Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens

     We took Amelia to the zoo to see the animals for the first time yesterday! We had taken her to the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens last Halloween, but none of the animals were really out at night. She really enjoyed looking at everything and spending time outdoors, as did we, even if it was chilly!

     She did really great in and out of her stroller! That's a really surprising statement considering she has always hated to be strapped into that thing. We took her out a couple times to see things where the fences were too tall, but she spent almost all day in there. The zoo was really stroller friendly for the most part, not that it wasn't a workout.

     Now, about the zoo itself. They house over 2,000 wild and exotic animals and over 1,000 types of plants. Some of the larger exhibits include The Range of the Jaguar, Land of the Tiger, Giraffe Outlook, and the Great Apes. The zoo is essentially a safari covering East Africa, Asia, Australia, and more! They have great exhibits on Florida wildlife, amphibians, and birds. Many of the animals were put up during our visit because it was too cold out for them, but we had a great time seeing the ones that were still in their habitats.

     The gardens are beautiful! Many of the plants were actually in bloom, which was a pleasant surprise in February. The Butterfly Hollow is a seasonal exhibit, but the paths through it lead to a beautiful view of the Trout River. There is seating scattered throughout the garden and it was absolutely a lovely space late in the afternoon!

     Another point I would like to hit on is the food. They have pretty standard and yummy fare at their cafes, but their sweet shop is fantastic! They have absolutely amazing fudge, ice cream, and a huge selection of candy. Their fudge is so good that Jeremy actually convinced me to buy this much of it! They have lots of different flavors. We got Rocky Road, Birthday Cake, Heath, Cappuccino, Dulce De Leche, and Butterfinger. He swears it take us a along time to eat it all, but I'm already doubting that!

     We had a great day! It is an absolutely beautiful and fun zoo and we will definitely be making a return visit in the future.

Boone Hall Plantation

After going over all the plantations in the Charleston area, and there are many, we settled on the Boone Hall Plantation. It was a bit out of the way, but it also gave us a good reason to ride over the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. I was iffy on paying so much to see any plantation. It seemed like a waste of money to pay $15 to walk around the outside of a house and another $10 to go inside. That's why I was so happy to find this one! The $20 admission covers so much. You get access to the grounds, avenue of oaks, a house tour, a coach tour of the agricultural side of plantation, and much more that can be found on their website.

The charm just riding up to house is amazing. The Avenue of Oaks is beautiful and just a breathtaking drive. Some of the trees that line the drive are around 300 years old. 

The house is the third to be built on the property. It was built in 1936 partially with recovered materials from the previous farm houses and with bricks made on site. It is a Georgian style home an the interior is decorated in the antebellum style (and air conditioned). The tour was very informative and enjoyable. 

The front walk to the house is lined on either side by beautiful gardens, the shaded areas of which are more than welcome on an extremely hot summer day. The flowers were absolutely gorgeous.

The row of slave quarters in the front of the home has a great self guided tour. Each cabin presents a different chapter in African-American history. It focuses on their daily lives, work, and struggles in a time period ranging from the beginning of slavery in the U.S. to the present day. 

The coach tour takes you back through the agricultural part of the plantation. It is a working plantation, which is very unique. They have been continually growing crops on the property for over 330 years! The coach tour is a must. Our guide was awesome and I learned so much. Plus, sitting on the coach for a bit, out of the sun, with a nice breeze, was great. 

We almost missed the Cotton Dock.  Our tour guide on the coach pointed it out. It has been rebuilt, but it has a great view of the tidal marsh.

We closed out our day here and it was a great way to end it, overlooking such a huge part of the Lowcountry.

Walter Jones Historical Park

Our plans for the day were cancelled, so we decided to check out a local park instead. I'm so glad we did. The Walter Jones Historic Park is a little bit of Southern charm situated on the St, John's River. The paths were nicely shaded and the park was very clean. 

My husband and I love to visit historic sites and I imagine we will visit this one often. There is a restored farmhouse, barn, outbuildings, and sawmill. Growing up in rural Alabama, I had a lot of this in my hometown and it was great to have something so reminiscent of home here in Jacksonville. 

There are beautiful trees filled with Spanish moss and a boardwalk that leads out to the river. There is considerable growth between the observation decks and the river, but it is enjoyable all the same. I could have spent a lot of time there, had there not been a storm rolling in. 

As for the history of the park:

"Major William Webb purchased 31.2 acres on the St. Johns River 

in Mandarin in 1873. He built a home, barn and 1,000-foot dock 

extending into the St. Johns River. Walter Jones, proprietor of the 

Mandarin Store and Post Office, moved his family to the homestead 

in the early 1900s and his family members occupied the property 

until 1992. The City of Jacksonville acquired 10 acres of Major 

Webb’s original homestead from the descendants of Walter Jones 

in 1994 for the purpose of creating the city’s first historical park."

 City of Jacksonville

I loved this park and I can't wait to visit again! 

Big Talbot Island

It was a cloudy, lazy day and absolutely time to get out of the house. I had been talking to my husband about scoping out good picnic spots. I've become obsessed with the idea of picnicking. I mean totally obsessed. I'm sure that will take up its own post soon enough. 

I knew the weather wasn't picnic worthy, so we just set out to find a new place. New places shouldn't be hard to come by since we have only lived here for a year...but they are. I don't know if I'm just picky or if there are genuinely no places around here to go to. 

Big Talbot Island, a Florida State Park, my dream come true. This park is situated off of AIA. We pulled into the parking lot and immediately noticed the beautiful trees that cover the park. There is a path that you have to hike to get to the shoreline. The whole experience reads as much more exotic than just a normal trip to the beach. I love it!

 I would suggest going at low tide. In our inexperience, we arrive precisely and unknowingly at high tide. There was hardly any beach to speak of, but there is plenty of beautiful driftwood. I should probably call them drift trees. They are a protected feature of the park. I am told you can see more of them at low tide and I can't wait to go back and explore further. 

Admittedly, it is a bit of a hike to make with a baby, but she had a blast! I mean, how perfect is this? 

We had a beautiful little trip on am otherwise gloomy Monday. It is things like this that make me the happiest. Finding a gorgeous place in the middle of nowhere and spending time with my loves.