Exploring the World with Pokemon Go: Baker Skinner Park
Baker Skinner Park is located close to my house. Covid 19 has prevented me from doing a lot of things over the last year and a half. So has moving from Orlando to Jacksonville. I figured it was time to use my day off to explore a bit.
Covid 19 has completely changed how we work and play in the modern world. Look at the above pictures and see how a robust and potentially active ball park remains empty.
I made sure to take a picture of the park’s parking lot just to make that point clear. There was no one else at Baker Skinner Park except a person who came to clean the dumpster at the front.
Since I am relatively new to the Jacksonville Area, I am still learning about the local important names. Thus I’ll be paying even closer attention to ones such as the memorial above. I’ll be able to learn hidden facts about the city by paying close attention to these special monuments of history.
The Fields:
As I got closer to the physical baseball fields, I felt a sense of nostalgia. Not for myself of course. I never really was any good at Baseball. But for stories others had shared about the sport.
Notably, my thoughts shifted to an old friend. One who unfortunately passed away last year. (not from Covid) Tim Rumsey would have loved this place. In fact, the plaque I took a picture of above that mentions how those who play here might well be the best Baseball players you ever meet, sounds like it would have come right out of one of the compelling tales he used to tell.
I continue to understand his fascination for the sport and how it shaped his youth every time I visit one of these ballparks. Maybe by refusing to get better at Baseball, I might have missed a wonderful set of experiences like no other. Well I’ll never know now. I can only do my best to try and understand other perspectives on these sorts of things.
Anyway, I pulled myself out of memory lane for a moment when I snapped a picture of sponsors. While helping a public place is never a bad thing, the very word sponsor leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I hope that those who fund this place don’t force it to work against its own interests for their benefit.
Since Baker Skinner Park was empty, I decided to get right up to the fields proper. I can imagine how busy and noisy this place once was. The concessions with long lines and games being played all around where I stood.
But Covid has put many things at a standstill. This place is a testament to how one massive change to society can have significant impacts. I hope that when this pandemic is at an end that more people have a profound appreciation for public parks in general.
Pokemon Go:
This Travel Blog happens to be about exploring the world with Pokemon Go. Here is Baker Skinner Park in the game. It’s not even marked as a park for some reason. If it was, the ground would be a darker shade of green.
Despite this, the spawns here are roughly what one would expect from a park. I’m not sure how good those spawns are normally, as there is an in game event manipulating what appears all over the world. However, the ballpark area of Baker Skinner Park is a nest. Right now, Piplup is spawning here in abundance.
Another thing of note is that both those Pokemon Gyms are EX Raid areas. I plan to return here when the Covid 19 Pandemic is over for a chance to get some truly rare Pokemon when that feature returns.
All in all, this baseball park is worth a visit both to take in the scenery and play Pokemon Go. Spawns are plentiful and two EX Gyms are right near the center.
Trogdor the Deino had fun at Baker Skinner Park. Despite being blind, he has a nice trainer who takes him to nice places. Maybe once he is fully evolved into Hydreigon and can see, I’ll take him back.
Here is a picture of me near the Baker Skinner Park Baseball fields in case you forgot what I look like. And yes, I’m still wearing my mask when no one is around me. Covid 19 is serious and has killed a ton of people. So I’m still taking every precaution and ignoring the pain from the tender skin around my ears.
I’ll be exploring as I am able. Its been a long time since I did this and it will take even more time to properly get back to the swing of things.