's the beach, the  historic downtown area, quaint neighborhoods, and the trails in Ft. Clinch State Park. You can even walk by the home used in the Pippi Longstocking movie.

One of our favorite places to walk is Egan's Creek Greenway. There you can enjoy 300 acres of undeveloped park that runs north and south along Egan's Creek. No motorized vehicle are allowed so it's a great place to walk and bike. You can even bring your dogs as long as they are leashed.

There's several entrances to the Greenway but we usually park at the Residence Inn on Sadler Road. The entrance to the Greenway is behind the hotel. The nice thing about parking here is they don't mind if you pop in to use the restroom. 

You'll see lots of wildlife as you walk the paths. Beware! Stay on the path. This is Florida and there will be alligators in just about every body of water you come across. 

Can you see the gator sitting on the other bank?
There were actually three
but this is as close as I dared get. 

When you don't have time to travel far check out places close to home for your walking travels.



 See all the posts in this series at 31 Days in October 2015

A Morning Walk - 4 Miles Through Old Ortega

It was actually cool on Sunday morning which was a good thing. We were suppose to get up early to beat the heat and get our walk in but someone overslept. (That would be me.) But it didn't matter because it was only in the seventies! Perfect walking weather.

We decided to go somewhere new and ended up walking in the Old Ortega area of west Jacksonville. We parked near the Chick-Fil-A and started our walk by crossing the Ortega river on the Roosevelt bridge. Then we meandered through the neighborhood crossed back over the river on the Ortega drawbridge. We were able to get in 4 miles of walking!

Drawbridge across the Ortega river

We saw lots of beautiful flowers along the way

A view of the downtown skyline

One of the many cute houses we saw. This one is tiny compared to others but still has charm.

Perfect weather and a beautiful neighborhood to walk. 

Wednesday Walking - Bridge Walking and Prepping for Vacation

Florida is a gorgeous state and the area we live is one of the prettiest. Sandy beaches littered with shells, dense pine forests, moss draped oak trees and frog filled wetlands provide ample walking opportunities. Unless you're over towards the panhandle one thing lacking is hills and there are certainly no mountains!

Flatland walking is pretty easy and we can walk miles and miles with no problem. The problem comes when we travel to a  place that is actually above sea level with the dreaded hills that you have to walk UP!

This was a running joke on our trip to Germany. We found this card at the desk in one of our hotels, an advertisment for something or other but it was perfect! We were standing in the parking lot at Marksburg Castle on the Rhine in Germany trying to decide if we wanted to walk UP to the castle.

Training for our Next Trip

(Training may be a strong word!)

Soon we'll be heading for Italy and we already know there will be some hills to traverse so we've been working on our hill walking legs.

The easiest way to simulate walking up a hill is to use a walking machine. This may be most convenient way but it is also boring...

To counteract the boredom I watch YouTube travel videos and that helps a little. But I deem the walking machine as one of those necessary evils. Good for when it's raining or too hot to get outside.

Another option for practicing hill climbing and one that's much more fun is to head downtown and hit the bridges. This past week we did just that when we walked the Acosta bridge in downtown Jacksonville.

OK so it's not a mountain but it's a pretty steady climb UP. 

I have to admit that I have more trouble will incline walking than John does. But he's a very patient walking partner and for that I'm thankful.

Grab a partner, lace up your shoes and get a little work out!

Give Up or Be Resourceful?

Resourceful

able to deal well with new or difficult situations and to find solutions to problems

What do you do when you have a canoe and a beautiful pond just waiting to be explored but
NO PADDLES!

Give up and sit on the bank?

Not these resourceful boys of ours.

You just get a shovel, a broom and a flounder gig and you're set to go!

Lunch at the Florida Creamery and a Four Mile Walk

Well summer is officially here. Temperature wise at least. 

Because of the heat we walked at the mall yesterday but wanted to get outside today. My only stipulation was SHADE! So we went to Riverside hoping to have some shade and a breeze off the river. 

We walked a couple miles to Avondale and picked up a Geocache behind the Old School Barbershop.

Due to it's location this cache was appropriately called the Mustache Cache Stash and the hidden box contained fake mustaches. The owner requested finders to post a picture of themselves with a mustache so we accommodated...

John brought his own mustache!

Since we were in the shopping area of Avondale we decided to eat lunch at the Fox diner but we got sidetracked along the way. The Florida Creamery caught our eye and we stopped in for a quick bite to eat and a nostalgic trip to Florida in the fifties.

Florida Creamery on St. John's Avenue in Avondale

Old fashion candy and drinks

Just a sample on the Florida wall art

The menu is mostly ice cream. Yum!

Obviously this place focuses on ice-cream but they also serve a Nathan's hot dogs. The only non ice cream food on the menu. That makes ordering easy! We both had a hot dog with slaw and onions and shared a bottle of ginger beer and a bag of chips for ten bucks.

The hot dog was good and the slaw was tasty. Finely chopped like hot dog slaw should be with a hint of celery seeds and pepper. 

 I loved the Reed's Extra Ginger Brew it was not too sweet with a little kick of heat and made of real ingredients!

From the Reed's website:

Extra Ginger Brew

Ingredients: Sparkling Filtered Water (Sweetened by a blend of raw cane sugar, pineapple juice from concentrate and honey), Fresh Ginger Root, Lemon and Lime Juices from concentrate and spices. Non Alcoholic. Free of Preservatives, Caffeine, Gluten & GMO’s.

Just right to quench the thirst on a hot day!

I'd love to sample the ice cream but not today. We have more walking to do!

A few of the sights on our walk through Riverside and Avondale

There's the shade!

Standing guard

Loved this!
LittleFreeLibrary.org
Take a book, leave a book. Too bad I didn't have a book with me...

That was our day. Where did your feet take you this weekend?