Jacksonville & vicinity

Jacksonville

 June 2011

          It’s our Spring Break!  A bit late, since we weren’t able to make schedule connections earlier.  But it’s technically still Spring.  We’re off to visit friend Caroline – we met on our Provence river cruise two years ago – using frequent-credit-card miles for free United flights.  Tight connections on our flights (due to several changes in flight times), so we pack light with just carry-on; Caroline promised needed supplies at her end.  Looking forward to meeting her new Goldendoodle puppy, we’re advised to keep things out of her reach.  We’re leaving our own babies behind: newly hatched finches atop a wreath on the front door (they’ve flown the nest by our return).  We arrange a rental car so Caroline won’t feel chained to us the whole time as our guide.  But some trouble finding directions from JAX airport via MapQuest or GPS; does she live in some kind of “Area 51” secret government location?  Some record-pushing heat here just before we leave, will it be cooler in Jacksonville?

Thursday, June 9:

A steamy day in Albany after thunderstorms last night.  10am departure (pretty civilized for us) to Dulles, on-time and flight #2 delayed a bit so no trouble making the connection.  About on time into JAX at 2:15.  Budget car is a deep red Hyundai Sonata, roomier than the expected compact and comfy for the 400 miles of driving we do.  My first photos: documenting some scratches and scrapes on the car.  A lovely PM in J’ville, aka “Where Florida Begins” and “First Coast.”   

An hour drive south to Caroline’s, past the city and nuclear plant cooling towers (also seen as the plane came in), over a pretty bridge, views of such Floridiana as palm trees and waterways.  Some confusion with directions cleared up via cellphone, Caroline (and Dolly) meet us by the gate to her community: Riverwood (within the larger area of Nocatee); and she had alerted gate personnel that we were “OK” visitors.  

A beautiful, seemingly Disneyesque setting: nearby waterpark, numerous developments, pretty landscaping with many flowers and flowering trees (crepe myrtle, oleander, magnolia).   

Built on a swamp, most of the natural forest area has been kept and serves as nice backdrop, ponds thruout.  These are Del Webb developments for “active” 55 and over.  [A gerontological sidenote: We Googled Del Webb, who was a construction magnate and part-owner of the NY Yankees, built “Sun City” in Arizona in 1961, so can be considered the originator of retirement community living.]  

 No rain here for several weeks, plus the whiff of smoke thruout our stay from wildfires in N Georgia and around the area (tho nothing like the Arizona fires in the news now).  Things still seem pretty green tho, maybe because of the swampy foundation for the forested areas w/ thick undergrowth.  Sprinklers for the lawns, Caroline says water bills are pretty high.  Interesting wildlife around Caroline’s neighborhood.  Wild boars seen marching thru her yard the other evening (we’re disappointed this isn’t repeated during our visit), they dug up the neighbor’s yard for grubs last night – it looks like a rototiller tore it up.  Plus the occasional snake and alligator, oh my!  More pleasant are the birds around her feeders: hummingbirds, cardinals, tufted titmouses (or is it titmice?).

         

Friday, June 10: 

          We’re all up early; Dolly’s routine includes alerting the household by 6am.  A pretty AM: Caroline takes Dolly out for her morning constitutional, I stroll around the neighborhood and nearby community park before breakfast, spotting a big white egret in the pond near C’s house.  Steamier w/ high 80s today, but temps during our stay are OK with a little breeze or in the shade; increasing heat is forecast over the next several days (plus “heat storms” for Tuesday!).  

 Caroline will join us today for an outing to Amelia Island, since she’s never been there (or a number of places we go during our stay).  First a brief stop at C’s favorite beach, then north up the coast on Route A1A: past Sawgrass (a well-known golf club) and other resorts, new developments, some more honky-tonk commercial areas; a naval station; shrimp boats (shrimp appears to be the local seafood specialty).  A little ferry across the St. Johns R, then thru unspoiled areas of dunes and marsh to the city of Fernandina Beach. 

      A pretty downtown area. 

          Painted shrimp sculptures scattered about, the counterpart of such iconic public art in other cities (like horses in Saratoga).  Signs about manatees in the harbor, tho we don’t see any.  I get a photo of a pirate w/ 2 wenches.   

Courthouse w/ beautiful wood, one office has a wall of the myriad license plate options in Florida (for an extra fee).  

 We follow a walking tour of historic buildings and Victorian homes (framed by big old trees w/ Spanish moss), reminding us of Cape May.  Chatted up by a friendly guy at the visitor center.   

Seeking lunch tips, Marjorie cleverly asks, “Where would you go?”  He directs us to T-Ray’s Burger Station, resulting in a delightful experience for which M gets full credit.  It’s an ex-gas station that looks like a hole-in-the-wall where you’d never think to stop, except parking is full and there’s a lineup of locals inside.  I get the Friday special fried shrimp (best I’ve ever had), M & C get crab-burgers, all delivered to the table by T-Ray’s Dad.  We sit with a friendly couple who retired to the area several years back, friendly banter thruout the place.  USA Today has named this the “best burger joint” in Florida.

          After lunch back down the coast.  Beautiful white sand beaches, with eau du sun lotion.  Past resorts and fancy homes along (and blocking access to!) the beach.  We drive around Riverwood, lots of construction; seems to be doing well despite the housing slump.  A fancy community center will be opening later this month.  Dolly is so excited when we return, she pees on the floor.  A relaxing evening: M & C talk about life, R watches Stanley Cup hockey.

Saturday, June 11:

          Another beautiful day, high 80s.  Caroline stays home today w/ Dolly while we head south to St. Augustine.  A detour around a bike race, then a gerontological sign: “Shingles Shots Here” at Walgreen’s.  Some rain! – but only sprinkles for about 10 seconds.  A1A along the coast, parasailors above (powered by fans), past an area burned out right to the road and still smoldering.  The undergrowth along the road is very thick like a jungle. 

          St. Augustine has much to offer in the way of touristy kitsch: a Fountain of Youth park, ghost tours like “Trolley of the Doomed,” lots of pirate shows.  We stick to the basics, beginning with Castillo de San Marcos, a fort overlooking the ocean and city.  Friendly ranger saves us money via a lifetime National Parks pass for seniors (this seems our most “senior” trip).  

Beautiful views from the fort, lovely sun & clouds mix; thankfully it’s not too hot – we’re told they’ve measured 137º in the interior courtyard!  Into the city to find parking in the midst of the historic district; as Caroline forewarned, we’ll needs lots of dollar bills to feed meter machines during the day.   

        An unexpected first stop: St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine, including info on the Smyrna Colony, the 1^st Greek colony in 1788, but it didn’t last. 

          Into the nearby Colonial Spanish Quarter Museum, a living history complex (another place C hasn’t been): friendly carpenter, leather-maker, cook.  It has the feel of Sturbridge, but more manageable scale.  I chat with a woman involved in archeological digging here whose friend just retired from the State Museum in Albany.  Noisy musket firing demo.  

Amusing historical repartee by costumed “Mr. & Mrs. Stout” in the main house.  

  

A quick stop to see the Cathedral/Basilica, impressive exterior and interior.  After some searching we find recommended lunch spot Barnacle Bill’s.  Waitress takes our order (we pass on the Gator Tail) and will “put that in for y’all.” 

         

  Heading out of the city Marjorie makes a good spontaneous catch, spotting easy parking by the Lightner Museum.  Eclectic doesn’t do justice to the collections in what was the fancy Alcazar Hotel: glass novelty hats, Tiffany windows, a collection of toasters, beautiful antique furniture, stuffed lion and gator, Egyptian child mummy, etc..  A wedding party in the entry garden courtyard.  Interior courtyard extends up 3 flights; this was the world’s largest indoor pool in 1888 (plus baths and steamroom), now a peaceful setting w/ café and piano.   

A pretty plaza with fountains outside, across from impressive red buildings of Flagler College.  We head out for a view of the lighthouse (with incredible old spreading trees we’ve seen other places here), after waiting for a drawbridge.  Not too busy in the AM, but more people and cars in the PM and heavy traffic now into the city as we leave.  A beautiful clear afternoon as we drive back up the coast, wind whipping up the surf (C says there’s good surfing around here).  Into Publix supermarket so M can get some things to fix for dinner.  

 After-dinner walk w/ Dolly, we spot a deer and more boar damage, people playing “pickle ball,” a sort of cross between tennis and ping-pong.  We all relax to watch “Children of a Lesser God” DVD.

Sunday, June 12:

          We hang out in the AM (after our doggy wake-up call).  Yesterday we missed the Global Day of Prayer broadcast from the downtown arena, Pat Boone singing “How Great Thou Art,” and apparently today we’ll skip the Jacksonville Fishing Rodeo.  We talk w/ our Queens Wards, who are at our house while son Matt judges percussion auditions for the Youth Orchestra; they say it’s too cool for the grandsons to run thru the sprinklers! 

Into the city about noon, thicker air today, partly the heavier smoke around J’ville.  

          To the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens (another first for Caroline).  Beautiful English and Italian gardens along the river, Jacksonville skyline across the river.  

Inside are wonderful collections, beautifully displayed: from 2100 BC to 21^st C, including a distinctive porcelain exhibit.  And a great kids’ area, very creative and interactive; the 3 of us do collaborative computer painting on a big screen, silly silhouetted dancing on another screen. 

 After snacking at a little coffee bar, we learn more about the Cummer family (per Mrs. Cummer’s final wishes, their beautiful big house was razed to build the museum) and the Great Fire of 1901 which destroyed much of J’ville. 

          Back to Riverwood to gawk thru model homes of various sizes, all beautifully decorated; clever Marjorie notices how color schemes and scents are coordinated.  Walking around the neighborhood, are those boars across the field?  No, they are vultures!  Our first corn on the cob of the season with dinner.  

 Out for a walk w/ Dolly we spot a family of boars on the other side of a pond: 2 adults, 6 piglets.  [FYI: We learn that a group of boars is called a singular or sounder.]  Marjorie gives Caroline contact info for our orchestra friend Kim and her Goldendoodle Jasper, to share training tips. I watch Dallas beat Miami (and LeBron et al.) for the basketball title.

Monday, June 13: 

 

       Forecast is for 98 today, up to 100 later in the week.  [A few days after our visit the heat and smoke are such that people are advised to avoid going outside.]  We decide to do the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens early before the heat – another new experience for Caroline, whose local explorations have been sadly lacking!  And it’s “$2 Day at the Zoo,” which occurs randomly 4 times a year.  We begin with Marjorie’s favorite: a train ride for overview.  Caroline spots a girl from her school in a group of “Zoo Campers.”   

Then we stroll mostly shaded walkways, nice exhibit areas and landscaping, many animals: lots of birds, snakes and alligators, rhinos and elephants, etc.  [Another FYI: ovoviviparous means bearing eggs that are hatched inside the mother.]  But no boars!  We were hoping to see them closer up.  The best part is where folks can be at head level to feed giraffes – which have humungous tongues!  

 We see most of the zoo in a couple of hours, then heat + crowds + waning energy have us seeking lunch.  A stop at Panera’s, then a drive around J’ville Country Day School, where Caroline is a librarian.  Another Publix stop to get some things for dinner – the staff is so-o-o-o friendly and helpful, it’s almost annoying!

          Dolly is again so delighted when we return!  We just hang out on a hot PM, reading, Marjorie some watercoloring, napping.  The local news has coverage on “the thousands” taking advantage of the zoo discount . . . and that’s us in view strolling in the background!  Thunderstorms (and smoke) reported around the area, then thunder and a good rain here.  Caroline’s very excited, gives us credit as rainmakers.

Tuesday, June 14:

          Up early, an easy ride to JAX.  Thru security, where I get a full-body scan; Marjorie opts out because of her radiation treatments for breast cancer, instead getting a full pat-down (and she’s impressed with how considerately it’s done).  Quizno’s breakfast, a last photo of the airy terminal concourse, on-time departure about 10.  Not as tight a connection at Dulles this time: 2 shuttles to our gate, a short wait, then on-time for Albany arrival about 2:00.  Unusually good views during our descent of Albany skyline on one side, UAlbany campus on the other (with very prominent construction areas for new School of Business building and dorms).  I’m under-dressed! – Albany’s cloudy & low-60s.

How should we rate this trip?  There was some pretty scary stuff!: nasty boars (did I mention the boars?), wildfires, a dog leaping up or licking toes at every turn; and every unit in these communities has a “storm room,” a small windowless basically walk-in closet with reinforced door and walls for refuge during hurricanes (plus “Hurricane Evacuation Route” signs along roads).  And it wasn’t all rest and relaxation.  There were chores: I replaced the water filter in the fridge and helped trim Dolly’s nails, Marjorie did some cooking and dog-training (her bright idea: pennies in a soda can to reinforce “No!” commands).  I, the visiting gerontologist, offered some pension and Medicare advisement, as well as tourist guide services – Caroline’s been here less than a year, so we were happy to come down and show her around.  Whew!  Despite all this exhausting extra work, we had a terrific time!  Caroline is a wonderful friend and hostess, Dolly an energetic buddy, there were many interesting sights and activities, and time to just relax.