Exploring the World with Pokémon Go: Northbank Riverwalk
At long last I made it to the Northbank Riverwalk. Since this was my last full day in Jacksonville, I explored this entire trail. What normally would have been multiple blog posts is getting condensed into one. Lets take a look at all the amazing things I found.
Art, water, and tall buildings. Northbank Riverwalk many of the things I like to focus on. As this journey was quite the ambitious one, I am electing to let these photos speak for themselves. There is a lot to take in here and a lot of how I felt was the same through the entire journey.
The Northbank has three distinct sections as well as a few parks that break those areas down even further. The first leg of the journey took me towards the Main Street Bridge. I have called this bridge by a few names on this blog. Its the one that carries US 1 and US 90 among other local roads across the Saint Johns River and through downtown Jacksonville.
The Main Street Bridge:
The Northbank Riverwalk is a much longer hike than the other side. There is also a lot more to see and do on this end. This section of the trail goes past many hotels. These buildings are positioned perfectly to take in the river and the breathtaking scenery nearby.
Unlike the Southbank, the Northbank trail is much wider allowing plenty of space for multiple people to use the area. In the age of Covid, this is perfect to safely be outside. Despite there being an incredible number of people using the trail besides me, I never was forced to remain in close proximity for anyone too long.
As the Main Street Bridge came close into view, I saw multiple concrete structures in the water. I assume these were placed in their specific locations to make sure boats don’t crash into anything.
Northbank Riverwalk goes underneath the Main Street Bridge. The Southbank does as well, but on that end, the bridge is lower and near the ground so the other trail goes under the ground for a time to avoid pedestrians having to cross the bridge. On this side though, the bridge is plenty high in the air and this is not necessary.
Directly underneath the bridge was the first of many maps I would use to view my progress down the trail. As you can see once you find the “you are here” star in the above image, I had a long way to go still. Since it was hot out, I made sure to grab some water before continuing.
What Used to Be:
I reached my first roadblock as well as the area I would have stopped if this hadn’t been my last day in Jacksonville. In the past, when I explored longer trails such as Northbank Riverwalk, I would make sure to take time to show each park along the way with its own showcase. But I didn’t have that option this time.
Also as mentioned earlier, I hit a roadblock. The first park I encountered was being renovated and closed. Actually renovated isn’t the right word. There used to be a place called The Landing right here. In the image with the Wells Fargo Building you can see the empty field where it used to be. It got demolished in 2020. Apparently the area had become an eyesore to many.
But that was not the only construction going on. Farther down, the trail was blocked. I would need to find a way around this area. And luckily, plenty of bikers and runners showed me where I was going next.
Detour:
Since I could not continue along Northbank Riverwalk proper due to construction, I moved slightly to the north and close to the Times Union Performing Arts Center. Sometimes I think about how the arts and entertainment industry has been horribly set back due to the Covid 19 Pandemic.
One of the reasons why I work so much on this blog is to push the arts back into what it will be in the future. This entire pandemic has demonstrated just how important the arts and humanities are to us all. I hope people realize this going forward.
Anyway, you can see the next major bridge on my adventure. The Acosta Bridge might only carry State Road 13 across the River, but right next to it is a a set of railroad tracks. I love trains. This has been pointed out multiple times in this blog. Those tracks are an important an underutilized part of Florida’s infrastructure. The tracks that cross that bridge travel alongside US 1 all the way down to Miami. We could run commuter rail all the way along the east coast of Florida along those tracks. I can dream right?
Back on Track:
As the Acosta Bridge came closer into view, the construction finally came to an end and I was able to get back to the Riverfront proper. Northbank Riverwalk has a lot to see and do, I have mentioned that multiple times at this point. But it was hard for me not to get overwhelmed by the sheer amount of stuff to see.
It sucks to admit, but I am sure there is plenty that I missed and didn’t take pictures of. The good news in that aspect though is that this is an open invitation for you, the viewer, to come visit this park and trail. Come discover what you find is neat. The entire purpose of this blog is to get people seeing the world after all.
Corkscrew Park:
My next stop on the Northbank Riverwalk is also one of my favorite spots on the trail. Under normal circumstances, I would have written an entire blog post about just this one spot. Not only because its a park, but the design of it is so neat to me that I think coming here and focusing on it would have done justice. But that wasn’t an option. So I’ll sum up what I saw.
Underneath the Acosta bridge, there is a full fledged park. Its called Corkscrew Park and it earns that name in multiple ways. The first is the actual corkscrew art displays sitting around the park. Next, the bridge above turns about as it moves traffic across the Saint Johns River.
The third and most interesting tidbit about Corkscrew Park I can’t showcase properly. There were a lot of people visiting the park when I came. And many of them were using the equipment. Another reason that Corkscrew Park earns its name is because this little spot under a massive bridge is a workout area. People were twisting their bodies in many directions for the sake of stretching and wellness.
One final thing of notice that I want to draw attention to. Though I don’t know how the counts are done, there is a sign in Corkscrew Park that keeps track of the number of people who pass by. I’m not sure how it differentiates bikes from walkers but even if its not perfectly accurate, I like the attempt.
Spiral Ramps:
The next section of Northbank Riverwalk is a series of spiraling ramps that move the trail higher in the air. Why do this you might ask? Well that is simple. Remember that railroad bridge? The trail needs to get past it somehow right? An at grade crossing is dangerous especially for this many bikers and runners. Instead, the path is raised in a space efficient way to make that crossing safer.
Also I am pleased that the trail uses a ramp rather than stairs. It makes the next segment much more accessible for lots of people. After reading up on how many times those with disabilities are ignored in outdoor situations, this was a refreshing change. And I didn’t need to read too much into it since I have disabilities of my own that tend to get ignored. I’m just glad in this case that the park is open for a lot more people thanks to ramps instead of stairs.
Over the Tracks:
After making my way up the spiraling ramps under the Acosta Bridge, it made sense that the next stage in the Northbank Riverwalk would take me across those tracks on a bridge. I love the decision to make the ground a work of art in its own right. Also, it seems that over time, a lot of people have left locks on the chain-link fence and that has become its own art.
Finally, don’t forget naturally art. The river is still right next to me as is Jacksonville’s skyline. You can finally see the Southbank in my blog from the other side. I told you there were things worth seeing on that end.
A familiar bridge was my next destination. The Interstate 95 Bridge has made an appearance in quite a few of my blog posts now. I kept forgetting to mention its name: The Fuller Warren Bridge. Its built a different from the other two bridges since Interstates are required to keep traffic continuously moving when possible. I’ll be getting a lot closer to that bridge when this post reaches its end.
Back to the Ground:
All things that go up must come back down. Next up on the Northbank Riverwalk, I found a much more gentle ramp taking the trail back to the ground. The entire walkway was a combination of polka dots and other designs that changed colors periodically.
When I reached the bottom of the ramp, I found another map. Comparing it to the last couple I posted, you can see the progress I made so far. There was still a bit to go, but my first half of this journey was more than halfway over.
One final comment from these pictures. It bothers me usually when pointless graffiti is added to signs. I understand that there is graffiti art. That art form did show up on this walk. I don’t remember if I took a picture of it or not. But I won’t look and find out. Surprises are fun.
The next leg of my journey down the Northbank Riverwalk took my by a couple businesses that have buildings right up to the riverfront. I wasn’t sure what sort of businesses would want to be this close to the water. I imagine its expensive to own real estate here. But it seems that the ones I found actually get their business by helping the river environment. I read a few plaques about it on my way farther on the trail.
Works of Art:
As I continued down the Northbank Riverwalk, the Fuller Warren Bridge came back into view. It still is quite far away in the above pictures, but I am drawing ever closer to it. Keep in mind how large it is. Interstate 95 is a major north south highway that travels along the entire east coast of the United States and visits many of those cities. There are many lanes each way on such a heavily traveled road.
Besides the man made structures, I found a couple patches of nature just doing its thing by the water. I liked that scene enough that I got two different pictures of it from different angles.
There was plenty more man made stuff to see too. Apartment buildings and businesses sat right off the trail. I wonder how much it costs to live here. Far beyond what I can afford, but I can dream right? Maybe one day I can live in a fancy place like this and walk along beautiful parks every morning.
I’m always a sucker for art. And above you can see another unique display. Even in places where art is in abundance, each creation is different from the others.
More Construction:
The next area of Northbank Riverwalk was more of the same. Nothing wrong with that though. I wonder how many times I have uttered some variation of the last two sentences? I saw some construction too. Probably will be some expensive apartments that I’ll never be able to afford.
I also used the clear day to get another picture of the Jacksonville Skyline. Specifically the Southbank. Most pictures of Jacksonville one sees on the internet are of the Northbank side of downtown.
Sadly, a lot of places here had fences. I understand that people want privacy, but there were some beautiful spots right near the waterfront that I couldn’t check out due to these barriers.
Sidney J Gefen Riverwalk Park:
I made it to the Sidney J Gefen Riverwalk Park. Like I have mentioned multipole times now, this was my last day in Jacksonville and didn’t have time to focus on each of the individual parks that the Northbank Riverwalk travels through. Also, this park drew quite a crowd. I couldn’t get many images of it without getting extras who might not have wanted that.
Instead, I got more pictures of the ever closer Interstate 95 Bridge. No matter how many times I seem to get pictures of that bridge, each one turns out differently. There seems to be a lot going on nearby.
My journey towards the Fuller Warren Bridge, and the Northbank Riverwalk which ends at said bridge was coming to an end. I found another map which showed my location in these images. One can see just how much ground I covered in one day. I got plenty of exercise.
I have not gotten a chance to draw attention to all the trees along the path. The Southbank didn’t have the space for much greenery. But the Northbank has much more space and has used said space wisely. The parks and greenery allow nature to do what it does best and create amazing places to visit.
Fuller Warren Bridge Up Close:
At last I reached the end of the trail. Northbank Riverwalk was quite a journey. One that I hope to repeat one day. I am sad that I had to leave Jacksonville behind when so much of that city was left unexplored. But I’m back in Orlando as of me writing this. There is plenty to see there too.
Anyway, here is the Fuller Warren Bridge up close. I know a lot of my prior blog posts drew attention to this bridge. Its a bit different up close. Just like the Acosta Bridge, there was a park underneath. I’m not sure about the air quality, but from a space utilization angle, I’m a fan of using the space in such a way.
A couple plaques near the water talked about how Jacksonville is the gateway to the rest of Florida. If traveling down Interstate 95, that is absolutely true. Though if entering Florida from Interstate 10 or Interstate 75, not so much.
I made sure to get a few close up pictures of the Fuller Warren Bridge to close out this adventure. Then again, I still had to make the return trip. So my journey with images might have come to an end, but my workout for the day was only half over.
I wish I could have spent more time at the Northbank Riverwalk. But that just gives me reason to return one day.
Pokémon Go:
I have talked at length about my journey at the Northbank Riverwalk. But how good is this spot in Pokémon Go? Even more incredible than the Southbank. The spawns were so plentiful the entire journey that I kept having the game crash on me. Eventually, I opted to simply take pictures on the way to the Fuller Warren Bridge. And on the way back I played Pokémon Go until I reached my car.
Look at the map and you can see the winding trail filled with Pokestops and Gyms all the way through downtown. To say that you should play Pokémon Go here if you visit is an understatement. Stock up on Pokeballs and items. And enjoy nonstop Pokémon appearing and plenty of places to replenish. There were plenty of rare mons to find too. Extraordinary considering there was an event going on which controlled most of what appeared.
Come check out the Northbank Riverwalk. Stay for the Pokemon Go. You won’t find better in Jacksonville.
Munna knew that I dreamed of a bathroom break after walking the length of the Northbank Riverwalk. Sadly, it was closed. I wonder if the Pokémon enjoyed my negative emotions too? I may never know.
Covered in sweat from head to toe, here I am in a secluded corner for safety under the Fuller Warren Bridge. I figured it was appropriate that the bridge that appeared so frequently in this blog was the end point. I was exhausted in this image. Believe it or not, I had traveled far even before I came here. And I was on little sleep on top of that. But I wanted to make sure that I visited this park before I left for Orlando.
Wrap Up:
This was my last adventure in Jacksonville. It might be a long time before I am back. But that just means I’ll be checking out places in Orlando instead. Look forward to wherever my adventures take me next.