Exploring the World with Pokémon Go: Southside Park
For my last adventure in San Marco Florida, I visited Southside Park. I was here last year to show solidarity for Black Lives Matter and already knew I was going to enjoy my time here.
Covid 19 did not keep people away from Southside Park. And since I went later in the day, the heat was a constant presence. I carefully took photos between people moving about. It might look empty in these images, but take my word for it, this was the most crowded park I visited in a while.
Since there were no children at play on these playgrounds, I made sure to get plenty of pictures. There have been plenty of parks where I had to skip entire sections due to kids using the equipment. So I was happy to be granted this opportunity. This is a perfect place for families to relax though if that matters to you.
More than Just Playgrounds:
Southside Park was much more than a series of playgrounds. From open green areas, to basketball courts this park has plenty to do. The trails that circle the park have been measured properly so that if you are looking to go for a walk or run, you can do so with a workout plan in mind.
There is so much to do and see here. But the crowds and the extreme heat made sure I couldn’t stay even longer. In fact, a majority of those visiting Southside Park were in the one area I didn’t get. Almost a third of Southside Park is filled with tennis courts. And Covid didn’t keep anyone away.
In the past, I have visited parks where tennis courts have sat empty. Covid 19 probably kept people away. But Southside Park didn’t have this problem at all. I’m not sure if it has to do with current events that people decided to go back outside in droves or if this park is just like this even during a pandemic. If it is the latter, I can only imagine how crowded this place must be when there isn’t a pandemic.
I have mentioned a couple times that I have loved trains since I was an infant. So naturally I took pictures of train tracks while at Southside Park. But things got better while I walked near this end of the park. Cause a train came by.
Fright Trains go by this area all the time. In reality, I wasn’t shocked at all that I saw one. There are multiple rail yards within a couple miles of this park. Trains go by here probably every couple hours at minimum.
Pokémon Go:
So I have showcased Southside Park in the real world. Let’s talk about how this place measures up in Pokémon Go. Last year, I visited Southside Park during the Black Lives Matter Rallies. This was a major gathering place for peaceful protest which is how I knew about this park in the first place.
I had played Pokémon Go here since I do that wherever I go. But of course given that this blog exists that shouldn’t be surprising. But how does it hold up you might ask? Extremely well. This park was awesome. Plenty of Pokestops within reach no matter where you are make sure you can catch whatever spawns. And there were non stop Pokémon to catch the entire time.
Downtown San Marco is nearby. Downtown Jacksonville is also nearby. And despite both those places being in close proximity, I still recommend coming here. This is a fantastic place to play Pokémon Go and check out in general.
Munna had just as much fun as I did at Southside Park. I still wish I could float like Munna. Would probably make my life easier. Plus I would look cool floating around. Who doesn’t look cooler by floating around?
Given how crowded Southside Park was, I wore a mask during this adventure. My roommate came with me and she had extra masks since I forgot to bring one somehow. Don’t ask how I managed to do that after living for over a year with a mask within reach.
Wrap Up:
My adventures in San Marco have come to an end. But right down the street is my next series of adventures. Right near downtown Jacksonville sits a series of Riverfront trails that parallels the Saint Johns River on both banks. I’ll be exploring that entire area next. This might be my last part of the Jacksonville series since I’ll be moving back to Orlando soon. So be sure to check back on these next couple posts.