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cars along A1A between Jacksonville and Fernandina  until several years ago when new bridges were built to replace the outdated ones.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!

What's On My Feet

One reason I like to walk is that you don't need a lot of expensive equipment. To start a walking program the only thing you really need is a good pair of shoes. (Some people do walk barefooted but not me!)

I've owned several different brands of walking shoes. Nike and New Balance are two favorites but Skechers are my new go to shoes.

Skechers are lightweight with breathable uppers.  Memory foam makes walking in these shoes very comfortable.

Even the little strappy dress shoes are great shoes for walking around town. I wouldn't wear them for strenuous long walks but they're great for a marathon shopping trip!

A few shoes tips:

• When trying on new shoes be sure to wear the socks that you'll be using when you walk so you'll get a proper fit. 
• If your feet tend to swell shop for new shoes at the end of the day to get the best fit. 
• Don't think you can break in new shoes. If they don't feel good at the store they won't feel good in another week.
• Do walk around the house in your new shoes. That way if you decide they aren't comfortable for some reason you'll be able to return them. It's harder to return shoes after you've walked outside. (Each store is different but this is the policy at many shoe stores. Check on the return policy before you buy)
• Having two pairs of walking shoes allows you to rotate shoes each day. This will give each pair time to air out between walks. 
• If you don't have two pairs of shoes to rotate you can use a blow dryer set on low or cool to dry the shoes between wearing. A dryer sheet tucked inside will also freshen up smelly shoes or a sprinkle of baking soda works pretty good.

Leave me a comment and let me know your favorite walking shoe...

(I purchased Skechers myself and I wasn't compensated in any way for this review.)

Step By Step

Several years ago I began wearing a pedometer. This is a little gizmo that counts each step I take. This one simple thing changed my whole outlook when I realized that I was I was taking less than 5000 steps a day.

 According to an article at About Health less than 5000 steps is considered sedentary. I'd always thought of myself as fairly active so this was a wake up call. 

See the article "How Many Pedometer Steps Per Day is Enough?" for more details.

When I first started wearing a pedometer my goal was to increase my steps by 500 to 1000 steps a day. I slowly worked my way up to taking 10,000 of more each day and I've kept up that pace for the last 3 years. 

10,000 steps isn't a magic number but one many people aim for. For me 2100 steps is equal to 1 mile so I'm walking around 4 - 5 miles each day. Weekends usually find us walking the trails at a local state park or participating with our walking club and my steps can go up to 16,000 or more. 

A few tips pedometer tips:

1. Buy a good pedometer. I use one by Omron. You can buy pedometers that track miles, calories burned, heart rate, etc. but I like this that just keeps up with the steps. 
2. Don't use the freebies that are given away at health fairs. You can jiggle those in your hand and up your steps. That doesn't help you at all.
3. I put my pedometer on as soon as I get out of bed. It's surprising how many steps you can take just fixing breakfast. 
4. If your pedometer doesn't come with a good clasp rig up a way to hold it sucurely on your waistband. I found this out the hard way when my pedometer came off my pants while in the bathroom at Sears. It wasn't pretty...
5. Track your steps and aim to add steps each day until you reach a number that's right for you.
6. Have fun and enjoy the outdoors. Number of steps are important but shouldn't be your only goal.

I purchased this Omron pedometer at Walgreens for about $15. I've had it for 2 years and I've replaced the battery once. That's a good deal...

Do you wear a pedometer? 

Alone With God- A Prayer Walk

I like to walk in the mornings by myself. It gives me time to be alone with the Lord. If something is bothering me or I'm trying to make a decision about something I give it over to Jesus and usually by the end of my walk I have a clearer idea of what I need to do. 

During these early morning walks I also thank the Lord for His many blessings. I call to mind the times He has been faithful to answer my prayers. Not always the way I wanted but He always hears and answers. His answers are a million times better than anything I could come up with!

Getting outside and seeing God's world helps me to have a better attitude. I look at simple things like what we call weeds that grow in the ditches. God cares so much that He makes even the lowly weed beautiful. I know He loves and cares for me so much more. 

Where is your favorite place to spend time alone with the Lord?