PARK - 5 Suitcases

Exploring Jacksonville’s Stunning Castaway Island Preserve with Kids

Elle MacRae — Fri, 10 Jul 2020 14:06:07 +0000

Are you looking for a place to escape the hustle and bustle of your day to day life? Castaway Island Preserve is one of our favorite parks in northeast Florida. In fact, when pulling into the driveway, you are instantly transported into the “Real Florida”. This is the perfect place to become at one with nature. This is hands-down one of our favorite parks in Jacksonville.

Pro-Tip: Be sure to pack plenty of water! Even though the trail is short and extremely easy, it’s important to stay hydrated.

We strongly suggest visiting the park early in the morning or on a cool day. The trail is lightly shaded, in parts, but it is easy to get overheated in the hot Florida sun. Full disclosure: the park is miserable in the heat… as are most places in Florida.

What is the history behind Castaway Island Preserve?

The land for the Castaway Island Preserve was set aside in 1999. The city of Jacksonville designed the space to help manage growth, protect the environmentally sensitive salt marshlands, and improve water quality in the area. Today the preserve covers over 200 acres.

For some of the best views of the Intracoastal and marsh, check out the observation outlooks. Head down the Island Trail and veer right to the boardwalk. The boardwalk takes you straight out to the marsh.

There’s an additional boardwalk that leads to a floating dock that serves as a launch site for kayaks, canoes, or paddleboards. To access this boardwalk, follow the main entrance road to the very back of the park. The launch site is right at the edge of the parking lot, making it easy to put in your water vessel of choice.

What are the highlights of Castaway Island Preserve?

Kid-friendly interpretive natural trail
Kayaking
Canoeing
Paddle Boarding
Education Center
Hiking
Biking
Scoping out the salt marsh wildlife
It’s pet friendly!

Where is the park located?

The preserve is located along the Intracoastal Waterway in Jacksonville, Florida. It is located off of San Pablo Road between Atlantic Blvd. and Beach Blvd.

What are the park’s hours?

The park is open during daylight hours. There is also an Education Center that offers special programs. Check the park’s Facebook Page for events.

Our Thoughts on the Castaway Island

Castaway Island Preserve is truly a hidden gem. It is the perfect place to slow down and enjoy the scenery. The Island Trail is the perfect place for little ones to explore and learn about the wildlife that inhabits the area. The trail has paintings of animal paw prints that will keep the kids guessing what animals they will learn about next.

The Island Trail is comprised of boardwalks and paved sidewalks making it easy to navigate for everyone. The trail is approximately one mile long and is a loop trail. We really enjoy taking the boardwalk out to the marsh to look for creatures. The kids love looking out for osprey, fiddler crabs, and woodpeckers.

This is a fantastic park for pups, as well. We’ve taken Lady Belle and Parker here to explore new sights and scents. We always run into family’s with their dogs when we visit.

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What is there to do Nearby?

Adventure Landing
Cradle Creek Preserve
Jacksonville Beach Pier
Fort Caroline

Our family also recommends the Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens and the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens as kid-friendly destinations.

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Updated: 10/23/21

Gas Works Park- Seattle’s Ultra Funky Green Space

Elle MacRae — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 23:14:02 +0000

Seattle is full of some pretty incredible green spaces, but one of them stands out amongst all of the others. Gas Works Park is a 19-acre public park located on the site of the former Seattle Gas Light Company. The park still has a super industrial vibe to it, which makes this park incredibly unique.

What are the highlights of Gas Works Park?

Large play barn
Gorgeous view of Lake Union and downtown Seattle
Picnicking
Kayaking
Paddle Boarding

Where is Gas Works Park?

The physical address is:

2101 N Northlake Way
Seattle, WA 98103

When is the park open?

The park is open daily from 6 AM to 10 PM.

What are our thoughts on Gas Works Park?

We enjoyed our time at the park. It was a great place to spend the afternoon. There were a ton of people (tourists and locals, alike) who hung out at the park. Many kayaked, paddle boarded, flew kites or simply relaxed on the hill with friends and family.

This is the perfect place to enjoy a picnic and simply take in the views of the stunning Seattle skyline.

We loved the park so much that we added it to our list of 6 Things We Love About Seattle.

What is there to do nearby?

While you’re in the area, be sure to check out the Fremont Troll. We also suggest going to Kerry Park in the Queen Anne District. The Space Needle is also less than 4 miles away.

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The Beautiful Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens

Elle MacRae — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 20:09:04 +0000

The Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens is Jacksonville’s best-kept secret! Seven easy to navigate trails surround a beautiful lake and wind through this 120-acre urban park. Believe it or not, the Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens is located in Arlington near the Regency Square Mall. It’s hard to imagine this tranquil space is located so close to the bustling Atlantic Boulevard and the surrounding shopping malls!

We have been visiting the Jacksonville Arboretum for years now. In fact, it’s one of our favorite places to spend time with our dogs, Lady Belle and Parker. Now that we have adopted our three little ones, we are excited to be able to share this park with them as well! It’s a great place to get in touch with nature and to take a quiet stroll.

On the lookout for turtles and alligators

The Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens features three miles worth of trails that surround a beautiful lake filled with turtles and alligators. There are hundreds of signs along the trails that identify many of the plants that make up this gorgeous park.

What is an arboretum?

An arboretum is a specialized botanical garden that features trees and other woody plants but may also include other kinds of plants. They are a place where many varieties of trees are grown for research, educational, and ornamental purposes.

What is there to do at the Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens?

This is the perfect place to hang out with your pups! They are sure to love all of the gorgeous trails! Aside from taking a stroll, this is a great place to enjoy a picnic. Many local artists also flock here to paint the stunning landscape. You may even be able to spot some of their works of art (sculptures and even paintings) along some of the trails.

Hiking Trails at the Jacksonville Arboretum

The Jacksonville Arboretum has 7 main trails. Admittedly, the trails aren’t very well marked and it is easy to jump from one trail to another without realizing it (especially in the Aralia Trail, Upper Ravine Trail, Lower Ravine Trail area of the park. Fortunately, the trails aren’t very lengthy so it’s easy to make your way out of the woods and back to the Lake Loop.

Lake Loop Trail- This is the easiest tail in the park. It is 0.3 miles long and encircles Lake Ray. The paved Lake Loop connects to several other trailheads.

Sand Ride Trail- This one-mile winding dirt trail crosses over several different habitats including a rosemary/oak scrub, and marshland. The trail connects to the Live Oak Trail via a boardwalk that traverses a small stream.

Aralia Trail- Theis trail offers a view of the tranquil Jones Creek and several large Aralia spinosa (Devil’s Walking Stick) trees. There are some grade changes that makes this trail a little more difficult than some of the others. The trail lies just south of the Upper Ravines Trail and the trailhead is located near the Mormon Bridge. The Cascade Loop and Sugarberry Trail also branch off the Aralia Trail.

Live Oak Trail- This moderate trail is 0.5-miles long and his home to the National Champion Loblolly Bay (a white flowering tree) and several live oaks that are more than a hundred years old. This trail is exceptionally beautiful in the spring when the azaleas are in bloom and the blueberries are abundant.

Jones Creek Trail- This is one of our most favorite trails at the Jacksonville Arboretum. It has many grade changes and follows Jones Creek. The water in Jones Creek is a freshwater creek that flows north into the St. Johns River. We do not swim in the creek, but we can’t seem to keep our dogs out of it when we visit! This trail is not stroller friendly due to the sand.

Upper and Lower Ravine Trails- The Lower Ravine Trail winds alongside the outside edge of a man-made island at the bottom of the ravine. The trail is only 800 feet and is prone to poison ivy. The Upper Ravine Trail branches off the Jones Creek Trail and connects to the Aralia Trail, and Lake Loop Trail.

When is the arboretum open?

Monday-Thursday 8 AM to 7 PM
Friday – Sunday 8 AM to 5 PM

The entry gates are locked promptly at closing so plan your visit so that you exit the Jacksonville Arboretum prior to closing. Trust me, you do not want to be at the park when it’s closing. We went there one evening and the ranger laid on the horn of his car until we exited the trails.

Our Thoughts on the Jacksonville Aroboretum

We absolutely love visiting the Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens. It is a great little place to escape the craziness of our day to day lives. We love taking the dogs and the kids to the park to enjoy the trails year-round.

The Jacksonville Arboretum is a popular spot for hiding painted rocks. If you plan on hiding a rock, make sure you do it on the Lake Loop Trails only. The park’s trails are short and easy to navigate. Our favorites are the Lake Loop Trail, the Jones Creek Trail, and the Upper and Lower Ravine Trails.

The park has plenty of picnic spots tucked away in the shade if you’d like to enjoy a picnic there. The volunteers who work at the park have done an amazing job transforming it into an incredible greenspace.

Our Jacksonville Arboretum Essentials

Coppertone Kids Sunscreen
OFF! Family Care Insect Spray
Cliganic Mosquito Repellent Bracelets

Dazzling Nights

In 2021, the Jacksonville Arboretum launched a brand new fundraiser event called Dazzling Nights. During the holiday season, the park turns into a Winter Wonderland complete with dazzling light displays, an impressive laser display (in the forest, no less!), Christmas jingles, an awesome interactive path, and SNOW!

When the cost of tickets was released, there were several remarks about how costly the event is. It’s important to note that this event serves as the arboretum’s annual fundraiser. The money raised from the event will go towards keeping the Jacksonville Arboretum beautiful all year long.

We are excited to see what this event evolves into and we can’t wait to check it out again next year!

Click to learn more about Dazzling Nights at the Jacksonville Arboretum.

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Where is the Jacksonville Arboretum Located?

The Jacksonville Arboretum is centrally located in the heart of Jacksonville, Florida wedged in between downtown and the beaches. It is easily accessible from the 295 beltway via the Monument Rd exit. The physical address is 1445 Millcoe Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32225.

Nearby

If you’re looking for more things to do in the area, the Jacksonville Arboretum & Garden is very close to Ft. Caroline and the Ribault Monument. The Fort Caroline National Memorial is a replica of the structure that was once inhabited by the French Huguenots during the 16th century. The Ribault Monument commemorates the landing of Jean Ribault in 1562.

The Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens is also only 11 miles away.

We also suggest spending some time at the nearby Castaway Island Preserve or Tree Hill Nature Center. Both spots have kid-friendly hiking trails with beautiful views. The Ed Austin Region Park, offers sports fields, a paved loop trail, playgrounds, and a dog park.

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Updated: 12/18/21