MY WALKING TOUR OF THE JACKSONVILLE WATERFRONT
Friday, February 4, 2005


  The first challenge was to board a shuttle bus at the park and ride lot on Emerson Street.  There was a long line to buy a pass, but once aboard a bus, the trip downtown to the shipyards was very fast.


Once off the bus, it was a short walk to the shipyard stage, the arena or the ball park.



I found an impressive gathering of portable toilets clustered behind the Maxwell House Coffee plant at the east end of the Bay Street entertainment district.


Bright lights, music, food and drink made Bay Street  a popular place to be.
One of the many bands  to perform  at venues scattered all over town warms up the crowd at the shipyards stage

The Seven Seas Navigator, one of five cruise ships in town to provide extra lodging, was docked in front of the Adams Mark Hotel in the center of  downtown activity.
Parking for dozens of private boats was at a premium.






The Jacksonville Landing was jammed with people.

Boats were tied up three abreast in front of the landing.

Downtown businesses were encouraged to leave the lights on.


The brightly lit Main Street Bridge was open only to pedestrians for most of the weekend.






Views from both sides of the bridge were spectacular.


I think this is everybody's favorite view of the Jacksonville skyline, from the Friendship Fountain on the Southbank.


But the view in front of the Hilton isn't bad either.
The new lighting on the Main Street Bridge is a wonderful addition to the downtown scene.


The nightly fireworks shows were spectacular, impossible to absorb with one camera in one location.


The mirrored windows of the Modis building reflected the fireworks over the river.

Another final look at the skyline from near the Radisson Hotel before I boarded a shuttle at the Kings Avenue garage.
All of these photos were taken by me with a hand held Fuji FinePix A210 3.1 megapixel digital camera.