We are now in the largest city in the US… measured by square miles.  Far fewer people than in the Denver area, but Jacksonville spreads out quite a ways.  I guess the cool people just call it JAX.

Went to a nice church last week, and we were invited to stay for a potluck dinner afterwards.  Cherryl’s favorite thing to do is steal babies, so she was very happy.

Our little trailer has terribly oxidized paint, so I’m trying to polish it out and make it a bit more presentable…

We are working on getting the vehicles registered in Florida, and having our official home base here.  I’ve heard that is where retired people are supposed to go…

I’ve seen some pretty weird looking people in Walmarts around the country, but this is the first 7 foot tall robot.  Like a strange giant tromping around in ski boots.

Saw this statue in a shopping center parking lot.  A topless gal with a Donald Trump hairdo.  What a combo!

Friday we moved from a campsite near the JAX airport to the Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park.  This is a much more natural site, and we are close to both the ocean and a nice little lake.

This area was formerly called Manhattan Beach, and was Florida’s first beach for blacks.  It started in the early 1900’s when they were working on the Florida East Coast Railway.  In its heyday it had cabins as well as day use facilities, and even an amusement park.  By the 1940’s it had fallen into decline and people went elsewhere.  In 1967 it was purchased and donated to Jacksonville with the provision that the rebuilt park would be named for Kathryn Abbey Hanna.  She was a Florida historian and environmentalist, who had just died that year.  She was also chair of the board of State Parks for years, so now she has one named after her.

Jacksonville has a few noteworthy old theaters.  Florida Theater was built in 1927, and set up for both movies and plays.  We haven’t gotten there yet, but we did take in a movie at the San Marco Theater.  It was built by the same architect, in 1938.  It was a departure from his previous designs, done in Art Deco, rather than the Spanish or Moorish styles.  It was touched up several years ago, and now does a few movies and real food (Pizza and more!) We actually saw a movie there… (We see one or two a year usually)  “The Upside” was a very good film – parts were so funny the whole audience was lol-ing.