Memorial Day Weekend is usually a time to enjoy being with friends and family as we remember and honor our nation’s fallen heroes. If your annual traditions involve attending parades and family picnics or traveling long distances, you may be feeling down that COVID-19 has put a damper on this year’s plans. The good news is that you don’t have to stay stuck at home all weekend. Here are a few ways you can spend the weekend close to FLOCO while safely social distancing.
EXPLORING AT FORT CLINCH STATE PARK
Several state parks are now open for limited activities, so why not enjoy a day at one of our own local gems? Fort Clinch offers many things to do for nature and history lovers alike. Though all campsites appear to be booked for the holiday weekend, you can still enjoy hiking the Willow Pond Nature Trail, wildlife watching, shark tooth hunting on the beaches, and of course, checking out the incredible 19th century fort.
RELAXING ON FERNANDINA BEACH
The best reason to live on Florida’s First Coast is our beautiful beaches. Thankfully, Fernandina Beach is open from 6am-9pm with parking available in select areas. Many Fernandina Beach restaurants are open for takeout so you can grab lunch at one of many great places on your way to or from the beach. Check out the list of open restaurants here.
Though there won’t be a parade this year, The Marine Corp League will be hosting a Memorial Day ceremony at Fernandina Beach’s Veteran’s Memorial Monument at 11:00am on Monday. Visitors are asked to wear masks and practice social distancing.
SOAKING UP HISTORY IN ST. AUGUSTINE
America’s oldest city is just an hour south of FLOCO and well worth the trip! Although the historic Castillo de San Marcos is still closed, there are plenty of other ways to spend a day in beautiful St. Augustine. Many tour companies and museums are open with social distancing protocols in place, including Ancient City Tours, The Lightner Museum, Old Town Trolley and many more. You can find a full list of open attractions, shops and restaurants here.
SHOPPING AT ST. JOHNS TOWN CENTER
If you need to stock up on summer wardrobe staples, browse new home décor or upgrade your phone, many stores at St. Johns Town Center are open. Take advantage of special Memorial Day weekend deals and enjoy curbside pick-up from select dining spots. Visit the store directory to check the status of your favorite shops and restaurants.
However you decide to spend your time right here in Northeast Florida, we hope you have a great weekend and stay safe!
Home is where the heart is but after spending so much time there, it may be feeling a little less sweet. Even though things are starting to transition back to normal here in floco, it’s more important than ever that your home is a space you love. Here are a few tips to make at-home spaces more accommodating.
- Keep up with cleaning. Taking a few minutes to tidy up each day can go a long way toward improving your mood. Knowing where things are, seeing everything in order, and a sense of accomplishment will help your mood and your space. And it will save you from having to spend hours or days on a deep clean later.
- Make WFH work better for you. If you’re still working from home, it’s important to maintain consistency. It helps to have a place where you know you can get work done. Even if you don’t have a home office or desk, you can pick out a counter, table or even a spot on the couch, and know that when you’re there, you’re on the job. It’s a small decision that can keep you extra productive at home.
- Clear things out. Believe it or not, now is a better time than ever to get rid of excess stuff around the house. If there’s an item you haven’t been using while you’ve been home every day, chances are you aren’t going to be using it. Channel your inner Marie Kondo and go room by room to find furniture, appliances, décor and more that you can live without. You’ll open up more space in your house and as an added benefit, it can be the perfect opportunity to do some rearranging, too!
- Rearrange and redecorate. Whether you do #3 or not, consider taking some time to rearrange the layout of a room or your whole house. Is your current setup conducive to your normal everyday lifestyle? If something’s getting in the way, or there’s something you don’t need immediate access to (sorry, ironing board!), take this opportunity to change things up. It could be just the refresher you need to give your house a new feel, and make the everyday feel less ho-hum.
So, you’re home for a while. Spending your days under a roof and in a handful of rooms you know very well – in fact, you know them even better now. But if home sweet home is feeling a little less sweet or you feel like you or your loved ones are climbing the walls, here are some ways to pass the time and even have some fun doing it.
Learn to cook a new dish. Now’s a great time to build up your cooking skills. Find a simple recipe that fits the ingredients you have on hand or check which of your local farms are offering delivery service for fresh produce so you can make your favorite lowcountry dish. Right now, cooking celebrities like Alton Brown are sharing great tips, too. Not feeling up to cooking? Support your favorite local restaurant by ordering takeout!
Catch up on chores. Okay, okay, this just sounds like adding insult to injury. But those projects you’ve been putting off, like spring cleaning, doing your taxes or fixing things up around the house are a great way to burn a few hours of the day. And when you’re done, you can enjoy the feeling of accomplishment.
Perform an experiment. If you’ve got kids, even they might be getting tired of toys or excess screen time. The good news is you can dazzle and delight with at-home experiments using household items. Make a canola oil lava lamp or mix food coloring with baking soda and vinegar for a colorful twist on the classic science project volcano.
Throw a party online. Getting together via video conference has become a major trend, and here’s a fun twist: Pick some songs, a play or a favorite book; do some rehearsing; then invite friends and family for a special performance. It’s another great way to get kids involved, or you could have everyone on the invite list prepare and put on a teleconferenced talent show!
The Floco Festival is coming soon — and we’re thrilled to welcome Florida’s own Sister Hazel to headline the musical festivities. Florida has a rich history with music — relaxing, getting in the groove, and lowcountry living is the perfect inspiration for great music. Here are five bands you may not realize are from Florida.
Sister Hazel
This one’s a bit of a giveaway, since we just mentioned they’re headlining our Floco Festival this year. The band blends southern rock (more on that shortly), folk rock, classic rock and a time-honored but maybe little-known treble guitar style called jangle pop*. In doing so, they captured the sound of the 90s with Billboard hit “All For You.”
Tom Petty
Singer-songwriter and guitarist Tom Petty also hails from Gainesville, Florida, where he was born and raised before he became the front man for Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers. Petty actually started his musical career in Gainesville in a band called the Epics with several future Heartbreakers. They didn’t break the Top 40 until their second album, but hit platinum with their third, Damn the Torpedoes, which featured three of their most popular singles: “Don’t Do Me Like That”, “Here Comes My Girl” and “Refugee”.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Synonymous with southern rock, Lynyrd Skynyrd was actually one of a few bands to emerge from the Jacksonville area’s lively music scene. Famous for hits like “Free Bird” and “Sweet Home Alabama”, the band came up in the same region as the Allman Brothers Band and Molly Hatchet, bringing a country sensibility to rock ‘n’ roll culture.
*NSYNC/Backstreet Boys
It may be a hot take to group these two together, but it was also impossible to list one without the other. At the height of the teen pop craze, the only true rivals in the boy band music scene were *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, with a crowd of imitators in their wake. Mixing R&B, dance pop and hip hop, both bands topped the charts with hits like “I Want It That Way” and “Bye Bye Bye.”
*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jangle
WILDLIGHT, FL – February 3, 2020 – Skinner Bros. Realty is continuing expansion at Wildlight with a new multi-tenant retail complex that will bring additional retail, restaurant and specialty service offerings to the area’s Village Center. This is the third overall building development and second multi-tenant retail complex in Wildlight by the Jacksonville-based real estate developers. The building is slated for completion in August 2020 and will continue to advance the community’s growth and progression.
“We’re thrilled to welcome several new high-quality and convenient shopping, dining and specialty services to the rapidly growing Wildlight community,” said Chet Skinner, vice president of Skinner Bros. Realty. “Our second multi-tenant retail complex will contribute to the four years of continued work in Nassau County, joining a well-rounded selection of businesses already established in the area such as Tasty’s Fresh Burgers and Fries, Cold Stone Creamery, AT&T and more.”
Skinners Bros. Realty submitted a preliminary site plan to Nassau County’s Development Review Committee in September 2019, with construction having begun in January 2020. The 11,640-square-foot mixed-use building is located on State Road 200, just east of the community’s main entrance, and will serve as an extension of the Wildlight Village Center’s current offerings. Inspired by the community’s Florida Lowcountry architecture and outdoor-living approach, the complex’s exterior will maintain the unique authenticity of the culture, lifestyle and heritage. The development will feature simple lines, native Florida landscaping and a color palette to complement the community’s natural surroundings.
This retail complex will bring additional lifestyle-focused businesses and services within walking distance to about 600 homes and apartments in Wildlight. Anejo Cocina Mexicana restaurant will anchor the complex and take up 3,700 square feet, leaving 1,800 square feet to Dep Nails & Spa and 6,140 square feet to lease up. The remaining tenant spaces are broken up between 1,200 and 2,500 square feet. In the coming months, developers hope to announce additional businesses to round out the already confirmed restaurant and specialty services spaces.
“We are pleased to continue working with Skinner Bros. Realty on the expansion of Wildlight,” said Chris Corr, president of Raydient Places + Properties. “We have secured a solid foundation of retail shops, restaurants and sought-after services that will support the community’s recent growth and demand, as well as help attract additional unique, local and regional tenants.”
Looking ahead, Skinner Bros. Realty is planning three additional developments composed of single-tenant and multi-tenant buildings at Wildlight’s Village Center. Other community developments in the area slated to open this year include Fairfield Inn & Suites, The Lofts at Wildlight, St. Clare Early Learning Center and Yulee KinderCare.
About Skinner Bros. Realty
Skinner Bros. Realty Company, established in January 1999, is a developer, investor, owner and manager of retail, office and mixed-use properties. The firm specializes in acquisition, planning, permitting, development and marketing of real estate as well as the representation of individual and corporate clients in the search for premier business locations.
About Wildlight
Wildlight is envisioned as a new town inspired by a character, culture and pattern of living that we call “Florida Lowcountry,” where play is a part of every day and the natural world is a natural part of life. The plan for Wildlight includes a mix of homes, townhomes and rental apartments together with shops and restaurants, a new elementary school and a system of trails and pathways intended to make it healthy and walkable and connect it all together. Wildlight offers comfortable and friendly Florida Lowcountry living 20 miles north of Jacksonville, just east of Interstate 95 on A1A, with easy access to both Amelia Island and the Jacksonville International Airport. Wildlight is being created by Raydient Places + Properties, a taxable subsidiary of Rayonier Inc., a real estate investment trust. For more information please visit Wildlight.com.
The health and safety of our community is our top priority. The #Floco Festival has been postponed until further notice. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Celebrate spring like only #floco can! Join us at the StoryCenter on Saturday, March 21st at 5:30pm. (more…)
The New Year is a perfect time for big plans, living better and a happier you. Even little changes in your activities and your perspective can make a major difference in the coming months. That’s exactly the kind of thinking that Wildlight was built around, and wherever you are in 2020, we’ve got a few ideas for resolutions to make the year ahead a great one.
Spend More Time Outdoors
The outdoors rejuvenate the soul. The fresh air and open spaces let you breathe, relax or just have some fun. Whether it’s hiking a nature trail, visiting the local park or a fun-filled day at the community pool, it makes an impact on your mood and well-being. So, carve out some time to escape those four walls and enjoy what outside has to offer.
Make New Friends
New faces. New ideas. Meeting new people is the best! A friendly wave and “hello” is an easy start and might just kick of a great conversation or a lifelong friendship. So, if you’re sitting on your front porch and see a new passerby, why not say hello? Or if you’re at the store, at a party or just out and about, make a point to meet and greet new people, and you never know who you might find!
Get More Exercise
This is kind of a classic, but working out more never hurts, and there are great ways to make it fun. Walk with a friend, join a biking group or get out on the water for some kayaking or paddle boarding. Think of it less like a workout and more like playing with health benefits. Before long, you’ll wonder why exercise wasn’t a regular part of your routine.
Play More and Stress Less
Speaking of playing, having fun in 2020 is a great way to reduce stress. From the workplace, home, finances and other sources, stress affects all of us to some extent, and too much can have serious health consequences. So be sure to schedule some downtime this year. Go out with friends, take yourself on a shopping spree downtown, or find a new event or class to try out. A community like Wildlight is built for residents to live and play, but you can make your own fun anywhere. And in doing so, you’ll be making an even better 2020.
Happy New Year!
Florida may not have the quintessential snow-covered holiday landscape, but Lowcountry is rich with traditions celebrated by all our citizens. At Wildlight, our community loves coming together to celebrate pretty much anything, and the holiday season is just one big excuse for a party. Here are a few ways that the folks here celebrate the season Lowcountry-style:
Serve Up A Shrimp Boil
Lowcountry is known for its amazing seafood, and the holidays are a perfect time to enjoy the bounty of shrimp that Florida waters have to offer. From the Atlantic to the Gulf, this area has the best shrimp around, and making a dish everyone will love couldn’t be easier. Just pick up a batch of shrimp, season your broth and boil them up for a holiday feast that is uniquely Southeast.
Citrus In Your Stocking
This may be more of a Florida thing than strictly Lowcountry, but one fun and very Southern tradition is putting oranges in the holiday stocking along with any gifts. The bright and sweet fruit is festive, fun and good for you, too! (And it makes a great filler in that pesky toe region.)
Deep-Fried Turkey
Though it’s become popular nationwide, the tradition of deep-frying turkey was invented in the South. The frying process locks in the juices that can be lost when roasting the big bird, so you never have to worry about getting a piece of dry meat. Just remember: deep frying food requires attention and caution; just be careful and your holiday will stay happy!
Pecan Pie
Admittedly, this is a lot of food, but what are holidays if not a great time to feast with family and friends? December falls at the end of pecan harvesting season, and so plenty of those nuts go into delicious, sticky-sweet pecan pie. A slice of this traditional Southern dessert is the perfect way to cap off a meal (and we challenge you to grab a second slice without filling up)!
“Is this farm-to-table?” “Are the ingredients locally sourced?” “Are these artisan-made accessories?” These days knowing where an item comes from — or how it’s made — is a big part of your purchase decision. And buying a home shouldn’t be any different. Partnerships with the most trusted builders in Northeast Florida, boasting more than a century of combined home-building experience, mean you get a quality home you can feel good about.
D.S. Ware Homes
The team at D.S. Ware Homes has been building homes and making customers for life for more than three decades. With repeated recognition from J.D. Power and Associates for their customer satisfaction and warranties, D.S. Ware’s commitment to a home goes far beyond when the last nail is hammered. Founder Donnie Ware sums it up best: “A home is the single most important purchase people will make in their lifetime and it has to be right, every time.” And that’s a philosophy they build every home with.
Dream Finders Homes
Within three years of opening, Dream Finders Homes was recognized as the “#1 Fastest Growing Private Company in Jacksonville” by The Jacksonville Business Journal, and with good reason. With an eye to the future of homebuilding, Dream Finders Homes is designing eye-catching and inviting homes. Their unique designs and commitment to superior quality materials have earned them more than 20 Parade of Home Awards from the Northeast Florida Builders Association.
Dostie Homes
With six decades and three generations of homebuilders, you might expect Dostie Homes to take it easy. But they’re still exceeding expectations, receiving the “2018 Northeast Florida Builder of the Year” award from the Northeast Florida Builders Association. Brothers Rick and Chris Dostie carry on the family’s legacy of quality homebuilding, leading a team of innovative professionals to deliver timeless luxury homes.
Labor Day can be a little bittersweet, as holidays go. Of course, it marks the unofficial end of summer, but you also get to kick back for a long weekend. At Wildlight, the warm days don’t end with the arrival of September, but with school starting up and work schedules coming off vacation time, Labor Day is still a great excuse to celebrate with friends and family with summertime traditions.
Throw a Neighborhood Barbecue
Break out the charcoal and gather at a local park &ndash or someone’s backyard &ndash and share good times over burgers, hot dogs, salads and more. It doesn’t take much to make a memorable party this way, the outdoor environment and simple pleasures are a perfect recipe for happy memories. Of course, if you really want to celebrate Lowcountry style, check out the next recommendation…
Do a Lowcountry Boil
If barbecue is quintessential Americana, a Lowcountry boil is the local flavor. Friends and neighbors gathering around for fresh seafood, sharing the day and filling their plates is a tradition that can’t be matched. Be advised: the delicious smell may attract folks from the block who you haven’t met before, but that’s how new friends are made! For more tips on a Lowcountry boil, you can check out this blog post.
Make a Splash
With kids going back to school, they’ll love an opportunity to dive into the water for some aquatic action! The beach is a perfect place to gather and have fun before it’s time to get back into the workday or schoolday routine. From Wildlight, the beach and all its excitement are just half an hour away on Amelia Island. Take the long weekend as a chance to get wet, soak up the sun and make memories.
Spend Time with Family
It’s easy to get caught up in our schedules &ndash whether it’s a job, a project to work on or after-school activities. Labor Day is a time to put on the brakes and focus on those closest to you. Instead of big plans, you can just make time together as a family, to enjoy some outdoor activities, cook together, or just relax. When life gets busy again, you’ll be glad you took the time to be together.
Our community is built for gathering and celebrating together, and Labor Day is a wonderful time to do just that. Take the long weekend to stop worrying about work and just enjoy the company of those closest to you, to socialize with your favorite people, and maybe make some new friends, too!