Search This Blog

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Lights and Sounds of Christmas in Jacksonville

Before going to The Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens last Tuesday, I went to Friendship Park in Jacksonville.  There is a pretty fountain there in which the music and lights are programmed with the water to make a gorgeous display!  This fountain is close to the Main Street bridge, otherwise known to me as the blue bridge, which was even bluer with its lights!


I walked part way up to the top of the bridge, which was easy to do and very popular with joggers!  It is a drawbridge and before I got to the top, traffic was halted and crossing bars went down so the bridge could open for a sailboat.  I didn't complete my walk up to the top of the bridge and down to the other side to the Jacksonville Landing, but I had a great view of the Landing from my position on the bridge.


The lights back at Friendship Park and Fountain seemed to be even more spectacular, since the sun had set.


After taking more photos, and wishing that I had brought a tripod to take the evening shots, I went to The Cummer which had two great exhibits going on.  One was a photographic study of people and customs in Africa that was just about ready to leave the museum.  The other was the first night of a special exhibit of paintings about Florida.



Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Signs of the Holiday Season!

As I have been driving and wandering recently, I have noticed many signs of the coming holiday season.  I was amazed to see not only one, but two and sometimes three cut Christmas trees on car tops during the days after Thanksgiving, in North Carolina!  In that area of North Carolina, the most north-western part, Christmas tree farms are big business.  Just from the many cars with trees that I saw in a couple of days, I can see why!  We didn't bring one back from NC with us - I just wasn't sure what a tree would be like after riding for 10 hours down a highway on top of a car.  There are plenty of tents set up here with trees that have come from many places north of here.  One is from the same area where we were at Thanksgiving.  I haven't been there yet to get a tree, but I know that I will get my tree there as I have done in previous seasons.  
The city of Atlantic Beach has transformed the entire area near the beach with the holiday decorations they have put up.  Here are a few pictures.  Lifeguard chairs and surf boards make all the decorations more interesting!