ahschneid

Dec 22, 202311 min read

A Month in Jacksonville!

Updated: Jan 9

We arrived at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville on 21 Nov 2023. We had a nice Thanksgiving with new friends from the campground. There was more food everywhere we looked! On Thanksgiving Day, the base commander picked up the check for the first 100 diners, and we were in there, so we didn't even have to pay the $11.20! We are truly blessed.

Line for Thanksgiving dinner at Oasis Galley Naval Station Mayport 2023

Command Master Chief Naval Station Mayport Thanksgiving 2023

29 Nov 2023 we ventured out for a day of errands and site seeing. By the time we got done with errands, it was noon so we went to Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park and had our picnic lunch. It was still 58 out, but with the sun it was bearable to eat our quick lunch. It was cool enough for there not to be any bugs, making it a nice lunch. We then hiked one on the many trails in the park, the South Loop. It was a narrow trail, so we walked single file with Steve in the lead. On either side of us was mature coastal hammock or jungle/forest looking green, but eerily quiet. Much of our hike had the lake close enough to give Anita the creeps since we had seen a couple of 10ft alligators sunning on the opposite bank of the lake. It was just strange to not hear birds singing or any sounds of a forest, but it was probably too cool. We later saw and heard a few birds closer to the park office.

Alligator across the water at Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park 29 Nov 2023

Hanna Park 29 Nov 2023

Hanna Park 29 Nov 2023

Hanna Park 29 Nov 2023

Hanna Park 29 Nov 2023

On the 30th, we checked out Tide Views and Dutton Island Preserves, which are just a couple of miles off base. We hiked a couple of trails and enjoyed the walk, but signage wasn’t great, so we opted to stick to the path we’d come in on.

30 Nov 2023

30 Nov 2023

30 Nov 2023

30 Nov 2023

30 Nov 2023

30 Nov 2023

Ferns growing on the tree limb 30 Nov 2023

On 1 Dec 2023, we went for a 6mile bicycle ride on base. It was a good day with temps in the 70’s and enough cloud cover to prevent too much heat from the sun. It was good to be out on our bikes. It had been a while.

Wood Stork we saw on our bike ride

On 2 Dec, we went to Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island to see Anita’s friend Diane. By the end of the day, she was Steve’s friend too. Diane showed us her home, which she relocated to about a year and a half ago. She moved to Florida from Annapolis. Diane was an excellent hostess, showing us around Amelia Island. We went into the Amelia Island Museum of History which is in what was once the prison. It was interesting and we learned that the shrimping industry as we know it today actually started on Amelia Island. Amelia Island has a rich history and has been claimed by 8 countries. We had a great lunch at Tomoti’s Seafood Shak. After lunch, the weather wasn’t great so we went to Fort Clinch and toured that museum. The misty rain continued, so we drove to see Diane’s church which is nestled among trees and seems very peaceful. Diane’s whole complex is very nice. Diane showed us the beach and sand dunes near her place. The big dune called "Nana" is cherished by Diane and her fellow residents because it protects their buildings from storm surge.

We decided to drive home before it got dark. We got to the ferry to find that it would not be operating anymore that day due to the fog (and a Tornado watch had been issued till 10pm). We found the other route on I-295/95 to get back to Mayport and it was only about 20 miles longer. The scary part of our trip back was when the sky fell out and torrential rain fell. So much rain fell that the roads flooded in some areas and there were no gas stations or places to pull into to wait out the downpour. We went about 25mph with everyone else and the rain finally let up about 6 miles from home. It actually stopped completely for us to get inside once we got to our camper. It was good to be home, dry and safe. When we had first started driving home from Diane’s we talked about stopping for dinner at a restaurant we’d seen near the ferry, but with us not going that way and the crazy rain, we opted to heat up leftovers when we got home.

2 Dec 2023 near St. John's River Ferry

2 Dec 2023 near St. John's River Ferry

2 Dec 2023 St. John's River Ferry

2 Dec 2023 St. John's River Ferry

2 Dec 2023 back side of Huguenots

Just off the ferry on Amelia Island 2 Dec 2023

Amelia Island Museum Of History 2 Dec 2023

Amelia Island Museum Of History 2 Dec 2023

Amelia Island Museum Of History 2 Dec 2023

Amelia Island Museum Of History 2 Dec 2023

Amelia Island Museum Of History 2 Dec 2023

Amelia Island Museum Of History 2 Dec 2023

Amelia Island Museum Of History 2 Dec 2023

Amelia Island Museum Of History 2 Dec 2023

2 Dec 2023

Downtown Fernandina Beach 2 Dec 2023

Downtown Fernandina Beach 2 Dec 2023

Downtown Fernandina Beach 2 Dec 2023

Fernandina Beach 2 Dec 2023

Diane's apartment 2 Dec 2023

Diane's apartment 2 Dec 2023

Diane's apartment 2 Dec 2023

In the military campground where we stayed, we were only allowed to be in a waterfront site for 2 weeks, so on 5 Dec, we moved one row back from the water. It was still nice and we enjoyed being here. Steve could walk out on the rocks across the road to fish. This just might be our new favorite military campground!

Sheepshead 4 Dec 2023

Red Drum 4 Dec 2023

Unknown Snapper 4 Dec 2023

Steve also caught a sea turtle at the base and safely released it

View from our camper when we were waterfront

Frequent view from our camper

Out on a walk around Pelican Roost Campground Nov 2023

5 Dec, we tried to see the Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve but it’s only open Wed-Sun. We went to the Spanish Pond trail head and walked the 2 mile hike. It was a perfect day with temps in the 60’s and sunny with no wind. With the 4 mile round trip walk, we were happy.

Spanish Pond Trail 5 Dec 2023

Spanish Pond Trail 5 Dec 2023

Spanish Pond Trail Map 5 Dec 2023

Spanish Pond Trail 5 Dec 2023

Spanish Pond Trail 5 Dec 2023

Spanish Pond Trail 5 Dec 2023

Spanish Pond Trail 5 Dec 2023

On 7 Dec 2023, we went to St. Augustine for the day. We left around mid-morning to see things during the day and to be there after sunset when the “Nights of Lights” came on. When we got there, we toured the National Shrine of Our Lady of Leche. The shrine was a fascinating place and we spent over 2 hours there between the indoor exhibits and the grounds. After lunch we walked to the Cathedral Basilica, which was beautiful. We weren’t interested in going inside the “fort”, AKA Castillo de San Marcos, but we walked around the outside. The view of the harbor from benches outside the fort was great! We later went over to the Fountain of Youth. Anita was duped into paying $20 to see the fountain, and was very disappointed. It’s not a “fountain” at all, but three small flows from “spickets”, with a plaque commemorating it as the “fountain of youth”. There are 15 acres of things to see, but Anita felt like it was more for kids, with a planetarium, and stations demonstrating tools and their function as used by the Timucuan Indians.

7 Dec 2023

Inside National Shrine of Our Lady of la Leche 7 Dec 2023

Inside National Shrine of Our Lady of la Leche 7 Dec 2023

Inside National Shrine of Our Lady of la Leche 7 Dec 2023

Inside National Shrine of Our Lady of la Leche 7 Dec 2023

Inside National Shrine of Our Lady of la Leche 7 Dec 2023

Inside National Shrine of Our Lady of la Leche 7 Dec 2023

Inside National Shrine of Our Lady of la Leche 7 Dec 2023

Outside National Shrine of Our Lady of la Leche 7 Dec 2023

Our tourguide inside, Rob, is retired and lives in St. Augustine now, but he was born and raised in Connecticut. Rob told us he had a hard time swallowing that the Indians and Spanish celebrated a thanksgiving meal so long before Plymouth Rock. Being from the northeast, Plymouth Rock was a source of community pride among the locals where Rob grew up.