The Wandering Disciple

Spanning the St Johns River, the Dames Pointe Bridge takes travelers of the I-295 Beltway across the river. Opening in 1989, the bridge spans 1,300 feet across and reaches a height of 175 feet. It is one of the longest cable-stayed bridge in the United States. (Photo: December 30, 2020)

Enter Fort Caroline, home of the French settlement in colonial Florida. When you think of European settlement in Florida, you immediately think of the Spanish. There are Spanish influences throughout the state. But on the banks of the St Johns River near present day Jacksonville, René Goulaine de Laudonnière established a French colony in 1564. Fort Caroline was set up as a safe haven for French Huguenots trying to escape religious persecution from French Catholics. The French colony had a successful relationship with the native Timucuan tribe and they traded regularly. But the French fort was raided and seized by the Spanish in September 1565 and the the Spanish renamed the settlement San Mateo. While the exact location of the fort is not known, the National Park Service has built a replica along the St Johns River in an area believed to be in close proximity to the original settlement. (Photo: December 30, 2020)

These tabby ruins are all that remain to the slave cabins of the Kingsley Plantation. These provide a reminder to a period of history with many painful memories. These 25 cabins were home to up to 80 slaves that worked on the plantation. But unlike the antebellum slaves, these slaves were from the Spanish occupation in Florida. Today the ruins of the cabins have been preserved to help tell the story of all the early settlers of the region, from the plantation owners all the way to the plantation slaves. (Photo: December 30, 2020)

Nestled away on Fort George Island is a Colonial palace that has hosted its fair share of prominent guests for almost a century. Built in 1928m the Ribault Club was to be a winter playground for the rich and famous, rivaling the neighboring Millionaire's Club on Jekyll Island. While it may no longer serve as a winter destination, it still serves as a venue for private events. It is also home to the Fort George Islands Visitors Center, joining neighboring properties to form the Fort George Island Cultural State Park. (Photo: December 30, 2020)

An MH-60 Seahawk from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 40 turns final for Naval Station Mayport. HSM-40 also known as the Airwolves are a fleet replacement squadron responsible for training pilots to succeed in missions at sea. The squadron operates the MH-60R Seahawk, a naval variant of Black Hawk helicopter made by Sikorsky. (Photo: December 30, 2020)

A baby Eastern Bongo poses for a photo at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. While cute and adorable, the birth of this baby bongo is critical to the species. The Eastern Bongo is critically endangered and conservation programs like the one here in Jacksonville are crucial to the conservation of the species. (Photo: December 30, 2020)

  Rising above the coastal town of Mayport, the St Johns River Light has been guiding ships through the mouth of the St Johns River from 1859 though 1929.  Despite being taken out of service as a lighthouse, it still stands on the grounds of the Naval Station Mayport as the oldest structure on the island.  (Photo: December 30, 2020)

A canon overlooks the St Johns River from Fort Caroline. The French fort sat high atop St Johns Bluff a crucial defense post near the mouth of the river. The new French settlement became a safe haven for Huguenots being persecuted in French. The colony was later captured by the Spanish in 1565 and became San Mateo under Spanish rule. Today a replica of Fort Caroline operated by the National Park Service provides a visual example of what Fort Caroline would have looked like under French rule. (Photo: December 30, 2020)

  Much is known about horrors of slavery in the southern United States, but did you know that slavery existed in Spanish ruled Florida.  While the labor was still intensive, Spanish slavery had more rights and even a pathway to freedom.  The Spanish Florida had three classes of people;  whites, free people of color and slaves.  Slaves could earn their freedom though tasks on plantations like the Kingsley Plantation near the mouth of the St Johns River.  Here the plantation was partially run by a freed slave Anna Madgigine Jai.  You can learn about life as a Spanish slave and plantation life at the restored Kingsley Plantation on Fort George Island near Jacksonville.  (Photo: December 30, 2020)

Some of your best discovery can be found once you leave the asphalt and take a journey down an old dirt road.  Take this one here on Fort George Island for example.  Just a short drive from the hustle and bustle of Jacksonville, this dirt road leads you to some hidden historic gems from yesteryear.  From tabby ruins to the wealthy plantation of Zephaniah Kingsley, there are snapshots of history around every corner.  (Photo: December 30, 2020)

From within an award winning habit, a majestic Jaguar is on the prowl.  With a natural range that stretches from Southwest US through Central and South America, the Jaguar seems right at home in north Florida at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens.  Opened in 2003, the Range of the Jaguar exhibit was built to house the zoos six jaguars. It resembles a Spanish village and temple providing two separate habitats making it the largest jaguar exhibit in the country.  In 2005, the Range of the Jaguar was awarded the American Zoological Associations "Exhibit of the Year".  (Photo: December 30, 2020)

There's a motto that was instilled on me early on in my public safety career, " Don't train till you get it right, train till you don't get it wrong".  That can easily transition into the military sector as their units are constantly training and preparing themselves for whatever comes their way.  Like the crew of this MH-60R Seahawk flying low along the St Johns River as they practice flight maneuvers at Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville.  (Photo: December 30, 2020)

Rising from beyond I-95, Jacksonville is the first major city as you enter the Sunshine State from Georgia. If you were to conduct a poll on the city with the highest population in Florida, you would probably get answers like Miami, Orlando or Tampa. But in fact Jacksonville has the highest population in the state with over 920,000 people living within the city. (Photo: March 13, 2014)