Life on Paws and Wheels

Simba and I visited and explored Amelia Island in Fernandina Beach, Florida — a beautiful barrier island where Atlantic beaches, maritime forests, historic neighborhoods, and more than four centuries of recorded history come together along Florida's northeastern coast. Known as the "Isle of Eight Flags," Amelia Island has one of the most unusual histories of any place in the United States. Nations, colonial powers, revolutionaries, and short-lived governments all competed for control of this strategically located island near the Florida-Georgia border. Today, that remarkable history shares the island with miles of beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests, Victorian architecture, waterfront scenery, and some of Northeast Florida's most beautiful coastal landscapes. Exploring Amelia Island with Simba gave us a little bit of everything we love finding on a road trip. 🏝️ Welcome to Amelia Island Amelia Island is one of the barrier islands lining Florida's Atlantic Co...

I visited Bosque Bello Cemetery in Fernandina Beach, Florida — a beautiful and historic burial ground whose roots stretch back to Florida's Spanish colonial era. Its name translates from Spanish as "Beautiful Woods," and it's difficult to imagine a more appropriate description. Massive live oaks stretch over weathered gravestones while Spanish moss hangs from their branches. Cedars, magnolias, palms, and thick vegetation add to an atmosphere that feels far removed from the modern world. Dating to around 1798, Bosque Bello is among Florida's oldest surviving burial grounds and preserves more than two centuries of Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island history. 🌳 “Beautiful Woods” The name Bosque Bello comes from Spanish and translates to "Beautiful Woods." Walking through the cemetery makes the reason for that name immediately apparent. The grounds are filled with: - Massive live oaks - Spanish moss - Cedars - Magnolias - Palms - Dense native vegetation - ...

Simba and I visited and hiked Little Talbot Island State Park in Jacksonville, Florida — one of the few remaining largely undeveloped barrier islands along Northeast Florida's Atlantic Coast. With more than five miles of natural beach, maritime forest, ancient sand dunes, salt marshes, and tidal creeks, Little Talbot Island preserves a remarkably wild stretch of Florida coastline. Unlike many beach destinations lined with hotels, condos, restaurants, and other development, much of Little Talbot Island remains protected in its natural state. Hiking here gave Simba and me the opportunity to experience several completely different coastal environments within a single barrier island. 🏝️ One of Northeast Florida’s Undeveloped Barrier Islands Barrier islands form a natural line of protection between the open Atlantic Ocean and the mainland. Over time, wind, waves, currents, storms, and shifting sand continually reshape these narrow islands. Little Talbot Island is especially remarkable ...

Simba and I visited the Jean Ribault Monument in Jacksonville, Florida — a historic landmark commemorating French explorer Jean Ribault and his arrival near the mouth of the St. Johns River in 1562. Standing high atop St. Johns Bluff, the monument overlooks the broad river, surrounding marshes, and the North Florida landscape that Ribault and his expedition encountered more than 460 years ago. Although the impressive stone column standing here today isn't the original monument erected by Ribault, it commemorates one of the earliest French expeditions to what would eventually become the United States and connects directly with the dramatic story of nearby Fort Caroline. ⛵ Jean Ribault Sails to Florida In 1562, French naval officer and explorer Jean Ribault led an expedition across the Atlantic Ocean to explore the southeastern coast of North America. France was searching for territory, strategic opportunities, and potential locations for future settlement. On May 1, 1562, Ribault...

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...