Life on Paws and Wheels

Simba and I visited and explored Saint Marys Waterfront Park in Saint Marys, Georgia — a beautiful riverfront park where historic downtown meets the St. Marys River. Also known as Howard Gilman Memorial Park , this peaceful waterfront space sits near the Georgia-Florida border and offers a perfect place to slow down, walk along the river, watch boats pass, and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of one of Georgia’s historic coastal communities. Today, the waterfront feels wonderfully peaceful. But centuries ago, this same riverfront was filled with a much different kind of activity. Sailing ships, shipyards, merchants, cargo, and maritime workers once made the St. Marys waterfront an important center of commerce and transportation. 🌊 Along the St. Marys River The park overlooks the beautiful St. Marys River , a waterway that has shaped the community since its earliest days. The river winds toward the Atlantic Ocean while forming part of the modern boundary between Georgia and Florida...

Simba and I visited and explored the St. Marys History Walk in Saint Marys, Georgia — a short but fascinating self-guided trail that packs centuries of coastal history into a walk of only about 600 feet. Located in one of Georgia's oldest coastal communities, the History Walk features 24 interpretive panels exploring the people, cultures, conflicts, industries, and events that shaped St. Marys, nearby Cumberland Island, and the surrounding region. Despite its short length, the trail covers an impressive amount of history — from the Indigenous people who lived here long before European arrival to Spanish missions, colonial settlement, wars, shipbuilding, Gullah Geechee heritage, and the community's long relationship with the St. Marys River and Cumberland Island. 📜 600 Feet Through Centuries of History You don't need miles of hiking trails to take a long journey through history. The St. Marys History Walk stretches only about 600 feet , making it an easy stop while explori...

Simba and I visited the Locks of Love Overpass in St. Augustine, Florida — a colorful pedestrian bridge covered with hundreds of padlocks left behind by couples, families, friends, and travelers. Located at North Beach Park, the overpass crosses Coastal Highway and connects the parking area with beach access along Florida's Atlantic Coast. What would otherwise be a simple pedestrian walkway has gradually transformed into one of the more unusual hidden attractions around St. Augustine. Names, dates, initials, messages, decorations, and brightly colored locks now cover sections of the railings, with each one representing a personal story known mostly to the people who left it behind. 🔒 A Bridge Covered in Locks At first glance, the overpass looks like an ordinary pedestrian bridge. Then you notice the railings. Hundreds of padlocks have been attached to them in different shapes, sizes, colors, and styles. Some are simple hardware-store locks. Others are brightly colored, decorated, ...

Simba and I visited and explored Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park in St. Augustine, Florida — a fascinating historic site where one of Florida’s most famous legends overlaps with Indigenous history, Spanish colonization, and centuries of archaeological discoveries. Most people know this place because of the legendary Fountain of Youth and its association with Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. But the story beneath the property is much bigger than magical water. Long before Europeans arrived, Indigenous people lived here. In 1565, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés established the first Spanish settlement of St. Augustine at this location within the Timucua village of Seloy. Archaeologists have since uncovered evidence of that settlement and later Spanish mission activity. Today, the 15-acre waterfront park brings all of these stories together with archaeological exhibits, reconstructed structures, demonstrations, beautiful views, and plenty of colorful peacocks wandering...

Simba and I visited and explored Beluthahatchee Park in Fruit Cove, Florida — the former home and retreat of writer, folklorist, journalist, and civil-rights activist Stetson Kennedy. Hidden among the woods beside a quiet lake, Beluthahatchee feels worlds away from the development surrounding much of modern Northeast Florida. Kennedy purchased this secluded property in the 1940s and transformed it into his home, workplace, and gathering place for writers, musicians, activists, and friends. The peaceful surroundings also stand in fascinating contrast to Kennedy's often controversial and confrontational work. He spent much of his life documenting Florida culture, exposing racism, collecting folklore, advocating for social change, and challenging powerful organizations — most famously by infiltrating the Ku Klux Klan. Today, Beluthahatchee preserves both his unusual life story and a beautiful piece of Old Florida. 🌿 Welcome to Beluthahatchee Stetson Kennedy acquired the property duri...

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...