A beautiful view on the way from Amelia Island to the largest city in the US.
Our first stop was Jacksonville's Zoo.
What surprised me was the number of bird species present in the zoo.
It is mating season here.
And this guy is still building the nest.
A mud bath.
Can you please let me out?
OK, I will just wait here until you do
That is a 45 year old matriarch.
3 years ago she gave birth to this cutie who will have to move to another zoo in 7 years because that is what monkeys do.
My favorite, Anteater or Vermilingua (worm tongue) was one of the fee mammals not sleeping on this sunny day.
The poor thing is trying to escape from a snake.
The sloth was Lazy indeed.
While these two are cute I would not bet my finger on them. The red one tried to bite a girl who wanted to pet him.
An otter.
Two things that really stand out in Jacksonville are the number of US flags and churches; so many of them compared to California,
According to Wikipedia, Jacksonville is the most populated city in Florida. It is also the largest city by area in the contiguous US.
Time to have lunch. Spices Caribian Restaraunt located at 1319 Rogero Rd
Jacksonville, FL, 32211 was supposed to have some good home-made Jamaican food.
The first surprise was that the door was closed even though it had an open sign. We knocked and knocked but nothing happened, After some time and in dispear I pulled the door really hard and it opened. Inside there was a line! The second surprise was that the dining room was permananetly closed. The third surprise was that they had no tap water for their customers. The fourth surprise was that the food was amazing. And the final surprise was that we made it out there alive.
Jacksonville port; on the way back to Amelia Island.
The main post office at Fernandina Beach.
Fernandina Beach was supposed to have the best sunsets on Amelia Island but it was clouded.
So I had to wake at 6am next morning to see the sunrise.
Omni resorts are luxurious.
With awesome views of the ocean.
The room service is great and the food is hugely overpriced.
$30 for salad and a desert...
Green stop signs blend with beautiful plants of the island. And they blend really well. So well that I missed most of them.
Fort Clinch of Amelia Island boasts to be the most preserved fort in the US and that is absolutely true, $2 admission fee was so low that I had an immediate urge to donate some money for the good cause of marinating this place.
That is the jail. And the beds are not for prisoners.
That is for the prisoners.
Each prisoner had to carry a label with his crime.
Some of the barracks. The fort was supposed to accommodate up to 1000 soldiers during a war. I was only able to count a couple of dozens beds.
Advanced cannons installed during the civil war.
Looks like officer's dining room.
Self explanatory...
Even back then the war was all about commerce. Laundry was not free!
By the order of the commander, no women of low moral character are allowed on the premises.
Next to the fort we found this picturesque beach.
This is Atlantic horseshoe crab.
And it is not dead!
Time to go back to the ocean.
Catty Shack Ranch Wikdlife Foundation is a none-profit sanctuary based in Jacksonville that rescues and rehomes big cats (and some foxes). And it is a must place to visit. Not only your $10 donation helps to take care of the animals but it also gives you a chance to see these amazing animals up and close.
And another sunrise as seen from Amelia Island.
Despite my efforts, he totally refused to go back into water.
A Jaksonville bridge on the way to St. Augustine.
The bridge was open so we had to wait for about 10 minutes to get to the lighthouse.
The best thing about the lighthouse is that one can actually take states to the top.
The prisms were damaged (and it took years to repair them) by some vandal so now they are behind a bullet proof glass.
The view is breathtaking.
Some old Spanish ships (replicas).
El Galeon!
The city has a lot of old Spanish-style buildings.
And some Spanish food.
500 years old Ponce De Leon's.
Also the oldest wooden school on the US (or so they claim).
Lighthouse Point Park next to Daytona Beach.
Miami
Miami Beach with its private yachts.
Of course, the first thing to do in Miami beach is to visit a bakery. A Colombian bakery.
Charlotte Bakery (not to be confused with the restaraunt) was very good.
Tres leche cake.
My favorite was this sweet cheese bread.
Yep, kill two birds with one stone.
Story Club.
The place was still not open at midnight.
Parking, on Saturday, close to the Southbeach not a viable option so we parked on the west side and discovered this vegan paradise.called Under The Mango Tree.
The beach was packed and the water was so warm that it did not even cool you down.
An interesting choice of a key to our White Law hotel room. Was it rented by an hour?
And the room is red too.
Sunrise over Miami Beach.
This hidden gem has the best Napoleon cakes in Miami.
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