A Tourist View of Jacksonville, Florida #LivingtheSaltLife

Warning this one is loaded with pics.  I hope you enjoy them.

The summer solstice is here and you may have noticed I don't seem to posting here as much as usual.  It's hard to focus and stay inside with all that great weather calling from just outside my door.  With summer comes lots of events around town.

Jacksonville, Florida.  My town.  The bold new city of the south. The First Coast.  Like the map above shows in red, The First Coast, is a region of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida.  It roughly comprises the five counties surrounding Jacksonville: Duval, Baker, Clay Nassau and St. Johns, largely corresponding to the Jacksonville metropolitan area where I live.  We have 75 miles of Atlantic coastline and over 400 miles of river, waterways, creeks, ponds and lakes.

Why is it called The First Coast

St. Augustine's Fort Castillo de San Marcos at Sunset - source: http://myflacoast.com/first_coast/

This area was the first area of Florida colonized by Europeans and it's steeped in history. We have a whole different vibe than Orlando and Miami.  You'll find a slower pace here, a more southern feel, and definitely more of a southern drawl. It drips out of our mouths like the Spanish moss drips from our trees.

Do you ever look at your town through a tourist eyes? That's what we're trying to do more of this summer. We ride up and down these streets so often that we forget to really see what's there.  We forget to take advantage of the events our towns have to offer.  Well not this year.  I've vowed to get out and make the most of all there is.

Of course that includes a few visits a week to the beach.  You know you're at the beach when the restaurants advertise like this.  Btw - Bono's Pit Bar-B-Q is delicious and pretty famous in Jax.

We've been having lots of stormy weather lately, which is evident by all the seaweed that's been washing up.

The water's getting close to 80 degrees now and I could have stayed in it forever.

While I lay soaking up the sun Neil enjoys making friends.

He walks slow looking for sharks teeth and talking.  I love how the beach makes everyone friends, more so than towny folk.

I love living the salt life.  It's in my blood.

The day started out beautiful and then the winds came rolling in like a mini nor'easter.  We didn't even let the thunder run us off until the lightning started.  That did it!  We were outta there.  That's something you don't play around with in Florida, better known as The Lightning Capital of the world. For real - Yikes!  But heck, it was after 7:30 pm and time for us to hit the road anyway.

You can see how many people were caught off guard.  The unfavorable weather started moving in fast.

Still a cloudy day at the beach is better than any other day!

Neil with the amazing Zoltar, beautiful palms at The Jacksonville Landing and moi.

The First Wednesday Art Walk is held on the first Wednesday of every month, rain or shine from 6-9pm.  So in celebration of our new get-out attitude, out the door Neil & I went to do a walkabout.

This event has been going on since 2003.  It's been a few years since we've been so we thought we'd check it out again. The Art Walk boasts of more than 15 blocks that includes more than 40 galleries, museums, cultural venues, restaurants, bars and businesses, plus dozens of artists in Hemming Plaza, street performers and live music.

What did I think

I'm sorry to say...not much.  I was pretty disappointed and believe me, I hate having to say that.  Our downtown area is sorely in need of revitalization but somehow the powers that be just can't meld it all together.  The art walk was lack-luster to say the least. Other than a handful of true artists and of course the MOCA, it looked like street vendors in a bad neighborhood.  True street musicians were few and far between.  We mostly heard "artists" (and I use the term loosely) who plugged in their DJ equipment and cranked it up so loud that the real artists, a half a block away, couldn't be heard when you stood in front of them. Like I said disappointing.

We're not giving up

I think we'll have better luck going to the Beaches Art Walk or the Riverside Arts Festival. I think the upcoming Springing The Blues Fest at the Seawalk Pavillion in Jacksonville Beach, is the place to be this weekend.  Hot blues and fresh salt air is the perfect combination for a good time.

Back to our trip downtown

I enjoyed seeing the historical landmarks and architecture in the evening light more than anything else. I actually love busy city streets in the evening, where everyone's out walking. There's so much energy in places like San Francisco and Seattle after dark.

Andrew Jackson the namesake of our city is immortalized by this statue in front of The Jacksonville Landing.

The historic Elks Building with it's gorgeous Italianate facade.

I love this wise book owl that graces the Jacksonville Public Library.  She knows the key to knowledge is reading.

To know just how big this wise old owl is you have to see it the building.

And who doesn't love the beautiful architecture of an old historic church like Snyder Memorial, whether by the natural light of day or the spotlights at night.

I know there's lots to see wherever you live.  Take time to check it out.  Show things like this to your kids now so that they'll have an appreciation for them when they grow up. You might not think they're paying attention, but I guarantee you they will still be talking about it when their own kids come along.

The landing a long established landmark at the core of Jacksonville's urban area.

The views of the St. Johns river and our beautifully lit bridges just can't be beat. Look to the right and you see the Acosta bridge (above) or to the left and you see the Main Street bridge (below) with the Hart Bridge behind it.  You have to go to The Jacksonville Landing for this reason if no other.

You can catch a ride from the Northbank Riverwalk to the Southbank Riverwalk on the River Taxi.

So that's just a couple of things we did to make our week feel more like a vacation.

Back to everyday life, here's a few of the more mundane things that kept me busy.

Beautifying the yard - more to come on that. Pressure washing the house, adding mulch, fertilizing flowers, watching my sunflower seeds sprout.  Stop it!  You're not going to be laughing when I have beautiful sunflowers.

• Doggie bath time

• Lots of eating meals like steak & shrimp, grilled chicken salad, hamburger & corn on the cob, baked ham with baked beans & potato salad, cherry jubilee trifle - YUM!

• Snapping photos, writing reviews

• Enjoying the spoils of good neighbors who generously share their bountiful magazines (Drs office = lots!!)

• Going junkin'

A photo of me working out - not!

• Working out all week - I really did!

• Dinner at Carrabba's

• Shopping for 4th of July diy items

• Sewing beach shell collecting bags to list and sell (let me know if you'd like to buy one). Since Neil likes to pick up sharks teeth, I added a pocket just for them, not that he'll ever tote it.  hahaha.

• Watching my mailman in a King James rap video.

Sometimes life is just a mishmash of unexpected fun.

One last thing.  A very serious problem and a great way to get the point across.  Way to go Volkswagon.

A friend shared this video with me and I wanted to pass it along.  On the way to the beach the other day, there was a young girl in a car with both hands on her phone texting, I'm assuming driving with her knee.  She was going at least 40-45 mph in traffic and hand looking down at her phone, more than at the road.  This wasn't a short time either, she passed us twice doing this and I cringed.  We turned before I could beg her to stop.  So many lives in danger. :(

Have fun - stay safe y'all...

While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me.  None has been lost except the one doomed to the destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

~John 17:12

Stepin' It Up a Notch #GetFit

I can't believe I've been exercising regularly for 6 months now. I'll tell you something else. When they say you'll feel better and have more energy, they're not pulling your leg - it's really true.  Do you want to get more done while feeling less tired?  Then get up and move!  I know what you're thinking, 'but I'm too tired to move, how can I exercise Tracy?'  Keep reading...

I used to get really sleepy during the day and I've found that if I'll go outside (fresh air is awesome) and take a quick walk, I come back energized and can keep going.  Whereas, if I do lay down, I don't take a quick 20 minute nap, I sleep for a couple of hours and usually wake up lethargic.  Actually I never even nap anymore, except when I'm laying on the beach. :)

With swimsuit season in full swing, this week I decided to step my routine up a notch. I've added 4 new exercises. (I'm only showing you 3 here, I also added squats).

Another change, I'm back to drinking more water.  Actually it's Apple Cinnamon water. It's a great metabolism booster, not to mention a whole lot cheaper and healthier than cokes.  And no I've haven't given cokes up completely - get real folks!  But I am drinking a whole lot less of them.  I even drank my AC water with dinner tonight and once I finish working out, I was craving it instead of a coke.  That's huge progress for me!! You can see the AC recipe here along with a delicious Strawberry Chicken Salad recipe.

So today I'm going to talk about the best exercises for your butt.  They are the ones that I've added to my routine. You can read about the 15 minute exercise routine I was doing here. These will help my glutes and quads, i.e...my butt.  The exercises I've been doing up till now have been crunches for my belly, and mostly upper body ones that have been concentrating on my chest and arms.  So these are much needed, especially now that it's swimsuit season.  Yeah, starting months ago would have been better, but like they say, 'better late than never'.

Here's a quick breakdown:  

A typical workout might be comprised of 3 separate circuits.  Each circuit is usually 3 to 5 exercises.  For the first circuit, you do one exercise after the next - around 10 to 15 reps of each - with no rest in between.  Once you've completed all the exercises, you then rest for about a minute, and repeat the entire circuit one to two more times.  When you've finished, you move on to the second circuit, and then the third, following the same procedure for each.

I couldn't have done this a year ago.  When I first started doing crunches in December I could barely lift my shoulders off of the ground, and I thought I was a lost cause.  Not so! Start where you're at today.  Just Start!  It all begins with a simple step.  Before you know it, you'll hate to miss a day of working out.

Exercise 1: Single-Leg Hip Raise

1. Lie faceup on the floor with your left knee bent and your right leg straight.  (Your right leg should be in line with your left thigh.)  Now try to make your stomach as skinny as possible and hold it that way.
2. Squeeze your glutes and raise your hips until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.  (Your left leg should stay elevated the entire time.) Pause for 2 seconds, as you keep your tummy tight and continue to squeeze your glutes.  Then lower back to the starting position and repeat.  *Key pointer:  Your torso and hips should move as one unit.  So the arch in your lower back should remain the same from start to finish.  This way, you're primarily doing the work with your glutes, not your lower back and hamstrings.  *If that's too hard: Do the same movement, but with both feet on the floor.  *If that's too easy: Do the same movement, but cross your arms over your chest instead of bracing them against the floor (as shown).

Exercise 2: Reverse Lunge

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at arm's length next to your sides, your palms facing each other.
2. Step backward with your right leg, and lower your body until your left knee is bent at least 90 degrees and your right knee nearly touches the floor.  Push yourself back to the starting position by pressing into the floor with your left heel.  That's 1 rep.  Do all your reps, then repeat with your right leg.  *If that's too hard: Try the exercise with just your body-weight.

Exercise 3: Stepup

• Grab a pair of dumbbells and hold them at arm's length at your sides.  Stand in front of a bench or step that's about knee-height, and place your left foot firmly on the step.
• Press your left heel into the step and push your body up until your left leg is straight and you're  standing on one leg on the bench, keeping your right foot elevated.  Lower your body back down until your right foot touches the floor.  That's one repetition.  Do all your reps with your left leg, then do the same number with your right leg.  *If that's too hard: Try the exercise with just your body-weight.  *Add variety: Stand sideways, with your right leg next to step. Then cross your left foot in front of your right leg and place your left foot on the step. Now perform a stepup. Focus on really pressing your left heel into the step to push yourself up.

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Most of us believe that you can't get rid of cellulite without strange messages or going to the extreme of getting a medical procedure done.  But according to celebrity trainer Valerie Waters, that's simply not true.  (good to hear)

Valerie says with hard work, 3 or 4 times a week, along with a good diet will do the trick. The truth is that cellulite is fat and it can take up to a year to go away, according to Valerie.  The upside is that even though it can take up to a year, you can start to get noticeably better in weeks.  This is where consistency and patience and patience pay off.

So what is Valerie's secret?  First and foremost, you have to eat a healthy diet.  You can get slower results or faster results, depending on disciplined you want to be.

For the fastest results you should eliminate processed foods altogether.  That includes foods that contain added sugar - soda, baked goods, and candy as well as those products that have been highly refined such as white bread, white pasta, and french fries.  Uh-oh! In others words you eat a whole foods diet, with an emphasis on lean meats and fresh produce.  It doesn't mean that you have to eat grilled chicken and steamed broccoli forever.  But six weeks of being super-dedicated can speed your results and give you the momentum to keep at it.

Do I believe I can do that?

In one word no, but that doesn't mean that I can't make so pretty big changes.  I'm keeping a lot more fruit in the house as well as fresh veggies compared to the canned ones. I'm also replacing a lot of coke with my AC water.  We already eat a lot of boneless skinless chicken breast, fresh shrimp and salads, but I do use a lot of butter (it's a southern thing), so I'm working on changing that.

I just switched over to a whole wheat bread.  That was major for me because I love my white bread!  I'm starting out my day with eggs for protein and fruit, so that's a help.  And I'm also, looking into buying a good protein powder so if you have any suggestions, please leave me a comment below.  I want to start making shakes, so I can add more green veggies to my diet and stay fueled longer.

Physical exercise is important, but don't neglect your spirit which is even more important. Make it a priority to carve out some time for meditation and prayer.  Start your day with gratitude and you'll find that everything seems to be brighter and go smoother.  Adjust your mind while you build your body.

**Coming Soon I'll be hosting a giveaway with Hapari Swimsuits.  One winner will receive a $100 gift certificate!! Keep watching - it's coming soon.  Thanks Hapari!

Stay fit y'all...

My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.

~ 2 Corinthians 12:9

June Opens Up a Season of Fun

June always reminds me of a season of limitless possibilities.  I think that comes from our childhood, and the freedom we felt when we slung open those school doors and ran out like screaming banshees or banhees (haha) for the final time.  The summer had officially began. 

Visions of endless days soaking up the sun, riding the waves and water parks fill my head! I'm almost giddy thinking about it all.

When I got older and had my own child, Ty and I would spend all day at Summer Waves in Jekyll Island, Ga.  Sometimes it would be just me and him and other times we'd take friends for him to play with.  It didn't matter which because, it was always a blast.  We'd drive home worn out from a day of playing in the sun and water.  

*btw - this isn't a sponsored post, I just love Jekyll Island.

Do you ever get too old to enjoy a water park?  Not in my book!  I'd go tomorrow if I had the chance.  What I like about Summer Waves, besides on being a 1 hour drive from Jacksonville, FL, is it's location.  The park sits right on the marsh, which has a slow easy pace. It has a small town feel with big time fun!  Being off the beaten path you bypass the crowds of most other water parks.  Oh' there have been other parks, bigger parks but Summer Waves holds a special place in my heart.  Most likely on my death bed I'll be thinking of my happy memories with Ty there.

Jekyll Island is a unique taste of the old south.  It's a quaint little sleepy coastal area steeped in deep history and one of only four Georgia barrier islands. In 1886, Jekyll Island was purchased to become an exclusive winter retreat for America's most elite families, known as the Jekyll Island Club.  For more than half a century, the nation's leading families, including the Rockefellers, Morgans, Pulitzers and Goulds came to Jekyll Island to secure an escape.  

I have the fondest memories of our parents taking us there to tour the old homes of the historical district or to just picnic among the old oak trees of the island.  Years later I did the same thing with my son.  I can't begin to count the number of times we've just taken, what my daddy would call a Sunday drive to ride the beautiful roads on the island.  You do know a Sunday drive can be taken on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday or Saturday too, right? 

If you're ever in my neck of the woods, I encourage you to take the time to visit the Golden Isles of Georgia.  It's a place like no other, and it will take root in your mind, just like those old oak trees.  It's a place that I promise you will never forget. 

Happy Summer Dreamin' Y'all...

In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

~ Psalm 5:3