Walking Tours Through AB

LET’S GALLIVANT, SHALL WE?

We’re all familiar with Beach Avenue’s allure to walkers (and joggers and bicyclists and skateboarders and rollerbladers, oh my!). Heck, the Florida Times-Union’s Mark Woods – who would know; he walked clear across Jacksonville – declared Beach Avenue to be “perhaps the most pedestrian-friendly street in Duval County.”

Well, for the sake of social distancing and otherwise promoting everyone’s health, we’ve mapped out six routes for walkers and joggers to consider. We’ve named them “Heritage Tree Trek”, “Four-Park Promenade”, and “Heart of AB Trace”, “Seaside Stroll and More!”, “Western Walkabout”, and “Glorious Gallivant of Dutton.” Cute names, huh? 

(About “Glorious Gallivant of Dutton” … credit goes to City Manager Corbin. We were rolling with “Dutton Island Stroll” until Mr. Corbin said, and I/we quote: “Can we call the Dutton one ‘Glorious Gallivant’? I just like the word ‘gallivant’." Thus, it’s gallivant. #TrueStory. (BTW, it’s alternatively spelled “gallavant” on occasion; we know because it’s on the internet).

Sorry, we digress; back to our message … Please, please be flexible; if it’s crowded on your route, for everyone’s safety, please go to Plan B (or C, D, E or F)!

Will you give the routes a gallivant – and let us know what you think.

(Props to principled COAB Principal Planner Brian Broedell for, well, pretty much doing all of the work on this project.)

Oh, these maps are also posted on the aforementioned internet. See www.coab.us/961/Walking-Tours-Through-AB.

Want to print the maps? See if this works for ya (and let us know if it doesn’t -- info@coab.us).

And check out the resident comment(s) at the bottom of this page!-- From  AB Environmental Stewardship Committee member Sarah Dark about the Heritage Tree Trek: "You can also walk directly north (saturiba to country club to Seminole)south through Johansen Park, no marked trails/path, but beautiful open space, just walk along the creek/drainage ditch. There is also a little pocket park entrance on Park Terrace East just a little south of Saturiba."

-- From Joseph Pecora: "You left out a nice little loop through Atlantic Beach Country Club that take you across a quaint little bridge and past beautiful new houses and a manicured golf course. "