“I’m so excited! I’m so excited!” my energetic and precocious eight-year-old, Maggie, cheered from the backseat. We were on the road and headed for Jacksonville, this year’s destination for our annual mother/daughter weekend getaway. A family friend had just returned from a visit to Jacksonville and had told me all about the waterways and activities available, right within the heart of the city. As we talked, I realized that Maggie was old enough for the same adventures, and instilling a love for the outdoors at an early age has always been important to me.
For this getaway, we would get active by taking in the outdoors and exploring the wildlife of northeast Florida with kayaking, fishing and biking. And what Maggie didn’t realize was that she wasn’t the only one having new experiences; some of these activities were new to me, too! I was thrilled that we were going to be first-timers at this together—but I stopped short at joining in Maggie’s chanting from the backseat, even though it was tempting.
Our first outdoor adventure involved us getting out on the waterways for a guided kayak ecotour with Kayak Amelia. The tour guides were extremely knowledgeable about the area and before we even hopped in our kayaks, they were sharing stories of the wildlife they typically see on the surrounding waterways, including area birds. I looked over at Maggie, who had her neck craned toward the sky and was on the lookout.
Maggie and I had a quick paddling lesson and then set out with our guides for a tour of Simpson Creek, a tidal stream running between Big Talbot and Little Talbot Island state parks. The waterways were wide with salt marshes and tall grass along the riverbanks. The crickets were chirping while egrets and osprey flew overhead (which thrilled Maggie to see). It was peaceful and calm as we made our way along the waterways—and great exercise, too. The water flowed at a gentle pace, and I quickly found a rhythm, paddling steadily through the calm water. Maggie squealed when she saw an osprey fly by with a fish in his mouth, as the naturalist quickly pointed out that that was lunch!
As we reached the halfway point of our tour, we stopped at a beautiful sandbar surrounded by water. With time for a quick swim to cool off, Maggie and I collected shells to take home with us, serving as a great reminder of our getaway. I was so proud of Maggie for mastering a new skill and from the smile on her face, I’m certain she loved it, too.
With more than 1,110 miles of shoreline in northeast Florida—featuring riverbanks, ocean and inlets—it only seemed natural that our next adventure would be fishing. As our guide told us, all we needed was the desire to catch a fish and he’d make it happen. We made our way along the waves, soaking in the bright sunshine and admiring the views of the riverbanks. The excitement was building as Maggie and I joked about what size fish we would catch—“I’m gonna get a fish that’s this big,” Maggie exclaimed as she threw her arms out wide.
While Maggie and I weren’t new to boat rides, this was our first time actually fishing from a boat. Our guide walked us through all the steps, took us to a prime location, helped us bait the hooks and demonstrated how to cast the line. I took a few photos of Maggie, baseball cap on and clutching her fishing rod, to send to our family members, hoping that the next photo would be one with her holding a fish that was this big.
We waited patiently as we soaked up the sunshine, trusting that we’d be rewarded. Then suddenly, a tug on Maggie’s line told us that we were right! Our guide jumped into action, helping Maggie as much as she needed. I whipped my phone out again to record the moment, capturing a big smile and lots of laughter. She was beaming ear to ear over that little trout—and so was I! This was definitely a fish tale that she’d be telling others about for years to come.
On the final day of our mother/daughter weekend, we met up with E2ride Bike Tours for a tour of the historic San Marco neighborhood, which included a ride along the St. Johns River. Since Maggie loved riding her bike at home, I figured we might as well explore the city on two wheels. As we made our way down River Road, I admired the beautiful Mediterranean and Colonial homes along the waterfront. They were all so majestic and regal, and each with great views of the river too.
Once we reached the St. Johns River and the Southbank Riverwalk, I heard Maggie shout from behind me, “Look—a dolphin!” And sure enough, there were two dolphins swimming alongside us as we biked along the Riverwalk. In all the mother/daughter trips we’d taken, we certainly had never seen anything like this. It was another confirmation that we had made the right decision to have an outdoors vacation.
As we arrived at Treaty Oak, we learned the history of this Jacksonville landmark from our bike tour guide. Thought to be close to 250 years old, this majestic Southern live oak tree’s trunk was more than 25 feet in circumference and more than 70 feet tall. Once again, Maggie threw her arms out in a this big-stance to compare her size (tiny) to the tree’s (huge) for a photo.
Dixieland Park opened on land adjacent to Treaty Park back in 1907, billing itself as the “Coney Island of the South,” complete with amusement rides and even ostrich races. Maggie’s face lit up when she heard this bit of history, “I wish we could watch ostriches race right now!”
After a break, which Maggie used to explore the massive branches of the tree, we hopped back on our bikes to head toward the quaint San Marco Square, where our bike tour ended. The neighborhood was surrounded with local boutiques and restaurants, which we perused before I had to tell Maggie that it was time to make our way back home.
As we walked toward the car, I asked Maggie what her favorite part of the trip was. She lit up as she talked about our adventures from the past few days, which made me smile. “Oh, seeing the bird with the fish! Or, maybe catching my own fish! Or seeing the dolphins!”
I hugged her, thrilled that she had had such a wonderful time. I had, too. It was hands-on fun and we stepped out of our comfort zone for our great adventure. Maggie and I had discovered so much to explore and we’d keep doing just that, with plenty of time outside, soaking up sunshine and making new memories together that were this big.