Continuing our Monday roadtrips – We headed to Smyrna Dunes Park in New Smyrna Beach, a 2-mile hiking trail / boardwalk, with side trips off the main boardwalk taking you to ocean, inlet and river views. We got to enjoy gopher tortoises, kit surfers, and views of the Ponce Inlet lighthouse. On our way back home we stopped at Hollyland Park in Holly Hills FL to check out the eagles – but only a long distance glimpse. However herons and woods storks were around.
The Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens is a 120-acre urban woodland full of trails for you to explore and enjoy. Interpretive signs and over 100 labeled plants enhance the loop. Over three miles of rustic hiking trails wind quietly through a series of distinct ecological habitats. The Arboretum is developed and managed by the Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens, Inc., a non-profit entity that leases the land from the City of Jacksonville.
During our last visit the the beachside of the park was closed. Today we were able to visit the Coquina rock formations on the ocean. The parks website defines Coquina —
What is Coquina Rock? Coquina= (“co-KEEN-a”)
Coquina rock is a type of sedimentary rock. The rock in our area formed in the near shore region, where shells and sand become well sorted by wave action. During times when sea level was lower, these shells and sand were exposed to rain. The rainwater dissolved some of the calcium carbonate (limestone) from the shells, which “glued” together the sand and shells into rock. If you look closely at the rock, you can see the individual shells and sand grains that are cemented together. The coquina rock is part of the Anastasia formation, which stretches from St. Augustine to Palm Beach County, and was created during the Pleistocene era (12,000 to 2.5 million years ago.) The word “coquina” is Spanish for “cockle” and is the name given to the small, burrowing clam that lives in the sand just at the ocean’s edge. The scientific name for the coquina clam is Donax variabilis, as the shells of the clams can be various colors. These clams are also sometimes called“periwinkles” by locals, but true periwinkles are actually snails. Well I went there for the opportunity to take some photographs – after the beach we hiked the trails through the white oak forest and to view the gardens.
We arrived in Plantation Bay on the 6th of August after a whirlwind drive across country to avoid the Corona virus (the trip was our first on Interstates all the way and in 5 days). We have spent the month unpacking 80 boxes that we shipped from Pasadena, in self quarantine for two weeks and then slowly getting back into the neighborhoods activity. My goal is to start exploring Central Florida one day a week then begin taking multi-day trips moving around the state in the months to come.
Stay At Home order continues — walking is my main exercise trying to walk 6 miles everyday. Beginning to see more people out unfortunately also seeing more without facemasks. Weather has been great but this week we will see high 90’s and even triple digits – walking will be early or late in the day — enjoy the pics!!
It’s now been five weeks of shelter in place — besides grocery shopping walking Pasadena has been our only outdoors exercise. I have been walking 5 to 7 miles a day and have about run out of new neighborhoods to explore. Hope you enjoy some of the sights that I have uncovered.
It’s been 3 weeks since we have been under the states stay at home order. In the first week we were able to use golf courses – good walking exercise – but no longer. So to exercise I decided to walk 5-6 miles a day – I found some new neighborhoods that I didn’t know existed. This week southern california has received several days of much needed rain which has shortened my walks to breaks in the rain. While walking I snapped pictures of some of my favorite locals, houses and flowers — ENJOY.
On January 3rd we arrived in Dublin CA to spend a late Christmas and New Years celebration with our northern CA kids. In addition to enjoying family time we also were lucky to see a Chinese New Year display of lanterns in Pleasanton CA. On the 6th we arrived in Pasadena after a 3500 mile very enjoyable journey. We then agreed we will only have one more cross country drive – when we head back to Florida to be full time residents.
A lot of snow along this stretch – we spent New Years Eve in Moab UT then 3 hours we won’t talk about in the mountains of UT finally ending up in Ely NV in a blinding snow storm. Our goal was to make Dublin CA on the 3rd of January and we were successful.
Travelling Photographer 