Exploring the World With Pokémon Go: Huffman Boulevard Park
Covid 19 is still a looming threat in the United States. So I cautiously went to Huffman Boulevard Park to knock another small section of the world off my wanderlust bucket list.
Huffman Boulevard Park was much more crowded than the last place I explored. Most importantly a large part of the playground was in use. Besides the fact that it is illegal to take pictures of children without their parent’s consent, it is also immoral.
Instead, I stayed away from that section of the park and explored the rest. Huffman Boulevard Park also has a large soccer field that you can see in a picture above. I did not go onto the field because it was being used by others.
Not just limiting myself to avoiding taking pictures of children, I also try my best not to take pictures of random people. Its possible to show what this place is like enough where I don’t have to physically step foot on every inch.
When I reached the back of the park, I found something that attracted my interest. I didn’t realize it when at the front, but Huffman Boulevard Park has a trail that loops the entire outside. Most of the rest of my adventure took my down this trail.
The Trail:
My journey through Huffman Boulevard Park took my down this trail. While many people frequented the playground, and even a few made use of the Soccer Field, I was all alone here. A shame really. This was a beautiful and peaceful walk.
The weather was perfect too. I know that right now a lot of the United States is dealing with extreme cold and abnormal weather. Despite all the terrible things that happen in Florida, this weather is one of the main reasons I remain here.
Respecting Others:
As I traveled farther down the trail that circles Huffman Boulevard Park, I started running into other people. As a consequence, I took pictures carefully.
I’ll admit, I have an irrational fear that onlookers might believe I’m a stalker or worse. It can come off suspicious when I travel to a park with headphones on, stare at my phone a whole lot, and then snap pictures randomly. Got to do what I can to avoid causing trouble for others.
One of the pictures above was my only chance to get a safe picture of the playground. You can barely make out some of the equipment through the trees. There were no children at play in this corner.
As I made it back to the entrance of Huffman Boulevard Park, I found that I had traveled this trail backwards. The marker above told me the proper length of what I had just walked.
I have traveled much farther in the past, but Covid has mostly kept me inside. Its nice to be looking at neat places again, even if I have to do so carefully.
Though I had seen much of Huffman Boulevard Park, there were a few features I missed. On the other side sat a basketball court and tennis courts alongside them.
The basketball courts were in use so I only got a couple images from far away. The tennis courts sat unused, but I usually don’t go inside these areas when I explore.
Pokémon Go:
For those of you who are new to this travel blog, you might not know that I also play Pokémon Go when I travel to these parks. I like to rate my gaming and exploring experiences at each new location. So let’s talk about playing Pokémon Go at Huffman Boulevard Park.
As you can see from the above image, there are two Pokémon Gyms and four Pokéstops. That alone usually indicates a good location to play the game. But the spawns here are plentiful as well. I continued to catch everything I saw and as you can see in the image above, I still didn’t get everything.
The two Gyms happen to be EX Raid Capable locations too. If and when the Covid Epidemic comes to an end, then these two gyms might be important if you wish to catch the rare Pokémon that only appear in EX Raids. All in all, I enjoyed my Pokémon Go experience.
Trogdor the Deino also enjoyed this park. Its a shame the Pokemon is blind though. Once he is fully evolved into a Hydreigon and is capable of seeing, I might bring him back here.
I hated this Pawniard from a 12k Egg while exploring. Yes you read that right. Pokémon Go now has 12k Eggs that can be won from doing some of the harder content in the game. This is one of the better Pokémon that can hatch from one. I was pleased.
Wrap Up:
Not everyone is taking this pandemic seriously, but I assure you that I continue to do my part. I’ll be masking up everywhere I go until the world gives the all clear and this Covid Nightmare is finally over. I’m making that face because I was staring towards the sun, not because I have contempt for everyone who reads this.
All in all, I enjoyed my time at Huffman Boulevard Park. I’m glad that I am able to explore parts of Jacksonville, even if I do so slowly and carefully to keep myself and others safe. Look forward to more posts as the weather continues to improve.