Walter Jones Historical Park

It was the first blustery day since summer. The temperature had actually dropped below 65 degrees, the trees whistled the subtle tune of Florida in the Fall. The sky was clear, the air was crisp, the ground was crunchy. I was recovering from a bout of bronchitis, ready to leave the confines of my couch [as comforting and helpful as it had been]. So we took a Sunday drive.

Walter Jones Historical Park is just down San Jose Boulevard, in a place that seems relatively close to me now, here in San Marco, but for some it borders the edge of the city. We took a right, and smack dab in the middle of schools, gas stations, houses, and the Italian American Society [Cha-ching! Checking that out again.] we found the park. It's entrance is unassuming. The parking lot is small and it seems impossible that a park could even fit in there.

However, after taking a few chilly steps down the concrete path towards the St. John's River, it's as if the land transforms. We were catapulted back in time, as their signage suggested we envision, to the late 1800's and the way this land used to be.

We walked along the banks of the river on their splintery wooden boardwalk. We briefly paparazzied the lady conspicuously posing for a few amateur photographers, never able to identify what they could possibly be taking the pictures for. We strolled underneath the slanted Spanish moss, blowing above our heads like little fanfare for what used to be. A long dock stretched out into the river, bringing about bursts of casual reminiscence of ships carrying oranges, strawberries, and other tropical gems to the big city of Jacksonville, a long journey at the time. I swung in a black iron swing while Justin explored the old and rusty property.

It was nice to remember that Jacksonville was not always a land of too many roads, endless sprawl, and the gazillionth strip mall. That, at one point, not even all that long ago, it was a place of natural Floridian beauty that lived off the land and for the land. And that, if you look hard enough, or really not that hard at all, it still is.