We made Jacksonville the sixth stop on our winter road trip because we like the Mayport Naval Station campground very much. We camped here in 2018 at Pelican Roost, one of the two campgrounds on the installation. Helen and I prefer this campground over Osprey Cove, the other campground on the base, because it is near the beach. Unfortunately, on this trip, near the beach is about as close as we got. Very windy and cold weather conditions developed almost as soon as we unhooked Dora, our fifth wheel, and reduced our beach activities to viewing only.
Another reason to like this campground is the ability to watch many ships enter and leave the port. We had a great view of the canal from our campsite and were kept entertained by various vessels floating to our front. We saw some beautiful sailboats, tugboats, and even rowboats cruising through the channel in addition to the Naval ships and cargo carriers.
One evening, after a heavy rain, the setting sun appeared just as the clouds broke up and presented a unique sky for photo opportunities. The sunset first appeared as a pink haze over one of the Navy ships. I had the camera ready and took the “pretty in pink” picture at the top of this post that turned out well.
A few minutes later, pink turned to red, and the clouds over an aircraft carrier glowed as if on fire.
In need of something to do, Helen and I decided to drive 45 minutes north to Amelia Island and check it out. Neither of us had visited Amelia before but always heard that the small village held a large amount of charm. Ignoring the cold and the wind, off we went to check it out.
Helen had done some research before leaving and suggested we first go to Fort Clinch State Park in Fernandina Beach to stretch our legs and perhaps walk the beach. Rainy conditions changed those plans after we arrived, but the drive into Fort Clinch is very inviting, and a huge Sandhill Crane served as the welcoming committee. We drove through, visited the shop at the Fort, and made plans to return when the weather permitted.
Amelia Island was relatively quiet on the day we visited. Helen and I walked both sides of the street in the heart of town and browsed a few shops. I found a well-organized antique/junk shop that entertained us for about an hour. As soon as we entered, I spotted eight souvenir thimbles to add to my growing collection. I was delighted. Thimbles are hard to find now—I suppose that people sew less than they used to.
When the rain stopped, we made a break for our truck and began the trip back to Mayport. Amelia Island is known for the Colonial and Victorian homes in the area. We passed by some great examples of the architecture on the way out of town. I have two to show here.
Jacksonville is a great place to visit, and I’m sure we will return. Although the weather got in our way here, we didn’t let the rain bother us too much…we had many boats nearby.
We’re Easin’ Along. See everyone next week at Cumberland National Seashore, King’s Bay, Georgia.
Note to our Military Living readers: We highly recommend the campgrounds at Mayport Naval Station. The pads are large with full hookups, and plenty of space between campsites. The showers are clean and the laundry is free. On our previous visit, the clubhouse staff and volunteers hosted group activities and Saturday morning breakfasts. Hopefully, this will resume once the COVID pandemic subsides.
Amazing sunset picture!!!
Good morning!
It was better in person, and I was lucky to have a camera close by. Thanks for checking in! See y’all soon! Joe
Joe, I’m pretty sure Mayport is close to Huguenot Memorial Park, which is our favorite beach in the Jax area. Too bad you had stinky weather. We actually postponed our trip to Jekyll by one full week, hoping to get past the rain and cooler temps. Next week is looking better, so fingers crossed that we will have a beautiful week. Amelia and Fernandina are both fun little beach towns, also best enjoyed on a nice day. That is one magnificent sunset. I’m glad you had your camera handy also. Can’t wait to read about your impressions of Cumberland Island.
Hello, Suzanne,
I will make a note about Huguenot Memorial Park because we will come back to Mayport at a later date. Not certain we would go to any beach in the weather we had. I understand about the delay to Jekyll, winter vacations are always iffy and our fingers are crossed for you. Amelia is really a neat place and the homes there are unique. Thanks for checking in. Have a great week! Joe
Loved the red sky pic!!! Glad you got to go to Amelia island . It’s a neat town. Ease on along!!!!
Luanne,
Amelia was a unique place to visit. The Victorian homes were special. Hope to go back! Joe
Hi, Joe – Your sunset pictures are truly stunning. Incredible colours.
I visited Jacksonville years and years ago. Thank you for sharing it with us. I’m sorry to hear that the weather was not always on your side — but the days are getting longer (which always makes me smile)!
Good morning, Donna,
The clouds around that sunset get all the credit. They broke up at the perfect moment to capture the color of the sun bouncing off them. It was a fun experience, weather on either side of the event notwithstanding. Hoping you have a grand week. Always look forward to reading your blog posts. Joe
Those are some gorgeous colors in your sunset photos, Joe – that red sky pic is surreal! Alan and I enjoy passing time watching all kinds of vessels ply the waters. Looks like you and Helen found a perfect place to do that. The next time you’re in boat watching mode, check out marinetraffic.com – it’s amazing how many big ships are traveling out there at any given time. Enjoy the next leg of your journey – we loved that area of Georgia!
Hello, Mary,
Thanks for the boat-watching tip. I’ll bookmark that one for sure. The Mayport campground is perfect for viewing boat traffic of all shapes and sizes. Thanks for Easin’ Along with us. I think you’ll enjoy Cumberland Island and St. Mary’s. Have a great week! Joe
I love “touring” with you on your journeys through Florida, Joe. Some day we hope to travel there. Yes, that sunset is amazing. I’m glad you are away from the Arctic vortex that has descended on much of the US. Thank you for the lovely (and warm) tour! Have a great week!
Terri,
I enjoyed this week’s Sunday Stills a bunch. Loved the comments also. Thanks for including Easin’ Along in the listing of contributors. I went back and submitted another comment to make sure you knew I saw it. We missed the Arctic Vortex, but we landed in the middle of a monsoon. Lots of rain. Still, a bad day on an RV trip is always better than a good day at the office. Congrats on the new job! Joe
Nice trip, Joe. I feel warmer now. It was a little cool here in Prescott to be out walking – no rain just cold wind! Have a happy week. 🙂
Good morning, Marsha,
We had fun in Jacksonville, but the wind curtailed a few activities. Nevertheless, we enjoyed watching the big boats and our day trip to Amelia Island. I jumped over to your blog and found it very interesting and enjoyed reading about your life and accomplishments. I’ll go back for sure. Thanks for stopping by! Please come again! Joe
Sunset pictures are amazing. Red skies are always beautiful to watch.
Great post
Sreedevi,
We just happened to catch this one at the right time. I have posted pictures of several sunrises and sunsets on Easin’ Along through the years, and proud of all of them. Hope you’ll will look back through them. Thanks for stopping by. Joe