Life on Paws and Wheels

Simba and I visited and hiked the Hammock Trail at Fort Caroline National Memorial in Jacksonville, Florida — a beautiful forest loop combining classic North Florida scenery with one of the most historically significant areas along the St. Johns River. Winding beneath live oaks, pine trees, palmettos, and Spanish moss, the trail feels surprisingly secluded for a hike located within a major city. Sandy pathways, exposed roots, dense vegetation, and even some unexpected hills create a varied hike through the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. But this landscape offers much more than natural beauty. More than 450 years ago, French colonists, Spanish soldiers, and the Indigenous people who had inhabited this region long before European arrival became part of a dramatic struggle for control of Florida. 🌿 Hiking the Hammock Trail The Hammock Trail winds through the forest surrounding Fort Caroline National Memorial. Much of the route remains shaded beneath a thick canopy, providing ...

I visited the Grave of Princess Laura Adorka Koffey in Jacksonville, Florida — the unusual mausoleum of a remarkable Pan-African religious leader whose rapidly growing movement came to a violent turning point with her assassination in 1928. Laura Adorkor Kofey, whose surname appears historically as Kofi, Kofey, and Koffey, became widely known as Mother Kofi and Princess Laura . Born in what is now Ghana, she traveled throughout the United States preaching Christianity while promoting African unity, self-reliance, economic independence, and stronger connections between African Americans and their ancestral homeland. Her extraordinary story eventually became closely connected with Jacksonville, where she established the headquarters of her own organization. Today, she rests inside a small white mausoleum in historic Old City Cemetery — remarkably, the only mausoleum in the cemetery. 🌍 From West Africa to the United States Laura Adorkor Kofey was born in West Africa in what is now Ghana...

Simba and I visited Treaty Oak in Jacksonville, Florida — an enormous Southern live oak believed to be around 250 years old and one of the city's most impressive natural landmarks. Hidden among the modern buildings of Jacksonville's Southbank, this extraordinary tree looks like something from another world. Its enormous trunk supports a sprawling canopy of twisting branches, some so massive that they descend all the way to the ground before curving upward again. Treaty Oak was already growing long before Jacksonville became a city. Even more fascinating is the story behind its name—a deliberately created legend that ultimately helped save this remarkable tree from development. 🌳 One of Jacksonville’s Oldest Living Landmarks Treaty Oak is believed to be approximately 250 years old. That means the tree likely began growing decades before Jacksonville was founded and has survived generations of dramatic change around it. Today, the oak stands approximately 70 feet tall and featur...

Simba and I visited the Prudential Building's Rock of Gibraltar in Jacksonville, Florida — an unusual landmark featuring an actual piece of one of the world's most famous rocks. Sitting near the St. Johns River is a massive stone that traveled thousands of miles before arriving in Jacksonville more than 70 years ago. Weighing approximately 2½ tons, this isn't a replica or a decorative imitation. The stone actually came from the legendary Rock of Gibraltar overlooking the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea. Its unlikely journey to Florida is connected to the history of the Prudential Insurance Company, a skyscraper that once dominated Jacksonville's skyline, and one of the most recognizable corporate symbols in American advertising. 🌍 An Actual Piece of the Rock of Gibraltar The Rock of Gibraltar is an enormous limestone formation rising above the British territory of Gibraltar at the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Its commanding position near the entrance to the...

Simba and I visited Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing Park in Jacksonville, Florida — a powerful historic site honoring brothers James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johnson and the creation of one of the most important songs in American history. Located in Jacksonville's historic LaVilla neighborhood, the park occupies the land where the Johnson family home once stood. It was here that James Weldon Johnson and his younger brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, grew up before collaborating on "Lift Every Voice and Sing," a song that would eventually resonate far beyond Jacksonville and become widely known as the Black National Anthem. Today, the park celebrates the Johnson brothers while also preserving the story of LaVilla, a once-thriving center of Black culture, music, business, and entertainment sometimes called the "Harlem of the South." 🏠 The Childhood Home of the Johnson Brothers Long before their names became nationally known, James Weldon Johnson and J. Rosamond Johns...

Simba and I visited the Beastie Boys Mural in Jacksonville, Florida — a massive piece of street art honoring one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time. Located in Jacksonville's Brooklyn neighborhood, this enormous mural combines music history, public art, an ingenious 3D illusion, and a Guinness World Record into one unforgettable landmark. Featuring Mike D, MCA, and Ad-Rock alongside imagery inspired by the Beastie Boys, the mural stretches across nearly 2,000 square feet of wall. Its location also provides the perfect connection to one of the group's most famous songs: "No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn." For Beastie Boys fans and street-art enthusiasts alike, this is one of Jacksonville's coolest hidden gems. 🎨 The Artist Behind the Mural The Beastie Boys Mural was created in 2018 by Jacksonville artist Jason Tetlak. Tetlak was searching for a wall large enough to attempt an ambitious world record when he discovered the perfect location in Jacksonville...